Light weight housing for internal component with integrated thermal management features and method of making

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017292797-A1
Application number	US-201615096668-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 housing for an internal component is provided. The method including the steps of: forming a first metallic foam core into a desired configuration; forming a second metallic foam core into a desired configuration; inserting an internal component into the first metallic foam core; placing the second metallic foam core adjacent to the first metallic core in order to secure the internal component between the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; and securing an inlet fitting and an outlet fitting to the housing, wherein a thermal management fluid path for the internal component into and out of the housing is provided by the inlet fitting and the outlet fitting.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making a light weight housing for an internal component, comprising:
forming a first metallic foam core into a desired configuration; forming a second metallic foam core into a desired configuration; inserting an internal component into the first metallic foam core; placing the second metallic foam core adjacent to the first metallic core in order to secure the internal component between the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; and securing an inlet fitting and an outlet fitting to the housing, wherein a thermal management fluid path for the internal component into and out of the housing is provided by the inlet fitting and the outlet fitting.

2 . The method as in claim 1 , 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.

3 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the metallic foam core is an open cell structure.

4 . 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; grinding; 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.

5 . 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.

6 . The method as in claim 5 , 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.

7 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the external metallic shell is deposited on the exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core 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); electroplating application process, and wherein the external metallic shell is deposited about the entire exterior surface of the metallic foam core.

8 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein an interim coat is deposited on the exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core prior to the application of the external metallic shell.

9 . The method as in claim 8 , wherein the interim coat is a ceramic based thermal barrier coating.

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

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

12 . The method as in claim 11 , wherein the additional features are formed by a drilling process.

13 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein a supplemental application of the external metallic outer shell is applied to the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core after the drilling process.

14 . 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 housing.

15 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the internal component is a fluid conduit.

16 . A housing formed by the method of claim 1 .

17 . A method of making a light weight housing for an internal component, comprising:
forming a first metallic foam core into a desired configuration, wherein the first metallic foam core has a first recessed pocket; forming a second metallic foam core into a desired configuration, wherein the second metallic foam core has a second recessed pocket; inserting an internal component into the first recessed pocket of the first metallic foam core; placing the second metallic foam adjacent to the first metallic foam core, wherein the internal component is received within the first recessed pocket and the second recessed pocket and is located between the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; applying an external metallic shell to an exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; and securing an inlet fitting and an outlet fitting to the housing, wherein a thermal management fluid path for the internal component into and out of the housing is provided by the inlet fitting and the outlet fitting.

18 . The method as in claim 17 , 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, and 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 housing.

19 . A housing with an integrated heat exchanger, comprising:
a first metallic foam core having a desired configuration; a second metallic foam having a desired configuration complementary to the desired configuration of the first metallic foam core; an internal component located between the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core; an external metallic shell located an exterior surface of the first metallic foam core and the second metallic foam core, the external metallic shell securing the first metallic foam core to the second metallic foam core; and an inlet and an outlet providing a fluid flow path through the housing, wherein the fluid flow path surrounds the internal component.

20 . The housing as in claim 19 , 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.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Roberge Gary D

Classifications

• B23P15/00

  Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass · CPC title

• F05D2300/612

  Foam · CPC title

• B32B2597/00

  Tubular articles, e.g. hoses, pipes · CPC title

• B32B2255/28

  Multiple coating on one surface · CPC title

• B32B2266/08

  Closed cell foam · CPC title