The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Mark Stewart Wilenski

Michael Patrick Kozar

Samuel F Harrison

Nick Shadbeh Evans

Faraón Torres

Samuel J Meure

Alan M Markus

Larry A Godby

John Ralph Hull

Michael Strasik

Adam J Lang

Amy E Bahe

Kelsi Marie Hurley

Keith John Davis

Christopher A Howe

Daniel C Stanley

Sam Meure

Mark Joseph Clemen, Jr

Alan Frank Stewart

John A Mittleider

Arvid J Berg

Karl R Bernetich

James W Kohlbrenner

Faraon Torres

Keith Daniel Humfeld

Le Li

Nick Shabdeh Evans

James T Russell

Phillip John Crothers

James Johnathan Childress

Landon Keith Henson

Donald V Drouin, Jr

Philip E Johnson

George Albert Perry

Haiping Yu

Arthur August Rugtvedt

Yongxin Tang

Shenggang Wang

Jie Yang

Jiangbin Zhao

Rick L McGann

A composite structure includes a number of fiber layers. Each fiber layer of the number of fiber layers includes a fiber bundle and a filament layer at least partially covering the fiber bundle. The filament layer includes discontinuous filaments. The discontinuous filaments include at least one of different length filaments, including first length filaments and second length filaments. The first length filaments include a first length and the second length filaments include a second length. The first length is different than the second length. The discontinuous filaments include at least one of different type filaments, including first type filaments and second type filaments. The first type filaments include a first material composition. The second type filaments include a second material composition. The first material composition is different than the second material composition. The composite structure includes a resin binding the number of fiber layers together.

Filament network for a composite structure

An apparatus for shaping an extrudable material comprises a sleeve, comprising a first sleeve end, a sleeve inlet at the first sleeve end, a second sleeve end, opposite the first sleeve end, and a sleeve outlet at the second sleeve end. The extrudable material enters the sleeve through the sleeve inlet and exits the sleeve through the sleeve outlet. The apparatus further comprises an actuation mechanism, selectively operable to change at least one of a size or a shape of the sleeve outlet. The sleeve is sufficiently flexible to enable the actuation mechanism to change at least one of the size or the shape of the sleeve outlet. The sleeve is insufficiently stretchable to enable the actuation mechanism to stretch the sleeve.

Methods for shaping an extrudable material

A method of additively manufacturing an object comprises feeding a feedstock line into a delivery guide. The feedstock line has a length and comprises a continuous flexible line. The continuous flexible line has a peripheral surface. The feedstock line further comprises a covering, releasably coupled to the peripheral surface of the continuous flexible line. The method also comprises removing the covering from the peripheral surface of the continuous flexible line before the continuous flexible line is deposited along a print path and depositing the continuous flexible line along the print path using the delivery guide.

Methods for additive manufacturing

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

Systems for thermal control of additive manufacturing comprise a build volume within which a part is additively manufactured; a heat source positioned relative to the build volume and configured to actively deliver heat to discrete sections of the part as it is being additively manufactured; and a controller operatively coupled to the heat source and configured to direct delivery of heat from the heat source to discrete sections of the part as it is being additively manufactured to impart desired physical properties to the part. Methods of additively manufacturing a part comprise additively building a part from a feedstock material; and actively heating discrete sections of the part as the part is being additively built to impart desired physical properties to the part.

Systems and methods for thermal control of additive manufacturing

Methods of additively manufacturing a part comprise dispensing a multi-part filament in three dimensions. The multi-part filament comprises an elongate filament body comprising a first body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body and comprising a first material that is configured to be cured responsive to a first cure condition, and a second body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body and comprising a second material that is configured to be cured responsive to a second cure condition that is different from the first cure condition. Methods also comprise concurrently with the dispensing, delivering curing energy corresponding to the first cure condition to impart a desired rigidity characteristic to the first body part to facilitate printing of self-supporting structures from the multi-part filament.

