Skin assembly and method for manufacturing the same
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorGrant Henson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A skin assembly that includes a first ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel including one or more first fingers extending along a first direction. The skin assembly further includes a second ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel including one or more second fingers extending along the first direction. The one or more second fingers interdigitated with the one or more first fingers to define a plurality of staggered expansion gaps between the first ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel and the second ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel wherein the plurality of staggered expansion gaps are configured to accommodate thermal expansion of at least a portion of the skin assembly.
Claims20
A skin assembly, comprising:
- a first ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel comprising one or more first fingers extending along a first direction;
- and
- a second ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel comprising one or more second fingers extending along the first direction, the one or more second fingers interdigitated with the one or more first fingers to define a plurality of staggered expansion gaps between the first ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel and the second ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel wherein the plurality of staggered expansion gaps are configured to accommodate thermal expansion of at least a portion of the skin assembly when an outer surface of the skin assembly is subject to a speed greater than Mach 5.
A skin assembly, comprising:
- a first skin panel comprising one or more first fingers extending along a first direction;
- and
- a second skin panel comprising one or more second fingers extending along the first direction, the one or more second fingers interdigitated with the one or more first fingers to define a plurality of staggered expansion gaps between the first skin panel and the second skin panel wherein the plurality of staggered expansion gaps are configured to accommodate thermal expansion of at least a portion of the skin assembly when an outer surface of the skin assembly is subject to a speed greater than Mach 5.
A skin assembly, comprising:
- a first ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel comprising one or more first fingers extending along a first direction;
- a second ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel comprising one or more second fingers extending along the first direction, the one or more second fingers interdigitated with the one or more first fingers to define a plurality of staggered expansion gaps between the first ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel and the second ceramic-matrix-composite skin panel, wherein the plurality of staggered expansion gaps are configured to enable thermal expansion of the skin assembly when an outer surface of the skin assembly is subject to a speed greater than Mach 5;
- and
- a material configured to change phase from a solid to a liquid when subject to the speed greater than Mach 5, wherein the material is held within the plurality of staggered expansion gaps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.