Patents by Inventor Sean Landwehr

Sean Landwehr has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11351696
    Abstract: A system and method for forming a porous ceramic preform is provided. The method may include forming a stacked powder structure including a binder layer and a powder layer on the binder layer. The binder layer may be formed by depositing a binder with a spray nozzle on a substrate. The powder layer may be formed by depositing a powder on the binder layer. The porous ceramic preform may be formed by heating the stacked powder structure to pyrolyze the binder. The porous ceramic preform is configured to be infiltrated by a molten material. The substrate may comprise a ceramic fiber preform. After melt infiltration of the porous ceramic preform and the ceramic fiber preform, a densified ceramic feature having a predetermined geometry may be formed on a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION, ROLLS-ROYCE HIGH TEMPERATURE COMPOSITES INC.
    Inventors: Scott Nelson, Quinlan Shuck, Sean Landwehr, Sungbo Shim
  • Patent number: 11261750
    Abstract: A system and method for forming a ceramic matrix composite blade track is provided. The method may include stacking a plurality of first plies to form a first porous preform layer, the first plies including a plurality of first ceramic fibers. The method may further include stacking a plurality of second plies to form a second porous preform layer, the second plies including a plurality of second ceramic fibers. The method may further include combining the first porous preform layer and the second porous preform layer to form a unified porous preform. The method may further include forming a structural layer by infiltrating the first porous preform with a first ceramic matrix material, and forming an abradable layer by infiltrating the second porous preform with a second ceramic matrix material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC., ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sean Landwehr, Ted Freeman, Aaron Sippel
  • Patent number: 10947162
    Abstract: A braze alloy for joining or repairing ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components comprises a braze composition including silicon at a concentration from about 48 at. % to about 66 at. %, titanium at a concentration from about 1 at. % to about 35 at. %, and an additional element selected from aluminum, cobalt, vanadium, nickel, and chromium. The braze composition comprises a melting temperature of less than 1300° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION, TRUSTEES OF THE COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
    Inventors: Scott Nelson, Raymond Xu, Sean Landwehr, Juan Wei, Stephen Liu, Juan Carlos Madeni
  • Publication number: 20190292931
    Abstract: A system and method for forming a ceramic matrix composite blade track is provided. The method may include stacking a plurality of first plies to form a first porous preform layer, the first plies including a plurality of first ceramic fibers. The method may further include stacking a plurality of second plies to form a second porous preform layer, the second plies including a plurality of second ceramic fibers. The method may further include combining the first porous preform layer and the second porous preform layer to form a unified porous preform. The method may further include forming a structural layer by infiltrating the first porous preform with a first ceramic matrix material, and forming an abradable layer by infiltrating the second porous preform with a second ceramic matrix material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicants: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Landwehr, Ted Freeman, Aaron Sippel
  • Patent number: 10400612
    Abstract: An airfoil and a method of manufacturing an airfoil may be provided, where the airfoil comprises a core and a shell. The core comprises core ceramic fibers extending along a span of the airfoil. The shell surrounds the core and includes shell ceramic fibers. Substantially all of the core ceramic fibers are arranged in a radial direction. The airfoil may also be a ceramic matrix composite formed by infiltrating the core and the shell with a matrix material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Ted Freeman, Todd Engel, Adam Chamberlain, Aaron Sippel, Sean Landwehr
  • Publication number: 20190255732
    Abstract: A system and method for forming a porous ceramic preform is provided. The method may include forming a stacked powder structure including a binder layer and a powder layer on the binder layer. The binder layer may be formed by depositing a binder with a spray nozzle on a substrate. The powder layer may be formed by depositing a powder on the binder layer. The porous ceramic preform may be formed by heating the stacked powder structure to pyrolyze the binder. The porous ceramic preform is configured to be infiltrated by a molten material. The substrate may comprise a ceramic fiber preform. After melt infiltration of the porous ceramic preform and the ceramic fiber preform, a densified ceramic feature having a predetermined geometry may be formed on a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Scott Nelson, Quinlan Shuck, Sean Landwehr, Sungbo Shim
  • Publication number: 20190031570
    Abstract: A braze alloy for joining or repairing ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components comprises a braze composition including silicon at a concentration from about 48 at. % to about 66 at. %, titanium at a concentration from about 1 at. % to about 35 at. %, and an additional element selected from aluminum, cobalt, vanadium, nickel, and chromium. The braze composition comprises a melting temperature of less than 1300° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Scott Nelson, Raymond Xu, Sean Landwehr, Juan Wei, Stephen Liu, Juan Carlos Madeni
  • Patent number: 9896954
    Abstract: A dual-walled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component comprises: a CMC core having a hollow shape enclosing at least one interior channel; and a CMC outer layer overlying and spaced apart from the CMC core by a ceramic slurry-cast architecture positioned therebetween. Each of the CMC core and the CMC outer layer comprises ceramic fibers in a ceramic matrix. The CMC core further includes a plurality of through-thickness inner cooling holes in fluid communication with the at least one interior channel. The ceramic slurry-cast architecture defines a cooling fluid path over an outer surface of the CMC core that connects the interior channel(s) to an external environment of the dual-walled CMC component. The CMC outer layer may also include a plurality of through-thickness outer cooling holes in fluid communication with the cooling fluid path, thereby extending the cooling fluid path through the CMC outer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Walston, Sean Landwehr
  • Publication number: 20170298745
    Abstract: An airfoil and a method of manufacturing an airfoil may be provided, where the airfoil comprises a core and a shell. The core comprises core ceramic fibers extending along a span of the airfoil. The shell surrounds the core and includes shell ceramic fibers. Substantially all of the core ceramic fibers are arranged in a radial direction. The airfoil may also be a ceramic matrix composite formed by infiltrating the core and the shell with a matrix material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Ted Freeman, Todd Engel, Adam Chamberlain, Aaron Sippel, Sean Landwehr
  • Publication number: 20160101561
    Abstract: A dual-walled ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component comprises: a CMC core having a hollow shape enclosing at least one interior channel; and a CMC outer layer overlying and spaced apart from the CMC core by a ceramic slurry-cast architecture positioned therebetween. Each of the CMC core and the CMC outer layer comprises ceramic fibers in a ceramic matrix. The CMC core further includes a plurality of through-thickness inner cooling holes in fluid communication with the at least one interior channel. The ceramic slurry-cast architecture defines a cooling fluid path over an outer surface of the CMC core that connects the interior channel(s) to an external environment of the dual-walled CMC component. The CMC outer layer may also include a plurality of through-thickness outer cooling holes in fluid communication with the cooling fluid path, thereby extending the cooling fluid path through the CMC outer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Walston, Sean Landwehr
  • Publication number: 20160023956
    Abstract: A method of producing a ceramic weld, including identifying a ceramic first surface and a ceramic second surface to be bonded together, maintaining a non-oxidizing atmosphere over the first and second surfaces, and engaging the first and second surfaces to define a joint. An arc is generated between an electrode and the joint to create a liquid phase, and the liquid phase is cooled to yield a solid fusion layer, wherein the first and second surfaces are joined in the fusion layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Gregory Eugene Hilmas, William Gene Fahrenholtz, Jeremy Lee Watts, Derek Scott King, Sean Landwehr