Method and system for improving structural characteristics of composite component corners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10196937-B2
Application number	US-201514984418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A composite duct panel assembly is provided. The composite duct panel assembly includes a composite duct panel having a curved cross-section in a circumferential direction and a width based on the panel including a portion of a circumference of an annular bypass duct. In one embodiment, at least two adjacent corners of the panel are greater than 90°. In one embodiment, the panel includes a circumferential flange along a circumferential edge and an axial flange along an axial edge, and the assembly further includes a corner bracket coupled to the panel, the circumferential flange, and the axial flange. The corner bracket includes a flange corner having an approximate 90° angle, the flange corner extending the axial flange and the circumferential flange to an intersection at a corner of the panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite duct panel assembly, said composite duct panel assembly comprising:
a composite duct panel including a curved cross-section in a circumferential direction and a width that is based on said composite duct panel comprising a portion of a circumference of an annular bypass duct, at least two adjacent corners of said composite duct panel greater than 90°; and
one or more corner brackets coupled to said at least two adjacent corners of said composite duct panel.

2. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein said composite duct panel includes a forward edge, an aft edge, and at least one side edge extending therebetween, at least one of said forward edge and said aft edge separated from said at least one side edge by a corner edge.

3. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of composite duct panel assemblies forms an annular aircraft engine fan bypass duct.

4. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein said composite duct panel comprises a plurality of split composite laminated perpendicular axial flanges comprising a plurality of plies of fiber material.

5. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 4 , wherein said one or more corner brackets are coupled to said composite duct panel flush with an outer surface of said plurality of split composite laminated perpendicular axial flanges.

6. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 1 , wherein said composite duct panel is formed of a composite laminate comprising a plurality of plies reinforced by fibers.

7. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 6 , wherein each of said plurality of plies includes a polymer matrix, and the fibers include carbon fibers held within an epoxy matrix.

8. A composite duct panel assembly comprising:
a composite duct panel comprising:
a curved cross-section in a circumferential direction;
a length extending axially along an axial first edge and a width extending along a circumferential second edge;
a circumferential flange extending orthogonally away from said composite duct panel in a first direction along said circumferential second edge; and
an axial flange extending orthogonally away from said composite duct panel in the first direction along said axial first edge; and

a corner bracket coupled to said composite duct panel, said circumferential flange, and said axial flange, said corner bracket comprising:
a base configured to couple to said composite duct panel;
a first corner sidewall extending orthogonally away from said base in the first direction along a circumferential edge of said base;
a second corner sidewall extending orthogonally away from said base in the first direction along an axial edge of said base; and
a flange corner comprising an axial flange extension and a circumferential flange extension intersecting at a 90° angle, said flange corner extending said axial flange and said circumferential flange to an intersection at a corner of said composite duct panel.

9. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 8 , wherein said composite duct panel is formed of a first material and said corner bracket is formed of a second material different from the first material.

10. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 8 , wherein said base, first corner sidewall, second corner sidewall, and flange corner are integrally formed.

11. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 8 , wherein said first bracket sidewall includes a first recessed portion coupled to said circumferential flange and said second bracket sidewall includes a second recessed portion coupled to said axial flange.

12. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 8 , wherein said circumferential flange has a first height and said axial flange has a second height, said first bracket sidewall has a third height equal to said first height, and said second bracket sidewall includes a sloping portion configured to slope from said third height to a fourth height equal to said second height.

13. A turbofan engine pod comprising:
a core engine including a multistage compressor;
a fan powered by a power turbine driven by gas generated in said core engine;
an inner core cowl at least partially surrounding said core engine; and
an outer composite duct panel assembly comprising a composite duct panel having a curved cross-section in a circumferential direction, a width of said composite duct panel based on said composite duct panel comprising a portion of a circumference of an annular flow duct, at least two adjacent corners of said composite duct panel greater than 90°, wherein said composite duct panel comprises a plurality of split composite laminated perpendicular axial flanges comprising a plurality of plies of fiber material, and wherein said composite duct panel assembly further comprises one or more corner brackets coupled to said at least two adjacent corners of said composite duct panel.

14. The turbofan engine pod of claim 13 , wherein said composite duct panel includes a forward edge, an aft edge, and at least one side edge extending therebetween, at least one of said forward edge and said aft edge separated from said at least one side edge by a corner edge.

15. The turbofan engine pod of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of composite duct panel assemblies forms an annular aircraft engine fan duct.

16. The turbofan engine pod of claim 13 , wherein said one or more corner brackets are coupled to said composite duct panel flush with an outer surface of said plurality of split composite laminated perpendicular axial flanges.

17. The turbofan engine pod of claim 13 , wherein said composite duct panel is formed of a composite laminate comprising a plurality of plies reinforced by fibers.

18. A composite panel assembly comprising:
a composite panel including a first planar surface, at least one connecting flange extending away from said first planar surface, and at least two adjacent corners of greater than 90°; and
one or more corner brackets coupled to said at least two adjacent corners of said composite panel.

19. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 18 , wherein said composite panel includes a forward edge, an aft edge, and at least one side edge extending therebetween, at least one of said forward edge and said aft edge separated from said at least one side edge by a corner edge.

20. The composite duct panel assembly of claim 18 , wherein a plurality of composite panel assemblies forms an annular aircraft engine fan bypass duct.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wunsch John Joseph
• Franks Michael John
• Greenfield Danielle Marie
• Bodey Michael Stephens
• Prather Randall Maurice

Classifications

• F02K1/78

  Other construction of jet pipes · CPC title

• F05D2300/702

  Reinforcement · CPC title

• F01D25/24 Primary

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title

• F05D2300/121

  Aluminium · CPC title

• Y02T50/672

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic