Methods for modifying pressure differential in a chemical vapor process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963779-B2
Application number	US-201615056358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A process for densifying an annular porous structure comprising flowing a reactant gas into an inner diameter (ID) volume and through an ID surface of the annular porous structure, flowing the reactant gas through an outer diameter (OD) surface of the annular porous structure and into an OD volume, flowing the reactant gas from the OD volume through the OD surface of the annular porous structure, and flowing the reactant gas through an ID surface of the annular porous structure and into the ID volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for densifying an annular porous structure comprising:
flowing a reactant gas into an inner diameter (ID) volume and through an ID surface of the annular porous structure;
flowing the reactant gas through an outer diameter (OD) surface of the annular porous structure and into an OD volume;
flowing the reactant gas from the OD volume through the OD surface of the annular porous structure; and
flowing the reactant gas through the ID surface of the annular porous structure and into the ID volume, wherein a pressure differential between the OD volume and the ID volume is modified during a single chemical vapor infiltration and deposition processing cycle; and further comprising:
energizing a reversing valve by placing the reversing valve in a first state, the first state being a two port state;
de-energizing the reversing valve by placing the reversing valve in a second state, the second state being a one-port state.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising flowing the reactant gas into a preheater, wherein the preheater heats the reactant gas to a defined temperature before flowing into the ID volume.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ID volume is defined by the annular porous structure and a graphite susceptor.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the graphite susceptor is disposed within a furnace.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the reactant gas comprises at least one of methane, ethane, propane, cyclopentane, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium, argon, or an alkane.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the annular porous structure comprises a carbon fiber.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the flowing the reactant gas into the inner diameter (ID) volume cause an increase in pressure of the ID volume.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the increase in pressure of the ID volume creates the pressure differential between the ID volume and the OD volume.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the pressure differential drives the reactant gas to infiltrate a pore of the annular porous structure.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising positioning a plug to be at least one of inserted, removed, or maintained disposed in a lid of a graphite susceptor, the graphite susceptor supporting the annular porous structure.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the de-energizing the reversing valve occurs in response to a command from a processor.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Rudolph James Warren
• She Ying
• Dardas Zissis A
• Filburn Thomas P
• St Rock Brian
• Linck John

Classifications

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C16/45523

  Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time · CPC title

• C04B2235/77

  Density · CPC title

• C04B35/83

  Carbon fibres in a carbon matrix · CPC title

• C23C16/045 Primary

  Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates · CPC title