Abstract: An aircraft heated floor panel includes a first face sheet, a second face sheet opposite the first face sheet, and core with an electrically conductive core portion. The electrically conductive core portion supports the first face sheet and the second face sheet, and is electrically insulated from the external environment to receive electrical power, resistively generate heat, and communicate heat to the first face sheet.

Abstract: A method of forming a component having grooves formed into an outer surface of a component includes the steps of applying at least one mold to an outer surface of a component preform. The mold is forced into contact with the outer surface to form a detent into the outer surface.

Abstract: A method for joining composite rods with tubular shape without expensive, machined connectors and without compromising the structural integrity of the composite rod includes internal and external collars applied to the ends of the composite rod and deformed via unidirectional compressive load applied by a clamp in the radial direction of the composite rod cross-section. The resulting plastic deformation of the metal collars and composite rod interlock those components to support both compressive and tensile loads. The deformed metal collars are easily joinable to other components via off-the-shelf hardware.

Abstract: A mechanical part configured to be placed under torque. The mechanical part includes an inner tube having, a corrugated web, and an outer shell. The inner tube has an outer tube circumference, a tube axial direction, and a tube length. The corrugated web has a plurality of peaks and a plurality of troughs, a height measured as a difference between one of the peaks and one of the troughs, and a web length perpendicular to the height and in the tube axial direction. The outer shell has an inner shell circumference, an outer shell circumference, and a shell length. The plurality of troughs is affixed to the outer circumference of the inner tube. The plurality of peaks is affixed to the inner shell circumference of the outer shell. The web length is aligned with the tube length and the shell length.

Abstract: A drive shaft is for selectively connecting a drive input to an output. The drive shaft has a tubular portion, a first diaphragm member, and a second diaphragm member displaced axially along the shaft from the first diaphragm member. The first and second diaphragm members each are formed with two axial ends. At least one undulation extends radially of the ends. The tubular portion connects the first and second diaphragm members. The first and second diaphragm members and the tubular portion are formed of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. The first and second diaphragm members are connected to first and second axial ends of the tubular portion through a mechanical connection at joints. There is also a method of forming a drive shaft.

Abstract: A method is provided for forming a structured panel. During this method, a cellular core is formed that comprises a corrugated ribbon configured with a plurality of baffles and a plurality of septums. Each of the septums extends longitudinally between and connected to a respective adjacent pair of the baffles. At least one element of the corrugated ribbon includes a structural reinforcement. The forming includes: feeding a ribbon of material between a first roller and a second roller, corrugating the ribbon of material with the first roller and the second roller to provide the baffles and the septums, and stamping the structural reinforcement into the element with the first roller and the second roller. The cellular core is bonded to a first skin. The cellular core is bonded to a second skin. The cellular core is vertically between the first skin and the second skin, and the first skin is configured with a plurality of perforations.

Abstract: An illustrative example elevator control system includes a plurality of sway sensors situated within a hoistway of the building. The sway sensors respectively include a contact surface situated to be contacted by a vertically extending elongated member of an elevator when the elongated member moves laterally in the hoistway. The sway sensors respectively provide an indication of contact between the contact surface and the elongated member. A controller receives an indication of building movement and the indications from the sway sensors. The controller determines whether at least one condition exists in the hoistway based on the indications and implements an adjustment to elevator movement control when the at least one condition exists.

Abstract: An assembly includes a composite body and a load body connected to the composite body by a fastener. The composite body is elongate along a body axis and has a first fastener opening extending radially therethrough. The load body has a second fastener opening extending therethrough. The fastener extends along an insertion axis through the first fastener opening and the second fastener opening to connect the composite body and the first load body together. The fastener has a non-circular cross-section orthogonal to the insertion axis.

Abstract: An assembly includes a composite body and a load body connected to the composite body by a fastener. The composite body is elongate along a body axis and has a first fastener opening extending radially therethrough. The load body has a second fastener opening extending therethrough. The fastener extends along an insertion axis through the first fastener opening and the second fastener opening to connect the composite body and the first load body together. The fastener has a non-circular cross-section orthogonal to the insertion axis.

Abstract: A flexible composite driveshaft is formed by modifying the shape of a preliminary composite driveshaft. A fiber tape is applied to a temporary mandrel using automated fiber placement to form a preliminary composite driveshaft having a flexible shaft element with an initial geometry. The temporary mandrel from the preliminary composite driveshaft is removed and the initial geometry of the flexible shaft element is modified to form the flexible composite driveshaft having a flexible shaft element with a final geometry.

Abstract: A composite structure may comprise a composite core comprising a composite material, and a heat resistant system coupled to the composite core comprising a binder and/or at least one of a heat dissipation material or a thermal barrier material. The heat dissipation material may comprise boron nitride, graphene, graphite, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, aluminum foil, and/or copper foil, and the thermal barrier material may comprise montmorillonite, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, silicate glass, mica powder or flake, aluminum oxide powder, titanium dioxide powder, and/or zirconium oxide powder. The binder may comprise at least one of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol copolyacetate, polyacrylamide, polyethylene glycol, polyethylenimine, polyurethane, polyester, or latex.

