U.S. patent number RE33,789 [Application Number 07/515,433] was granted by the patent office on 1992-01-07 for monitoring technology.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Foster-Miller, Inc.. Invention is credited to William A. Stevenson.
United States Patent |
RE33,789 |
Stevenson |
January 7, 1992 |
Monitoring technology
Abstract
A process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu
compositional changes in a polymeric material comprises the steps
of providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber
that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion, embedding the
sensor portion in the polymeric material to be monitored,
subjecting the polymeric material to a processing sequence,
applying a beam of infrared radiation to the fiber for transmission
through the transmitting portion to the sensor portion for
modification as a function of properties of the polymeric material,
monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as the polymeric
material is being subjected to the processing sequence to obtain
kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during the
processing sequence, and adjusting the processing sequence as a
function of the kinetic data provided by the modified infrared
radiation spectra information.
Inventors: |
Stevenson; William A. (Concord,
MA) |
Assignee: |
Foster-Miller, Inc. (Waltham,
MA)
|
Family
ID: |
26681017 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/515,433 |
Filed: |
April 26, 1990 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
10306 |
Feb 3, 1987 |
04798954 |
Jan 17, 1989 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
250/341.7;
250/227.23; 250/339.08; 250/339.12; 356/133; 374/53 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N
21/552 (20130101); G01N 2201/08 (20130101); G01N
2021/432 (20130101); G01N 2021/3595 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01N
21/55 (20060101); G01N 21/31 (20060101); G01N
21/35 (20060101); G01N 21/43 (20060101); G01N
21/41 (20060101); G01N 021/35 (); G01N
021/84 () |
Field of
Search: |
;250/227.23,227.18,339,340,341 ;356/133 ;374/53 ;350/96.29 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Young, Bland and Chang, Resin Characterization in Cured Graphite
Fiber Reinforced Composites Using Diffues Reflectance--FTIR, 28th
Nat. SAMPE Symp., 28, 824 (1983). .
Young and Chang, Prepreg Cure Monitoring Using Diffuse
Reflectance--FTIR, 16th Nat. SAMPE Tech. Conf., 16, 136 (1984).
.
Young and Chang, FTIR Characterization of Advanced Materials, 31st
Nat. SAMPE Symp. (1986). .
A. M. Noskov and V. N. Gogolev, "Investigation of the Kinetics of
Epoxy Resin Hardening by a Method Which Excludes Their Reaction
with the Material of the Container" Zhurnal Prikladnoi
Spektroskopii, vol. 20, No. 1, (Jan. 1974), pp. 89-91..
|
Primary Examiner: Hannaher; Constantine
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fish & Richardson
Government Interests
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No.
NASI-18420 awarded by NASA. The Government has certain rights in
this invention.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An infrared spectroscopy system for monitoring the processing of
a polymeric material comprising
a source of infrared radiation for generating a beam of infrared
radiation,
infrared spectrum analyzing means,
an infrared radiation transmission fiber that has a transmission
portion and a sensor portion adapted to be embedded in the
polymeric material to be monitored, and
means for coupling said transmission fiber to said source to
transmit a beam of infrared radiation through said fiber to said
sensor portion and for coupling said fiber to said infrared
spectrum analyzing means for analyzing the resulting spectra as
said polymeric material is processed to provide kinetic information
on the processing of said polymeric material.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said source is of the Michelson
interferometer type.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said spectrum analyzing means is
of the Fourier transform type.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the material of said fiber is
selected from the class consisting of chalcogenide glass such as
arsenic sulfide or arsenic germanium selenide, heavy metal fluoride
glass, such as a mixture of zirconium, barium, lanthanum and
aluminum fluorides, and polycrystalline or single crystal materials
such as thallium bromoiodide or cesium iodide.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensor .[.fiber.].
.Iadd.portion .Iaddend.has a diameter of at least about one hundred
micrometers and a refractive index greater than 1.7.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein said .[.sensor-transmitter.].
