Abstract: Dampers for fan spinners of aircraft engines are disclosed. An example fan module for a gas turbine engine may include a fan disk; fan blades mounted to the fan disk and extending radially therefrom; a fan spinner operatively coupled to the fan disk at an axially upstream position; and/or one or more elastic vibration dampers operatively interposing the fan spinner and the fan disk. The elastic vibration dampers may be disposed circumferentially around an interface between the fan spinner and the fan disk and may be compressed axially and/or radially.

Abstract: An advanced reflexive structure system is disclosed. The reflexive system mimics the pain withdrawal reflex on which the human body relies. The reflexive system incorporates a continuous health and performance monitoring system via an embedded dielectric film, an adaptive composite structure based on shape memory composite material, and an intelligence system which will be interfaced with both the health/performance sensors and the adaptive structure. When activated shape memory polymer will recover its structural integrity via shape recovery and a reptation healing process. These features enable the use of SMP as an adaptive structure in the proposed reflexive system. The development of a reflexive system for structures will enable increased safety and security and demonstrate a better understanding of integrated performance systems.

Abstract: An advanced reflexive structure system is disclosed. The reflexive system mimics the pain withdrawal reflex on which the human body relies. The reflexive system incorporates a continuous health and performance monitoring system via an embedded dielectric film, an adaptive composite structure based on shape memory composite material, and an intelligence system which will be interfaced with both the health/performance sensors and the adaptive structure. When activated shape memory polymer will recover its structural integrity via shape recovery and a reptation healing process. These features enable the use of SMP as an adaptive structure in the proposed reflexive system. The development of a reflexive system for structures will enable increased safety and security and demonstrate a better understanding of integrated performance systems.

Abstract: Processes for fabricating secondary structures of gas turbine engines from polymer-based materials, and secondary structures formed thereby. The processes entail performing an additive manufacturing technique to produce a secondary structure of a gas turbine engine. The additive manufacturing technique directly produces the secondary structure from a polymer-based material to have a complex three-dimensional shape characterized by portions that lie in different planes.

Abstract: An advanced reflexive structure system is disclosed. The reflexive system mimics the pain withdrawal reflex on which the human body relies. The reflexive system incorporates a continuous health and performance monitoring system via an embedded dielectric film, an adaptive composite structure based on shape memory composite material, and an intelligence system which will be interfaced with both the health/performance sensors and the adaptive structure. When activated shape memory polymer will recover its structural integrity via shape recovery and a reptation healing process. These features enable the use of SMP as an adaptive structure in the proposed reflexive system. The development of a reflexive system for structures will enable increased safety and security and demonstrate a better understanding of integrated performance systems.