Plated polymer nosecone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159488-A1
Application number	US-201414903987-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Plated polymeric gas turbine engine parts and methods for fabricating lightweight plated polymeric gas turbine engine parts are disclosed. The parts include a polymeric substrate plated with one or more metal layers. The polymeric material of the polymeric substrate may be structurally reinforced with materials that may include carbon, metal, or glass. The polymeric substrate may also include a plurality of layers to form a composite layup structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A nosecone component for a gas turbine engine, the component comprising:
at least one polymeric substrate forming the nosecone component and having at least one exposed surface; and at least one metallic plating layer deposited on the at least one exposed surface of the at least one polymeric substrate.

2 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one polymeric substrate is formed into a unitary forward cone.

3 . The component of claim 2 , wherein the unitary forward cone includes a plurality of circumferential ribs and a plurality of axial ribs.

4 . The component of claim 3 , further including a plurality of shear ribs connecting intersections of the plurality of circumferential ribs and the plurality of axial ribs.

5 . The component of claim 2 , wherein the at least one polymeric substrate is formed to include a plurality of reinforcing ribs.

6 . The component of claim 5 , wherein each rib of the plurality of reinforcing ribs includes a first height, a second height, a first width, and a second width, the second height greater than the first height.

7 . The component of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing ribs is a plurality of continuous ribs.

8 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one polymeric substrate is formed into one of an attachment ring and a spinner.

9 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one exposed surface is texturized to direct a fluid off of the at least one exposed surface.

10 . A gas turbine engine, the engine comprising:
a hub; an attachment ring coupled to the hub, the attachment ring including a first at least one polymeric substrate having a first at least one exposed surface; and a first at least one metallic plating layer deposited on the first at least one exposed surface.

11 . The engine of claim 10 , further including a unitary forward cone coupled to the attachment ring, the unitary forward cone including a second at least one polymeric substrate having a second at least one exposed surface and a second at least one metallic plating layer deposited on the second at least one exposed surface.

12 . The engine of claim 10 , further including a spinner coupled to the attachment ring, the spinner including a second at least one polymeric substrate having a second at least one exposed surface and a second at least one metallic plating layer deposited on the second at least one exposed surface.

13 . The engine of claim 11 , wherein the unitary forward cone includes a plurality of circumferential ribs and a plurality of axial ribs.

14 . The engine of claim 11 , wherein the second at least one polymeric substrate is formed to include a plurality of reinforcing ribs.

15 . The engine of claim 14 , wherein each rib of the plurality of reinforcing ribs includes a first height, a second height, a first width, and a second width, the second height greater than the first height.

16 . A method of fabricating a nosecone component, the method comprising:
forming at least one polymeric substrate in a desired shape of the nosecone component; and depositing at least one metallic plating layer on at least one exposed surface of the at least one polymeric substrate.

17 . A method of claim 16 , wherein the desired shape is one of a spinner, a unitary forward cone, and an attachment ring for a gas turbine engine, and a ballistic nose cone.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further including the step of providing a plurality of circumferential ribs and a plurality of axial ribs adjacent the at least one metallic plating layer.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further including the step of forming the at least one polymeric substrate to include a plurality of reinforcing ribs.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein each rib of the plurality of reinforcing ribs includes a first height, a second height, a first width, and a second width, the second height greater than the first height.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Roach James T
• Kling Colin J
• Cook Grant O
• Mcphail James J
• Bugaj Shari L
• O'Brien James F
• Dehlavi Majidullah
• Smith Scott A
• Rader Matthew R
• Turner Matthew A
• Xu Jinquan

Classifications

• F02K3/04

  the plant including ducted fans, i.e. fans with high volume, low pressure outputs, for augmenting the jet thrust, e.g. of double-flow type · CPC title

• F01D25/28

  Supporting or mounting arrangements, e.g. for turbine casing · CPC title

• F01D5/02

  Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors (rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 {; selecting particular materials F01D5/28}) · CPC title

• F05D2300/43

  Synthetic polymers, e.g. plastics; Rubber · CPC title

• F05D2300/10

  Metals, alloys or intermetallic compounds · CPC title