Flexible insulation blanket having a ceramic matrix composite outer layer
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRobert A. DiChiara, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible insulation blanket having a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) outer layer, and a method of producing a flexible insulation blanket having a smooth, aerodynamically suitable, outer surface by infiltrating ceramic material within the outer ceramic fabric layer of the flexible insulation blanket and curing the ceramic material to form a CMC layer. The CMC layer is cured while the blanket is under compression such that the resulting CMC layer has a smooth surface.
Claims21
A method of producing a flexible insulation blanket having a ceramic matrix composite infiltrated layer with a smooth surface, said method comprising:
- layering, respectively, an outer ceramic fabric layer, a batting layer, and a inner ceramic fabric layer;
- quilting said layers to form a flexible insulation blanket;
- infiltrating said outer fabric layer of said blanket with a pre-ceramic slurry;
- preventing the pre-ceramic slurry from penetrating into the batting layer so that substantially no absorption of the pre-ceramic slurry occurs in the batting layer;
- compressing the blanket in the direction of thickness of the blanket by applying pressure to said outer layer of the blanket with a smoothly surfaced plate;
- curing said pre-ceramic slurry;
- and
- sintering the infiltrated outer ceramic layer to form a ceramic matrix composite layer.
A method of constructing a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) infiltrated flexible insulation blanket having a smooth surface, comprising:
- laminating an outer ceramic fabric layer, a batting layer, and a inner ceramic fabric layer;
- sewing the laminate to form a quilted blanket having an outer surface corresponding to the outer fabric layer and an inner surface corresponding to the inner fabric layer;
- applying an uncured ceramic matrix material to the outer surface of the blanket;
- preventing the pre-ceramic slurry from penetrating into the batting layer;
- placing the blanket under pressure in the direction of thickness of the blanket;
- curing said ceramic matrix material to form a CMC layer with the outer fabric layer of the blanket;
- releasing said pressure;
- and
- sintering the CMC layer of the blanket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.