SBIR Phase I: Thermal Intensification for Continuous Thermoplastic Composite Forming

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力与复合材料制造相关的历史挑战有关，包括周期长，可回收性差，劳动密集型制造和能源密集型固化工艺。热塑性复合材料有可能缩短周期时间，减少劳动力需求，提高可回收性;然而，传统的热塑性工艺是能源密集型的。SBIR正在寻求新的、更有效的过程加热方法，这些方法可以集成到连续的复合材料制造过程中，以提高生产速度并降低运营成本，从而使复合材料在需要大批量、低成本结构部件的重量敏感行业中得以发展，包括汽车、无人驾驶飞机、风力涡轮机、这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将确定超声波加热和感应加热作为连续复合材料成型工艺中红外加热的替代品的技术可行性。过程加热在制造过程中消耗的直接能源中占很大一部分。在纤维增强热塑性复合材料的生产中尤其如此，其中聚合物基质必须作为固结过程的一部分熔融。作为第一阶段项目的一部分，感应加热，超声波加热和红外加热的加热器模块将被开发并集成到一个实验室规模的连续复合材料成型原型中。将使用每种加热方法生产复合材料，并在成型过程中监测能耗。将对测试期间生产的复合材料进行称重，并通过将消耗的总能量除以材料质量来计算体现能量。这项工作的目的是确定一种加热方法，可以减少至少40%的体现能源，相对于红外线加热系统。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得支持的，通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project relates to the historic challenges associated with composite manufacturing, including long cycle times, poor recyclability, labor-intensive manufacturing, and energy-intensive curing processes. Thermoplastic composites have the potential to reduce cycle time, reduce labor requirements, and improve recyclability; however, traditional thermoplastic processes are energy intensive. This Phase 1 SBIR is seeking new, more efficient process heating methods that can be integrated into a continuous composite manufacturing process to improve production speed and reduce operating costs, enabling the growth of composite materials in weight sensitive industries that require high-volume, low-cost structural components, including automotive, unmanned aircraft, wind turbines, and cargo transportation.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will determine the technical feasibility of ultrasonic heating and induction heating as an alternative to infrared heating in a continuous composite forming process. Process heating constitutes a significant portion of the direct energy consumed by in manufacturing. This is particularly true in the production of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites, where the polymer matrix must be melted as part of the consolidation process. As part of this Phase 1 project, heater modules for induction heating, ultrasonic heating, and infrared heating will be developed and integrated into a bench-scale, continuous composite forming prototype. Composite material will be produced using each heating method and energy consumption will be monitored during the forming process. The composite material produced during testing will be weighed and embodied energy will be calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the mass of the material. The objective of this work is to identify a heating method that can reduce embodied energy by at least 40%, relative to the infrared heating system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.