Component device and method for detecting damage in a bonding adhesive of the component device

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a component device, in particular for a primary supporting component of an aircraft, which comprises a first component element, a second component element, a bonding providing a connection between the first component element and the second component element, a marker substance device configured to dispense a volatile marker gas to the environment when in contact with the surrounding air and being hermetically sealed from the surrounding air by the first component element, the second component element, and/or the bonding if the bonding is not damaged, and a detector device configured to detect the marker gas dispensed by the marker substance device.

Claims

1. A component device for a primary supporting component of an aircraft, comprising: a first aircraft composite component element; a second aircraft composite component element; a bonding adhesive which provides a connection between the first aircraft composite component element and the second aircraft composite component element; a marker substance device to dispense a volatile marker gas to the environment when being in contact with surrounding air, the marker substance device being hermetically sealed from the surrounding air by the bonding adhesive, the first aircraft composite component element, and/or the second aircraft composite component element when the bonding adhesive is not damaged; and a detector device to detect the marker gas dispensed by the marker substance device.

2. The component device of claim 1, wherein: a first portion of the bonding adhesive extends continuously from the first aircraft composite component element to the second aircraft composite component element; a second portion of the bonding adhesive extends continuously from the first aircraft composite component element to the second aircraft composite component element; a space is defined between the first portion of the bonding adhesive and the second portion of the bonding adhesive; and the marker substance device is located in the space and is in direct contact with the first portion of the bonding adhesive and with the second portion of the bonding adhesive.

3. The component device of claim 1, wherein the marker substance device comprises at least one vesicle filled with an intermediate gas and/or a fluid of the intermediate gas in a condensed state, and wherein, when the marker substance device contacts the surrounding air, the intermediate gas reacts with the surrounding air to generate the marker gas.

4. The component device of claim 1, wherein the marker substance device comprises at least one vesicle which is filled with the marker gas and/or with a fluid of condensed marker gas, and wherein the vesicle comprises a wall which is destroyable when coming into contact with the surrounding air.

5. The component device of claim 1, wherein the marker substance device comprises marker material hermetically sealed from the surrounding air by the bonding adhesive, the first aircraft composite component element, and/or the second aircraft composite component element.

6. The component device of claim 5, wherein the marker material comprises the marker gas, a fluid of condensed marker gas, a solid reaction material which reacts chemically when being in contact with the surrounding air and generates the marker gas, and/or a reaction fluid which reacts chemically when being in contact with the surrounding air and generates the marker gas.

7. The component device of claim 1, wherein the detector device comprises a fluid detector which is adapted to detect the marker gas in the form of a condensed fluid.

8. The component device of claim 1 wherein the first aircraft composite component is a stringer of an aircraft and wherein the second aircraft composite component is a part of an outer skin of the aircraft.

9. A component device for a primary supporting component of an aircraft, comprising: a first aircraft component element; a second aircraft component element; a bonding adhesive which provides a connection between the first aircraft component element and the second aircraft component element; a marker substance device to dispense a volatile marker gas to the environment when being in contact with surrounding air, the marker substance device being hermetically sealed within the bonding adhesive when the bonding adhesive is not damaged; and a detector device to detect the marker gas dispensed by the marker substance device.

10. The component device of claim 9, wherein the marker substance device comprises at least one vesicle filled with the marker gas or an intermediate gas, in a gaseous or condensed state.

