The Boeing Company

Steve L Patterson

Garrett C Hanson

Christopher R Loesche

Daniel M Levine

Jeffrey F Stulc

Jeffrey E Barnes

Yrret Maldonado

A method of joining an interior wall and a composite channel together is disclosed. The method includes wrapping one or more first composite plies around a first end portion of a first mandrel and wrapping one or more second composite plies around a second end portion of a second mandrel. The method includes positioning the one or more first composite plies located on the first end portion of the first mandrel against the one or more second composite plies located on the second end portion of the second mandrel to create the interior wall, and inserting the first mandrel and the second mandrel into a passageway of a composite channel. The interior wall created by the one or more first composite plies and the one or more second composite plies creates a barrier to block a flow of fluid within the passageway of the composite channel.

Closed composite channel with a barrier for blocking the flow of fluid

A hat-stringer assembly for an aircraft comprises a hat stringer with a first hat-stringer leg, a second hat-stringer leg, a first hat-stringer sidewall, a connecting wall, a second hat-stringer sidewall, and a ventilation opening, extending through the connecting wall. The hat stringer assembly also comprises a fitting, comprising a first channel member in contact with the first hat-stringer sidewall and the first hat-stringer leg. The fitting also comprises a second channel member in contact with the second hat-stringer sidewall and the second hat-stringer leg. The fitting further comprises a web cap, in contact with the first channel member and the second channel member. The web cap comprises a web-cap opening, which is in fluidic communication with the ventilation opening.

Hat-stringer assemblies for an aircraft and methods of forming same

A vented hat stringer for an aircraft comprises a first hat-stringer leg with a first-hat-stringer-leg surface, a second hat-stringer leg with a second-hat-stringer-leg surface, a first hat-stringer sidewall, a second hat-stringer sidewall, and a hat-stringer connecting wall, comprising a hat-stringer-connecting-wall surface and a virtual hat-stringer-connecting-wall symmetry plane, passing through hat-stringer connecting wall. The vented hat stringer further comprises a ventilation opening, extending through at least one of the first hat-stringer sidewall or the hat-stringer connecting wall, or extending through at least one of the second hat-stringer sidewall or the hat-stringer connecting wall. The ventilation opening defines a ventilation-opening centerline, wherein the ventilation-opening centerline does not coincide with the virtual hat-stringer-connecting-wall symmetry plane.

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Glen Mills, PA, United States of America

Steve L Patterson