Patents by Inventor Weina Li

Weina Li 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: 9822264
    Abstract: An article with an erosion protection layer. The erosion protection layer may include metal, intermetallic compound, ceramic or glass nanocellular foam particles or monolithic sheets. The particles are dispersed in a polymeric matrix and the monolithic sheets are infiltrated with polymeric material. The nanocellular foam ligaments have submicron cross-sectional diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. Birnkrant, Robert A. Barth, Weina Li
  • Patent number: 9776248
    Abstract: A method for making a plurality of metallic nanowires includes combining a metallic precursor with a solvent to form a metallic precursor solution. A quantity of oxalic acid is added to the metallic precursor solution to form a reduction solution. A plurality of nanowires are precipitated out from the reduction solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Weina Li, Michael J. Birnkrant, James T. Beals
  • Publication number: 20170175282
    Abstract: A method for preparing an alloy nanocellular foam includes at least partially coating a nanocellular precursor into a multiple composition nanoparticle precursor and converting the multiple composition nanoparticle precursor into an alloy via a diffusion process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Weina Li, Lei Chen, Georgios S. Zafiris, James T. Beals, Michael J. Birnkrant
  • Publication number: 20170102043
    Abstract: Brake disks with integrated heat sink are provided. Brake disk includes a fiber-reinforced composite material and an encapsulated heat sink material impregnated into the fiber-reinforced composite material. The encapsulated heat sink material comprises a heat sink material encapsulated within a silicon-containing encapsulation layer. Methods for manufacturing the brake disk with integrated heat sink and methods for producing the encapsulated heat sink material are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: SUSANNE M. OPALKA, GEORGIOS S. ZAFIRIS, WEINA LI
  • Publication number: 20160251772
    Abstract: A nanocellular single crystal nickel based material is provided having a thermal diffusivity in the range of 0.0002 cm?2/s to 0.02 cm?2/s and a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.024 W/mK to 9.4 W/mK. The nanocellular single crystal nickel based material may be used to form turbine engine components. The nanocellular single crystal nickel based material may be produced by providing a first solution containing a nickel precursor and deionized water, providing a second solution containing a structure controlling polymer/surfactant and an alcohol, mixing the first and second solutions into a solution containing a reducing agent to form a third solution, and processing the third solution to create the nanocellular single crystal based material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Michael J Birnkrant, Weina Li
  • Publication number: 20160175933
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an article includes providing an arrangement of loose nanowires and bonding the loose nanowires together into a unitary cellular structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Weina Li, Michael J. Birnkrant, Paul Sheedy, James T. Beals, Rhonda R. Willigan, Jose L. Santana
  • Publication number: 20160137856
    Abstract: An article with an erosion protection layer. The erosion protection layer may include metal, intermetallic compound, ceramic or glass nanocellular foam particles or monolithic sheets. The particles are dispersed in a polymeric matrix and the monolithic sheets are infiltrated with polymeric material. The nanocellular foam ligaments have submicron cross-sectional diameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Michael J. Birnkrant, Robert A. Barth, Weina Li
  • Publication number: 20160093925
    Abstract: A method of in-situ electrolyte preparation in a flow battery includes providing a vanadium-based electrolyte solution having vanadium ions of predominantly vanadium V4+ to a first electrode and a second electrode of at least one cell of a flow battery. The vanadium V4+ at the first electrode is converted to vanadium V3+ and the vanadium V4+ at the second electrode is converted to vanadium V5+ by providing electrical energy to the electrodes. A reducing agent is then provided to the vanadium V5+ at the second electrode to reduce the V5+ to vanadium the V4+. The vanadium V3+ at the first electrode is then converted to vanadium V2+ and the vanadium V4+ at the second electrode is then converted to vanadium V5+ by providing electrical energy to the electrodes. A simple method to produce predominantly vanadium V4+ electrolyte from a V5+ source, such as V2O5, is also taught.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Weina Li, Michael L. Perry
  • Publication number: 20160084168
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gas turbine engine air seal comprising forming at least one MAX phase particle. The method includes coating the at least one MAX phase particle with a metallic shell. The method includes applying the at least one MAX phase metallic coated particle to a surface of a substrate of the air seal to form an abradable layer of a MAXMET composite abradable material from the at least on MAX phase metallic coated particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shahram Amini, Christopher W. Strock, Weina Li
  • Publication number: 20150345302
    Abstract: A transpiration-cooled article includes a body wall that has first and second opposed surfaces. The first surface is adjacent a passage that is configured to receive a pressurized cooling fluid. At least a portion of the body wall includes a nanocellular foam through which the pressurized cooling fluid from the passage can flow to the second surface. The article can be an airfoil that includes an airfoil body that has an internal passage and an outer gas-path surface. At least a portion of the airfoil body includes a nanocellular foam through which cooling fluid from the internal passage can flow to the gas-path surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Michael J. Birnkrant, Dominic J. Mongillo, JR., Joel H. Wagner, Weina Li, Jose L. Santana, Carey Clum, James T. Beals
  • Publication number: 20150340710
    Abstract: A method of treating a carbon electrode includes providing a carbon-based electrode that has a surface with chemically different carbon oxides. The surface is treated with a reducing agent to reduce at least a portion of the oxides to a target carbon oxide. In an aspect, a method of treating a carbon electrode includes providing a carbon-based electrode that has a surface with an initial non-zero concentration of a target carbon oxide. The surface is then treated with a reducing agent to increase the initial non-zero concentration of the target carbon oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Weina Li, Michael L. Perry, Rachid Zaffou, Christopher C. Shovlin
  • Publication number: 20150209864
    Abstract: A method for making a plurality of metallic nanowires includes combining a metallic precursor with a solvent to form a metallic precursor solution. A quantity of oxalic acid is added to the metallic precursor solution to form a reduction solution. A plurality of nanowires are precipitated out from the reduction solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Weina Li, Michael J. Birnkrant, James T. Beals