The present invention relates to a composite material (10) comprising a layer of electrically conductive material (12) being provided on both sides with a lightweight fibrous veil (14), each veil (14) being coated on its surface remote from the electrically conductive material layer (12) with a curable thermosetting resin matrix material (16).

A method of making a part comprising stacking a plurality of uncured composite sheets to form an uncured composite stack. The method also comprises interposing a resistor wire between an adjacent two of the uncured composite sheets of the uncured composite stack. The method further comprises applying heat to the uncured composite stack externally of the uncured composite stack to at least partially cure the plurality of uncured composite sheets. The method additionally comprises transmitting an electric current through the resistor wire to generate heat, from the resistor wire, internally within the uncured composite stack to at least partially cure the plurality of uncured composite sheets. Applying heat to the uncured composite stack externally and generating heat internally converts the plurality of uncured composite sheets into a plurality of cured composite sheets and converts the uncured composite stack into a cured composite stack.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade part. The method comprises providing one or more wind turbine blade components including a wind turbine blade component comprising a fibre material element, an electrically conductive element, a magnetic field generator for generating an Eddy current in the electrically conductive element; arranging the electrically conductive element, the magnetic field generator, and the fibre material element such that at least a part of the fibre material element is positioned between the electrically conductive element and the magnetic field generator; generating an Eddy current in the electrically conductive element using the magnetic field generator; generating, using a magnetic sensor, a signal representing a magnetic field induced by the generated Eddy current, and forming the wind turbine blade part by assembling the wind turbine blade components.

Disclosed are an integrated structure of different kinds of materials formed by integrating a steel material and a fiber reinforced composite material, and a method of integrating different kinds materials. An integrated structure of different kinds of materials may be formed by integrating different kinds of materials that are a steel material and a fiber reinforced composite material. The integrated structure includes: a first plate including a steel material; and a second plate facing the first plate and including a fiber reinforced composite material, which may be formed by impregnating resin in a reinforced fiber. In particular, a thermal bonding layer may be formed at an interface of the first plate and the second plate and include the resin of the second plate which is thermally bonded on a surface of the first plate.

The application discloses a conformable support structure for use in fiber composite precursor; a resin impregnated conformable fiber composite precursor, which may surround the support structure, for being manually manipulated and plastically deformed into a desired shape before being cured into a final product having the desired shape; the corresponding final product, which may be an orthosis or other product; and methods of making the final product or orthosis. The support structure is typically plastically deformable by hand to form the desired shape, may be substantially planar and may have various voids to promote controlled plastic deformation of the frame in one or more desired directions. The core may comprise a wire or tube and may include packing or filler material. The precursor includes a fiber layer impregnated with a thermoset resin and includes a compressor around the fiber layer. The fiber layer is supported internally or externally by the conformable support member. The precursor may be custom fitted to match the shape of an object and then thermally cured into a strong rigid product. The cured precursor can then be used to make a custom finished product.

This invention relates to a root end structure, a wind turbine blade comprising such a root end structure and a method of manufacturing such a wind turbine blade. The root end structure comprises a plurality of fastening members distributed along a root end of a blade part, wherein a first plurality of pultruded elements are arranged in between the fastening members and a second pultruded element is further arranged at the blade joint ends adjacent to an outermost fastening member. Each first pultruded element has opposite facing second sides each facing a first side of an adjacent fastening member. The second pultruded element has one second side facing the outermost fastening member and another second side facing the blade joint interface. The second pultruded element comprises a transition portion forming a smooth transition for the inner layers extending further along the mould edge surface.

At least one example embodiment relates to a composite material. In at least one example embodiment, the composite material includes an elastic layer and a support layer. The support layer is adhered to at least a portion of the elastic layer. The support layer extends across at least apportion of a surface of the elastic layer.

A composite heater may include a base additively manufactured from a first matrix material, and a heating element additively manufactured adjacent the base from a second matrix material and an electrically and thermally conductive fiber that is at least partially encased in the second matrix material. The composite heater may also include a control mechanism configured to selectively complete a circuit between a power supply and the electrically and thermally conductive fiber.

This process for producing a thermoplastic composite part by laying of at least one thermoplastic composite layer on a tool includes laying on the tool a hardened first ply before the laying of the thermoplastic composite layer. The first ply is produced beforehand to the shape of the tool and includes a first material able to experience an attractive force when it is subjected to a magnetic field, and/or to an electrical potential difference, and includes a second material of a thermoplastic resin that is chemically compatible with the resin of the thermoplastic composite layer. The first ply is clamped to the tool by the effect of a magnetic field, and/or of an electrical potential difference, established at the level of the tool. In one form of implementation, the first ply is produced on a first-ply mold that is preferably of convex shape.

A structural composite component, in particular for an aircraft or spacecraft, includes: a lightning strike protection layer; and a composite battery including a cathode layer and a separation layer, wherein the lightning strike protection layer is formed integrated with the cathode layer, and wherein the separation layer is configured for providing acoustic damping, and/or fire barrier, and/or impact resistance to the structural composite component. A method for configuring such a structural composite component; and an aircraft or spacecraft including such a structural composite component are also described.