Dual cure resin composite system and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A system including a dual cure composite structure is disclosed. The system also includes a first layer comprising a resin having a first and a second functional group. The system further includes a second layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group. The system also includes a third layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group. The system further includes a first covalent bond across an interface of the first and the second layer and a second covalent bond across another interface of the second and the third layer. The system further includes more than two layers comprising the resin having the first and second functional group. A method of manufacturing a system including a dual cure composite structure is also disclosed. The method includes providing a first layer comprising a resin having a first functional group and a second functional group. The method also includes applying a first curing source to partially cure the first layer. The method further includes providing a second layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group onto the first layer and applying a second curing source to fully cure the first layer and partially cure the second layer simultaneously.

1 . A method, comprising: 
 activating a first functional group of a resin in a first layer in response to a first curing source;    activating a second functional group of the resin in the first layer and the second functional group of the resin in a second layer disposed on the first layer in response to a second curing source; and    creating a first covalent bond across an interface of the first layer and the second layer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 activating the first functional group of the resin in a third layer and the resin in a second layer in response to the first curing source;    creating a second covalent bond across an interface of the second layer and the third layer; and    activating the second functional group of the resin in the third layer in response to the second curing source.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising activating the first and the second functional group of the resin in more than two layers.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first curing source and the second curing source comprise radiations at different frequencies.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first curing source and the second curing source comprise different energy types or different characteristics of the same energy type.  
     
     
         6 . A method, comprising: 
 providing a first layer comprising a resin having a first functional group and a second functional group;    applying a first curing source to partially cure the first layer;    providing a second layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group onto the first layer; and    applying a second curing source to fully cure the first layer and partially cure the second layer simultaneously.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising: 
 providing a third layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group onto the second layer;    applying the first curing source to fully cure the second layer and partially cure the third layer simultaneously; and    applying the second curing source to fully cure the third layer.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising providing more than two layers comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein applying the first curing source to partially cure the first layer comprises curing less than about 100% of the first layer.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein applying the second curing source to fully cure the first layer and partially cure the second layer simultaneously comprises curing less than about 100% of the second layer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first curing source and the second curing source comprise ultraviolet frequency radiation, or microwave frequency radiation, or visible frequency radiation, or ultrasonic radiation, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first curing source and the second curing source comprise an electron beam, or a laser beam, or an ultrasonic beam, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing the first layer and the second layer comprises using an automated fiber tape placement machine.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first curing source and the second curing source comprise different curing types or different characteristics of the same curing type.  
     
     
         15 . A system, comprising: 
 a dual cure composite structure, comprising: 
 a first layer comprising a resin having a first and a second functional group;  
 a second layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group;  
 a third layer comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group;  
 a first covalent bond across an interface of the first and the second layer; and  
 a second covalent bond across another interface of the second and the third layer.  
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , the system further comprising more than two layers comprising the resin having the first and the second functional group.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first functional group comprises aldehyde, or amines, or acrylate, or methacrylate, or vinyl group, or cyclo-epoxide, or glycicyl etherepoxide with amine curatives, or isocyanate with alcohol, or isocyanate with amine, or urethane, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second functional group comprises aldehyde, or amines, or acrylate, or methacrylate, or vinyl group, or cycloepoxide, or glycicyl etherepoxide with amine curatives, or isocyanate with alcohol, or isocyanate with amine, or urethane, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , the composite structure further comprising carbon or fiberglass composites or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the composite structure comprises a component of wind turbine.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the composite structure further comprises a wind turbine blade.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the blade further comprises a top skin, a shear web coupled to a barrel with at least two spar caps, and a bottom skin.  
     
     
         23 . A method, comprising: 
 partially curing a first composite layer with a first curing feature;    disposing a second composite layer along the first composite layer; and    simultaneously curing the first and second composite layers with a second curing feature to further cure the first composite layer and to partially cure the second composite layer, wherein the first and second curing features are different from one another.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second curing features comprise different curing mechanisms, or the same curing mechanism having different output characteristics, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first curing feature and the second curing feature comprise an electron beam, or a laser beam, or an ultrasonic beam, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         26 . A manufacturing system comprising: 
 one or more curing sources configured to fully or partially cure a layer of a composite structure; and    a machine configured to dispose a layer of a dual cure composite structure.    
     
     
         27 . The manufacturing system of  claim 26 , wherein the machine comprises a manually operated machine or an automated machine.  
     
     
         28 . The manufacturing system of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more curing sources comprise ultraviolet frequency radiation, or radio frequency radiation, or infrared radiation, or microwave frequency radiation, or visible frequency radiation, or ultrasonic radiation, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         29 . The manufacturing system of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more curing sources comprise different curing types or different characteristics of the same curing type.