Multi-part filaments for additive manufacturing and related systems and methods

A system for additively manufacturing an object comprises a fiber supply that dispenses elongate fibers, a resin supply that applies a resin to the elongate fibers to create a feedstock line with the resin in a first non-rigid uncured state, a rigidizing mechanism that transforms the resin from the first non-rigid uncured state to a rigid uncured state, a delivery guide that deposits the feedstock line along a print path, a feed mechanism that feeds the feedstock line through the delivery guide, a de-rigidizing mechanism that transforms the resin from the rigid uncured state to a second non-rigid uncured state, and a curing mechanism that transforms the resin from the second non-rigid uncured state to an at least partially cured state.

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing

A system for additively manufacturing an object comprises a source of a feedstock line, a rigidizing mechanism that receives the feedstock line from the source and transforms the resin from a first at least partially uncured state to a rigid at least partially uncured state, a delivery guide that deposits the feedstock line along a print path, a feed mechanism that feeds the feedstock line through the delivery guide, a de-rigidizing mechanism that transforms the resin from the rigid at least partially uncured state to a second at least partially uncured state, and a curing mechanism that transforms the resin from the second at least partially uncured state to an at least partially cured state.

A non-fibrous film has a non-weakened portion and a weakened portion having at least one mechanical property having a value that is lower than the value of the mechanical property of the non-weakened portion. The film has an optical characteristic including a clarity of at least 75 percent.

Films having selectively weakened portions

A filament network for a composite structure may include a number of fiber layers, wherein each fiber layer includes a fiber bundle and a filament layer at least partially covering the fiber bundle, the filament layer including discontinuous filaments including at least one of different length filaments including first length filaments and second length filaments, wherein the first length filaments include a first length and the second length filaments include a second length, and wherein the first length is different than the second length and different type filaments including first type filaments and second type filaments, wherein the first type filaments include a first material composition, wherein the second type filaments include a second material composition, and wherein the first material composition is different that the second material composition, and a resin binding the number of fiber layers together.

Method for forming a composite structure and a fiber layer for a composite structure

A ply for fabricating composite material includes a first tow of a plurality of fibers, which are spread in a direction along a width of a cross section of the ply, wherein a first sheet of enhanced performance material overlies the first tow. A second tow of a plurality of fibers, which are spread in the direction along the width of the cross section of the ply, overlies the first sheet of the enhanced performance material. Another tow of a plurality of fibers, which are spread in the direction along the width of the cross section of the ply, are positioned against and laterally extend from the first tow, the second tow and the first sheet of enhanced performance material.

Multi-layer plies for improved composite performance

A non-fibrous film has at least one film body that is non-fibrous, and at least one film element that is non-fibrous. The film element is coupled to the film body at an interface that is non-continuous across a film width of the non-fibrous film. The non-fibrous film has at least one of the following characteristics: the interface has at least one mechanical property having a value that is different than the value of the mechanical property of at least one of the film element and the film body, and/or the film element has at least one mechanical property having a value that is different than the value of the mechanical property of the film body.

Multi-component films

Systems and methods for additively manufacturing composite parts are disclosed. Methods comprise combining a plurality of pre-consolidated tows to define a macro tow and dispensing the macro tow in three dimensions to define the composite part. Each pre-consolidated tow comprises a fiber tow within a non-liquid binding matrix. The combining comprises actively altering a shape and/or size of a cross-sectional profile of the macro tow along a length of the macro tow as it is being defined.

Systems and methods for additively manufacturing composite parts

Various techniques are provided for an expandable energy absorbing fluid bladder. In one example, the fluid bladder includes a primary portion and a secondary portion. The secondary portion can be configured to expand or increase in volume when the fluid bladder is subjected to a pulse greater than a threshold pulse. Expansion of the secondary portion can allow fluid or additional fluid to flow into the secondary portion and thus decrease a peak pulse and, thus, avoid rupture of the fluid bladder.

Expandable energy absorbing fluid bladder systems and methods

A composite structure includes a resin, a plurality of polymer nanoparticles in the resin to form a resin mixture, and a plurality of reinforcing fibers embedded within the resin mixture. At least some of the polymer nanoparticles are either fully soluble in the resin during curing or solidifying of the resin mixture to form a cured composite structure, or semi-soluble in the resin during curing or solidifying of the resin mixture to form the cured composite structure.

Growing community of inventors

Mercer Island, WA, United States of America

Mark Stewart Wilenski