Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd.

Touchstone Resarch Labratory, Ltd

Brian Louis Gordon

Brian E Joseph

Gregg W Wolfe

Dwayne R Morgan

James F Witzgall

Neven W Cook

Brandon J Coates

Rick D Lucas

Douglas J Merriman

James Frederick Witzqall

A method for repairing a crack in ships or other structures that includes adhesively applying fiber reinforced metal matrix composite tape across the crack of the structure to reduce propagation of the crack and provide additional structural stability until the crack can be permanently repaired.

Method for repairing defects in metal structures

A porous metal and carbon composite lightning strike protection system is described that utilizes flexible metallic material and porous carbon. The carbon-based lightning strike protection system may be produced in the form of a panel that may be applied over the surface of an object to be protected or may be created directly over the surface of the object. The carbon-based lightning strike protection system is readily adaptable to high temperature applications.

Composite lightning strike protection system

A carbon-based lightning strike protection system is described that utilizes flexible graphite and porous carbon. The carbon-based lightning strike protection system may be produced in the form of a panel that may be applied over the surface of an object to be protected or may be created directly over the surface of the object. The carbon-based lightning strike protection system is readily adaptable to high temperature applications.

A segmented composite exhaust flue which may be used to shield an area or object from convective, conductive, or radiated heat transfer from hot exhaust combustion gases is described. In certain embodiments, the composite exhaust flue may be used to protect structures from hot exhaust gases and particles such as those produced by cars, trucks, ships, boats, jets, rockets, as well as other vehicles with internal combustion engines, turbines, or rocket motors. In some embodiments, a composite exhaust flue may include an attachment frame removeably holding a plurality of ceramic composite panels where the ceramic composite panels have a ceramic fiber reinforced ceramic composite high temperature face sheet positioned over an insulating layer.

Composite exhaust flue

A composite exhaust flue which may be used to shield an area or object from convective, conductive, or radiated heat transfer from hot exhaust combustion gases is described. In certain embodiments, the composite exhaust flue may be used to protect structures from hot exhaust gases and particles such as those produced by cars, trucks, ships, boats, jets, rockets, as well as other vehicles with internal combustion engines, turbines, or rocket motors. In some embodiments, a composite exhaust flue may comprise a ceramic fiber reinforced ceramic composite high temperature face sheet positioned over an insulating layer and a structural support layer comprising a rigid, porous foam material.

Metal matrix composites having open or closed channels extending longitudinal through the length of the composite as well as methods and apparatus for forming the same are described. The shaped metal matrix composites are made of continuous fiber reinforced metal matrix composite materials. They have an integrally formed, non-cast, metal matrix composite body portion where the walls have a substantially uniform distribution of continuous fibers in a matrix metal throughout the volume of the walls and have at least one channel extending through the body of the shaped metal matrix composite.

Continuously formed metal matrix composite shapes

A wet filament winding method and apparatus for producing a consolidated metal matrix composite is described. The methods are directed to winding a softened metal infiltrated fiber bundle and layering the resulting softened metal infiltrated fiber bundle onto a rotating mandrel in a prescribed pattern on the surface of the mandrel to form a consolidated metal matrix composite. Upon cooling, the matrix metal solidifies and the resulting consolidated metal matrix composite may be removed from the mandrel. The consolidated metal matrix composites may be produced in a variety of shapes, such as cylinder, a tapered cylinder, a sphere, an ovoid, a cube, a rectangular solid, a polygonal solid, and panels.

Filament winding for metal matrix composites

A method and apparatus for the production of long lengths of continuous-fiber metal matrix composite prepeg ribbon or tape. The tape or ribbon is produced by bringing together multiple fiber tows into a formed bundle of fibers and infiltrating the bundle with metal using a continuous pultrusion process. Pultrusion is a preferred method of tape or ribbon manufacture since it places the fibers in tension during manufacture and avoids subsequent issues associated with buckling stress.

Continuous metal matrix composite manufacture

A method for the fabrication of metal matrix composite structures comprising the continuous joining by brazing, soldering or welding of aluminum matrix tape using a laser to melt the surface of the tape while applying pressure to the tape and simultaneously contacting it with previously applied tape layers on a surface. The apparatus utilized to accomplish this fabrication process may include a variety of pre and post-contact heaters and preferably includes instruments for the continuous monitoring and control of the process.

Continuous metal matrix composite consolidation

An apparatus for the fabrication of metal matrix composite structures comprising the continuous joining by brazing, soldering or welding of aluminum matrix tape using a laser to melt the surface of the tape while applying pressure to the tape and simultaneously contacting it with previously applied tape layers on a surface. The apparatus utilized to accomplish this fabrication process may include a variety of pre and post-contact heaters and preferably includes instruments for the continuous monitoring and control of the process.

A method for the fabrication of large metal matrix composite structures comprising the continuous joining by brazing or welding of aluminum matrix tape using an infrared laser to melt the surface of the tape while applying pressure to the tape and simultaneously contacting it with previously applied tape layers on a rotating mandrel. The apparatus utilized to accomplish this fabrication process may include a variety of pre and post-contact heaters and preferably includes instruments for the continuous monitoring and control of the process.

A method for the fabrication of large metal matrix composite structures comprising the continuous brazing of aluminum matrix braze-clad tape using an infrared laser to melt the braze clad on the tape while applying pressure to the tape and simultaneously contacting it with previously applied tape layers on a rotating mandrel. The apparatus utilized to accomplish this fabrication process may include a variety of pre and post-contact heaters and preferably includes instruments for the continuous monitoring and control of the process.

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Wheeling, WV, United States of America

Brian Louis Gordon