.Iadd.transmission .Iaddend.fiber has a length of at least about
two meters with a clad transmission portion and an unclad sensor
portion, both of which are adapted to be embedded in the polymer
material to be monitored.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein said fiber has a diameter of at
least about one hundred micrometers, a refractive index greater
than 1.7 and an overall transmission loss of less than 5 dB per
meter over an 1800-750 wavenumber bandwidth and said sensor portion
of said fiber has a length that is less than about five percent of
the overall length of said fiber.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the material of said fiber is
selected from the class consisting of chalcogenide glass such as
arsenic sulfide or arsenic germanium selenide, heavy metal fluoride
glass, such as a mixture of zirconium, barium, lanthanum and
aluminum fluorides, and polycrystalline or single crystal materials
such as thallium bromoiodide or cesium iodide.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein said .[.sensor-transmitter.].
.Iadd.transmission .Iaddend.fiber has an overall transmission loss
of less than 5 dB per meter over an 1800-750 wavenumber
bandwidth.
10. A process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu
compositional changes in a polymeric material comprising the steps
of
providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber that
has a transmission portion and a sensor portion,
embedding said sensor portion in the polymeric material to be
monitored,
subjecting said polymeric material to a processing sequence,
applying a beam of infrared radiation to said fiber for
transmission through said transmitting portion to said sensor
portion for modification as a function of properties of the
polymeric material, and
monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as said
polymeric material is being subjected to said processing sequence
to obtain kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during
the processing sequence.
11. The process of claim 10 and further including the step of
adjusting the processing sequence as a function of the kinetic data
provided by said modified infrared radiation spectra
information.
12. The process of claim 10 wherein a polymer-fiber matrix is being
monitored, said polymer-fiber matrix including alternating layers
of fibers and polymer resins, and the sensor portions of a
plurality of said infrared radiation transmitting fibers are
embedded in spaced relation in said polymer resin layers.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein said polymeric material being
monitored is selected from the class consisting of epoxies and
polyimides.
14. The process of claim 13 wherein the material of said infrared
radiation transmitting fibers is selected from the class consisting
of chalcogenide glass such as arsenic sulfide or arsenic germanium
selenide, heavy metal fluoride glass, such a mixture of zirconium,
barium, lanthanum and aluminum fluorides, and polycrystalline or
single crystal materials such as thallium bromoiodide or cesium
iodide.
15. A elongated infrared radiation transmitting process monitoring
fiber for use in the process of claim 10, said fiber having a
transmission portion and a sensor portion, said fiber having a
length of at least about one meter and said sensor portion having a
length that is less than about five percent of the overall length
of said fiber.
16. The fiber of claim 15 wherein said fiber has an overall
transmission loss of less than 5 dB per meter over an 1800-750
wavenumber bandwidth, a diameter of at least about one hundred
micrometers, a refractive index greater than 1.7, said sensor
portion is unclad, and said transmission portion is clad.
17. The fiber of claim 16 wherein the material of said fiber is
selected from the class consisting of chalcogenide glass such as
arsenic sulfide or arsenic germanium selenide, heavy metal fluoride
glass, such a mixture of zirconium, barium, lanthanum and aluminum
fluorides, and polycrystalline or single crystal materials such as
thallium bromoiodide or cesium iodide.
18. A system for insitu infrared spectroscopic monitoring of a
polymer-fiber matrix to provide kinetic information during the
curing of the polymeric constituent of said polymeric fiber matrix,
said polymer-fiber matrix including alternating layers of fibers
and polymer resins, comprising
a plurality of infrared radiation transmitting fibers, each said
.Iadd.transmitting .Iaddend.fiber having a transmission portion and
a sensor portion, the sensor portions of said .Iadd.transmitting
.Iaddend.fibers being adapted to be embedded in spaced relation in
said layers of polymer resin,
a source of infrared radiation for generating a beam of infrared
radiation,
means for coupling said transmitting fibers to said source to
transmit infrared radiation through said fibers to said sensor
portions,
infrared spectrum analyzing means, and
means for coupling said .Iadd.transmitting .Iaddend.fibers to said
infrared spectrum analyzing means for analyzing the resulting
infrared spectra as said polymer resin constituents are being cured
to provide kinetic information on the curing of said polymer
resins.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein each said infrared radiation
transmitting fiber has a diameter of at least about one hundred
micrometers and a length of at least about one meter, each said
transmission portion is clad and each said sensor portion is
unclad, each said sensor portion has a length that is less than
about five percent of the overall length of its .Iadd.transmitting
.Iaddend.fiber.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the material of said infrared
radiation transmitting fibers is selected from the class consisting
of chalcogenide glass such as arsenic sulfide or arsenic germanium
selenide, heavy metal fluoride glass, such a mixture of zirconium,
barium, lanthanum and aluminum fluorides, and polycrystalline or
single crystal materials such as thallium bromoiodide or cesium
iodide; said polymer-fiber matrix includes fiber of material such
as graphite or boron and polymers of materials such as epoxies or
polyimides; each said infrared radiation transmitting fiber has a
refractory index greater than 1.7 and an overall transmission loss
of less than 5 dB per meter over an 1800-750 wavenumber bandwidth;
and further including autoclave type containment structure for
receiving said polymer-fiber matrix during cure, said containment
structure including gland structure through said transmission
portions of said .Iadd.transmitting .Iaddend.fibers are connected
to said infrared radiation source and said infrared spectrum
analyzer means. .Iadd.
