US-12625128-B2 - System for evaluating distribution of fiber bundles in fiber reinforced material

US12625128B2US 12625128 B2US12625128 B2US 12625128B2US-12625128-B2

Abstract

A system for evaluating a distribution of fiber bundles in a fiber reinforced material by three-dimensional vector data of the fiber bundles is provided with: a calculator configured to divide the fiber reinforced material into a plurality of three-dimensional cells, selecting data respectively belonging to the cells, and averaging the selected data to calculate reference vector data; and a display configured to display the reference vector data two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.

Inventors

Naohiro Kimura

Assignees

IHI CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221012
Priority Date: 20200818

Claims (4)

1 . A system for evaluating a distribution of fiber bundles in a fiber reinforced material by three-dimensional vector data of the fiber bundles, comprising: a calculator configured to divide a space including a region of the fiber reinforced material into a plurality of three-dimensional cells, select data respectively belonging to the cells, and average the selected data to calculate reference vector data, the data belonging to each cell being sorted out based on coordinates of respective start and end points of respective vectors and are averaged in each cell; and a display configured to display the reference vector data two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a comparator configured to compare the reference vector data with other vector data.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the comparator comprises a delta display configured to calculate differences between the reference vector data and the other vector data and convert the differences into differences in hue to make the display display the differences in hue.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reference vector data are representative of directions of fiber bundles in each cell.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a Continuation Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/JP2021/014487 (filed Apr. 5, 2021), which is in turn based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-137884 (filed Aug. 18, 2020), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND Technical Field The disclosure herein relates to a system for evaluating a distribution of fiber bundles in a fiber reinforced material. Description of the Related Art Various types of so-called fiber reinforced materials have been proposed, in which high-strength fibers (reinforcement fibers) are combined with matrices. Ceramic matrix fiber reinforced composites (CMCs), in which both the reinforcement fibers and the matrices are formed of ceramics, attract attention particularly for aeronautic application in light of its light-weight, heat resistance and strength. A CMC is, in general, produced by first weaving reinforcement fibers into a fabric, and thereafter applying chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), liquid phase infiltration (particularly polymer impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP), for example), solid phase infiltration (SPI), or melt impregnation (MI) to the fabric to form a matrix of a ceramic combining the fabric. To give a three-dimensional structure to the CMC, the fabric should be in advance molded in a shape approximating to a desired final shape in parallel with the matrix formation. Properties of the reinforced material are neither necessarily isotropic nor uniform. A distribution of the reinforcement fibers, particularly directions where the fibers run, strongly affects the properties, particularly strength, of the reinforced material. Generally, higher strength can be expected as it's closer to a direction where the reinforcement fibers run and further as the fibers are denser. It is thus desired to establish any method to evaluate a distribution of fiber bundles within a fiber reinforced material for the purpose of material assessment and pursuit of better processes. PCT International Publications WO 2014/080622 A1 and WO 2016/052489 A1 disclose related arts. SUMMARY Where the fabric of the reinforcement fibers is kept flat in the fiber reinforced material, its distribution could be readily presumed because no part of the fiber bundles falls into disorder. Some problems would occur, however, when the fabric were to be molded so as to form a three-dimensional structure. Specifically, reinforcement fibers of ceramics, as being poorly stretchy, cannot stretch and contract enough to absorb deformation caused by bending the fabric and thus the fiber bundles would be unexpectedly displaced to create non-negligible disorder. As such disorder may cause the reinforcement fibers to run in unintended directions, insights about directions of the reinforcement fibers within the fiber reinforced material are extremely important. A system according to the present disclosure is a system for evaluating a distribution of fiber bundles in a fiber reinforced material by three-dimensional vector data of the fiber bundles is provided with: a calculator configured to divide the fiber reinforced material into a plurality of three-dimensional cells, selecting data respectively belonging to the cells, and averaging the selected data to calculate reference vector data; and a display configured to display the reference vector data two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. Advantageous Effects By calculating the reference vector data obtained by averaging data in each cell, it is enabled to carry out quantitative comparison among fiber reinforced materials in which fiber bundles are distinctly placed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically depicting a three-dimensionally formed reinforcement fiber fabric. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically depicting a reinforcement fiber bundle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a schematic member of a fiber reinforced material. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically depicting a fabric at a simply bent part. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically depicting a fabric at a complicatedly bent part and three-dimensional vectors along its respective fiber bundles. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically depicting three-dimensional cells and three-dimensional vectors belonging to one of the cells. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a system used in the disclosed evaluation technique. FIG. 8 is a flowchart representing a process executed by the system. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Exemplary embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings. In some of the drawings, reference signs “X”, “Y” and “Z” mean respective axial directions in a three-dimensional coordination system. Throughout the following descriptions and appended claims, references to these directions are merely for explanatory convenience and not limiting to the embodiments. Further, the re