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US 5,853,485 AGranted
Pressure gradient CVI/CVD apparatus process and product
AssigneeThe B. F. Goodrich Company
InventorsJames W. Rudolph, Mark J. Purdy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to the field of high temperature composites made by the chemical vapor infiltration and deposition of a binding matrix within a porous structure. More particularly, the invention relates to pressure gradient processes for forcing infiltration of a reactant gas into a porous structure, apparatus for carrying out those processes, and the resulting products. The invention is particularly suited for the simultaneous CVI/CVD processing of large quantities (hundreds) of aircraft brake disks.
Claims20
An apparatus for CVI/CVD densifying porous aircraft brake structures, comprising:
- a CVI/CVD furnace for densifying porous aircraft brake structures;
- a controller;
- a first main gas line for supplying a first reactant gas;
- a second main gas line for supplying a second reactant gas;
- a plurality of furnace supply lines in fluid communication with said first main gas line, said second main gas line, and said CVI/CVD furnace;
- a plurality of first flow meters that measure a quantity of first reactant gas flow through each furnace supply line, and communicate with said controller;
- a plurality of second flow meters that measure a quantity of second reactant gas flow through each furnace supply line, and communicate with said controller;
- a plurality of first control valves configured to control said quantity of flow of said first reactant gas through each furnace supply line, said controller controlling said plurality of first control valves;
- and,
- a plurality of second control valves configured to control said quantity of flow of said second reactant gas through each furnace supply line, said controller controlling said plurality of second control valves, said controller being adapted to control said plurality of first control valves and said plurality of second control valves to provide a mixture of said first and second reactant gases to said plurality of furnace supply lines.
7 more elements
An apparatus for CVI/CVD densifying a plurality of porous aircraft brake disk structures, comprising:
- a CVI/CVD furnace that defines a furnace volume;
- a vacuum apparatus in fluid communication with said furnace volume;
- a first main gas line for supplying a first reactant gas;
- a plurality of furnace supply lines in fluid communication with said first main gas line;
- and,
- a plurality of stacks of the porous aircraft brake disk structures disposed within said furnace volume, each stack defining an enclosed cavity, at least two of said enclosed cavities being in fluid communication with a different furnace supply line and sealed within said furnace volume such that a reactant gas flow introduced into each enclosed cavity through the corresponding furnace supply line is forced to disperse through said porous aircraft brake disk structures before being withdrawn from said furnace volume by said vacuum apparatus.
3 more elements
An apparatus for CVI/CVD densifying a plurality of porous aircraft brake disk structures, comprising:
- a CVI/CVD furnace that defines a furnace volume;
- a vacuum apparatus in fluid communication with said furnace volume;
- a first main gas line for supplying a first reactant gas;
- a plurality of furnace supply lines in fluid communication with said first main gas line;
- and,
- a plurality of stacks of the porous aircraft brake disk structures disposed within said furnace volume, each stack defining an enclosed cavity, each furnace supply line being in fluid communication with at least one corresponding enclosed cavity, said stacks of porous aircraft brake disk structures being sealed within said furnace volume such that reactant gas flow introduced through each furnace supply line into said corresponding enclosed cavity is forced to disperse through said stack of porous aircraft brake disk structures that defines said corresponding enclosed cavity before being withdrawn from said furnace volume by said vacuum apparatus.
3 more elements
An apparatus for CVI/CVD densifying a plurality of porous walls, comprising:
- a CVI/CVD furnace that defines a furnace volume;
- a vacuum apparatus in fluid communication with said furnace volume;
- a controller;
- a first main gas line for supplying a first reactant gas;
- a second main gas line for supplying a second reactant gas;
- a plurality of furnace supply lines in fluid communication with said first main gas line and said second main gas line;
- a plurality of first flow meters that measure a quantity of first reactant gas flow through each furnace supply line, and communicate with said controller;
- a plurality of second flow meters that measure a quantity of second reactant gas flow through each furnace supply line, and communicate with said controller;
- a plurality of first control valves configured to control said quantity of flow of the first reactant gas through each furnace supply line, said controller controlling said plurality of first control valves;
- a plurality of second control valves configured to control said quantity of flow of the second reactant gas through each furnace supply line, said controller controlling said plurality of second control valves;
- and,
- a plurality of porous walls disposed within said furnace volume, each porous wall defining an enclosed cavity, each furnace supply line being in fluid communication with at least one corresponding enclosed cavity, said porous walls being sealed within said furnace volume such that reactant gas flow introduced through each furnace supply line into said corresponding enclosed cavity is forced to disperse through said porous wall that defines said corresponding enclosed cavity before being withdrawn from said furnace volume by said vacuum apparatus.
9 more elements
An apparatus for CVI/CVD densifying a plurality of stacks of porous aircraft brake structures, comprising:
- a CVI/CVD furnace that defines a furnace volume;
- a vacuum apparatus in fluid communication with said furnace volume;
- a controller;
- a first main gas line for supplying a first reactant gas;
- a second main gas line for supplying a second reactant gas;
- a plurality of furnace supply lines in fluid communication with said first main gas line and said second main gas line;
- a plurality of first flow meters that measure a quantity of first reactant gas flow through each furnace supply line, and communicate with said controller;
- a plurality of second flow meters that measure a quantity of second reactant gas flow through each furnace supply line, and communicate with said controller;
- a plurality of first control valves configured to control said quantity of flow of the first reactant gas through each furnace supply line, said controller controlling said plurality of first control valves;
- a plurality of second control valves configured to control said quantity of flow of the second reactant gas through each furnace supply line, said controller controlling said plurality of second control valves;
- and,
- a plurality of stacks of porous aircraft brake disk structures disposed within said furnace volume, each stack of porous aircraft brake disk structures defining an enclosed cavity, each furnace supply line being in fluid communication with at least one corresponding enclosed cavity, said stacks of porous aircraft brake disk structures being sealed within said furnace volume such that reactant gas flow introduced through each furnace supply line into said corresponding enclosed cavity is forced to disperse through said stack of porous aircraft brake disk structures that defines said corresponding enclosed cavity before being withdrawn from said furnace volume by said vacuum apparatus.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.