Tooling of multi-pile plates for semi-forced flow

A method for densification by pressure gradient chemical vapor infiltration of porous annular substrates having a central passage, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of stacks of porous annular substrates, each stack comprising an internal volume formed by the central passages of the stacked substrates,
• providing a plurality of individual modules, each individual module comprising a support plate and stacks of porous annular substrates disposed on the support plate, the support plate comprising, for each stack, a gas inlet opening emerging into the internal volume,
• forming, in a chamber of a densification furnace, a stack of individual modules, each gas inlet opening of the support plate of a first individual module mounted on a second individual module communicating with the internal volume of one of the stacks of the second individual module so as to allow a gas to flow between the individual modules, and
• injecting into the internal volume of each stack of porous annular substrates a gas phase comprising a gaseous precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within porosities of the substrates,
• wherein, for each second individual module surmounted by a first individual module, each stack comprises at least one cover ring supported on a top of the stack of porous annular substrates via an annular spacer and a sealing ring disposed around the annular spacer in a plane perpendicular to a direction in which the porous annular substrates are stacked, and a deformable annular seal is disposed between the at least one cover ring and the support plate of said first individual module.