A thrust reverser assembly (100) for a turbofan engine assembly (10), the engine assembly including a core gas turbine engine (20), a core cowl (22) which circumscribes the core gas turbine engine (20), a nacelle (24) positioned radially outward from the core cowl, a fan nozzle duct (26) having an area defined between the core cowl and a portion of the nacelle, and a thrust reverser positioned within a portion of the nacelle. The thrust reverser assembly includes a first cowl (104), a second cowl (102) repositionable with respect to the first cowl for varying the area of the fan nozzle duct, and at least one flow directing member (133, 137) coupled to the second cowl to selectively impede airflow from flowing through a cavity (156) defined between the first cowl and the second cowl.

Turbofan engine cowl assembly and method of operating the same

A sound attenuating panel for installation in the high velocity air flow region of an engine nacelle and/or other applications requiring sound absorbing material. The panel utilizing a single layer of either a metallic or nonmetallic cellular honeycomb core with a solid or perforated septum disposed internally therein. The septum may have a planar or non-planar configuration within the individual cells of the core thereby providing means for reducing the noise level of various sound frequencies created by a jet engine or any other sound producing devices for that matter. The invention of the planar or non-planar septum provides structural stabilization and/or vibration dampening to a bonded sandwich assembly.

Honeycomb core with internal septum, and method of making same

The present invention provides a vacuum heat-insulating block including a honeycomb core, wherein the block structure prevents the honeycomb core having a low bulk specific gravity from collapsing by atmospheric pressure, the block attaining flexibility and sound absorption property. The vacuum heat-insulating block 100 according to the present invention is basically composed of a core utilizing a plurality of layered honeycomb members 50 (formed by bonding a honeycomb core member 51 to a support plate 55 ) and covering the core with a cover member 70 . Moreover, a woven or non-woven fabric 60 having air permeability is disposed between the layers of honeycomb core members 51.

Vacuum heat-insulating block

A middle layer (22) having partitioned cavities (28) is sandwiched between an imperforate sheet (24) and an optional perforate sheet (26) to form a low resistance acoustic liner (22). A preferred method of manufacture of the low resistance acoustic liner (20) uses aspects of the buried septum technique including placing an uncured imperforate septum (36) between a support layer (32) and a partitioned cavity middle layer (22), pressing the middle layer into the imperforate sheet (24) and through the support layer (32), curing the imperforate septum 36 to form the imperforate sheet (24), removing the support layer (32), and attaching a perforate sheet (26) of roughly at least 15% open area to the top side of the middle layer. A preferred embodiment of inner and outer linings (47), (49) is provided. Each lining includes a combination of annuluses of absorptive and/or low resistance liners (51), (53). A first arrangement of engine acoustic linings includes alternating sections of absorptive liner with low resistance acoustic liner, one after the other. The low resistance acoustic liner scatters low mode order noise into a range of noise orders, including both high and low mode order modes. The absorptive liner absorbs the high mode order noise and dissipates it as heat. A second arrangement of acoustic linings includes a splitter (70) having a portion formed of low resistance liner (72).

Aircraft engine acoustic liner and method of making the same

A turbofan engine (10) includes a fan (18) driven by a core engine (22-28). A surrounding fan nacelle (16) includes a thrust reverser (36) and fan nozzle (46) disposed aft therefrom. A core cowl (20) surrounds the core engine and includes a core nozzle (42) extending aft therefrom. A row of poppet valves (56) extends through the core cowl (20) between the core nozzle (42) and fan nozzle (46) for selectively spoiling thrust from the core nozzle (42) when the reverser (36) is deployed.

Turbofan core thrust spoiler

Noise suppressor and thrust reverser

Heat insulation for structures such as cryogenic tanks for example liquid natural gas tanks, often referred to as LNG tanks, is effective at cryogenic and higher temperatures up to the heat and structural limits of the honeycomb materials used which include integral heat radiation shields. The heat transfer is minimized with respect to conduction, by utilizing the minimum heat path possible within the honeycomb also essentially designed to take compressive loads, with respect to radiation, by placing multiple low emissivity heat shields spaced throughout the hexagonal cells, and in respect to convection, by replacing air with a low conductivity gas, or alternately creating a vacuum, to practically eliminate this convection mode of heat transfer.

Heat insulation for tanks at cryogenic and higher temperatures, using structural honeycomb with integral heat radiation shields

A method of manufacturing structural honeycomb with superior insulation effectiveness, by the incorporation of integral heat radiation shields into the current process of manufacturing honeycomb hexagonal cells as formed by expanding a block of flat laminations. The heat radiation shields are initially in the form of flat ribbons of thin low emissivity metal coated plastic film, which are bonded between each lamination, in a direction normal to either the adhesive lines, strips, or stripes, or unmasked stripes, strips, or lines, used to bond the honeycomb nodes. The ribbons are formed of compressed pleats, which open up when the flat laminated block is expanded, closing off each hexagonal cell with spaced heat radiation shields.

Method of manufacturing structural honeycomb with integral heat radiation shields, and the resulting product thereof

A winding machine for the continuous glass filament winding of bonded fiberglass structures, such as cryogenic tanks for liquid natural gas, often referred to as LNG tanks, comprises, a hemispherical male mold mounted on a turntable, a half circular track which rotates over the male mold about a horizontal axis, a carriage which moves along the inside of the half circular track, and a bobbin wound with fiberglass tape secured to the carriage, whereby, the combined motions of the turntable, track and carriage are coordinated by numerical control, to produce a desired winding pattern to completely cover the hemisphere in manufacturing bonded fiberglass structures and parts thereof.

Jr. William H. Cook

Papers

Noise suppressor and thrust reverser

Heat insulation for tanks at cryogenic and higher temperatures, using structural honeycomb with integral heat radiation shields

Method of manufacturing structural honeycomb with integral heat radiation shields, and the resulting product thereof

Machine for continuous glass filament winding of large bonded fiberglass structures, such as cryogenic tanks for liquid natural gas