Abstract: A structured panel is provided that includes a first skin with a plurality of perforations, a second skin and a core. The core forms a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin. Each of the cavities is respectively fluidly coupled with one or more of the perforations. The cavities include a first cavity. An element of the core is configured with a multi-layered structure. The multi-layered structure includes a first layer and a second layer attached to the first layer. The first layer is configured with a first rib projecting into the first cavity.

Abstract: A first shaft segment and a second shaft segment are joined by a first fastener and a second fastener to form a shaft test assembly. The first shaft segment and the second shaft segment are each curved between first and second circumferential ends. A method of testing a shaft includes displacing a first applicator part relative a second applicator part to exert a load on the shaft test assembly. The resulting shear stress on the shaft test assembly can be measured to determine material properties of the shaft. A first applicator part extends at least partially into the shaft test assembly and interfaces with the first shaft segment to apply a load. A second applicator part extends at least partially into the shaft test assembly and interfaces with the second shaft segment to apply a load.

Abstract: A protective enhanced-maintenance antiviral coating for interior components of a passenger cabin is disclosed. In embodiments, the enhanced-maintenance antiviral coating incorporates into the antiviral coating indicating agents, e.g., reflective or fluorescent compounds that combine with the antiviral coating without otherwise impeding its antiviral and/or antibacterial properties. The enhanced-maintenance antiviral coating is applied to external surfaces of the interior components of an aircraft cabin or other mobile platform especially prone to frequent physical contact by multiple individuals. The indicating agent reacts via reflectivity and/or fluorescence when ultraviolet (UV) band or otherwise specialized lighting is applied to the external surfaces. A lack of reflectivity or fluorescence may be interpreted as significant wear or damage to the antiviral coating, for which corrective actions may be taken.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for disinfecting an interior space in a vehicle such as an aircraft. A method includes determining critical levels of heated air in the interior space of the vehicle required to neutralize effects of at least one predetermined pathogen, providing an apparatus for supplying heated air and positioning the apparatus in the interior space, activating the apparatus to supply the heated air to achieve the determined critical levels of the heated air in the interior space of the vehicle, maintaining the achieved critical levels of the heated air in the interior space for a determined critical time period, and optionally cooling the interior space following completion of the disinfecting process. A disinfecting apparatus may include a heated air generator, blower, controller and optional humidity generator, and may be implemented as a cart for traversing an aisle.

Abstract: An antiviral system comprises, an interior space, and an ultra-violet (UV) illuminator system fixedly mounted within the interior space for illumination of surfaces within the interior space for destruction of pathogens on the surfaces. A plurality of seats can be arranged within the interior space such that the UV illuminator system is configured to illuminate full or partial surfaces of individual seats of the plurality of seats.

Abstract: A frame beam member may include a tubular volume. The tubular volume may include at least one wall with one or more undulations in a radial direction along a length of the tubular volume. The one or more undulations may be configured to allow the tubular volume to absorb energy of a load applied during a flight scenario through local bending of the one or more undulations. The one or more undulations may be configured to have a first curvature when unloaded, and may be configured to have a second curvature when the load is applied. The second curvature may be different than the first curvature. The frame beam member may be one of a plurality of frame beam members of the aircraft seat frame. The plurality of frame beam members may be configured to couple to a plurality of joints of the aircraft seat frame.

Abstract: A polymer-matrix fiber-reinforced composite structure includes a plurality of polymer composite layers having at least one polymer composite layer that includes a first polymer-matrix and a first fluorescent agent interspersed through the first polymer-matrix. Damage to the polymer composite structure results in a change in fluorescence at the point of damage. A method for detecting damage in the polymer composite structure described above including the steps of applying light having a wavelength selected to induce fluorescence in the first fluorescent agent to the polymer composite structure, detecting a detected fluorescence pattern, and comparing the detected fluorescence pattern to a predetermined normal fluorescence pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composite beam structure having: an end piece, an end piece outer periphery surface, and an end piece mating end defining an end piece axial boundary, the end piece includes wedge-shaped inner locking features that are formed to project outwardly from the end piece outer periphery surface at the end piece mating end and are spaced apart from one another in the hoop direction; and a composite tube configured to surround at least a portion of the end piece mating end to form a beam joint, wedge-shaped imprints are formed through the composite tube, corresponding to the wedge-shaped inner locking features, the wedge-shaped imprints define respective composite tube wedge-shaped depression surfaces about a composite tube inner periphery and composite tube wedge-shaped boss surfaces about a composite tube outer periphery, and the wedge-shaped inner locking features of the end piece are covered by the composite tube wedge-shaped depression surfaces.

Abstract: A panel includes a corrugated base with base corrugations configured from first base segments and second base segments. A first of the base corrugations includes a first of the first base segments and a first of the second base segments that is non-parallel to the first of the first base segments. The first of the base corrugations forms a first channel that extends laterally between and longitudinally along the first of the first base segments and the first of the second base segments. A corrugated stringer includes a plurality of stringer corrugations arranged longitudinally along and within the first channel. The stringer corrugations are configured from first stringer segments and second stringer segments. A first of the stringer corrugations includes a first of the first stringer segments and a first of the second stringer segments that is non-parallel to the first of the first stringer segments.