In a method for producing a hull wall of a fiber composite sandwich component, shaped bodies of extruded polystyrene hard foam are enveloped with an envelope of fiber composite material with fibers oriented at least bidirectionally. The enveloped shaped bodies have a shape for forming a hull wall and are placed next to each other in a vacuum injection structure on a lower cover layer of fiber composite material. An upper cover layer of fiber composite material is placed on top of the enveloped shaped bodies and the vacuum injection structure is sealed. Matrix material is introduced and distributed in the vacuum injection structure until the fiber composite material of the envelopes and of the upper and lower cover layers is impregnated completely with the matrix material. The matrix material is cured and the fiber composite sandwich component of the hull wall is removed from the vacuum injection structure.

A system for forming a composite component includes a close mold tool defining a cavity that corresponds to a shape of the composite component and configured to receive a composite material. The system further includes a perforated release film defining a plurality of openings and configured to be positioned on a surface of the composite material within the cavity. The system further includes a breather configured to be positioned on the perforated release film, to allow a vacuum to be applied to the composite material through the breather and the plurality of openings, and to allow pressurized fluid to be applied to the perforated release film through the breather.

A flow-enhancing fabric extends in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction. The fabric includes a plurality of fibre layers including a first fibre layer and a second fibre layer arranged upon each other, the first fibre layer has a first plurality of fibre bundles oriented in parallel in a first fibre direction and has a plurality of first glass fibre bundles and a number of first carbon fibre bundles. The second fibre layer has a second plurality of fibre bundles oriented in parallel in a second fibre direction different from the first direction and has a plurality of second glass fibre bundles and a number of second carbon fibre bundles. At least a number of first carbon fibre bundles intersect and contact a number of second carbon fibre bundles. The fabric has a plurality of monofilaments arranged between the first and second fibre layer along the transverse direction.

A resin supply material used for press molding or vacuum-pressure molding of a fiber-reinforced resin, the resin supply material including a continuous porous material and a thermosetting resin, wherein an average pore cross-sectional area ratio P expressed by formula (I) is 1.1 or more:
P=AII/AI  (I) AI: average pore cross-sectional area in region I AII: average pore cross-sectional area in region II Region I: region occupying 10% of total volume of continuous porous material from surface layer on both surfaces thereof Region II: whole region of continuous porous material.

A flow aid for an infusion arrangement for infiltrating a resin into a fiber material, wherein at least two different resin-permeable plies, which lie atop one another and are joined to one another in the region of their faces lying atop one another, with one ply being a peel ply which on its exposed face is covered sectionally or over the full area with an adhesive agent, which is covered with a removable protective ply, or which can be activated after the mounting of the flow aid.

A system for infusing liquid resin into a sheet of fibrous material comprises a tool and a permeable media layer, configured to have the sheet therebetween. The system further comprises a non-permeable bladder, configured to be sealed to the tool about the sheet of fibrous material and the permeable media layer such that the sheet of fibrous material and the permeable media layer are sealed between the non-permeable bladder and the tool. The system additionally comprises an inlet, selectively fluidically coupleable with the permeable media layer to deliver liquid resin to the permeable media layer. The system also comprises an outlet, selectively fluidically coupleable with the permeable media layer to create a pressure differential across the non-permeable bladder. The system further comprises a permeability control valve, selectively operable to adjust the permeability of the permeable media layer.

An actuatable flow media for controlling a flow rate of a liquid through the flow media, the actuatable flow media comprising a base having a plurality of base cavities formed therein, at least one aperture formed in each base cavity defining a liquid flow path for the entry of liquid into or exit of liquid from the flow media; a flexible membrane arranged in spaced relation with the base and defining a liquid flow path through the flow media; and an elastically deformable element arranged in each base cavity and extending between the base and the flexible membrane for actuation between at least a first configuration in which the element is substantially undeformed and the liquid flow path through the at least one aperture is open and a second configuration in which the element is substantially deformed and the liquid flow path through the at least one aperture is closed.

In a method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade half shell, a preformed and cured aerodynamic blade shell member 42 of a fibre reinforced resin is provided. A primarily uniaxial fibre material 66 comprising carbon fibre is laid up on a longitudinal inner area 50 of the preformed shell member 42 and then infused with a resin by vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM), where a longitudinal resin inlet channel 80,82 is arranged on a first lateral side 46 and a vacuum channel 86,88 is arranged on a second lateral side 48 of the laid-up fibre material, and the resin is infused in transverse direction from the first to the second lateral side 46,48.

A method of infusing liquid resin into a sheet of fibrous material comprises evacuating gaseous contaminants from the sheet of fibrous material through a permeable media layer to an outlet and comprises flowing liquid resin from an inlet through the permeable media layer. The method further comprises infusing the liquid resin into the sheet of fibrous material and selectively adjusting a distance between the non-permeable bladder and the fibrous material at a gap, formed in the permeable media layer, such that a first resistance to fluid flow through the permeable media layer is reduced.

In a method for producing a fiber composite component by vacuum injection, a fiber composite semifinished product is arranged in a component chamber of a tool. A vacuum chamber is arranged adjacent to the component chamber. The vacuum chamber is separated from the component chamber by a separation material. Component chamber and vacuum chamber are sealed relative to the tool environment by a gas-tight and matrix-material tight cover material. Vacuum is applied to the vacuum chamber and a matrix material is introduced into the component chamber. The matrix material is cured and the finished fiber composite component is removed from the component chamber. The separation material separating the vacuum chamber from the component chamber has a pore size between 0.4 m and 30 m and provides a matrix material-slowing action but is not matrix material-tight.