Cornerstone Research Group, Inc.

Kineticure, LLC

Other

Christopher Douglas Hemmelgarn

Tat Hung Tong

Patrick J Hood

Mark C Cridge

Jason P Rice

Bryan Michael Pelley

David Ernest Havens

Kristin M Cable

Brandon Charles Kirby

Benjamin Dietsch

Thomas Wood Margraf

John Lewis Reed

Logan Wayne Snyder

Anthony Louderbough

Systems for positioning and bonding a nutplate to a substrate having an aperture include a nutplate engagement fixture and a temperature sensor retention fixture. The nutplate engagement fixture includes a rigid tube and an elastomeric tube engaged with the rigid tube, the elastomeric tube having an elongated tube sized to provide a friction fit with the aperture and retain the elastomeric tube within the aperture. The rigid tube is operable to engage the nutplate at one end and the elastomeric tube is configured to anchor the nutplate engagement fixture at the aperture and secure the nutplate in contact with the substrate. The temperature sensor retention fixture includes a fixture body sized and configured to engage with the nutplate and at least one passageway within the fixture body sized and configured to allow a temperature sensor to be inserted or embedded therein with an end proximal a surface of the nutplate.

Bonded nutplate rapid cure system

Embodiments of systems and methods for positioning and bonding a nutplate to a substrate comprising at least one aperture, wherein the system includes a nutplate engagement fixture formed from a rigid tube and an elastomeric tube, a heater operable to deliver heat to a bonding surface of the nutplate, at least one temperature sensor operable to measure the temperature of the bonding surface of the nutplate, a temperature sensor retention fixture operable to position and secure the at least one temperature sensor to the nutplate, and a heater controller operable to control the output from the heater.

An advanced reflexive structure system is disclosed. The reflexive system mimics the pain withdrawal reflex on which the human body relies. The reflexive system incorporates a continuous health and performance monitoring system via an embedded dielectric film, an adaptive composite structure based on shape memory composite material, and an intelligence system which will be interfaced with both the health/performance sensors and the adaptive structure. When activated shape memory polymer will recover its structural integrity via shape recovery and a reptation healing process. These features enable the use of SMP as an adaptive structure in the proposed reflexive system. The development of a reflexive system for structures will enable increased safety and security and demonstrate a better understanding of integrated performance systems. This reflexive technology could find immediate implementation on all current and future systems and future implementation on platforms such as the International Space Station, Lunar, and Martian habitats.

Composite self-healing system

Embodiments of an aerodynamic structural insert frame comprise a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and at least one cavity between the leading edge and trailing edge, wherein the aerodynamic structural insert frame is configured to deflect upon activation by an external stimulus; at least one deformable buckling member extending the distance between opposite edges of the cavity, wherein the deflection of the aerodynamic structural insert frame is configured to trigger deflection of the deformable buckling member; a pivot region; and at least one stopper bar attached to and extending from one edge of the cavity a distance less than the distance between opposite edges of the cavity, wherein the stopper bar is configured to stop the deflection of the aerodynamic structural insert and the buckling member when the stopper bar strikes an opposite edge of the cavity.

Passive adaptive structures

Embodiments of the present airfoil systems comprise an airfoil with a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper surface, a lower surface, and a skin surface, at least one structural element located within said airfoil, wherein said structural element supports the skin surface having an upper skin portion and a lower skin portion wherein said structural element can change its shape in response to external stimulus during flight operations, and an actuating means for selectively altering the curvature of said structural element which alters the curvature of said upper skin portion and of said lower skin portion to cause nonlinear deflection of said skin surface between an extreme raised position through a neutral position to an extreme lowered position; whereby the outer surface curvature of said airfoil and said skin surface is smooth and continuous over substantially the entirety thereof at all positions of said skin surface.

Embodiments of the present airfoil structural insert comprise an airfoil structural insert frame, a skin surface disposed about the airfoil structural insert frame, at least one attachment point operable for coupling to an aerodynamic structure, a leading edge disposed on one end of the airfoil structural insert frame, a trailing edge disposed on an opposite end of the airfoil structural insert frame, and at least one structural element configured to support the skin surface, wherein said structural element undergoes at least one nonlinear shape change from a first shape to a deflected shape.

Growing community of inventors

South Charleston, OH, United States of America

Christopher Douglas Hemmelgarn