The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Keith Daniel Humfeld

Morteza Safai

Scott D Hartshorn

Joseph Andrew Bolton

Steven Michael Shewchuk

Eileen Olga Kutscha

De'Andre James Cherry

Jeffrey Lynn Duce

Karl Marius Nelson

Gwen Marie Lanphere Gross

Kelsi Marie Hurley

Matthew Kyle Fay

Gwen M Gross

Arthur August Rugtvedt

Adam B Lubchansky

Samra S Sangari

Venkatacha Parameswaran

Mark Stewart Wilenski

Thomas Karl Tsotsis

Kenneth Harlan Griess

James Ping Huang

Joseph A Bolton

Geoffrey Allen Butler

Namsoo Paul Kim

Arlene McKeeman Brown

Ross Mitchell Blanton

William L Mitchael

Brad D Mecham

Richard S Badgley

Da Zhao

Arlene M Brown

Methods for machining a composite material substrate are discloses comprising integrating a predetermined pattern area having a disbond material for the purpose of creating a disbond region into the composite material substrate at a predetermined thickness, detecting the disbond region and forming a plurality of recesses in the composite material substrate by removing a machined plug from the composite material substrate to form recesses positioned at locations corresponding to the predetermined pattern area, and composite components comprising the recesses machined according to such methods.

Integrally stiffened bonded panel with machined recesses and improved methods of manufacture

An example system for inspecting a surface includes a laser, an optical system, a gated camera, and a control system. The laser is configured to emit pulses of light, with respective wavelengths of the pulses of light varying over time. The optical system includes at least one optical element, and is configured to direct light emitted by the laser to points along a scan line one point at a time. The gated camera is configured to record a fluorescent response of the surface from light having each wavelength of a plurality of wavelengths at each point along the scan line. The control system is configured to control the gated camera such that an aperture of the gated camera is open during fluorescence of the surface but closed during exposure of the surface to light emitted by the laser.

Multi-wavelength laser inspection

Heating operation control includes obtaining sensor data indicating measured temperatures within a heating vessel during a heating operation; determining sets of thermal stack parameters. Each set of candidate thermal stack parameters is descriptive of a respective configuration of a thermal stack modeled by a first machine learning model to generate one or more estimated tool temperature values. The thermal stack includes the tool and a part coupled to the tool. Heating operation control also includes determining a temperature profile for the heating operation. The temperature profile is determined, via a second machine learning model, based on the plurality of sets of thermal stack parameters and one or more process specifications of the thermal stack.

System and method for a heating operation process control

A method for forming composite materials and associated apparatuses is presented, including positioning at least one electronic component on a lay-up surface. The method also includes positioning a composite on the lay-up surface, where the composite comprises resin and fibers. Additionally, the method includes causing a flow of the resin between the lay-up surface and the fibers. Yet further, the method includes curing the resin to form a cured resin, where the electronic component and the fibers are located in the cured resin. The composite material includes a resin having a shape based on a surface of a lay-up system. Additionally, the composite material includes fibers contained within the resin. Further, the composite materials includes at least one electronic component. The electronic component of the composite material is located in the resin based on a flow of the resin around the electronic component on the surface of the lay-up.

Establishing electronics in composite parts by locating electronics on lay-up mandrels

Systems and methods are provided for ultrasonic imaging of composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes providing an object having multiple layers of fibers and resin, inducing ultrasonic waves at locations along the object, and attenuating the ultrasonic waves at the regions due to regions interspersed among the layers that each exhibit an elastic modulus distinct from an elastic modulus of the fibers and distinct from an elastic modulus of the matrix. The method further includes receiving the attenuated ultrasonic waves, and analyzing the attenuated ultrasonic waves to determine depths of the regions.

Composite parts that facilitate ultrasonic imaging of layer boundaries

Systems and methods are provided for enhanced vacuum bags. One embodiment is a method that includes placing a laminate comprising uncured fiber reinforced polymer onto a mandrel, laying up a vacuum bag, which includes integral ultrasonic transducers within a gas-impermeable layer, atop the laminate, and sealing the vacuum bag to the mandrel. The method also includes drawing a vacuum on the laminate via the vacuum bag, removing gas between the integral ultrasonic transducers and the laminate, and interrogating the laminate with the integral ultrasonic transducers.

