Plugged acoustic honeycomb

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604277-B2
Application number	US-201715583059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2017
Priority date	May 1, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

An acoustic honeycomb panel is plugged with an acoustic honeycomb plug. The acoustic honeycomb plug is adhesively bonded in the panel using a honeycomb seam. The honeycomb seam is composed of a honeycomb support that is located within the seam channel and an adhesive. Using honeycomb seams to adhesively bond acoustic honeycomb plugs into acoustic honeycomb panels is useful in repairing damaged areas of acoustic honeycomb panels that are located in the acoustic treatments for jet engines.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel, said method comprising the steps of:
A) providing an acoustic honeycomb panel comprising a first panel edge and a second panel edge, said acoustic honeycomb panel further comprising a plurality of panel walls that extend between said first and second panel edges, said panel walls defining a plurality of panel acoustic honeycomb cells wherein each of said panel acoustic honeycomb cells has a cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to said panel walls and a panel depth defined by the distance between the first and second panel edges, said acoustic honeycomb panel further comprising acoustic septa located within said plurality of panel acoustic honeycomb cells, said acoustic honeycomb panel comprising a plurality of boundary walls having end portions which surround a hole extending between the first and second panel edges, said hole having a boundary defined by the end portions of said boundary walls;
B) providing an acoustic honeycomb plug comprising a first plug edge and a second plug edge, said acoustic honeycomb plug further comprising a plurality of plug walls that extend between said first and second plug edges, said plug walls defining a plurality of plug acoustic honeycomb cells wherein each of said plug acoustic honeycomb cells has a cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to said plug walls and a plug depth defined by the distance between said first and second plug edges, said acoustic honeycomb plug further comprising acoustic septa located within said plurality of plug acoustic honeycomb cells, said acoustic honeycomb plug comprising a plurality of plug perimeter walls having end portions which form a plug perimeter that is defined by said end portions of the plug perimeter walls;
C) locating said acoustic honeycomb plug within said hole so that said boundary walls and perimeter walls do not contact each other so as to form an open seam channel which is free of said boundary walls and perimeter walls, said open seam channel having a channel width defined by the distance between said plug perimeter and said hole boundary, a channel depth defined by the plug depth at said plug perimeter and the panel depth at said hole boundary and a channel circumference;
D) locating a honeycomb seam in said open seam channel to adhesively bond said acoustic honeycomb panel to said acoustic honeycomb plug, said honeycomb seam comprising:
a) a honeycomb support that is in the shape of a ribbon having a support thickness defined by the distance between a first support edge and a second support edge, a support width defined by the distance between a first support side and a second support side and a support circumference wherein the support thickness, support width and support circumference are such that said honeycomb support is located within said open seam channel, said honeycomb support comprising a plurality of support walls that extend between said first and second support edges, said support walls defining a plurality of support honeycomb cells wherein each of said support honeycomb cells has a cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to said support walls; and
b) an adhesive located in said support honeycomb cells, said adhesive being present in an amount that is sufficient to fill said open seam channel and thereby bond said plug perimeter to said panel boundary.

2. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein said honeycomb seam is located on said plug perimeter to form a seam coated acoustic honeycomb plug that is then located in said hole.

3. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 2 wherein said adhesive is tacky when said honeycomb seam is located on said plug perimeter to form said seam coated acoustic honeycomb plug and wherein said seam coated acoustic honeycomb plug is treated so that said adhesive is not tacky when said seam coated acoustic honeycomb plug is located in said hole.

4. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 3 wherein said seam coated acoustic honeycomb plug is treated by cooling to a temperature at which said adhesive is not tacky.

5. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein said honeycomb seam is a single of ribbon having a head end and a tail end wherein said head end and tail end are located next to each other.

6. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive is a polyamide-imide adhesive.

7. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 6 wherein said acoustic honeycomb panel is made from a composite material.

8. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein the open seam channel width is from 0.35 inch to 0.50 inch.

9. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein the open seam channel depth is from 0.25 inch to 3 inches.

10. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein the open seam channel circumference is at least 10 inches.

11. A method for plugging an acoustic honeycomb panel according to claim 1 wherein said acoustic honeycomb panel forms part of an acoustic treatment for a jet engine.

12. A method for repairing a damaged acoustic honeycomb panel, said repair method comprising the steps of:
A) providing an acoustic honeycomb panel comprising a first panel edge and a second panel edge, said acoustic honeycomb panel further comprising a plurality of panel walls that extend between said first and second panel edges, said panel walls defining a plurality of panel acoustic honeycomb cells wherein each of said panel acoustic honeycomb cells has a cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to said panel walls and a panel depth defined by the distance between the first and second panel edges, said acoustic honeycomb panel further comprising acoustic septa located within said plurality of panel acoustic honeycomb cells, said acoustic honeycomb panel comprising a damaged area;
B) removing said damaged area to form a plurality of boundary walls having end portions which surround a hole extending between the first and second panel edges, said hole having a boundary defined by the end portions of said boundary walls;
C) providing an acoustic honeycomb plug comprising a first plug edge and a second plug edge, said acoustic honeycomb plug further comprising a plurality of plug walls that extend between said first and second plug edges of, said plug walls defining a plurality of plug acoustic honeycomb cells wherein each of said plug acoustic honeycomb cells has a cross-sectional area measured perpendicular to said plug walls and a plug depth defined by the distance between said first and second plug edges, said acoustic honeycomb plug further comprising acoustic septa located within said plurality of plug acoustic honeycomb cells, said acoustic honeycomb plug comprising a plurality of plug perimeter walls having end portions which form a plug perimeter that is defined by said end portions of the plug perimeter walls;
D) locating said acoustic honeycomb plug within said hole so that said boundary walls and perimeter walls do not contact each other so as to form an open seam channel which is free of said boundary walls and perimeter walls, said seam channel having channel a width defined by the distance between said plug perimeter and said hole boundary, a channel depth defined by the plug depth at said plug perimeter and the panel depth at said hole boundary and a channel circumference;
E) locating a honeycomb seam in said open seam channel to adhesively bond said acoustic honeycom

Assignees

• Hexcel Corp

Inventors

• Baca Andres
• Smith Clark
• Ayle Earl
• Botello Heather

Classifications

• B32B2605/18

  Aircraft · CPC title

• B32B2305/024

  Honeycomb · CPC title

• B29C2073/264

  for cutting out or grooving the area to be repaired · CPC title

• B64D2033/0206

  comprising noise reduction means, e.g. acoustic liners · CPC title

• B32B2556/00

  Patches, e.g. medical patches, repair patches · CPC title