11. A method for detecting a damage of a bonding adhesive for a component device of an aircraft, comprising the steps of: adhering a first aircraft component element of the component device to a second aircraft component element of the component device with the bonding adhesive; inserting a marker substance device into the bonding adhesive while not yet cured and hermetically sealing the marker substance device from the surrounding air, wherein the marker substance device dispenses a marker gas to the surroundings when being in contact with surrounding air; detecting the marker gas in the surrounding air; and determining a damage if the concentration of the marker gas in the surrounding air exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the concentration of the marker gas is detected in a time-dependent manner at multiple positions by multiple gas detectors, and wherein the position of the damage in the bonding adhesive is determined based on the timely order of how the concentration of the marker gas increases at the gas detectors.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein different marker gases are used for different component devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein inserting the marker substance device into the bonding adhesive the marker substance device comprises completely surrounding the marker substance device with the bonding adhesive.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising filling a vesicle with the marker gas or with a fluid of the marker gas in a condensed state, wherein inserting the marker substance device into the bonding adhesive the marker substance device comprises inserting the vesicle into the bonding adhesive.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the vesicle has a wall which is permeable for the marker gas, the method further comprising dispensing the marker gas through the wall to the surrounding air when the vesicle comes into contact with the surrounding air.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein inserting the marker substance device into the bonding adhesive the marker substance device comprises inserting a plurality of vesicles into the bonding adhesive.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein inserting the plurality of vesicles into the bonding adhesive comprises arranging a mix of the vesicles and uncured bonding adhesive in a central region of the component and away from an edge of the bonding adhesive in contact with the surrounding air.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising cracking or debindering the bonding adhesive to form an opening in the bonding adhesive permitting the surrounding air to contact the marker substance device while preventing the surrounding air from passing through the first aircraft component element or through the second aircraft component element into contact with the marker substance device.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising: providing a reagent material at an outer circumferential margin of the bonding adhesive; cracking or debindering the bonding adhesive to permit the surrounding air to contact the marker substance device, wherein the marker substance device dispenses the marker gas to the surroundings when being in contact with surrounding air by releasing an intermediate gas; and reacting the intermediate gas with the reagent material to generate the marker gas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Now, preferred embodiments are elucidated with reference to the attached schematic drawings which are not true to scale. It is shown in:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cross section through component device according to a first embodiment without a damage in the bonding;

(3) FIG. 2 is a cross section through the component device of FIG. 1 with a damage in the bonding;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross section through component device according to a second embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross section through component device according to a third embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 is a cross section through a component device with an assigned load profile; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a top view onto a fluid sensor of the component device according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments or the application and uses thereof. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background detailed description.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a component device 10 which comprises a first component element 12, a second component element 14, a bonding 16, a marker substance device 18, and a detector device 20. The component device 10 forms a primary supporting component of an aircraft.

(10) The first component element 12 is designed as a stringer or purlin while the second component element 14 is a section of an outer skin of an aircraft. The first component element 12 and the second component element 14 are connected with each other by an adhesive bonding 16, which is shown in the figures in a magnified manner. The bonding 16 is provided between a first contact surface 22 of the first component element 12 and a second contact surface 24 of the second component element 14 and interconnects these two contact surfaces 22 and 24.

(11) A hollow space 26 is provided in the bonding 16, which hollow space or cavity is hermetically sealed (gas-tight) from the surroundings of the component device 10 by the bonding 16, the first component element 12, and the second component element 14. A marker material 28 of the marker substance device 18 is provided in this hollow space 26. In the shown embodiment, the marker material 28 is a solid material which reacts chemically when being in contact with the surrounding air, in particular with its oxygen, so that the marker gas 30 is generated. However, the marker material 28 may also be the marker gas 30, the condensed marker gas 30, as well as a reaction fluid which reacts chemically with the surrounding air such that it generates the marker gas 30, or a reaction gas which reacts chemically with the surrounding air such that it generates the marker gas 30.

(12) In the depicted embodiment, the detector device 20 comprises a gas detector 32 which is arranged spaced apart from the first component element 12, the second component element 14, and the bonding 16. The gas detector 32 may determine the concentration of the marker gas 30 in the surrounding air and is provided as a semiconductor detector. The gas detector 32 may be incorporated in ventilation elements of the aircraft, for example in its fuselage, which may represent a hybrid ventilation detection element.

(13) The detector device 20 is connected in a wireless manner with a control arrangement that is not shown in the drawings, which control arrangement evaluates the measurement results of the detector device 20. In this exemplary embodiment, the control arrangement is a computer system of the aircraft. The control arrangement provides a notification or an alarm if it concludes from a change in concentration of the marker gas 30 that a damage exists in the bonding 16, as will be shown in the following.

(14) In case of a damage in the bonding 16, which is shown in FIG. 2 by a crack, the marker material 28 reacts with the surrounding air and dispenses marker gas 30. The concentration of the marker gas 30 is measured by means of the gas detector 32. In case the concentration of the marker gas 30 in the surrounding air exceeds a certain threshold value, it is concluded that a damage exists in the bonding 16. In the depicted embodiment, the marker gas 30 is a gas which does not occur in the surrounding air, so that a damage in the bonding 16 may be concluded if the gas detector 32 detects presence of the marker gas 30 in the surrounding air; hence, the predetermined threshold value for the concentration of the marker gas 30 in the surrounding air is 0%.

