The Boeing Company

Mary Margaret Litwinski

Richard Philip Topf

Leanne L Lehman

Vann Heng

Peter A Hogenson

Robert J Perez

Steffan Brown

Kaia Elena David

Ben YoungSon Won

Dae H Kim

A continuous ceramic matrix composite strip is produced by passing a dry ceramic fiber strip through a ceramic slurry bath. Impregnation wheels within the bath guide the fiber strip through the bath and force the ceramic slurry into the fiber strip, thereby impregnating the strip. The impregnation wheels stir the ceramic slurry to maintain a homogeneous mixture. Air knives remove excess slurry from the strip. Thickness and width controls squeeze the impregnated strip to desired thickness and width dimensions.

Method and apparatus for impregnating a continuous fiber reinforcement

A thermal seal may include a flexible insulation layer, and an element made of shape memory alloy attached to the insulation layer, the element being treated to bend in response to heating, whereby an increase in the temperature of the element causes the insulation layer to transform from a first configuration to a second configuration.

Thermal seal with thermally induced shape change

A thermal protection system for a vehicle may include a substantially rigid, relatively thin outer aeroshell, a relatively low density insulation layer, and a resiliently compressible conformal layer. The vehicle may include a substructure. The aeroshell may be configured to be fastened to the substructure. The insulation layer may be disposed against the aeroshell. The conformal layer may be disposable against the insulation layer. The conformal layer may be compressively preloaded against the substructure when the aeroshell is fastened to the substructure.

Aeroshell thermal protection system and method

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Dana Point, CA, United States of America

Mary Margaret Litwinski