Hybrid thrust reverser inner wall for aircraft engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995247-B2
Application number	US-201514875897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2015
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft thrust reverser inner wall and method of manufacturing the same. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall may include a face sheet, a perforated back sheet, and a core sandwiched between the face sheet and the perforated back sheet. The face sheet may have an inner face sheet surface and an outer face sheet surface, and the core may have an inner core surface, an outer core surface, and a plurality of cell walls extending therebetween. An electro-depositable material may be applied, via electrodeposition, in a substantially continuous layer over the outer core surface, the cell walls, and the outer face sheet surface, thus bonding the face sheet and core together. The perforated back sheet may be attached to the core at the outer core surface, and a conductive coating may be applied to the inner face sheet surface.

First claim

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. A method of manufacturing an aircraft thrust reverser inner wall, the method comprising the steps of:
forming a face sheet to a desired shape, the face sheet having an inner face sheet surface and an outer face sheet surface;
placing a core onto the outer face sheet surface, the core having an inner core surface, an outer core surface, and a plurality of cell walls extending between the inner core surface and the outer core surface, the inner core surface being positioned adjacent the outer face sheet surface;
after the core has been placed onto the outer face sheet surface, electrodepositing an electro-depositable material substantially continuously over at least a portion of the cell walls and the outer face sheet surface so as to form a continuous layer of electro-depositable material over the at least a portion of the cell walls and the outer face sheet surface such that the inner core surface remains adjacent the outer face sheet surface, thereby bonding the face sheet and core together; and
attaching a back sheet to the core at the outer core surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of applying a thermally conductive coating to the inner face sheet surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of electro-depositing a metallic exoskeleton to the inner face sheet surface.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising a step of applying or bonding a thermal barrier to the metallic exoskeleton.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of applying or bonding a thermal barrier to the inner face sheet surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the back sheet is perforated and is made of at least one of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite (CFRP), aluminum (Al), glass reinforced epoxy (GRE), titanium, and any type of polymer matrix composite (PMC).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the face sheet is made of at least one of Al, CFRP, GRE, matrix metal composite (MMC), any type of PMC, titanium, nickel base alloy, corrosion resistant steel, and stainless steel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core is a honeycomb core, wherein the core is made of at least one of aluminum alloys, CFRP, GRE, titanium alloy, and nickel base alloy.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electro-depositable material includes at least one of nickel, nickel-iron, nickel base alloys, chromium and chromium base alloys, cobalt and cobalt base alloys, copper and copper base alloys, and niobium or tantalum alloys.

10. An aircraft thrust reverser inner wall configured to be placed at least a portion around an aircraft engine, the aircraft thrust reverser inner wall comprising:
a face sheet shaped to fit around at least a portion of the aircraft engine, the face sheet having an inner face sheet surface and an outer face sheet surface;
a core disposed against the outer face sheet surface, the core having an inner core surface, an outer core surface, and a plurality of cell walls extending between the inner core surface and the outer core surface, the inner core surface contacting the outer face sheet surface;
electro-depositable material that is applied in a substantially continuous layer over at least a portion of the cell walls and the outer face sheet surface after the core has been disposed against the outer face sheet surface such that the inner core surface remains in contact with the outer face sheet surface, thereby bonding the face sheet and core together; and
a back sheet attached to the core at the outer core surface, wherein the back sheet is perforated.

11. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 10 , further comprising a thermally conductive coating applied to the inner face sheet surface.

12. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 10 , further comprising a metallic exoskeleton applied via electro-deposition to the inner face sheet surface.

13. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 12 , further comprising a thermal barrier bonded to the metallic exoskeleton or to the inner face sheet surface.

14. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 10 , wherein the back sheet is made of at least one of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite (CFRP), aluminum (Al), glass reinforced epoxy (GRE), titanium, and any type of polymer matrix composite (PMC).

15. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 10 , wherein the face sheet is made of at least one of Al, CFRP, GRE, metal matrix composite (MMC), any type of PMC, titanium, nickel base alloy, corrosion resistant steel, and stainless steel.

16. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 10 , wherein the core is a honeycomb core, wherein the core is made of at least one of aluminum alloys, CFRP, GRE, titanium alloy, and nickel base alloy.

17. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 10 , wherein the electro-depositable material includes at least one of nickel, nickel-iron, nickel base alloys, chromium and chromium base alloys, cobalt and cobalt base alloys, copper and copper base alloys, and niobium or tantalum alloys.

18. An aircraft thrust reverser inner wall configured to be placed at least a portion around an aircraft engine, the aircraft thrust reverser inner wall comprising:
a face sheet shaped to fit around at least a portion of the aircraft engine, the face sheet having an inner face sheet surface and an outer face sheet surface;
a core disposed against and bonded with the outer face sheet surface, the core having an inner core surface, an outer core surface, and a plurality of cell walls extending between the inner core surface and the outer core surface, the inner core surface contacting the outer face sheet surface;
electro-depositable material that is applied in a substantially continuous layer over the outer core surface, the cell walls, and the outer face sheet surface after the core has been disposed against the outer face sheet surface such that the inner core surface remains in contact with the outer face sheet surface and such that the electro-depositable material forms a shell encapsulating the core and face sheet, thereby bonding the face sheet and core together;
a back sheet attached to the core at the outer core surface, wherein the back sheet is perforated; and
a conductive coating applied to the inner face sheet surface.

19. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 18 , wherein the conductive coating is a metallic exoskeleton applied via electro-deposition to the inner face sheet surface, wherein the aircraft thrust reverser inner wall further comprises a thermal barrier bonded to the metallic exoskeleton or to the inner face sheet surface.

20. The aircraft thrust reverser inner wall of claim 18 , wherein the back sheet is made of at least one of carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite (CFRP), aluminum (Al), glass reinforced epoxy (GRE), titanium, and any type of polymer matric composite (PMC), wherein the face sheet is made of at least one of Al, CFRP, GRE, matrix metal composite (MMC), any type of PMC, titanium, nickel base alloy, corrosion resistant steel, and stainless steel, wherein the core is a honeycomb core and is made of at least one of aluminum alloys, CFRP, GRE, titanium alloy, and nickel base alloy, wherein the electro-depositable material includes at least one of nickel, nickel-iron, nickel base alloys, chromium and chromium base alloys, cobalt and cobalt base alloys, copper and copper

Assignees

• Spirit Aerosys Inc

Inventors

• Nasserrafi Rahbar
• Clasper Craig
• Walker Micheal A
• Hicks Gerald E
• Stancin Linda Cadwell

Classifications

• F05D2230/90

  Coating; Surface treatment · CPC title

• C25D3/562

  containing more than 50% by weight of iron or nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• F05D2300/177

  Ni - Si alloys · CPC title

• C25D3/54

  of metals not provided for in groups C25D3/04 - C25D3/50 · CPC title

• F05D2300/5024

  Heat conductivity · CPC title