21. A system for detecting chemical characteristics within a
material comprising:
an optical fiber embedded in a material, the fiber having an unclad
sensor section;
source means connected to direct optical radiation into the
fiber;
encoding means to modulate the optical radiation; and
spectrum analyzer means connected to the fiber to detect at least a
part of the spectrum of the modulated optical radiation and,
thereby, to detect chemical characteristics of the material in
which the sensor section is embedded. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A system
according to claim 21 wherein the unclad sensor section comprises a
section between the ends of the fiber, and said source means is
connected to one end of the fiber and said spectrum analyzer means
is connected to the other end of the fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A
system according to claim 21 wherein the unclad sensor section is
at the end of the fiber, and said source means and said spectrum
analyzer means are connected to the same end of the fiber.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.24. A system according to claim 21 wherein said
optical fiber extends outside said spectrum analyzer means.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.25. A system according to claim 23 wherein the tip
of the unclad sensor section of the fiber is generally planar.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.26. A system according to claim 21 wherein said
spectrum analyzer means comprises a Fourier transform analyzer.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.27. A system according to claim 21 wherein said
encoding means comprises an interferometer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. A
system according to claim 21 wherein said unclad sensor section is
formed from chalcogenide glass. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. A system
according to claim 21 wherein said chalcogenide glass is arsenic
germanium selenide glass. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. A system according to
claim 21 wherein said sensor section is formed from metal fluoride
glass. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. A system for providing in-situ detection
of the chemical state within a fiber-reinforced composite material,
comprising:
an optical fiber embedded in the fiber-reinforced composite
material, the fiber having an unclad sensor section and the
remainder of the fiber being clad;
a light source connected to direct infrared radiation into the
fiber;
a detector connected to detect infrared radiation emerging from an
end of the fiber; and
a spectrum analyzer connected to the detector for measuring at
least a part of the spectrum of infrared radiation absorbed by the
composite material
adjacent the sensor section. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. A system according
to claim 31 wherein the unclad sensor section comprises a section
intermediate the ends of the fiber, and the light source is
connected to one end of the fiber and the spectrum analyzer is
connected to the other end of the fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. A
system according to claim 31 wherein the unclad sensor section is
at the end of the fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. A system according to
claim 33 wherein the light source and the spectrum analyzer are in
optical communication with the same end of the
fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. A system according to claim 31 wherein
the spectrum analyzer comprises a Fourier transform analyzer.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.36. A system according to claim 31 wherein said
light source includes an interferometer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. A
process for detecting chemical characteristics within a material,
comprising the steps of:
forming an optical fiber having an unclad sensor section;
embedding the sensor section of the optical fiber in a material to
be analyzed;
directing light into the fiber; and
operating a spectrum analyzer connected to the fiber to analyze at
least a part of the spectrum of said light absorbed by the material
adjacent the sensor section. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. A process
according to claim 37 wherein the material is a thermosettable
matrix resin. .Iaddend. .Iadd.39. A process according to claim 38
wherein the analyzer is operated while
curing the resin. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. A process according to claim
39 wherein the analyzer measures the degree of cross-linking of the
resin. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41. A process according to claim 37 wherein
a plurality of the optical fibers, each having a sensor section,
are embedded in the materials at selected locations. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.42. A process according to claim 37 wherein the material to
be analyzed is located external of the analyzer. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.43. A process according to claim 42 wherein the analyzer is a
Fourier transform infrared analyzer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.44. A process
according to claim 43 wherein the analyzer radiation is in the
mid-radiation spectrum. .Iaddend. .Iadd.45. A process according to
claim 44 wherein the wavelengths of analyzed radiation ranges from
about five to about fifteen microns. .Iaddend. .Iadd.46. A process
according to claim 45 wherein the spectrum analysis is accomplished
by measuring multiple
