Tooling assembly and associated system and method for manufacturing a porous composite structure

#This application relates to porous composite structures and, more particularly, to a tooling assembly, system and method for manufacturing porous composite structures.

#Acoustically treated composite structures reduce sound by scattering or absorbing sound energy. Due to this sound attenuating capability, acoustically treated composite structures have been used in various industries, including the aerospace industry. For example, acoustically treated composite structures are commonly incorporated into bypass gas turbine aircraft engines, such as into the inlet inner barrels, fan duct walls and/or exhaust nozzles, to attenuate the noise associated with high volume airflows.

#Conventional acoustically treated composite structures include sandwich structures having a septumized honeycomb core, a perforated facesheet and an impermeable facesheet. The perforations defined by the perforated facesheet fluidly couple the cavities of the septumized honeycomb core with the ambient environment. Therefore, when air flows across the perforated facesheet, the cavities in the core act as Helmholtz resonators and attenuate the sound of the associated airflow. More specifically, core walls between adjacent cavities in the core act as acoustic septa to attenuate the sound of the airflow.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of the disclosed tooling assembly;

#FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, in cross-section, of the tooling assembly of FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3A is a top plan view of a first tooling member of the tooling assembly of FIG. 1;

#The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific examples described by the disclosure. Other examples having different structures and operations do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. Like reference numerals may refer to the same feature, element, or component in the different drawings.

#Illustrative, non-exhaustive examples, which may be, but are not necessarily, claimed, of the subject matter according the present disclosure are provided below. Reference herein to “example” means that one or more feature, structure, element, component, characteristic and/or operational step described in connection with the example is included in at least one embodiment and/or implementation of the subject matter according to the present disclosure. Thus, the phrases “an example,” “some examples,” and similar language throughout the present disclosure may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same example. Further, the subject matter characterizing any one example may, but does not necessarily, include the subject matter characterizing any other example.

#Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated is a perspective view of a tooling assembly 30 constructed in accordance with an example. The tooling assembly 30 includes a first tooling member 10 opposed from a second tooling member 20. Both the first tooling member 10 and the second tooling member 20 may be similarly sized and shaped to evenly correspond with one another.