Methods and manufactures disclosed herein generally relate to a cannular composite (ITC) structure composed of multiple layers of sealing, reinforcement, sensing, protection, and interspatial injected materials.

Provided is a tube body intermediate including: a carbon fiber disposed with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a mandrel so as to extend in an axial direction of the mandrel; and a fixing member having a tubular shape and disposed with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the mandrel so as to cover the carbon fiber. Also provided is a tube body production method including: disposing a fiber body with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a mandrel so that the fiber body extends in an axial direction of the mandrel; disposing a fixing member with a tubular shape with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the mandrel so that the fixing member covers the fiber body; and impregnating the fiber body with a resin on the outer circumferential surface of the mandrel and then heating the resin to mold the resin.

The tube body intermediate includes: a carbon fiber disposed with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a mandrel such that the carbon fiber extends in an axial direction of the mandrel in a manner of being wound by less than one turn; and a first fixing member wound with respect to an outer circumferential surface of the mandrel such that the first fixing member extends in the axial direction of the mandrel in a manner of being wound over the carbon fiber by one or more turns in a circumferential direction.

A method of manufacturing a high-pressure composite pressure vessel for high-pressure being at or above 70 bar (1000 PSI or 7 MPa) includes providing an expandable core vessel defining a hoop section between end domes. An aligned discontinuous fiber composite material is wrapped over the expandable core vessel aligning with a plurality of load paths present in the expandable core vessel being over the hoop section and end domes. The aligned discontinuous fiber composite material has fibers in a prepreg tape that are at least 5 mm in length to 100 mm in length or less. Next, a continuous fiber-reinforced composite is wrapped over the aligned discontinuous fiber-reinforced composite along the hoop section and not wrapped along the end domes. The expandable core vessel may be pressurized and heated to consolidate the composite overwrap. Finally, the vessel is cooled under pressure resulting in the high-pressure composite pressure vessel.

Annular structures formed using composite materials and systems and methods for forming annular structures using composite materials are provided. The composite materials can include fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials. The annular structures include a number of component parts. Each component part can be in the form of a strip of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material that extends around all or a portion of a circumference of the structure. The ends of the component parts can be staggered, so that they a placed at different locations about the circumference of the structure. Methods for forming annular composite structures include wrapping one or more strips of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material having one or more layers about a mandrel, and fusing the strips to form an integral annular structure.

A method and apparatus (14) for assembling a reinforcement web (12) for use with a wind turbine blade (10) are provided. A pre-formed flange structure (20) to be integrated with laminate layers (58, 60) to form the reinforcement web (12) is clamped into position against a mould end surface (76) using one or more locating clamps (16). The locating clamps (16) include first and second clamp blocks (80, 82) that are shaped to provide an external profile that avoids resin collection and bridging during resin injection molding, while allowing for clamping to be applied to the flange structure (20) with an easily assembled and disassembled removable engagement of the clamp blocks (80, 82). The locating clamp (16) prevents undesirable dislodgment of the flange structure (20) during the assembly process for the reinforcement web (12), and without necessitating the use of complex or expensive molding equipment or processes.

A wind turbine blade including a shell structure defining a leading edge and a trailing edge, and an upwind shell and a downwind shell joined along at least one of the leading edge or the trailing edge. The shell structure includes an assembly of preformed parts processed into a collection of prefabricated laminates. The invention also includes a method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade, the method includes processing a number of preformed parts into a collection of prefabricated laminates and assembling the collection of prefabricated laminates to build a shell structure defining a leading edge and a trailing edge.

According to one implementation, a composite material forming jig includes molds and a tilting structure. The molds are developable for laminating fiber sheets, after or before impregnated with a resin, in a developed state where the molds are developed. At least one mold of the molds is capable of being inclined relatively to another mold of the molds so that the laminated fiber sheets are shaped. The tilting structure is adapted to develop the molds when the fiber sheets are laminated and incline the at least one mold when the laminated fiber sheets are shaped.

A system for forming a deep drawn helmet and method therefor are disclosed. The system includes a forming draw ring and a non-forming draw ring and supports a prepreg stack between a forming aperture of the forming draw ring and a non-forming aperture of the non-forming draw ring. The system clamps a flange portion of the prepreg stack between a contact surface of the forming draw ring and a contact surface of the non-forming draw ring, which forms a clamped assembly of the rings and the prepreg stack. The system then forms a deep drawn helmet preform from the prepreg stack of the clamped assembly. The same system or a different forming system then consolidates one or more of the preforms into a final deep drawn helmet. The system can control sliding of the flange during forming of the helmet preform without reducing the flange clamping force.

Composite structures and methods of forming composite structures are provided. A composite structure as disclosed herein incorporates one or more composite structure components, such as composite panels and composite inserts. A composite panel is formed from one or more sheets of fiber reinforced thermoplastic material. Composite inserts can include one or more composite blocks or braided sleeves. A composite block can be formed as a stacked or molded structure from trimmings or waste produced during the formation of the composite structures. A braided sleeve can include a seamless, woven sleeve formed of reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic threads. In a completed composite structure, composite inserts are at least partially disposed within a volume defined by surfaces of composite panels. The various composite structures and inserts can be given a final shape and can be fused to one another in a molding and fusing step.