The Boeing Company

Landon Keith Henson

Marc Rollo Matsen

John Ralph Hull

Tunde Abiodun Olaniyan

William Chet Dykstra

Lee Charles Firth

Mark Stewart Wilenski

Mark Alan Negley

James T Russell

Steven Kenneth Brady

John F Spalding

Everette Desmond Gray

Carl Roy McIver

James C Russell

Benjamin Emerson Carl Koltenbah

Larry Dean Ridgeway

Everette D Gray

Carl Roy Mciver

An induction welding coil includes a spine having a planar body with opposing ends, and a pair of prongs extending perpendicularly from the opposing ends of the spine. Each of the prongs has a planar body, wherein the spine and the pair of prongs are formed from a ferrite material to define a ferrite core. The induction welding coil further includes a coil wire having a plurality of winding that surround the planar body of the spine.

U-shaped induction welding coil and method of use thereof

Disclosed herein is a method of forming a multi-layered metallic part. The method comprises stacking at least two metallic layers, each made of a metallic material having a ductility, to form a multi-layered metallic assembly. The method also comprises interposing a diffusion-bond preventing element directly between adjacent ones of the at least two metallic layers of the multi-layered metallic assembly. The method further comprises diffusion bonding the at least two metallic layers to each other at locations other than a location contiguous with the diffusion-bond preventing element to produce a multi-layered metallic part having a non-bonded region between the at least two metallic layers at the location of the diffusion-bond preventing element.

Method for forming non-bonded regions in multi-layered metallic armor

A method and system for heating a material includes an induction coil, a susceptor providing a receptacle, where the receptacle is configured to receive the material, and at least one nozzle for ejecting a heated gas onto and/or into the material. During the method, the susceptor is heated by the induction coil, and thermal energy from the susceptor can be transferred to the material. In addition to being heated by heat from the susceptor, the material is also heated by the heated gas, thereby increasing a heating rate of the material to rapidly heat the material to a processing temperature. The system can include other components such as a gas source, at least one conduit that channels gas from the gas source to the at least one nozzle, and a heat source that heats the gas prior to ejecting the gas from the at least one nozzle.

Charge heating method and systems for induction molding

Methods of embedding an elongate susceptor within a thermoplastic body and systems that perform the methods are disclosed herein. The methods include extending the elongate susceptor such that an extended portion of the elongate susceptor extends between a guide structure and a body-contacting structure. The methods also include heating a segment of the elongate susceptor to produce a heated portion of the elongate susceptor. The methods further include pressing a leading region of the heated portion of the elongate susceptor through a body surface of the thermoplastic body and into the thermoplastic body. The methods also include operatively translating at least one of the guide structure, the body-contacting structure, and an application tool that includes the guide structure and the body-contacting structure along an embedment pathway for the elongate susceptor.

Methods of embedding an elongate susceptor within a thermoplastic body

Cookware, and an induction cooking system including the cookware, include a container, a base layer, and a susceptor layer. The container and the base layer are non-magnetic at room temperature, while the susceptor layer is magnetic at room temperature and has a Curie temperature at which the susceptor layer becomes non-magnetic. During heating of a material within the container, the base layer functions as a passive heat exchange to transfer heat across the susceptor layer. Further, during the heating, the base layer conducts an electric current when the susceptor layer approaches a leveling temperature and/or the Curie temperature of the susceptor layer, thereby decreasing an amount of heat produced and resulting in a more even heating of the material.

Induction cookware with bi-metallic smart susceptor

Apparatus, systems, and methods for protecting a vehicle from a radiation source (e.g., the sun) are provided. One apparatus includes a set of first wires and a set of second wires located proximate to the set of first wires. The set of first wires maintains a positive voltage and the set of second wires maintains a negative voltage. The set of first wire and the set of second wires are arranged to generate an electrostatic field (ESF) between the vehicle and the radiation source. A system includes a spacecraft and a field generator that generates an ESF between the spacecraft and a radiation source. A method includes tracking a location of a spacecraft relative to a radiation source and generating an ESF between the spacecraft and the radiation source.

Electrostatic field generator for spacecraft

A smart susceptor assembly, including a smart susceptor, and a cladding disposed on at least a portion of the smart susceptor, wherein the cladding includes an electrically conductive material.

