Light weight component with acoustic attenuation and method of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017292452-A1
Application number	US-201615096619-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of making a light weight component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration; and attenuating the component to a desired frequency by forming a plurality of openings in the external metallic shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making a light weight component, comprising:
forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration; and attenuating the component to a desired frequency by forming a plurality of openings in the external metallic shell.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are only located on a single side of the component.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of resonant chambers in the metallic foam core prior to the application of the external metallic shell, wherein at least some of the plurality of openings are in fluid communication with a respective one of the plurality of resonant chambers.

4 . The method as in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of openings are located on opposite sides of the component.

5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings are located on opposite sides of the component.

6 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the component is configured for use in a gas turbine engine.

7 . The method as in claim 3 , wherein the metal of the metallic foam core is selected from the group comprising: titanium; cobalt; aluminum; nickel; steel alloys, magnesium, copper, molybdenum, niobium, tungsten, zinc alloys, titanium aluminide, nickel aluminide and molybdenum disilicide and wherein the attenuating step further comprises determining a diameter of the plurality of openings and a size of the resonant chamber based upon a density of the metallic foam core and a thickness of the component.

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the metallic foam core is an open cell structure and wherein the metallic foam core comprises a plurality of separate foam cores secured to each other.

9 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the metallic foam core is formed into the desired configuration by a machining process selected from the group comprising: milling; electrical discharge machining (EDM); water-jet machining; and laser machining, wherein the desired configuration is slightly smaller than the final dimensions of the light weight component.

10 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the metallic foam core is a sheet of metallic foam and the sheet of metallic foam is formed into the desired configuration by a hot or cold forming process wherein the sheet of metallic foam is placed in a die.

11 . The method as in claim 10 , wherein the metallic foam core is formed into the desired configuration by a machining process selected from the group comprising: milling; grinding; electrical discharge machining (EDM); water-jet machining; and laser machining after the hot or cold forming process.

12 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the external metallic shell is deposited on the exterior surface of the metallic foam core via an application process selected from the group comprising: flame spray application process; plasma spray application process; cold-spray application process; electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB/PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD); and electroplating application process.

13 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising the step of: heat treating the metallic foam core after the external metallic shell has been applied to the exterior surface of the metallic foam core.

14 . The method as in claim 1 , further comprising the step of: forming additional features in the metallic foam core after the external metallic shell has been applied to the exterior surface of the metallic foam core.

15 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the external metallic outer shell varies in order to provide localized structural rigidity to the component.

16 . A component formed by the method of claim 1 , wherein the component is a portion of a tailcone of a gas turbine engine.

17 . A method of making a light weight component, comprising:
forming a metallic foam core into a desired configuration; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been formed into the desired configuration, wherein the external metallic shell is selectively applied to vary the thickness of the external metallic shell in order to provide localized structural rigidity to the component; and attenuating the component to a desired frequency by forming a plurality of openings in the external metallic shell.

18 . The method as in claim 17 , further comprising forming a plurality of resonant chambers in the metallic foam core prior to the application of the external metallic shell, wherein at least some of the plurality of openings are in fluid communication with a respective one of the plurality of resonant chambers.

19 . The method as in claim 18 , wherein the plurality of openings are located on opposite sides of the component.

20 . A component, comprising:
a metallic foam core having a desired configuration; an external metallic shell applied to an exterior surface of the metallic foam core after it has been placed into the desired configuration, wherein a thickness of the external metallic shell varies in order to provide localized structural rigidity to the component and wherein the metal of the metallic foam core is selected from the group comprising: titanium; cobalt; aluminum; nickel; steel alloys, magnesium, copper, molybdenum, niobium, tungsten, zinc alloys, titanium aluminide, nickel aluminide and molybdenum disilicide; a plurality of resonant chambers located within the metallic foam core; and a plurality of openings extending through a surface of the external metallic shell, wherein a portion of the plurality of openings are in fluid communication with a respective one of the plurality of resonant chambers.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Roberge Gary D

Classifications

• C25D5/40

  Nickel; Chromium · CPC title

• B32B2307/102

  Insulating · CPC title

• B32B38/04

  Punching, slitting or perforating · CPC title

• B32B2311/18

  Titanium · CPC title

• B32B2311/30

  Iron, e.g. steel · CPC title