Patent ID: 11966671
Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  Y | IPC G

Claim 10:
11. A method for determining progressive cracking in a connection interface, the method comprising:
obtaining, from a radiological scan of a sample of a composite filler material comprised in a connection interface integrated into a structural framework of an aircraft and configured to be disposed between first and second load-bearing composite structural components on the aircraft, corresponding values for one or more parameters representing characteristics of progressive cracking in the composite filler material, wherein during the radiological scan, the composite filler material was subjected to an increasing load over a predetermined time period, and wherein the one or more parameters comprise:
an actual crack density for the composite filler material, wherein the actual crack density defines a number of cracks in the connection interface when at least one of the first and second load-bearing composite structural components begins to delaminate;
a total number of embedded cracks in the composite filler material, wherein an embedded crack comprises a crack having at least one terminating end between opposing exterior surfaces of the composite filler material;
and a distribution of the cracks in the composite filler material;
determining a spacing requirement for the cracks in the composite filler material, wherein the spacing requirement defines an average spacing between the cracks in the composite filler material and is based at least partially on the actual crack density;
generating an initial computer model of the composite filler material as a function of the spacing requirement and an Interlaminar Shear (ILS) strength of the composite filler material;
iteratively generating a refined computer model of the composite filler material as a function of the spacing requirement and the ILS strength of the composite filler material, wherein iteratively generating the refined computer model comprises:
determining whether the initial computer model indicates that the at least one of the first and second load-bearing composite structural components on the aircraft have started to delaminate;
responsive to determining that the initial computer model does not indicate that the at least one of the first and second load-bearing composite structural components on the aircraft have started to delaminate:
incrementing the ILS strength of the composite filler material by a predetermined amount;
and generating the refined computer model of the composite filler material based on the spacing requirement and the incremented ILS strength, wherein the refined computer model indicates a placement and a predicted density of the cracks in the composite filler material;
responsive to determining that the refined computer model indicates that the at least one of the first and second load-bearing composite structural components on the aircraft have started to delaminate, identifying the incremented ILS strength as a target ILS strength for the composite filler material;
and outputting the refined computer model for a user, wherein the refined computer model comprises a visual representation of the composite filler material graphically indicating the cracks in the composite filler material between the first and second load-bearing composite structural components.