(15) FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the component device 10. The component device 10 according to FIG. 3 corresponds with the component device 10 according to FIG. 1, except for the following differences.

(16) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the marker substance device 18 comprises multiple vesicles 34 which are filled with the marker gas 30. The vesicles 34 comprise a wall which degenerates when being in contact with the oxygen of the surrounding air such that the marker gas 30 is released. In the shown embodiment, the vesicles 34 are completely surrounded by the bonding 16 and are arranged in the midst of the bonding 16, so that the vesicles 34 do not come into contact with the surrounding air if the bonding is not damaged. In FIG. 3, a damage in the bonding 16 is shown in the form of a crack, so that the vesicles 34 come into contact with the surrounding air, the vesicles 34 are destroyed or damaged, and the marker gas 30 is released. As elucidated above, the marker gas 30 is detected by the gas detector 32.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the component device 10. The embodiment of the component device 10 depicted in FIG. 4 corresponds with the component device 10 according to FIG. 1, except for the following differences:

(18) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the marker material 28 reacts with the surrounding air not by generating the marker gas 30, but releases an intermediate gas. The intermediate gas chemically reacts with a reagent material 36 and, thus, generates the marker gas 30. The reagent material 36 is provided at an outer circumferential margin of the bonding 16, so that the intermediate gas flows past the reagent material 36 in case of a damage in the bonding 16, so that the intermediate gas can chemically react with the reagent material 36.

(19) A further embodiment which is not shown in the drawings corresponds with the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, wherein no marker material 28 but vesicles 30 are provided as part of the marker substance device 18. The second reaction material which releases the intermediate gas when it comes into contact with the surrounding air is provided in the vesicles 30.

(20) FIG. 5 shows schematically the component device 10 according to FIG. 3 in a loaded state, wherein the load is applied along the arrow. The load peaks are schematically shown below the component device 10. It can be seen that the load is less in the center of the bonding 16 in case of such a load. If the vesicles 34 are arranged at this position, these are not going to be destroyed even in case of a load being applied to the component device 10. Conversely, damage to the vesicles 34 indicates that there is a damage in the bonding 16. Hence, the center or midst of the connection is the preferred position for arrangement of the vesicles 34 and even of the marker material 28.

(21) FIG. 6 shows a fluid detector 38 of the detector device 20. The fluid detector 38 is adapted to detect condensed marker gas 30. For this purpose, a funnel 40 is assigned to the fluid detector 38, which funnel collects the condensed marker gas 30 and guides it to the fluid detector 38. For example, the fluid detector 38 and the funnel 40 are mounted at a wall 42 of the aircraft, which wall is cooler than the surroundings, so that the amount of condensation of the marker gas 30 is increased there. By means of the fluid detector 38, even minor concentrations of the marker gas 30 may be determined, as a cumulation of the marker gas 30 takes place due to the condensation.

(22) According to another embodiment, the fluid detector 38 may be integrated in existing draining elements of the aircraft.

(23) The functioning of the component device 10 is described in the following.

(24) The marker material 28 or the vesicles 34 are enclosed in the bonding 16 such that they are sealed from the surrounding air in a gas-tight manner. In case of a damage of the bonding 16, for example, due to a crack, a gas connection is created between the vesicles 34 or the marker material 28 and the surrounding air. In this manner, marker gas 30 is released, which may be detected by the gas detector 32 or by the fluid detector 38. In case the concentration of the marker gas 30 exceeds a certain threshold value, this indicates that a damage of the bonding 16 exists.

(25) Localizing the damage of the bonding 16 takes place by providing multiple gas detectors 32. Depending on which gas detector 32 measures the marker gas 30 first or depending on where the concentration of the marker gas 30 in the surrounding air is highest, conclusions may be drawn to the position of the damage.

(26) While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the embodiment in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the embodiment as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(27) 10 component device 12 first component element 14 second component element 16 bonding 18 marker substance device 20 detector device 22 first contact surface 24 second contact surface 26 hollow space 28 marker material 30 marker gas 32 gas detector 34 vesicle 36 reagent material 38 fluid detector 40 funnel 42 wall