Alcoa Inc.

Markus B Heinimann

John Liu

Paul E Magnusen

James M Marinelli

Luis Fanor Vega

Ming Li

Simon Sheu

Jiantao Liu

Hasso Weiland

Robert C Pahl

Achim Hofmann

Metal sheets and plates having friction-reducing textured surfaces and methods of manufacturing these metal sheets and plates are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, there is provided a transportation vessel that includes at least one metal product having at least one surface that is substantially grooved, wherein the substantially grooved surface forms a riblet topography, the riblet topography including a multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets running along at least a part of the surface, and wherein the riblet topography is coated with at least one coating sufficiently designed and applied to preserve the riblet topography. In an embodiment, the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets results in a friction-reducing textured surface. In an embodiment, metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of an aircraft. In an embodiment, metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of a rotor blade.

Metal sheets and plates having friction-reducing textured surfaces and methods of manufacturing same

Monolithic metal bodies (e.g., hard aluminum alloys) comprising a continuous microcavity contained within the body are disclosed. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of the metal body to the cross-sectional area of the microcavity may be not greater than 10. The produced metal bodies may be used in structural applications (e.g., aerospace vehicles) to monitor or test the integrity of the metal body.

Methods of structural health monitoring using metal bodies containing microcavities

Metal bodies containing microcavities and apparatus and methods relating thereto

Growing community of inventors

New Alexandria, PA, United States of America

Markus B Heinimann