Smart susceptors

There is provided an oriented wire electrostatic radiation protection system for a spacecraft. The system has a wire management system, and first and second wires coupled to the wire management system. A first wire orientation apparatus orients the first wire in a first wire direction toward, and in parallel alignment with, an approach path of approaching solar particles. A second wire orientation apparatus orients the second wire in a second wire direction opposite to the first wire direction. The system has a control system, and a power supply to charge the first wire to a positively-charged wire and to charge the second wire to a negatively-charged wire. When the approaching solar particles travel alongside the positively-charged wire toward the spacecraft, the positively-charged wire deflects the approaching solar particles away from the spacecraft, via electrostatic repulsion, and the positively-charged wire creates a radiation protection shielded region around the spacecraft.

Oriented wire electrostatic radiation protection system and method for spacecraft

An assembly to repair a thermoplastic composite. The assembly includes a heating device positioned on opposing sides of the thermoplastic composite. The heating device includes one or more susceptor with a Curie temperature to heat the thermoplastic composite. A pressure device applies a compressive force to the heating device. A pressure distribution device is positioned between the heating device and the thermoplastic composite. The pressure distribution device distributes the compressive force from the pressure device over areas of the opposing sides of thermoplastic composite.

Assembly and method to repair thermoplastic composites

A system and method for preheating a thermoplastic charge are disclosed. A gas moving unit establishes a flow of a gas through a conduit. A heating assembly is positioned between an inlet and an outlet of the conduit. A holding vessel is in fluid communication with the conduit and houses a thermoplastic particulate material. The thermoplastic particulate material includes a thermoplastic matrix material. The thermoplastic particulate material is introduced to the flow of the gas to yield a gas-particulate mixture. At least one of the gas and the gas-particulate mixture, moving through the conduit, is heated using the heating assembly to yield a heated gas-particulate mixture. The heated gas-particulate mixture is deposited into a mold from the outlet of the conduit.

System and method for preheating a thermoplastic charge

A smart susceptor assembly including an electromagnetic flux source such as one or more inductors, a geometrically complex-shaped susceptor having one or more contours, and a cladding on or over the susceptor. The cladding can alter both the thermal performance and the electrical operation of the smart susceptor assembly. With regard to thermal performance, the cladding can function as a passive heat exchanger to dissipate thermal energy across the surface of the susceptor. With regard to electrical operation, the cladding can provide a current path after portions of the susceptor heat and become low or non-magnetic.

Thermal stability of geometrically complex-shaped smart susceptors

Systems and methods are provided for molding systems that have a low thermal mass. One embodiment is a first tool that includes a first frame. The first frame includes a first set of plates of magnetically permeable material, and a material disposed between plates of the first set. The first tool also includes a first set of induction coils that are disposed within the first frame and that generate a first electromagnetic field, and a first susceptor that extends from the first set of plates. The first susceptor generates heat in response to the first electromagnetic field. The first tool further includes a mold that extends from the first susceptor and receives heat via conductive heat transfer from the first susceptor. Each plate of the first set is thinner than a skin depth at which the first electromagnetic field would generate an electrical induction current.

Induction molding for parts having thermoplastic portions

A smart susceptor assembly includes a plurality of susceptor elements and a plurality of conductor elements. Each susceptor element can be paired with one conductor element to form a susceptor tab. When exposed to a magnetic flux field, the plurality of susceptor elements heat to a leveling temperature. During the heating, the plurality of conductor elements alter both a thermal performance and an electrical operation of the smart susceptor assembly and, more particularly, the susceptor elements. Various configurations of the susceptor elements and conductor elements are described.

Bi-metallic induction heating blanket

Disclosed herein is a probe for detecting structural integrity of a part. The probe comprises an outer shield, having a hollow tubular shape, defining a first interior channel, and comprising a part-engagement end. The probe also comprises an inner shield, within the first interior channel, having a hollow tubular shape, spaced apart from the outer shield, and comprising a first end portion and a second end portion, opposite the first end portion. The first end portion of the inner shield is closer to the part-engagement end of the outer shield than the second end portion of the inner shield. The first end portion of the inner shield comprises a wall extension, protruding in a direction extending from the second end portion of the inner shield to the first end portion of the inner shield and circumferentially extending about less than an entire circumference of the inner shield.

Growing community of inventors

Snoqualmie, WA, United States of America

Landon Keith Henson