The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Gary L Farley

Robert F Handschuh

Robert F Handshuh

The bearings of a gas turbine are supplied with a lubricant from a reservoir by a main pump, when the turbine is operating. When the turbine is shut down and rotation ceases, the main pump also shuts down. When this occurs, an auxiliary pump is placed into operation to continue to supply the bearings with the lubricant until such time as the bearings have sufficiently cooled, at which point the auxiliary pump is shut down.

Apparatus for reducing coking in gas turbine bearings

A flushing system for flushing away any coking material which may have built up in the bearing of a gas turbine. Three fluid tanks respectively contain a solvent for dissolving the coked material, a cleaner and a lubricant. By means of a three-way valve, one of the fluids is provided to a supply pump for delivery to the bearing housing via a quick disconnect coupling. Fluid is returned to the appropriate tank by means of a return pump, via a quick disconnect coupling and another three-way valve between the return pump and the tanks. The system includes respective filters for filtering the return fluids and the entire system may be carried on a wheeled cart for servicing the gas turbine.

Flushing system for removing lubricant coking in gas turbine bearings

A method for fabricating composite structures at a low-cost, moderate-to-high production rate. A first embodiment of the method includes employing a continuous press forming fabrication process. A second embodiment of the method includes employing a pultrusion process for obtaining composite structures. The methods include coating yarns with matrix material, weaving the yarn into fabric to produce a continuous fabric supply and feeding multiple layers of net-shaped fabrics having optimally oriented fibers into a debulking tool to form an undebulked preform. The continuous press forming fabrication process includes partially debulking the preform, cutting the partially debulked preform and debulking the partially debulked preform to form a netshape. An electron-beam or similar technique then cures the structure. The pultrusion fabric process includes feeding the undebulked preform into a heated die and gradually debulking the undebulked preform. The undebulked preform in the heated die changes dimension until a desired cross-sectional dimension is achieved. This process further includes obtaining a net-shaped infiltrated uncured preform, cutting the uncured preform to a desired length and electron-beam curing (or similar technique) the uncured preform. These fabrication methods produce superior structures formed at higher production rates, resulting in lower cost and high structural performance.

Method for fabricating composite structures using pultrusion processing

A method for fabricating composite structures at a low-cost, moderate-to-high production rate. A first embodiment of the method includes employing a continuous press forming fabrication process. A second embodiment of the method includes employing a pultrusion process for obtaining composite structures. The methods include coating yarns with matrix material, weaving the yarn into fabric to produce a continuous fabric supply and feeding multiple layers of net-shaped fabrics having optimally oriented fibers into a debulking tool to form an undebulked preform. The continuous press forming fabrication process includes partially debulking the preform, cutting the partially debulked preform and debulking the partially debulked preform to form a net-shape. An electron-beam or similar technique then cures the structure. The pultrusion fabric process includes feeding the undebulked preform into a heated die and gradually debulking the undebulked preform. The undebulked preform in the heated die changes dimension until a desired cross-sectional dimension is achieved. This process further includes obtaining a net-shaped infiltrated uncured preform, cutting the uncured preform to a desired length and electron-beam curing (or similar technique) the uncured preform. These fabrication methods produce superior structures formed at higher production rates, resulting in lower cost and high structural performance.

Method for fabricating composite structures using continuous press

A machine for three-dimensional braiding of fibers is provided in which carrier members travel on a curved, segmented and movable braiding surface. The carrier members are capable of independent, self-propelled motion along the braiding surface. Carrier member position on the braiding surface is controlled and monitored by computer. Also disclosed is a yarn take-up device capable of maintaining tension in the braiding fiber.