internal reflections. .Iaddend. .Iadd.47. A process according to
claim 37 wherein the unclad sensor section is connected between the
ends of the fiber and light is directed into one end of the fiber
and the spectrum analyzer is connected to the other end of the
fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.48. A process according to claim 37 wherein
the unclad sensor section is at the end of the fiber. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.49. A process according to claim 37 wherein the core of the
optical fiber is formed from chalcogenide glass. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.50. A process according to claim 37 wherein the core of the
optical fiber is formed from metal fluoride glass. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.51. A process for providing in-situ detection of chemical
conditions within a fiber reinforced composite material during
curing, comprising:
embedding an optical fiber in the fiber-reinforced composite
material with at least one end of the fiber extending from the
material, the fiber having an unclad sensor section and the
remainder of the fiber being clad;
connecting a source of infrared radiation to the fiber; and
connecting a Fourier transform spectrum analyzer to the fiber for
detecting the spectrum of infrared radiation absorbed by the
composite material
adjacent the unclad sensor section. .Iaddend. .Iadd.52. A process
according to claim 51 wherein the unclad sensor section is at the
end of the fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.53. A process according to claim
51 wherein the unclad sensor section is between the ends of the
fiber. .Iaddend. .Iadd.54. A sensor for use with a spectrum
analyzer for detecting the chemical state of materials external to
the spectrometer comprising:
an optical fiber having an unclad sensor section for insertion into
a material whose chemical state is to be measured and an end
adapted for connection to a spectrum analyzer. .Iaddend. .Iadd.55.
A sensor according to claim 54 wherein the material comprising the
sensor section is compatible with Fourier transform infrared
spectrum analyzer. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.56. A system for detecting chemical characteristics of a
material comprising
a source of radiation for generating a beam of radiation,
analyzing means,
an optical radiation transmission fiber that has a transmission
portion and a sensor portion adapted to be disposed in said
material to be monitored, and
means for coupling said transmission fiber to said source to
transmit a beam of radiation through said fiber to said sensor
portion and for coupling said fiber to said analyzing means for
detecting chemical
characteristics of said material. .Iaddend. .Iadd.57. The system of
claim 56 wherein the material of said transmission portion of said
optical radiation transmission fiber is different from the material
of said sensor
portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.58. A system for providing insitu
detection of the chemical state of a fiber-reinforced composite
material comprising
an optical fiber, said fiber having a transmission portion and a
sensor portion, the sensor portion of said fiber being adapted to
be disposed in said fiber-reinforced composite material,
a source of radiation for generating a beam of radiation,
means for coupling said optical fiber to said source to transmit
radiation through said fiber to said sensor portion,
spectrum analyzing means, and
means for coupling said fiber to said spectrum analyzing means for
measuring at least a part of the radiation absorbed by the
composite material adjacent said sensor portion. .Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to monitoring technology, and more
particularly to technology for monitoring the process of polymeric
materials and the like.
Characteristics of polymeric materials are functions of processing
or other environmental factors to which they are exposed. For
example, thermosetting polymeric materials are typically exposed
during a curing sequence to changing temperature and pressure
conditions over a time interval which curing sequence produces
compositional changes in the polymeric material. Similar changes in
molecular and crystal structures occur in the processing of
thermoplastic materials. In thermoset matrix composites, for
example, the ultimate properties of the part depend to a
significant extent upon the resin being fully cross-linked or
cured.
Fiber reinforced composite materials possess desirable properties
that make them attractive as structural materials for applications
in the aerospace, automotive, marine and other industries, such
desirable properties including strength and stiffness values
significantly higher than comparable monolithic materials due to
the reinforcing fibers; the ability to use various materials in
such composites including polymer-matrix, metal-matrix and
ceramic-matrix compositions to provide a wide range of mechanical,
thermal and chemical properties and the like, as well as the
ability to tailor such composites to obtain desirable properties,
for example by changing the fiber or matrix material, or by
changing fiber orientation.
Thermoset laminated composites form excellent structures if
appropriate process conditions are accurately known and rigorously
followed. Unfortunately, in practice, it has been difficult to
translate appropriate process conditions into production, the
resulting products lacking reproducibility due to inadequate
process control information, which leads to costly discards.
