The Boeing Company

James Douglas McLean

Gerhard E Seidel

Peter Z Anast

Richard L Campbell

David P Witkowski

Robert H Kelley-Wickemeyer

Diane C Rawlings

John Charles Vassberg

Jason W Drexler

Sergey G Ponomarev

Lie-Mine Gea

Mary J Mathews

Steven E Krist

Joseph James Dickson

Peter P Sullivan

Methods and systems according to one or more examples are provided for laminating composite materials. In one example, a method comprises receiving a first layer material and a second layer material at a nip roller assembly and laminating, by the nip roller assembly, the first and second layer material to provide a laminated composite material comprising a main portion and at least one edge portion. The method further comprises delaminating the at least one edge portion of the laminated composite material to provide a partially laminated composite material for use in manufacturing a composite product.

Edge delamination methods and systems

An environment sensitive coating system is disclosed that includes a pressure sensitive component comprising a first portion of an oxygen sensitive light emitting material dispersed in an oxygen permeable binder; and a pressure reference component comprising a second portion of the oxygen sensitive light emitting material dispersed in an oxygen impermeable binder.

Multi-component sensing coating for pressure and temperature measurements

An array of aerodynamic riblets is formed with a surface layer for adhering to an aerodynamic surface and a plurality of riblet tips having a parabolic cross section extending from the surface layer.

Structurally designed aerodynamic riblets

Slotted cruise airfoil technology allows production of a substantially unswept wing that achieves the same cruise speed as today's conventional jet airplanes with higher sweep. This technology allows the wing boundary layer to negotiate a strong recovery gradient closer to the wing trailing edge. The result is about a cruise speed of Mach=0.78, but with a straight wing. It also means that for the same lift, the super velocities over the top of the wing can be lower. With very low sweep and this type of cruise pressure distribution, natural laminar flow will be obtained. In addition, heat is transferred from the leading edge of the wing and of the main flap to increase the extent of the natural laminar flow. The slotted cruise wing airfoil allows modularization of the wing and the body for a family of airplanes. The unsweeping of the wing significantly changes the manufacturing processes, reduces manufacturing costs and flow time from detail part fabrication to airplane delivery. The system architecture is all new for cost reduction. A high wing arrangement allows more freedom for installation of higher bypass ratio advanced geared fan engines. A low is wing in conjunction with aft body mounted engines will have a similar effect. Aerodynamic efficiency and engine fuel burn efficiency result in considerable lower emission of noise and greenhouse gases.

Airplane with unswept slotted cruise wing airfoil

An aircraft wing includes a leading airfoil element and a trailing airfoil element. At least one slot is defined by the wing during at least one transonic condition of the wing. The slot may either extend spanwise along only a portion of the wingspan, or it may extend spanwise along the entire wingspan. In either case, the slot allows a portion of the air flowing along the lower surface of the leading airfoil element to split and flow over the upper surface of the trailing airfoil element so as to achieve a performance improvement in the transonic condition.

Slotted aircraft wing

A swept aircraft wing includes a leading airfoil element and a trailing airfoil element. At least one full-span slot is defined by the wing during at least one transonic condition of the wing. The full-span slot allows a portion of the air flowing along the lower surface of the leading airfoil element to split and flow over the upper surface of the trailing airfoil element so as to achieve a performance improvement in the transonic condition.

Efficient wing tip devices for use with aircraft wings. In one embodiment, an aircraft wing/winglet combination includes a wing having a wing root portion and a wing tip portion spaced apart from the wing root portion. The wing tip portion can have a wash-out twist relative to the wing root portion. The aircraft wing/winglet combination can further include a winglet extending from the wing tip portion of the wing. The winglet can be swept at least generally forward relative to the wing to favorably change the lift distribution on the wing and in turn reduce the induced drag on the wing.

Efficient wing tip devices and methods for incorporating such devices into existing wing designs

Slotted cruise airfoil technology allows production of a substantially unswept wing that achieves the same cruise speed as today's conventional jet airplanes with higher sweep. This technology allows the wing boundary layer to negotiate a strong recovery gradient closer to the wing trailing edge. The result is about a cruise speed of Mach&equals;0.78, but with a straight wing. It also means that for the same lift, the super velocities over the top of the wing can be lower. With very low sweep and this type of cruise pressure distribution, natural laminar flow will be obtained. In addition, heat is transferred from the leading edge of the wing and of the main flap to increase the extent of the natural laminar flow. The slotted cruise wing airfoil allows modularization of the wing and the body for a family of airplanes. The unsweeping of the wing significantly changes the manufacturing processes, reduces manufacturing costs and flow time from detail part fabrication to airplane delivery. The system architecture is all new for cost reduction. A high wing arrangement allows more freedom for installation of higher bypass ratio advanced geared fan engines. A low is wing in conjunction with aft body mounted engines will have a similar effect. Aerodynamic efficiency and engine fuel burn efficiency result in considerable lower emission of noise and greenhouse gases.

A wind tunnel having a test section and a fan section, interconnected by two passageways to form a recirculating air flow through said sections. There is a diffuser immediately downstream of the test section, and a second diffuser immediately downstream of the fan section. Each diffuser has an intermediate flow section where the side wall extends radially outwardly in a downstream direction at a relatively sharp angle. At the upstream end of the intermediate section there is a peripheral suction slot to draw in boundary layer air, and a by-pass passageway to discharge the air tangentially in a downstream location of the diffuser. This enables a substantial reduction in air velocity in a relatively short axial length.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

James Douglas McLean