The Boeing Company

Michael R Zolnowski

David P Heck

Marc Rollo Matsen

Lee Charles Firth

David S Nansen

Gregory Alan Foltz

Carey E Wilkinson

Russell W Cochran

Paul N Wilson

Burke L Reichlinger

Elizabeth Adele Walker-Heckman

Examples are provided herein that relate to solar heating with a solar refraction device. One example provides a solar heating system, comprising a container configured to enclose contents within the container in a closed configuration, and a solar refraction device comprising a lens array assembly having a plurality of lens array sub-assemblies, the lens array assembly configured to refract solar energy impinging on the lens array assembly to focus refracted solar energy at a plurality of focal points positioned to heat the contents enclosed within the container, each focal point corresponding to a corresponding lens array sub-assembly of the plurality of lens array sub-assemblies.

Multi-focal point solar refraction heating

A method for heat treating an additively manufactured A205 aluminum alloy component ('AM205 component') to produce a uniform grain distribution within the AM205 component is disclosed. The method includes solution aging the AM205 component at a first temperature for a first time period, wherein the first time period is less than five hours and overaging the AM205 component after the solution aging.

Heat treatment of additively manufactured aluminum alloy

The present disclosure is directed to remedying a non-conforming feature of an aluminum alloy part. A method may include identifying a yield strength as a function of temperature for a designation of the aluminum alloy part, determining a stress to be applied to the feature to re-form the non-conforming feature to within a dimensional tolerance, correlating the stress to the identified yield strength to determine a process temperature of the part upon applying the stress to the feature, determining a time duration for applying the stress to the feature at the determined process temperature, and applying the stress to the feature of the part, the feature being restrained to oppose the stress, while heating the feature to the determined process temperature, and maintaining the application of the stress and the heat to the feature for the time duration in order to reform the restrained feature to within the dimensional tolerance.

Method and apparatus for remedying a non-conforming feature of an aluminum alloy part

A panel comprises a first face sheet and a second face sheet spaced apart from the first face sheet. The panel further comprises a core sheet intercoupled between the first face sheet and the second face sheet. Each of the first and second face sheets is made of a material having a thermal expansion that is different from the thermal expansion of the other face sheet.

Panel and method of forming a three-sheet panel

Disclosed is a solar refraction device ('SRD') for heating industrial materials in a heating container, having a bottom, with diffuse solar energy that impinges on an outside surface of the SRD and is refracted through the SRD. The SRD may include a lens array assembly and a plurality of lens panes attached to the lens array assembly. The lens array assembly may include an outside surface corresponding to the outside surface of the SRD, an inside surface, and a plurality of lens array sub-assemblies.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Charles, MO, United States of America

Michael R Zolnowski