Vacuum bag having integral ultrasonic transducers

There is provided an automated lamination system for embedding printed electronic element(s) in a composite structure. The automated lamination system includes a supply of composite prepreg material, a layup tool assembly, and a modified automated lamination apparatus laying up layer(s) of the composite prepreg material on the layup tool assembly, to form the composite structure. The modified automated lamination apparatus includes a section preparation pre-printing apparatus preparing section(s) on a top surface of a top layer of the layer(s), to obtain prepared section(s), and includes a non-contact direct write printing apparatus mechanically coupled to the section preparation pre-printing apparatus, and includes one or more supplies of electronic element materials, printed with the non-contact direct write printing apparatus, on each of the prepared section(s), to obtain the printed electronic element(s), that are embedded in the composite structure. The automated lamination system further includes a control system and a power system.

Automated lamination system and method for embedding printed electronic elements in a composite structure

In an example, a method for accelerated conditioning of a composite core sandwich coupon is described. The method includes setting a first temperature and a first relative humidity level of the conditioning apparatus, wherein a combination of the first temperature and the first relative humidity level correspond to a desired relative humidity level of the plurality of cells of the core layer at room temperature. The method includes maintaining the first temperature and the first relative humidity for a first period, wherein during the first period a core humidity of the plurality of cells in the core layer approaches the first relative humidity level. The method includes determining that the core humidity has reached the first relative humidity level. The method includes, based on determining that the core humidity has reached the first relative humidity level, adjusting the first temperature to a second temperature.

Systems and methods for accelerated conditioning of composite core sandwich coupons

Systems and methods are provided for fabrication of enhanced carbon fiber laminates that utilize encapsulated catalyst. One embodiment is a method that includes acquiring a batch of dry fibers, and acquiring a batch of catalyst capsules that each comprise catalyst that accelerates polymerization of monomers of a resin, and a shell that encapsulates the catalyst and liquefies at a curing temperature. The method further includes interspersing the catalyst capsules among the dry fibers, and impregnating the fibers with the resin after interspersing the catalyst capsules with the fibers.

Insertion of catalyst into dry carbon fibers prior to resin impregnation

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a carbon fiber. Pressure is applied to a filament to change a cross-sectional shape of the filament and create a plurality of distinct surfaces on the filament. The filament is converted into a graphitic carbon fiber having the plurality of distinct surfaces. A plurality of sizings is applied to the plurality of distinct surfaces of the graphitic carbon fiber in which the plurality of sizings includes at least two different sizings.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing carbon fibers

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method of forming a composite part. The method includes laying up opposing composite facesheets, placing a viscous material between the facesheets, increasing a distance between the facesheets, and solidifying the facesheets and the viscous material into an integral composite part.

Composite paneling having multiple facesheets and a core

A chemical vapor deposition method comprises flowing a carrier liquid through a reactor. A fluid comprising one or more reactants is introduced into the carrier liquid. The fluid is at a first temperature and first pressure and is sufficiently immiscible in the carrier liquid so as to form a plurality of microreactors suspended in the carrier liquid. Each of the microreactors comprise a discrete volume of the fluid and have a surface boundary defined by an interface of the fluid with the carrier liquid. The fluid is heated and optionally pressurized to a second temperature and second pressure at which a chemical vapor deposition reaction occurs within the microreactors to form a plurality of chemical vapor deposition products. The plurality of chemical vapor deposition products are separated from the carrier liquid. A system for carrying out the method of the present disclosure is also taught.

System and process for chemical vapor deposition

A deployable airborne sensor array system and method of use are provided herein. The system includes a tether configured to be coupled to and deployed from an aircraft and a plurality of airborne vehicles coupled to the tether. Each of the plurality of airborne vehicles includes different lift characteristics to form a three-dimensional (3D) array of airborne vehicles. Each airborne vehicle includes a sensing device configured to generate sensor data associated with a target. The system also include a computing device configured to process the sensor data received from each of the plurality of airborne vehicles and generate an image of the target based on the sensor data.

Growing community of inventors

Federal Way, WA, United States of America

Keith Daniel Humfeld