The Boeing Company

William Preston Keith

Michael Leslie Hand

Buddhadev Chakrabarti

Aristidis Sidiropoulos

Leanne L Lehman

Jonathan David Embler

Thomas R Pinney

Michael J Best

Joshua Andrew Chua

Juan C Guzman

John Joseph Brown

Ali Yousefiani

Kaia Elena David

Sangvavann Heng

John Matthew Nichols

Tin Anh Luu

Morgan Ashley Lewis

Jonathan Edward Toomey

Jacob Ryan Szczudlak

Keith Charles Kreutztrager

Van Ha Ngo

Edward T Tong

Glenn William Torres

Eric Matthews Boekeloo

Russel J Sanui

Thomas Richardson Pinney

Juan Carlos Guzman

Chakrabarti Buddhadev

A composite tank for a reusable launch vehicle comprises a composite wall, having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The composite wall comprises a first end, a second end, a central axis, which passes through the first end and through the second end, and a cylindrical interior surface. The composite tank also comprises slosh baffles, formed from a second material, having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion. Each of the slosh baffles is attached to the cylindrical interior surface of the composite wall. Each of the slosh baffles is annular and is separated from the cylindrical interior surface of the composite wall by a radial gap, selected, in part, based on a difference between the first coefficient of thermal expansion and the second coefficient of thermal expansion. The radial gap is configured to change responsive to changes in temperature of the composite tank.

Composite tanks for reusable launch vehicles and methods of fabricating thereof

Disclosed herein is a structure that comprises a tank including an outer cylindrical surface and a domed end. The structure also comprises a tank skirt positioned circumferentially around the tank. A wall of the tank and a wall of the tank skirt form two sides of a y-joint between the tank and the tank skirt. The y-joint includes a wedge structure positioned between the tank and the tank skirt. Additionally, a thickness of at least one of the wall of the tank or the wall of the tank skirt forming the y-joint tapers such that the thickness of the at least one of the wall of the tank or the wall of the tank skirt that tapers has a greater thickness at the y-joint than away from the y-joint.

Structural joint of two load carrying walls of a pressurized vessel

Methods and systems for restricting movement in a flow mixer including a plurality of lobes that each includes a trough, using a stiffener mechanism, are provided. The stiffener mechanism includes a first end portion configured to be coupled to a first lobe of the plurality of lobes and a second end portion configured to be coupled to a second lobe of the plurality of lobes. The stiffener mechanism also includes a body portion coupled between the first end portion and the second end portion such that the body portion is configured to restrict movement of the first and second lobes.

Systems and methods for restricting movement in flexible ducts

Methods and systems for restricting movement in a flow mixer of an exhaust duct, the flow mixer having a first row of flutes and a second row of flutes generally opposite to the first row of flutes, each flute being elongated and defining an elongated axis. At least two flute ties connect, or couple, together at least two flutes from the first row of flutes and at least two flutes from the second row of flutes. A retainer is coupled to the flute ties and extends generally perpendicularly to the elongated axis of each of the flutes from the first and second rows of flutes. The combination of the retainer and flute ties is configured to generally restrain relative movement between the flutes from the first row and the flutes from the second row.

Systems and methods for restraining exhaust gas ducts

A hybrid sandwich ceramic matrix composite (CMC) may comprise a first facesheet, a second facesheet, and a core between and bonded to both of the first facesheet and the second facesheet. The first facesheet and the second facesheet may each include filaments in a ceramic matrix. The hybrid sandwich CMC may be configured for exposure to a thermal gradient in which the first facesheet is exposed to a higher temperature environment than the second facesheet. The first facesheet and the second facesheet may have at least closely matching coefficients of thermal expansion, and the first facesheet may have a higher compressive strength than the second facesheet.

