General Electric Company

Aaron Todd Sellinger

Nicholas Joseph Kray

Wendy Wenling Lin

Theodore Robert Grossman

Timothy P Coons

Nicholas Frederick Wendeln

Ryan Marcus Young

Arthur William Sibbach

Systems and methods for thermally processing composite components are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a system includes a thermal system, a mover device, and a control system. The system also includes a plurality of vessels in which one or more components may be placed. The vessels are similarly shaped and configured. A vessel containing the one or more components therein may be mounted into a chamber defined by the thermal system during thermal processing. The thermal system and vessels include features that allow components to be thermally processed, e.g., compacted, burnt-out, and densified via a melt-infiltration process, a polymer impregnation and pyrolyzing process, or a chemical vapor infiltration process. utilizing the same thermal system and common vessel design. The control system may control the thermal system and mover device to automate thermal processing of the composite components.

Systems and methods for thermally processing CMC components

A method of making a 3D tube and the 3D tube made thereby. The method comprises: inserting a deflated pre-formed bladder into the 3D tube; and inflating the pre-formed bladder to deform the 3D tube and make the 3D tube have a substantially similar shape as that of the pre-formed bladder inflated.

Method of making 3D tube and 3D tube made thereby

The present disclosure is directed to an engine component for a gas turbine engine, the engine component including a substrate that includes a composite fiber and defines a surface. An energy harvesting fiber is positioned within the substrate.

Harvesting energy from composite aircraft engine components

A system for actuating components of a gas turbine engine may generally include a turbine component incorporating a jamming device. The jamming device may include a bladder and a jammable media contained within the bladder. The jammable media may be jammable within the bladder from an unjammed state, wherein a fluid is contained within the bladder, to a jammed state, wherein the fluid is at least partially evacuated from the bladder. The system may also include a fluid coupling in fluid communication with the bladder. A portion of the turbine component may be located at a first position when the jammable media is in the unjammed state. Additionally, such portion of the turbine component may be located at a second position when the jammable media is in the jammed state.

System and method for actuating gas turbine engine components using integrated jamming devices

A component is provided for a turbine engine. The component can include an airfoil defining a surface, and an energy absorbing composite positioned on the surface of the airfoil or within the airfoil. The energy absorbing composite includes a shear thickening fluid distributed through a matrix.

Non-Newtonian materials in aircraft engine airfoils

The present disclosure is directed to a method of forming a composite component. The method includes laying one or more layers of uncured composite material onto a mandrel. The mandrel which includes a plurality of conductive media dispersed in a thermoplastic material. An electric current is supplied to the mandrel to resistively heat the one or more layers of uncured composite material to a temperature sufficient to cure the one or more layers of uncured composite material to form a cured composite component. The mandrel is removed from the cured composite component.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Aaron Todd Sellinger