Thermally graded adaptive multifunctional cellular structures with shape memory alloys

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053239-B2
Application number	US-201514848393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2015
Priority date	Sep 9, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

In one or more aspects of the present disclosure, an aerospace vehicle includes a frame, an actuable multifunctional cellular structure connected to the frame, the actuable multifunctional cellular structure including a first face member and a second face member, and a shape memory alloy core coupled to the first face member and the second face member, and wherein, at least one of the first face member and the second face member is a graded thermal structure configured so that heat transferred through the graded thermal structure in a predetermined thermal pattern to the shape memory alloy core effects a predetermined change in a shape of the shape memory alloy core and effects a change in shape of the actuable multifunctional cellular structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerospace vehicle comprising:
a frame;
an actuable multifunctional cellular structure connected to the frame, the actuable multifunctional cellular structure including:
a first face member and a second face member, and
a shape memory alloy core coupled to the first face member and the second face member; and
wherein, at least one of the first face member and the second face member is a graded thermal structure configured so that heat transferred through the graded thermal structure in a predetermined thermal pattern to the shape memory alloy core effects a predetermined change in a shape of the shape memory alloy core and effects a change in shape of the actuable multifunctional cellular structure.

2. The aerospace vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the graded thermal structure is configured to vary heat transferred along a length or width of the graded thermal structure.

3. The aerospace vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the shape memory alloy core is a graded thermal structure.

4. The aerospace vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first face member and the second face members is layered, where the layers form a fluid passage through the at least one of the first face member and the second face members.

5. The aerospace vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first face member and the second face members include an active thermal element.

6. The aerospace vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the active thermal element is a heating element.

7. The aerospace vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the active thermal element is a cooling element.

8. The aerospace vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to effect a temperature change in the graded thermal structure with the at least one active thermal element.

9. The aerospace vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first face member and the second face members include a passive thermal element.

10. The aerospace vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the actuable multifunctional cellular structure is a control surface of the aerospace vehicle.

11. An actuable multifunctional cellular structure comprising:
a first and a second face member;
a shape memory alloy core coupled to the first and second face member; and
wherein, at least one of the first and second face members is a graded thermal structure with thermal characteristics that effect a predetermined change in a shape of the shape memory alloy core.

12. The actuable multifunctional cellular structure of claim 11 , wherein the graded thermal structure is configured to vary heat transferred along a length or width of the graded thermal structure.

13. The actuable multifunctional cellular structure of claim 11 , wherein the shape memory alloy core is a graded thermal structure.

14. The actuable multifunctional cellular structure of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and the second face members is layered, where the layers form a fluid passage through the at least one of the first and the second face members.

15. The actuable multifunctional cellular structure of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and the second face members include an active thermal element.

16. The actuable multifunctional cellular structure of claim 15 , further comprising a controller configured to effect a temperature change in the graded thermal structure with the at least one active thermal element.

17. A method for morphing a multifunctional cellular aerostructure comprising:
heating one or more of a first and a second face member to transfer heat to a shape memory alloy core through a graded thermal structure in a predetermined heat transfer pattern; and
morphing, through the predetermined heat transfer pattern, the multifunctional cellular aerostructure where the predetermined heat transfer pattern effects a change in a shape of the shape memory alloy core and one of the first and second face members interfaces with a fluid flow over the multifunctional cellular aerostructure.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising varying, with the graded thermal structure, the heat transferred along a length or width of the first and the second face member.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising flowing fluid through at least one fluid passage within one or more of the first and the second face members.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising transferring heat to the shame memory alloy core with an active or passive thermal element.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Mabe James H
• Yousefiani Ali

Classifications

• F03G7/0614

  using shape memory elements · CPC title

• F03G7/065

  using a shape memory element · CPC title

• B32B15/01 Primary

  all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)} · CPC title

• B32B2605/18

  Aircraft · CPC title

• B32B2307/302

  Conductive · CPC title