University of Virginia Patent Foundation

Douglas T Queheillalt

Haydn N G Wadley

Anthony G Evans

Ann Marie Sastry

Derek Hass

Hossein Haj-Hariri

Yellapu V Murty

Robert Kurtz

G Douglas Long

Yasushi Katsumi

George P Peterson

Derek D Hass

Light-weight, heat-managing structures feature open-cell lattice, honeycomb, and/or corrugated (prismatic) arrangements in their substructures, combined with heat pipe/heat plate arrangements for managing heat to which the structures are subjected. The structures are well suited to aerospace applications and may be employed in the leading edge of wings or other airfoil-shaped components; gas turbine engine components; rocket nozzles; and other high-heat, high-stress environments.

Heat-managing composite structures

Methods and apparatuses for passive jet blast deflection or the like. Use of the passive jet blast deflector permits the efficient dispersal of a fast moving local heat source into the environment through passive means while providing a high strength structure. The jet blast deflector system may include a first plate, a second plate, and a cellular core disposed between them adapted to allow cooling ambient air to flow through the cellular core, wherein the first plate, second plate, and core are all seamlessly coupled heat pipes that form a single vapor core to facilitate the spreading and even storing of thermal energy. An ejector plate may be attached to the top of the second plate to create a low pressure zone as the heat source passes over it, thereby pulling the ambient air through the cellular core, facilitating the removal the thermal energy from the system.

Method and apparatus for jet blast deflection

Methods and systems to manufacture lattice-based sandwich structures from monolithic material. Such methods and systems eliminate the bonding process which is conventionally used to join lattice based truss cores to facesheets to form sandwich structures. This bonded interface is a key mode of failure for sandwich structures which are subjected to shear or bending loads because the nodes transfer forces from the face sheets to the core members while the topology for a given core relative density dictates the load carrying capacity (assuming adequate node-bond strength exists). An aspect comprises a core and related structures that provide very low density, good crush resistance and high in-plane shear resistance. An aspect of the truss structures may include sandwich panel cores and lattice truss topology that may be designed to efficiently support panel bending loads while maintaining an open topology that facilitates multifunctional applications.

Manufacture of lattice truss structures from monolithic materials

A direct vapor deposition (DVD) apparatus and method is taught, that provides a carrier gas flow entraining vapor atoms for the coating of regions on a substrate that are not in line-of-sight. The degree of non line-of-sight (NLOS) coating, hence thickness uniformity around the substrate is a sensitive function of the flow conditions. For a fixed background pressure in the region of deposition, an increase in the uniformity of the coating thickness is accomplished as the flow velocity is reduced. This improvement in uniformity is a result of an increase in the fraction of vapor atoms which deposit in NLOS positions on the substrate such as backside () of fiber () as indicated by vapor streamlines (). Vapor impact width (VIW) is the width of the vapor flux impacting on some area of the fiber. Front side coating (FSC) width is the vapor width of atoms impacting on the substrate frontside ().

Apparatus and method for high rate uniform coating, including non-line of sight

A method and an apparatus for the efficient transfer of heat utilizing micro heat pipes that include a cellular foam or interconnected cellular/truss network having hollow ligaments. A predetermined fraction of the internal volume of the hollow ligaments is filled with a carefully chosen working fluid, and the ends of the hollow ligaments are sealed. In operation, the working fluid evaporates in the region of high heat flux and condenses in regions of lower temperature, resulting in the transfer or redistribution of the fluid's latent heat of vaporization. For open cell foams and interconnected networks, a second fluid flowing through the open cells, separate from the working fluid but also in thermal contact with the hollow ligaments, assists in the transfer of heat from the foam and networks.

Heat exchange foam

Disclosed herein is a multifunctional battery for supplying power to an electrical circuit, and the related method of making the same. Use of the multifunctional battery permits structural integrity and versatility, while maximizing power output of the cells and minimizing the overall weight of the structure. The multifunctional battery includes an open cell interconnected structure comprised of a plurality of open cells so as to provide a structural electrode. The structural electrode is configured to be a load bearing member. The battery also includes interstitial electrodes that are counter electrodes to the structural electrode. The interstitial electrodes are at least partially received within a predetermined number of the cells of the interconnected structure. Additionally, a separator portion is disposed between the structural electrode and interstitial electrodes to serve as an electrical insulator.

Growing community of inventors

Charlottesville, VA, United States of America

Douglas T Queheillalt