The Boeing Company

Brian L Riedel

Ronald F Olsen

Robert K Kunze, Jr

Marlin D Breer

Alexandre D Curaudeau

Steve G Mackin

David W Foutch

Holly J Thomas

Karl Marius Nelson

Arnold J Lauder

William L Serencsits

Tateh Wu

Stefan Ozog

John Thomas Strunk

Randall R Clark

Marc J Froning

Taurus L Brackett, Ii

Megan Thompson

Taurus L Ii Brackett

A compact inlet design including a single bulkhead and/or an acoustic panel extending into nacelle lip region for noise reduction.

Advanced inlet design

A co-curable thermoset acoustic liner and method of forming the same includes a sound attenuating core having a plurality of core cells. An inner face sheet having a plurality of face sheet apertures is coupled to the core by an inner thermoset adhesive sheet, which has a plurality of adhesive sheet apertures. Each of the plurality of adhesive sheet apertures is aligned within a corresponding one of the plurality of face sheet apertures so that the plurality of core cells are placed in fluid communication with airflow over the inner face sheet to create a Single Degree of Freedom (SDOF) acoustic liner.

Structural single degree of freedom face sheet acoustic liner

Methods and apparatus for curing curved cylinder-like workpieces (e.g., in the shape of a half or full barrel) made of composite material, such as nacelle honeycomb core composite sandwich structures. These methods enable tailored curing of composite nacelle structures, to significantly reduce capital cost and fabrication cycle time. In lieu of an autoclave or oven, a pressurized ring-shaped cure volume is defined by a partitioned enclosure that mimics the cylinder-like shape of the composite nacelle structure with only limited clearance (e.g., a partitioned enclosure comprising inner and outer concentric cylinder-like walls). A tool (e.g., a mandrel) and at least one composite nacelle structure supported thereon are placed in the cure volume for curing. Integrally heated tooling, optionally in combination with other heating methods, such as infrared heaters, is utilized to provide the temperature profile necessary for cure.

Methods and apparatus for curing composite nacelle structure

A compact inlet design including a single bulkhead and/or an acoustic panel extending into nacelle lip region for noise reduction. The compact inlet is used with a low power fluid ice protection system capable of preventing ice build-up on the acoustic panel in the nacelle lip region.

An acoustic panel includes a base, a cantilevered portion, a gap, and a support member. The base has a surface defining a plurality of cavities configured to attenuate noise from an engine. The cantilevered portion extends from the base and is configured to be removably coupled with a portion of a transcowl. The gap is defined by the base and the cantilevered portion. The support member is coupled to the cantilevered portion and the base, and the supporting member is configured to support the cantilevered portion.

Acoustic panel for thrust reversers

A workpiece heating system includes an outer shell configured to receive a mandrel having a mandrel partside configured to support a workpiece. A gas displacement device is configured to discharge a gas toward a mandrel backside. At least one heat exchanger is configured to heat the gas prior to the gas entering the gas displacement device. A hood system is configured to at least partially envelope the mandrel when positioned within the outer shell. A hood first wall and the mandrel backside define a first annular gap configured to receive the gas discharged from the gas displacement device, and direct the gas axial from the mandrel proximal end to the mandrel distal end. A hood second wall and the mandrel partside define a second annular gap configured to receive the gas from the first annular gap and direct the gas axial from the mandrel distal end to the mandrel proximal end.

High-performance workpiece heating system and method

An inlet ice protection system, and methods for making and using ice protection systems. In one embodiment, the inlet includes a tapered acoustic liner positioned forward of the inlet throat and has a perforated face sheet, a perforated back sheet, and an acoustic core between the face sheet and the back sheet. The perforations through the face sheet are sized to allow acoustic energy to be transmitted to and dissipated in the acoustic core, and the perforations in the back sheet are sized to transmit hot gas through the acoustic liner to the surface of the inlet to heat the inlet and prevent and/or restrict ice formation on the inlet. The face sheet can have a higher porosity than the back sheet, and both the sheets and the core can be formed from titanium to withstand high gas temperatures.

Method and apparatus for aircraft inlet ice protection

An inlet ice protection system, and methods for making and using ice protection systems. In one embodiment, the inlet includes an acoustic liner positioned forward of the inlet throat and has a perforated face sheet, a perforated back sheet, and an acoustic core between the face sheet and the back sheet. The perforations through the face sheet are sized to allow acoustic energy to be transmitted to and dissipated in the acoustic core, and the perforations in the back sheet are sized to transmit hot gas through the acoustic liner to the surface of the inlet to heat the inlet and prevent and/or restrict ice formation on the inlet. The face sheet can have a higher porosity than the back sheet, and both the sheets and the core can be formed from titanium to withstand high gas temperatures.

An inlet ice protection system, and methods for making and using ice protection systems. In one embodiment, the inlet includes an acoustic liner positioned forward of the inlet throat and has a perforated face sheet a perforated back sheet, and an acoustic core between the face sheet and the back sheet. The perforations through the face sheet are sized to allow acoustic energy to be transmitted to and dissipated in the acoustic core, and the perforations in the back sheet are sized to transmit hot gas through the acoustic liner to the surface of the inlet to heat the inlet and prevent and/or restrict ice formation on the inlet. The face sheet can have a higher porosity than the back sheet, and both the sheets and the core can be formed from titanium to withstand high gas temperatures.

Growing community of inventors

Summerville, SC, United States of America

Brian L Riedel