Apparatus and method for emulating temperature during a thermal cure cycle

• Main Authors: Steven J. Plummer, George E Bible, Ryan M. Trella, John M. Griffith, Ronald J. Byington, Steven M Shewchuk
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.11.2018
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An apparatus includes an enclosure assembly 102 including an enclosure assembly-leading end 108 and an opposed enclosure assembly-lagging end 110, and a temperature emulation assembly 104 mounted within the enclosure assembly and including a temperature emulation assembly-leading end 142 located proximate to the enclosure assembly-leading end and a temperature emulation assembly-lagging end 144 spaced away from the enclosure assembly-lagging end. The enclosure assembly thermally isolates the temperature emulation assembly. The enclosure assembly permits conductive heat transfer to the temperature emulation assembly only through the enclosure assembly-leading end. The temperature emulation assembly may include a plurality of thermally conductive plates 146 arranged in a stack 148 within said enclosure. The enclosure inhibits conductive heat transfer to said stack along any conductive heat transfer path except through said enclosure-leading end. The enclosure assembly may further comprise an inner enclosure 120 mounted within said outer enclosure and comprising an inner enclosure-leading end 122 and an inner enclosure-lagging end 124. A leading end faceplate 116 at said enclosure leading end may be provided, one of said plurality of thermally conductive plates at said stack-leading end may be in contact with said leading end faceplate. Temperature sensors 162 may be thermally coupled to at least two of said plurality of thermally conductive plates. A gas temperature sensor 164 may be positioned on an exterior of said enclosure. The method may include generating a thermal profile for said article and generating a thermal profile of said temperature emulation assembly. These temperature measurements are used as inputs for control of the heat source of the thermal curing system so that acceptable cure requirements are met.