Composites patents watch: May 2014

A round-up of some of the latest composites-related patents. This month's inventions include: a method for manufacturing large GRP storage tanks, and a petroleum well intervention power cable rod.

Picture courtesy of Kheng Guan Toh/Shutterstock.com.
Picture courtesy of Kheng Guan Toh/Shutterstock.com.

China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation and East China Electric Power Design Institute file Chinese patent application for FRP (fiber reinforced plastics) inner barrel suspension supporting system of chimney and chimney

China Power Engineering Consulting Group Corporation and East China Electric Power Design Institute have filed a patent application for FRP (fiber reinforced plastics) inner barrel suspension supporting system of chimney and chimney.This invention was developed by Yang Wei, Cai Hongliang, Li Dasheng, Gan Mengjun, Xu Qing and Lin Shaobo.

According to the abstract released by the State Intellectual Property Office of China: The invention discloses an FRP inner barrel suspension supporting system of a chimney and the chimney. The supporting system comprises an annularly placed bracket, a supporting ring beam, a bearing platform and a placing structure arranged between the supporting ring beam and the bearing platform, wherein the FRP inner barrel chimney is supported on the supporting ring beam through the annularly placed bracket; and the supporting ring beam is supported on the bearing platform through the placing structure.

Shandong Yuhang Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics Co Ltd applies for patent on method for manufacturing super-huge type glass fiber reinforced plastic storage tank

Shandong Yuhang Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics Co Ltd has applied for a Chinese patent for a method for manufacturing super-huge type glass fiber reinforced plastic storage tank. It was developed by Yang Xuezhi.

The abstract of the patent published by the State Intellectual Property Office of China states: The invention discloses a method for manufacturing a super-huge type glass fiber reinforced plastic storage tank. The problem that the super-huge type glass fiber reinforced plastic storage tank cannot be manufactured because of the limitations in the prior art is mainly solved. The method is characterized by comprising the following steps: manufacturing N male dies of which the radians are consistent with the radian of a tank wall, assembling a complete die, performing horizontal type annular helical winding, cutting a manufactured product along an angle to manufacture a glass fiber reinforced plastic cambered vertical plate, erecting the glass fiber reinforced plastic cambered vertical plate at the bottom edge of the storage tank, assembling to form the tank wall, respectively erecting hollow struts on the bottom center and the bottom periphery of a tank body, hanging prefabricated sealing heads, treating connection parts of the tank body by a hand molding method, paving a rail around the outer rim of the tank body, erecting a coiling machine on the rail, and performing three-dimensional annular winding.

The method has the outstanding advantages that a cambered plate assembling form is adopted, a series of problems caused by coiled hanging and transportation in the prior art are solved, and a lining and a structural layer of the tank body are reasonably treated, so that the structure and the quality of the tank wall are fundamentally guaranteed; due to three-dimensional annular winding, the intensity of the tank wall is further improved. According to the most prominent improvement of the method, the limitations to the diameter of the storage tank and the prior art are prevented, and super-huge type glass fiber reinforced plastic storage tanks with any diameters can be manufactured.

SY Co Ltd and Korea Institute of Construction Technology submit patent application for an outer wall holding device

SY Co Ltd and the Korea Institute of Construction Technology have submitted a patent application for an outer wall holding device. Kim Gi Hyun, Jung Young Yong, Kang Jae Sik and Choi Gyeong Seok developed the invention.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office has released the abstract, which states: PURPOSE: A fixing device for an external wall is provided to prevent thermal losses of a first and second fixing member and a fastening member by using either fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) or a carbon fiber having lower thermal conductivity than hardware.

CONSTITUTION: A fixing device for an external wall includes a first fixing member, a second fixing member and a fastening member. The first fixing member includes a vertical fixing unit and a horizontal fixing unit. The second fixing member is connected to the horizontal fixing unit and is fixed to a bottom plate. The fastening member fixes the first and the second fixing members to the external wall, and the bottom plate and is formed with a material having lower thermal conductivity than hardware connecting the first fixing member and the second fixing member. A material of the fastening member is either FRP or a carbon fiber. An insulating member is installed between the first fixing member and the external wall.

Toray Industries Inc files WIPO patent application for fiber reinforced high modulus polymer composite with a reinforced interphase

Toray Industries Inc has filed a patent application for fiber reinforced high modulus polymer composite with a reinforced interphase. This invention was developed by Felix N. Nguyen, Alfred P. Haro and Kenichi Yoshioka.

According to the abstract released by the World Intellectual Property Organization: A fiber reinforced polymer composition is disclosed comprising a reinforcing fiber and an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises at least a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, and an interfacial material. The fiber is suitable for concentrating the interfacial material in an interfacial region between the fiber and the adhesive composition upon curing of the adhesive composition, and the cured adhesive has a resin modulus of at least 4.0 GPa.

Also provided is a prepreg comprising the fiber reinforced polymer composition and a method of manufacturing a composite article by curing the reinforced polymer composition. The resulting interfacial region, viz., the reinforced interphase, is reinforced by one or more layers of the interfacial material such that substantial improvements in tensile, compression and fracture toughness may be observed.

C6 Technologies AS files WIPO patent application for fibre composite rod petroleum well intervention power cable

C6 Technologies AS has filed a patent application for fibre composite rod petroleum well intervention power cable. This invention was developed by Zhang Wenting and Aarsland Tore.

According to the abstract released by the World Intellectual Property Organization: The fibre composite rod intervention cable is for a petroleum well, and has a length of at least 2 to 10 km or more. It comprises in the following sequence: a central electrical cable portion, a bonding layer, a generally unidirectional carbon fibre composite mantle layer, a protective, balanced braided fibre composite layer, wherein said central electrical cable portion comprises a generally central electrical conductor with a first cross- section conductive area an inner insulation layer on said central electrical conductor, and a coaxial electrical conductor layer having a second cross section conductive area equal to said first cross-section conductive area.

These patents were supplied by Global IP News, a patents news agency.