A stiffened skin panel (150) of an aircraft that includes an aircraft skin panel of composite material and a composite stringer (300) consolidated with the aircraft skin panel. The stringer has a pair of stringer sides (304), each extending from a stringer top (302) to a stringer leg (308). The stringer sides may each extend through a wide radius, smooth continuous curve to a stringer leg. The wide radius, smooth continuous curve may be proximate the base of the stringer side in a region where the stringer side transitions to the stringer leg.

Shaped composite stringers and methods of making

An inductive heating device (1) comprises: a device housing (10), a DC power source (11), a power supply electronics (13) comprising a DC/AC inverter (132) including a Class-E power amplifier with a transistor switch (1320), a transistor switch driver circuit (1322), and an LC load network (1323) configured to operate at low ohmic load (1324), the LC load network (1323) comprising a shunt capacitor (CI) and a series connection of a capacitor (C2) and an inductor (L2), and a cavity (14) arranged in the device housing (10), the cavity (14) having an internal surface shaped to accommodate at least a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate (20), wherein the cavity (14) is arranged such that the inductor (L2) is inductively coupled to the susceptor (21) of the aerosol-forming substrate (20) during operation.

Inductive heating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate

An inductive heating device (1) for heating an aerosol-forming substrate (20) comprising a susceptor (21) comprises: a device housing (10), a DC power source (11) for providing a DC supply voltage (VDC) and a DC current (IDC), a power supply electronics (13) comprising a DC/AC converter (132) comprising an LC load network (1323) comprising a series connection of a capacitor (C2) and an inductor (L2) having an ohmic resistance (RCoil), a cavity (14) in the device housing (10) for accommodating a portion of the aerosol-forming substrate (20) to inductively couple the inductor (L2) to the susceptor (21). The power supply electronics (13) further comprises a microcontroller (131) programmed to determine from the DC supply voltage (VDC) and from the DC current (IDC) an apparent ohmic resistance (Ra), and from the apparent ohmic resistance (Ra) the temperature (T) of the susceptor (21). It is further programmed to monitor changes in the apparent ohmic resistance (Ra) and to detect a puff when a decrease of the apparent ohmic resistance (Ra) is determined which is indicative of a temperature decrease of the susceptor (21) during a user inhalation.

Inductive heating device, aerosol-delivery system comprising an inductive heating device, and method of operating same

A composite part is cured out-of-autoclave using an inductively heated, stand-alone tooling. The part in placed on a tool and is covered by a heating blanket. One side of the part is heated by inductive coil circuits in the tool, and the other side of the part is heated by inductive coil circuits in the blanket.

Curing Composites Out-Of-Autoclave Using Induction Heating with Smart Susceptors

A method and apparatus for manufacturing a composite structure. A filler material with a barrier material for a channel in the filler material is formed. A composite material and the filler material with the barrier material are laid up onto a tool in a shape of the composite structure. The composite material and the filler material in the shape of the composite structure are cured.

Multi-functional aircraft structures

A method and apparatus for operating a sensor system (400). A first wireless signal (426) is transmitted from a base station (402) to a sensor unit (404). At least a portion of the first wireless signal (426) is changed into power (428) for the sensor unit using (404) a power harvesting unit (412) in the sensor unit (404). Information is received from a number of sensors (418) associated with the sensor unit (404). The information (432) is transmitted to the base station (402) using a second wireless signal (426).

Method and Apparatus for Wireless Sensing with Power Harvesting of a Wireless Signal

A part is inductively heated by multiple, self-regulating induction coil circuits (24) having susceptors, coupled together in parallel and in series with an AC power supply (26). Each of the circuits (24) includes a tuning capacitor that tunes the circuit to resonate at the frequency of AC power supply.

Induction Heating Using Induction Coils in Series-Parallel Circuits

A method and apparatus for transmitting wireless signals. An apparatus comprises a stringer having a channel and a waveguide located within the channel. The waveguide is capable of carrying a number of wireless signals.

Method and apparatus for wireless aircraft communications and power system using fuselage stringers

A system for tracking objects that include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags associated therewith. The system including a structure substantially defining an enclosure, a reflective interior of the enclosure configured for the reflection of radio signals, at least one conveyor belt that transports the objects through the structure, at least one RFID reader panel inside the structure, wherein the at least one RFID reader panel transmits a radio signal into the interior of the structure such that the radio signal will reflect off of the interior of the structure to increase a probability that the RFID tags associated with the objects that enter the structure are read, and an operator terminal that receives and stores information regarding read RFID tags from the at least one reader panel.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for RFID tag detection

A thermoplastic welding apparatus (100) includes a thermoplastic welding tool (101), at least one tooling surface (103) in the thermoplastic welding tool (101), a magnetic induction coil (102) in the thermoplastic welding tool (101) and generally encircling the at least one tooling surface (103) and at least one smart susceptor (116) in the thermoplastic welding tool (101) at the at least one tooling surface (103). The magnetic induction coil (102) is adapted to generate a magnetic flux field (122) oriented generally parallel to a plane of the at least one smart susceptor (106).

William Preston Geren

Papers

Method and Apparatus for Wireless Sensing with Power Harvesting of a Wireless Signal

Induction Heating Using Induction Coils in Series-Parallel Circuits

Method and apparatus for wireless aircraft communications and power system using fuselage stringers

Systems, methods, and apparatus for RFID tag detection

Thermoplastic induction welding apparatus and method