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US 9,168,708 B2Granted
Method of forming a light weight thermoplastic flex foam and hybrid duct system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsWalter Forrest Frantz, Jayant D. Patel, Douglas Dean Maben, Bruce Whitman, Douglas E. Freeman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming a closed cell thermoplastic foam duct and a method of forming a duct and attaching it to an aircraft environmental control system. The environmental control system includes a duct made of closed cell thermoplastic foam, such as polyvinylidene fluoride foam.
Claims6
A method of forming a duct, the method comprising the steps of:
- skiving a thermoplastic bun having a closed cell structure to form a sheet, the bun comprising an expanded foam polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material;
- cutting the sheet to create a first edge and a second edge of the sheet;
- forming a crenulation pattern in the first edge of the sheet so as to form a first crenulated edge;
- forming a crenulation pattern in the second edge of the sheet so as to form a second crenulated edge;
- cutting the first crenulated edge so as to create a bevel along the first crenulated edge;
- cutting the second crenulated edge so as to create a bevel along the second crenulated edge, the first crenulated edge reciprocally matching the second crenulated edge;
- wrapping the sheet around a mandrel;
- applying pressure and heat to thermally weld the first edge and the second crenulated edge together so as to form the duct;
- and
- welding a wire around the duct, the wire comprising a thermoplastic material, the wire wrapped around the duct in a helix pattern, wherein the pitch of the helix is selected to dampen a noise of a given frequency range;
- wherein the step of applying pressure and heat comprises pressing an outside tool against an overlapping seam of the first edge and the second edge.
8 more elements
A method of forming a duct and attaching it to an environmental control system of an aircraft the method comprising the step of:
- skiving a sheet from a bun that is expanded into a foam from a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material;
- cutting the sheet to create a first edge and a second edge;
- crenulating a first edge of the sheet so as to form a first crenulated edge;
- crenulating the second edge of the sheet so as to form a second crenulated edge;
- cutting the first crenulated edge so as to create a bevel along the first crenulated edge;
- cutting the second crenulated edge so as to create a bevel along the second crenulated edge, the first crenulated edge reciprocally matching the second crenulated edge;
- thermally welding the first crenulated edge to the second crenulated edge to form the duct;
- attaching the duct to the environmental control system of the aircraft;
- wherein the duct is a first duct and wherein the environmental control system further comprises a second duct;
- and
- coupling the first duct to the second duct using a foam sleeve comprising a polyvinylidene fluoride foam.
8 more elements
A method of forming a duct, the method comprising the steps of:
- skiving a thermoplastic bun having a closed cell structure to form a sheer, the bun comprising an expanded foam polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material;
- cutting the sheet to create a first edge and a second edge of the sheet;
- forming a crenulation pattern in the first edge of the sheet so as to form a first crenulated edge;
- forming a crenulation pattern in the second edge of the sheet so at to form a second crenulated edge;
- cutting the first edge so as to create a bevel along the first crenulated edge;
- cutting the second crenulated edge so as to create a bevel along the second crenulated edge, the first crenulated edge reciprocally matching the second crenulated edge;
- wrapping the sheet around a mandrel;
- applying pressure and heat to thermally weld the first crenulated edge and the second crenulated edge together so as to form the duct;
- molding the duct in a mold;
- and
- post forming the duct with injected gas and heat;
- wherein the step of applying pressure and heat comprises pressing an outside tool against an overlapping seam of the first edge and the second edge.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.