Short Brothers Plc

Other

Robert Samuel Wilson

William James Millar

Jonathan James Mcconnell

Oran Walsh

Tony Millar

William James Trevor Millar

Jonathan James McConnell

Samuel Colin Hanna

William Christopher Campbell

Mark Anthony Braniff

Richard Parkes

Mark Braniff

Paolo Ballocchi

Robert Matthew Walsh

Jonathan Andrew Daly

Colin Samuel Hanna

A thrust reverser cascade of an aircraft engine comprises a frame and a vane overmolded onto the frame. The frame and the vane each comprise reinforcement fibers in a thermoplastic matrix. A method is disclosed for manufacturing the thrust reverser cascade or another part comprising an aerodynamic surface configured to interact with a flow of fluid. The method comprises providing a first portion of the part and overmolding a second portion of the part onto the first portion where the second portion includes the aerodynamic surface.

Thrust reverser cascade and method of manufacture

Ice protection systems of aircraft and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the system includes a gas-discharge lamp and an electric power source. The gas-discharge lamp is configured to emit infrared radiation toward an inner surface of an aircraft skin. The electric power source is operatively connected to the gas-discharge lamp.

Aircraft ice protection system and method

Precursors, and methods for manufacturing perforated composite parts, an exemplary precursor including structural fibers embedded in a cured matrix material and interposed between two removable plies, where the precursor may also have a sacrificial fiber extending through the removable plies, the matrix material and between the structural fibers.

Methods and precursors for manufacturing a perforated composite part

A control rod for incorporation into a composite assembly with at least a first composite preform, a second composite preform, and a cured resin includes a shaft defining an axis, wherein the shaft is disposable within an aperture in the composite assembly, and a plurality of threads disposed on at least a portion of the shaft. The shaft is made from, among other materials, a thermoplastic material. The threads define a thread pitch that encompasses more than one individual fiber layer forming at least one of the first composite layer and the second composite layer.

Apparatus and method for forming fiber reinforced composite structures

A method for inserting an insert into a hole in a composite material made from a plurality of carbon fiber layers suspended in a resin material includes lowering a temperature of the insert to a reduced temperature at which a coefficient of thermal expansion of a material of the insert causes the insert to contract to a first perimeter, inserting the insert at the reduced temperature into the hole, and permitting the temperature of the insert to increase from the reduced temperature to an operational temperature. At the operational temperature, the insert expands to a second perimeter so that the insert is retained within the composite material due to an interference between the insert and the composite material. The interference transfers a structural load from the insert to the composite material and results in damage to the composite material if the insert is dislodged at the operational temperature.

Method for designing and fitting, via interference, an insert into an opening in a non-metallic material

A surfactant suitable for use as an additive in the heat transfer liquid of a heating and/or cooling system, wherein the surfactant comprises a coconut-derived surfactant, the preferred coconut-derived surfactant being a non-ionic, coco-glucoside. The surfactant can be used as an additive in a heat transfer fluid of a wet central heating system or a chiller circuit at a concentration of between 800 ppm and 1500 ppm, but preferably 1200 ppm, as this has surprisingly been found to yield an optimum reduction in the surface tension of the heat transfer fluid, whilst not significantly or appreciably increasing the specific heat capacity of the heat transfer fluid.

Additives for wet heating and cooling systems

Precursors and methods for manufacturing perforated composite parts are disclosed. An exemplary precursor () comprises structural fibers () embedded in a cured matrix material () and interposed between two removable plies (). The precursor may also comprise a sacrificial fiber () extending through the removable plies (), the matrix material () and between the structural fibers (). An exemplary method comprises removing the removable plies () from the precursor () and removing the sacrificial fiber () from the precursor after removing the removable plies to form a through hole in the precursor () at a location of the sacrificial fiber ().

A method and apparatus for forming a fiber reinforced composite structure comprising at least two components, a hard base tool presenting a first tool face, a second tooling element presenting a second tool face to locate the second component against the first component. Components are of a dry fibrous form and are to be injected with a liquid resin. A flexible bagging blanket forms with the tools a sealed enclosure into which the resin is injected to form the structure by resin transfer infusion. To maintain the relative dispositions of the components without the need for elaborate mandrel plates, control rods are inserted at least partially through the two components to act as fasteners and to maintain the relative disposition of the components during resin injection. After injection the assembly is cured and the control rods may remain in situ or be removed from the structure.

Apparatus and method for forming fibre reinforced composite structures

In the formation of a fiber reinforced composite material component produced by a resin transfer infusion process such as to have an electrically conductive surface layer for lightning strike protection wherein the component is to be drilled and countersunk to receive an electrically conductive fastener, a localized part of the electrically conductive mesh is deformed so as to be relocated in the countersunk recess thus to ensure electrical contact with the fastener when inserted and to eliminate any gap between the mesh and the fastener, thus determining the electrical conductive integrity of the mesh to avoid arcing in the event of lightning strike attachment.

Fibre reinforced composite structures and method of manufacture

A noise attenuation panel used to attenuate noise in aircraft engines includes a cellular core and a facing sheet formed with an array of holes. The holes are laser drilled to provide: (i) hole size variation over the facing sheet; (ii) non-circular hole cross section; (iii) polygonal hole cross section; (iv) hole locations not contiguous with walls of the cellular core; and (v) inclined holes passing through the facing sheet in a direction inclined to the normal to the facing sheet.

Noise attenuation panel

In the manufacture of a noise attenuation panel for an aeroengine nacelle an adhesive film is applied to a front face of a cellular component of the panel. The adhesive film is caused to reticulate to the ends of the walls of the cells at the front face of the cellular component. A perforate facing component of the panel is bonded to the front face of the cellular component by adhesive flow from the cell walls to the facing component. To avoid unpredictable adhesive flow giving rise to cosmetic spots on the front face of the facing component the two components are brought together with the interposition of an adhesive flow control sheet and the reticulated adhesive caused to bond the two components together by adhesive flow under the control of the adhesive flow control sheet.

In forming a multi-axial yarn structure a bias yarn assembly forming device makes use of cooperating yarn guide and yarn transfer members having yarn guide elements defining guide and transfer openings which hold warp yarns spaced apart in the weft direction. Warp yarn transfer from an opening in one member to an opening in the other member is facilitated by providing the guide elements of the two members with cooperating complementary salient and re-entrant inclined end portions. Furthermore, a yarn diverter blade extends from the end portion of each guide element of one of the members to hold the transferring yarns away from the junctions between the cooperating end portions of the guide elements. To facilitate insertion of binding warp yarns two sets of yarn guide and yarn transfer members are provided to hold the yarns spaced apart to form binding warp yarn insertion zones between the two sets. A yarn beat-up member carries out successive beat-up cycles in cooperation with a yarn engagement transfer member which assists the beat-up member during the beat-up cycle.

Growing community of inventors

Belfast, United Kingdom

Robert Samuel Wilson