Out-of-Autoclave Composite Curing Utilizing Nanostructured Heaters and Integrated Temperature Monitoring

San Diego Composites, Inc. (SDC) has developed a conceptual out of autoclave (OOA) composite curing patch system based on integrated nanomaterial heaters that can be applied in repair applications to support the Navys need for an energy efficient, autoclave-quality repair method to support the EQ-4C Triton Program and other composite aircraft. Current repair methods utilized in composite repair do not produce bonded repairs that are virgin-laminate quality or acceptable by the FAA for structural components. The two major flaws in the current method are the heat application and lack of quality assurance of the joint. SDCs Laminate Integrated Nanostructure Based Autoclave-less Cure (LINBAC) repair technology will provide the Navy with a method for producing autoclave-quality composite repairs in-situ without the need for the high costs and stringent facility requirements of an autoclave. The technology uses nanostructured heaters integrated into the laminate and laid out in a gridding pattern and integrated sensors for quality assurance purposes. SDC has estimated that a 50% reduction in aircraft downtime could be realized for critical assets through the use of the LINBAC system over a traditional repair method. SDC plans to develop the heater technology and quality assurance method, then realize the repair technology.