Method and apparatus for three dimensional braiding

A method to prevent fiber distortion in textile materials employed in a modified weaving process. In a first embodiment, a tacifier in powder form is applied to the yarn and melted while on the fabric. Cool air is then supplied after the tacifier has melted to expedite the solidification of the tacifier. In a second embodiment, a solution form of a tacifier is used by dissolving the tacifier into a solvent that has a high evaporation rate. The solution is then sprayed onto the fabric or fill yarn as each fill yarn is inserted into a shed of the fabric. A third embodiment applies the tacifier in a liquid form that has not been dissolved in a solvent. That is, the tacifier is melted and is sprayed as a liquid onto the fabric or fill yarn as it is being extracted from a fill yarn spool prior to the fill yarn being inserted into the shed of the fabric. A fourth embodiment employs adhesive yarns contained as an integral part of the warp or fill yarn. Additional tacifier material is not required because a matrix is used as the tacifier. The matrix is then locally melted using heating elements on clamping bars or take-up rollers, is cooled, if necessary, and solidified.

Weaving and bonding method to prevent warp and fill distortion

A laminated composite material with improved interlaminar strength and damage tolerance having short rods distributed evenly throughout the composite material perpendicular to the laminae. Each rod is shorter than the thickness of the finished laminate, but several times as long as the thickness of each lamina. The laminate is made by inserting short rods in layers of prepreg material, and then stacking and curing prepreg material with rods inserted therethrough.

Composite material and method for production of improved composite

Composite with through the thickness reinforcement

An apparatus and method for forming woven fabrics through the use of an adjustable reed. The adjustable reed has multiple groups of reed wires that guide the warp yarns. The groups of reed wires move on reed rails parallel to the warp direction. In addition, rail expanders permit the space between the reed wires to be modified and telescoping rods attached to the rail sliders can be turned to permit the reed wires to be skewed to alter the fill yarn angle. These adjustments to the reed permit simultaneous variation of fill yarn angles and fabric widths and allow these variations to be made during fabrication, without the need to halt production.

Adjustable reed for weaving net-shaped tailored fabrics

A method and apparatus for fabricating straight or curved planar or three-dimensional (C channel, for example) fabric for fabrication into composite structures. In the first embodiment, the fill yarns are inserted between layers of warp yarns, and a canted or curved reed, depending on the desired orientation of the fill yarns, is used to compact or 'beat-up' the fill yarns. In the second embodiment, the warp yarns of the fabric are curved using a conical or a combination of conical and cylindrical rollers to effect differential fabric take-up of the warp yarns for obtaining a constant radius of curvature of the warp yarns. In a third embodiment, a clamping bar fabric take-up device is used to effect the differential fabric take-up of the warp yarns for obtaining straight warp yarns, curved warp yarns with a constant radius of curvature, curved warp yarns with a non-constant radius of curvature, or some combination of straight and curved warp yarns. In a fourth embodiment, for forming the flanges of the curved C channel, the warp yarns are alternately inserted through adjacent dent wires of the reed to permit vertical weaving of the flanges.

Method and apparatus for weaving curved material preforms

Planar or multilayer structural preforms are made having yarns extending in a bias direction of the preform. Angularly directed yarns can be inserted in planar and multilayer fabrics to increase shear strength of structural preforms made from the fabrics. In multilayer fabrics, the angle yarns can extend between layers to provide through-the-thickness reinforcement. Fabrics are formed by carrying yarns transversely across the fabric as the fabric advances. Fill yarns may be inserted by an insertion technique employing a pneumatic beating element. Angle yarn feeding arrangements are made readily removable to provide for the use of other weaving assemblies.

Method and apparatus for weaving a woven angle ply fabric

An apparatus and method for integral fill yarn insertion and beatup is provided. A modified rapier contains a channel for holding fill yarn. The channel is covered with a flexible and inflatable boot, and an inflating apparatus for this boot is also attached. Fill yarn is inserted into the channel, and the rapier is extended into a shed formed by warp yarn. Next, the rapier is pushed into the fell of the fabric, and the flexible and inflatable cover inflated, which both pushes the yarn into the fell of the fabric and performs beatup. The rapier is withdrawn and the shed closed to complete one step of the weaving process.

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Yorktown, VA, United States of America

Gary L Farley