Hybrid sandwich ceramic matrix composite

A CMC sandwich used to fabricate CMC structures includes facesheets bonded to a core reinforced with a ceramic truss comprising an array of CMC pins. The binder matrix in the ends of the pins is removed, leaving exposed, flexible ceramic fibers. The exposed ceramic fibers are bent so as to extend parallel to the facesheets, and are bonded to one or more plies of the facesheets. The binder matrix in the ends of the ceramic pins may be removed by mechanical or chemical processes.

Composite structure having ceramic truss core and method for making the same

A method for reworking a ceramic structure. A portion of a first facesheet is removed from the ceramic structure to form a first aperture. The first facesheet comprises a number of layers of a first ceramic material. A portion of an inner section of the ceramic structure is removed to form a second aperture. The second aperture extends from the first aperture into the inner section. The inner section comprises a second ceramic material bonded to the first facesheet and has a lower density than the first facesheet. A ceramic replacement material is placed in the second aperture. A number of replacement ceramic layers are placed in the first aperture. Ceramic particles are placed between the first facesheet and the number of replacement ceramic layers. The ceramic particles are sintered to bond the number of replacement ceramic layers to the first facesheet.

Reworking ceramic sandwich structures

A test method and corresponding fixture design are provided which enable loading a circular test coupon (made, e.g., of ceramic matrix composite material) to failure under biaxial loading conditions while recording strain and temperature. Biaxial loading requires approximately equal loads to be applied in two directions concurrently. The disclosed method uses liquid coolant (e.g., liquid nitrogen) to cool a ring made of metal alloy (e.g., aluminum alloy) that is disposed radially outward from and surrounds the outer edge of the test coupon. The cooled metal alloy ring contracts and compresses the test coupon until failure occurs.

Test method and fixture for obtaining material properties under biaxial loading

A thermal coupling includes a first structure having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; a second structure having a second coefficient of thermal expansion lower than the first coefficient of thermal expansion; a plurality of thermal expansion fingers provided in the first structure; a plurality of thermal expansion flanges extending from the plurality of thermal expansion fingers, respectively; and a flange extending from the second structure and attached to the plurality of thermal expansion flanges.

Bipod flexure ring

A scalloped flexure ring. An illustrative embodiment of the flexure ring includes a ring body having a first ring body edge and a generally scalloped second ring body edge and a plurality of spaced-apart ring fingers provided in the second ring body edge.

Scalloped flexure ring

A laminated ceramic matrix composite structure is strengthened with one or more layers of a metal reinforcement. The metal reinforcement is selected to provide optimal strength and thermal compatibility with the ceramic matrix composite. The metal reinforcement includes an outer oxidized layer that bonds to the ceramic matrix composite. It may also include a barrier layer on the surface of the metal that helps prevent further oxidation. The structure is formed using standard composite prepreg layup techniques.

Method for making hybrid metal-ceramic matrix composite structures and structures made thereby

A thermal coupling includes an attachment frame; a plurality of substantially straight or planar frame ribs extending from said attachment frame, said attachment frame comprising an annular frame ring, said plurality of frame ribs generally parallel to said frame ring; a plurality of fastener rings provided on said plurality of frame ribs, respectively, said fastener rings extending substantially perpendicular to said frame ribs; and plurality of fastener ring openings provided in said plurality of fastener rings, respectively.

An engine exhaust nozzle comprises a plurality of CMC staves attached to one or more support rings arranged axially. The support rings provide a circumferential load path between the staves and for attaching the exhaust nozzle to the metallic engine components. The staves are fixed to the support rings with a spacing intended to accommodate for relative movement due to the difference in CTE for the CMC and metallic components and due to thermal gradients through the wall thickness. The resulting apparatus is lightweight, relieves the nozzle of thermal stresses, and is easier to manufacture and repair.

Stave and ring CMC nozzle

The present invention is directed toward a laminate composite structure and a method for fabricating a laminate composite structure, wherein the laminate composite structure comprises a solid laminate and a composite sandwich structure. The solid laminate includes a bend having composite pins inserted there through. The composite sandwich structure is comprised of a core material sandwiched between top and bottom composite face sheets.

Growing community of inventors

Lakewood, CA, United States of America

William Preston Keith