Frequently a test coupon made of a similar layup is processed
simultaneously with the desired part and the test coupon is
subjected to destructive testing to determine degree of cure,
voids, etc. within the part. Unfortunately, the test coupon will
frequently pass but the part will not be up to specifications.
Nondestructive testing techniques that have been employed include
infrared spectroscopy technology for characterizing material at or
near the surface, ultrasonic scanning, dielectric cure monitoring,
acoustic emission, X-radiography and thermochromic analysis. None
of these efforts have provided adequate process control
information.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a
system for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of polymeric material
to obtain kinetic data on changes in compositional characteristics
of the polymer during a processing sequence that includes a source
of infrared radiation for generating a beam of infrared radiation,
infrared spectrum analyzing means, an infrared radiation
transmission fiber that has a clad transmission portion and an
unclad sensor portion adapted to be embedded in the polymeric
material to be monitored, and means for coupling the transmission
fiber to the source to transmit a beam of infrared radiation
through the fiber to the sensor portion and for coupling the fiber
to the infrared spectrum analyzing means for analyzing the
resulting spectra as the polymeric material is processed to provide
kinetic information on the processing of the polymeric
material.
Preferrably, the infrared analyzer includes Michelson
interferometer type apparatus that produces a modulated beam which
is transmitted along the IR transmitting link to the sensor as a
broad band spectral input, the radiation is modified by multiple
internal reflections within the sensor and the resulting modified
spectrum radiation is transmitted to analyzer for analysis.
The sensor preferably includes a chalcogenide glass such as arsenic
sulfide or arsenic germanium selenide, a heavy metal fluoride glass
such as a mixture of zirconium, barium, lanthanum and aluminum
fluorides, or polycrystalline or single crystal material such as
thallium bromoiodide or cesium iodide. Preferably, the sensor fiber
has a diameter of at least about one hundred micrometers but less
than one millimeter and a refractive index greater than 1.7. In a
particular embodiment, the fiber sensor-transmitter has a length of
at least about two meters with a clad transmission portion and an
unclad sensor section, both of which are embedded in the polymer
material to be monitored. The overall transmission losses of the
fiber are preferably less than 5 dB per meter over an 1800-750
wavenumber bandwidth and the analyzer monitors radiation over an
5000-300 wavenumber bandwidth.
In a particular system for monitoring the curing of a
polymer-matrix composite of the type which employs fibers of
material such as graphite or boron and polymers of materials such
as epoxies or polyimides, a plurality of sensors are embedded in
uncured polymer material in regions between layers of fibers and
connected by their transmission fiber portions through appropriate
glands of an autoclave system to a Fourier transform infrared
analyzer such as the Digilab FTS-60 system. The autoclave system
includes containment structure in which the polymer-matrix
composite is disposed and by means of which programmed temperature
and pressure conditions are applied to the laminate during a
processing cycle of several hours duration during which kinetic
changes in chemical, crystalline, molecular and like
characteristics of the polymer such as epoxide formation (for
example, at 908 cm.sup.-1), H--C.dbd. bands (for example, at 844
and 3096 cm.sup.-1), aliphatic C--H bands (for example, at 2921
cm.sup.-1), aromatic C--H bands (for example, at 3062 cm.sup.-1),
--SO.sub.2 -- bands (for example, at 1150 cm.sup.-1), imidization
characteristics (for example, at 1775 cm.sup.-1), and anhydride
formation (for example, at 1853 cm.sup.-1) wave numbers may be
monitored and process parameters adjusted as a function of such
real time kinetic information.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu
compositional changes in a polymeric material comprising the steps
of providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber
that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion, embedding the
sensor portion in the polymeric material to be monitored,
subjecting the polymeric material to a processing sequence,
applying a beam of infrared radiation to the fiber for transmission
through the transmitting portion to the sensor portion for
modification as a function of properties of the polymeric material,
and monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as the
polymeric material is being subjected to the processing sequence to
obtain kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during the
processing sequence. Preferably, the process further includes the
step of adjusting the processing sequence as a function of the
kinetic data provided by the modified infrared radiation spectra
information.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be seen as the
following description of particular embodiments progresses, in
conjunction with the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is diagram of a monitoring system in accordance with the
invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of a portion of the
polymer-matrix composite being processed in the system of FIG.
