Electromagnetic energy surface protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643734-B2
Application number	US-201313845538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 18, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

An electromagnetic energy protection system and method disclosed herein that includes a plurality of conductive sheets ohmically connected by conductive interconnects. The conductive interconnects can be metal formed by a metal deposition process. The metal deposition process can include a plasma deposition process. The conductive interconnects can help prevent the formation of surface deformities such as bumps that may be caused when connecting, either physically or electrically, adjacent conductive sheets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft component having a composite structure, the aircraft component comprising:
a surfacing layer and an isolation layer;
a support core layer and a plurality of layers of carbon plies encapsulating the support core layer, a first layer of the plurality of layers of carbon plies disposed adjacent to the isolation layer along a first side thereof;
a conductive layer disposed between the surfacing layer and a second side of the isolation layer opposing the first side, the conductive layer including a plurality of conductive sheets disposed in a co-planar arrangement with each other, the plurality of conductive sheets forming one or more electrical disconnect regions each defined by a respective gap between adjacent conductive sheets within the conductive layer; and
one or more conductive interconnects forming ohmic connections between adjacent edges of the adjacent conductive sheets to thereby bridge the gap in the one or more electrical disconnect regions, wherein the one or more interconnects are disposed within the co-planar arrangement and configured to route an electromagnetic strike between the adjacent conductive sheets.

2. The aircraft component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive sheets comprises a plurality of sections of an expanded metal foil sheet,
wherein the expanded metal foil sheet defines one or more slits between adjacent sections of the plurality of sections, and
wherein the one or more slits define the one or more electrical disconnect regions.

3. The aircraft component of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive interconnects and the adjacent conductive sheets define a substantially flat surface of the conductive layer.

4. The aircraft component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive sheets comprises a plurality of individual conductive strips.

5. The aircraft component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of layers of carbon plies further comprises a second layer of carbon plies, wherein the first layer of carbon plies is adjacent to the support core layer along a first side thereof, and wherein the second layer of carbon plies is adjacent to the support core layer along an opposing second side thereof.

6. The aircraft component of claim 1 , wherein the adjacent conductive sheets define a top plane, and wherein the one or more conductive interconnects extend past the top plane.

7. The aircraft component of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductive interconnects comprises a plurality of conductive interconnects.

8. The aircraft component of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of conductive interconnects comprises:
a first interconnect disposed between first and second conductive sheets of the plurality of conductive sheets; and
a second interconnect disposed between the second conductive sheet and a third conductive sheet of the plurality of conductive sheets.

9. A method for forming an electromagnetic strike protection structure for an aircraft component, the method comprising:
arranging, on a surfacing layer for a composite structure, a conductive layer that includes a plurality of conductive sheets disposed in a co-planar arrangement with each other, the plurality of conductive sheets forming one or more electrical disconnect regions each defined by a respective gap between adjacent conductive sheets within the conductive layer;
depositing, using a predetermined deposition process, one or more conductive interconnects to ohmically connect adjacent edges of the adjacent conductive sheets to thereby bridge the gap in the one or more electrical disconnect regions, wherein the one or more interconnects are disposed within the co-planar arrangement and configured to route an electromagnetic strike between the adjacent conductive sheets;
arranging, within the composite structure, an isolation layer such that a first side of the isolation layer is disposed adjacent to the conductive layer; and
arranging, within the composite structure, a first layer of carbon plies adjacent to a second side of the isolation layer opposite the first side,
wherein the first layer of carbon plies and a second layer of carbon plies encapsulate a support core layer of the composite structure.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of conductive sheets comprises a plurality of sections of a metal foil sheet, wherein the metal foil sheet defines one or more slits between adjacent sections of the plurality of sections, wherein the one or more slits define the one or more electrical disconnect regions.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein depositing one or more conductive interconnects is performed using a plasma deposition process.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of conductive sheets comprises a plurality of individual conductive strips, the method further comprising:
arranging the individual conductive strips with relative positioning based on the predetermined deposition process.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
preparing, near a leading edge or a trailing edge of at least one of the adjacent conductive sheets, a surface of the at least one of the adjacent conductive sheets,
wherein depositing the one or more conductive interconnects comprises depositing conductive material at the prepared surface.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising applying a pulling force to the metal foil sheet to form an expanded metal foil sheet.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein depositing one or more conductive interconnects operates to define a substantially flat surface of the conductive layer.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the adjacent conductive sheets define a top plane, and wherein the one or more conductive interconnects extend past the top plane.

17. A method for providing electromagnetic energy strike protection in an aircraft component, the method comprising:
arranging, on a surfacing layer for a composite structure, a conductive layer comprising a first conductive sheet and a second conductive sheet disposed in a co-planar arrangement with each other;
depositing one or more conductive interconnects within the co-planar arrangement using a deposition process, the one or more conductive interconnects ohmically connecting adjacent edges of the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet, wherein the interconnect is coplanar with the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet;
arranging, within the composite structure, an isolation layer such that a first side of the isolation layer is disposed adjacent to the conductive layer; and
arranging, within the composite structure, a first layer of carbon plies adjacent to a second side of the isolation layer opposite the first side, wherein the first layer of carbon plies and a second layer of carbon plies encapsulate a support core layer of the composite structure; and
routing an electromagnetic strike on the first conductive sheet to the second conductive sheet through the one or more conductive interconnects.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet comprise respective sections of a metal foil sheet, the metal foil sheet defining one or more slits between adjacent sections, the one or more slits define the one or more electrical disconnect regions.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein depositing one or more conductive interconnects is performed using a plasma deposition process.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising applying a pulling force to the metal foil sheet to for

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Burgess Robert Marshall
• Marshall Joseph A

Classifications

• B64D45/02 Primary

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• Y02T50/433

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64C3/20

  Integral or sandwich constructions · CPC title

• B64C1/00

  Fuselages; Constructional features common to fuselages, wings, stabilising surfaces or the like · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title