Patent ID: 9174393
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: B29C,F16L

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a thermoplastic composite tubular structure, the method comprising: using a braiding apparatus to overbraid a single mandrel with a continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material to form an overbraided mandrel, the mandrel comprising a soluble, expandable material, the continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material consisting of a continuous slit tape thermoplastic composite material, and having a mandrel cross-section defining a first closed geometric shape, and the overbraided mandrel having an overbraided mandrel cross-section defining a second closed geometric shape that corresponds to the first closed geometric shape of the mandrel cross-section; installing the overbraided mandrel into a metallic clamshell tooling assembly; heating in a heating apparatus the metallic clamshell tooling assembly with the installed overbraided mandrel at a specified heating profile, and generating pressure from inside the installed overbraided mandrel out to the metallic clamshell tooling assembly, in order to consolidate the continuous fiber thermoplastic composite material and form a thermoplastic composite tubular structure, wherein the heating apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a convection oven, an induction oven, an autoclave, and an integrally heated tooling assembly, and wherein the pressure is in a range of from about 100 psi (pounds per square inch) to about 400 psi; cooling the metallic clamshell tooling assembly with the formed thermoplastic composite tubular structure at a specified cooling profile; removing the formed thermoplastic composite tubular structure from the metallic clamshell tooling assembly; and, solubilizing the mandrel to permanently remove the mandrel from the formed thermoplastic composite tubular structure.