1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged diagrammatic views of sensor fiber
systems in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a diagram indicating an optical coupling arrangement
between the sensor-transmitter fiber and the associated infrared
spectroscopic analyzer equipment.
DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
The composite processing system shown in FIG. 1 includes a pressure
and temperature controlled environment housing 10 in which
autoclave assembly 12 is disposed. Assembly 12 includes mold plate
14 and bag structure 16 which houses laminate structure 20 that is
to be processed. Structure 20 includes an alternating series of
fiber layers 22 (which may, for example, be woven) and uncured
resin layers 24 that are disposed in stacked relation. Sensors 26
are embedded in resin layers 24 and connected to infrared
transmission fibers 28 as indicated in FIG. 2. Surrounding laminate
structure 20 is flexible dam structure 30. Disposed below and
between laminate structure 20 and mold plate 14 is peel ply 32 and
sacrificial ply 34. Above laminate structure 20 and enclosed by bag
16 are release fabric 36, bleeder plies 38, breather plies 40 ad
caul plate 42. Bag seal 44 extends around the periphery of the
flexible dam structure 30, and edge bleeder structure 46 is
disposed between seal 44 and dam 30. Coupled to edge bleeder 46 via
passages 48 is mold-venting manifold which is connected through
coupling 52 to a pressure source which may apply vacuum or
atmospheric pressure depending on the particular application.
The IR transmission fibers to which sensors 26 are connected are
bundled (as indicated at 54) externally of the laminate structure
20 to be processed and extend through seal glands 56 to infrared
spectroscopy analyzer apparatus that includes Michelson
interferometer source 58 and receiver analyzer 60 and may be a
Digilab FTS-60 analyzer.
With reference to the diagrammatic view of FIG. 2, disposed in the
resin 24 between the fiber layers 22 are IR transmitting fibers 62
that have a sensor portion 26 and integral IR transmission portions
28. As indicated in FIG. 3, the optical fiber 62 has polymeric or
other suitable cladding 64 in transmission portions 28 and is
unclad at the sensor portion 26 so that portion is exposed and in
direct contact with resin 24. The radiation beam 66 from
interferometer source 58 is applied to input end 68 and the
modified exit beam 70 at output end 72 is connected to detector and
processing apparatus 60. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 4,
the fiber 62' includes a single transmitter section 28' with
cladding 64', unclad sensor portion 26', and reflector structure 74
so that the transmitted beam 66' as modified by absorbance at the
sensor 26' is reflected back through fiber 62' to the entrance end.
In another embodiment, a composite fiber has a sensing section 26
of chalcogenide glass and transmitting sections 28 of heavy metal
fluoride glass. The optimal resin contact length of the sensor 26
is a function of the refractive indices of the fiber and the resin
material to be monitored, epoxy and polyimide resins typically
having refractive indices in the range of 1.5 to 1.6.
Shown in FIG. 5 in diagrammatic form is a sensor-transmitter fiber
62 with input coupling optics 80 that includes toroid 82 and cone
84 for coupling the input beam 66 from the interferometer to the
fiber 62, for multiple internal reflections and modification by
absorbance at the sensor region 26, and similar coupling optics 88
that includes toroid 90 and cone 92 for directing the output beam
70 to the detector 60.
In an illustrative polyimide composite processing cycle, the
laminate structure 20 in autoclave 12 is initially at room
temperature. The temperature is gradually increased to 200.degree.
F. and held for one half hour after which full vacuum is applied
and the temperature is ramped up to 470.degree. F. at which time
250 pounds pressure is applied. The temperature and pressure are
held for a half hour and then the temperature is again ramped up to
about 630.degree. F., the laminate structure being continued to be
held under pressure for three hours and then the system cooled to
less than 200.degree. F. with vacuum vented and pressure released,
the total cycle duration being about six hours. During this
processing sequence, infrared spectra obtained by the analyzer 60
from the several sensors 26 (which may number in the hundreds)
provide information on kinetic changes in chemical constituents and
molecular structures of the polyimide resin as it is being cured.
Process control adjustments are made on a real time basis as a
function of the analytical information obtained from the analyzer
spectra so that the resulting laminates are of greater uniformity
and quality.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described, other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in
the art, and therefore it is not intended that the invention be
limited to the disclosed embodiments or to details thereof, and
departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope of the
invention.
* * * * *