METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A HEAT TRANSFER SYSTEM FOR AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES
A method of manufacturing a heat transfer system is provided that includes preparing a heat conducting array by perforating at least a portion of the heat conducting array, placing the heat conducting array around foam elements, and forming the structural assembly under heat and pressure. A material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/220,343, filed on Aug. 29, 2011. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELDThe present invention relates to avionics or equipment bays for aircraft, and in particular, method of manufacturing systems for managing heat to improve cooling of electronics within the bays.
BACKGROUNDThe statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Most aircraft, or air vehicles, typically include a number of bays that house a variety of equipment, such as avionics, batteries, diagnostic equipment, and servicing ports, among others. These bays extend into the interior of the aircraft to define a cavity, and are covered by removable doors or access panels so that the aircraft can maintain a smooth outer moldline surface for aerodynamic performance.
During operation, certain components located within these equipment bays can reach high temperatures, which can cause premature failure, and thus a means to provide cooling to these components is often provided. Typical methods may include integrated fans or cooling ducts, in addition to vents or louvers that allow airflow to enter the equipment bays during flight. Some equipment bays, however, are required to be sealed from moisture intrusion during operations, which limits certain cooling options, such as the vents or louvers. Accordingly, sealed equipment bays that include heat generating components, such as electronic components on printed circuit boards, or batteries, present a challenge in providing the requisite cooling to prevent premature equipment failure.
SUMMARYIn one form of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a heat transfer system is provided that comprises preparing a heat conducting array by perforating at least a portion of the heat conducting array, placing the heat conducting array around foam elements, and forming the structural assembly under heat and pressure. A material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
In another form, a method of manufacturing a heat transfer system is provided that comprises forming a structural assembly under heat and pressure, the structural assembly comprising a heat conducting array defining a plurality of apertures placed around foam elements, wherein a material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
In still another form, a method of manufacturing a structural assembly is provided, the structural assembly comprising a heat conducting array defining a plurality of apertures placed around foam elements, the method comprising forming the structural assembly under heat and pressure, wherein a material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
Referring to
The equipment bays 12 are covered by access panels, or hatches, which are not shown for purposes of clarity. The access panels cover the cavities 16 defined by the equipment bays 12 and generally conform to the outer moldline shape of the air vehicle 10, which in this illustrative example are upper wing moldlines. It should be understood that the air vehicle 10 and its configuration of equipment bays 12 is merely exemplary, and thus any number and/or size of equipment bays 12 may be employed in a variety of different types of air vehicles while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring now to
As further shown in
The system 22 also includes a structural member 50 disposed proximate the inner wall portion 24 of the cavity 16, which in this form comprises an upper skin 52, a lower skin 54, and a foam core 56 disposed between the upper skin 52 and the lower skin 54. As shown, at least one heat conducting array 60 extends through the foam core 56 and between the upper skin 52 and the lower skin 54. The heat conducting array 60 is also, in one form, a pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) material. The heat conducting array 60, in this form, includes at least one upper cap 62, at least one lower cap 64, and a wall portion 66 extending between the upper cap 62 and the lower cap 64. The caps 62 and 64 may also be understood as flanges or legs that extend away from or between the wall portions 66 as illustrated herein. As shown, the upper caps 62 are disposed proximate a heat source, which in this illustration is the heat-generating components 20 and the elements therebetween. Further details of the heat conducting array 60, and variants thereof, are set forth in greater detail below.
As further shown, an optional heat conducting spreader 68 is disposed between the lower caps 64 of the heat conducting array 60 and the lower skin 54 of the structural member 50, in one form of the present disclosure. Similar to forms of the heat conducting member 30 and the heat conducting array 60, the heat conducting spreader 68 is also a pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) material in one form of the present disclosure.
In an alternate form, a moisture-proof layer 69 is disposed over the upper skin 52 in an application where the cavity 16 is to be sealed from moisture intrusion. In this form, the moisture-proof layer 69 is an ethylene-co-methacrylic acid (EMAA) material, although it should be understood that other moisture-proof materials may be employed while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring now to
Further details of the heat conducting members 30 are now described with reference to
As shown more clearly in
Referring now to
Referring now to
The upper skin 52 and lower skin 54 in one form are a Kevlar® material, although it should be understood that other types of fiber-reinforced composites such as carbon-fiber composites or glass-fiber composites may also be employed, in addition to various types of metallic structures. In one form, the foam core 56 comprises a low density, high strength polystyrene foam material, such as Spyderfoam. Additionally, the structural member 50 in this form is an aircraft skin, however, it should be understood that this application is merely exemplary and that other forms of structure such as internal spars or ribs, or structures of other vehicles, buildings, or other devices may be employed while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.
As shown, the wall portions 66 of the heat conducting array 60 extend vertically between the upper caps 62 and the lower caps 64 in one form of the present disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the wall portions 66′ may extend at an angle as shown in
Advantageously, as shown in
Referring to
It should be understood that the order of these manufacturing steps are merely exemplary and that other orders of the steps may be employed, such as placing the upper skin 52 over the heat conducting spreader 68 and the core elements 56 before the lower skin 54, while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, it should be understood that the heat conducting spreader 68 is optional and thus the structural assembly can be formed without this member while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the structural assembly may be formed in a press, either heated or non-heated, while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.
It should be noted that the disclosure is not limited to the various forms described and illustrated as examples. A large variety of modifications have been described and more are part of the knowledge of the person skilled in the art. These and further modifications as well as any replacement by technical equivalents may be added to the description and figures, without leaving the scope of the protection of the disclosure and of the present patent.
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a heat transfer system comprising: wherein a material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
- preparing a heat conducting array by perforating at least a portion of the heat conducting array;
- placing the heat conducting array around foam elements; and
- forming the structural assembly under heat and pressure,
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat conducting array is prepared as a continuous piece.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat conducting array is prepared as separate pieces.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the structural assembly is cured by at least one of a room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure cure, and a vacuum autoclave cure.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat conducting array is a pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) material.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat conducting array defines at least one upper cap, at least one lower cap, and a wall portion extending between at least one upper cap and at least one lower cap when placed around the foam elements, and the wall portion is perforated.
7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising placing a heat conducting spreader along one surface area of the foam elements prior to the forming step.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the forming step is carried out in a press.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foam elements are polystyrene.
10. An air vehicle having a component manufactured according to the method claim 1.
11. A method of manufacturing a heat transfer system comprising forming a structural assembly under heat and pressure, the structural assembly comprising a heat conducting array defining a plurality of apertures placed around foam elements, wherein a material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:
- placing a lower skin over one surface area of the foam elements; and
- placing an upper skin over an opposite surface area of the foam elements prior to the forming step.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat conducting array is prepared as a continuous piece.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat conducting array is prepared as separate pieces.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the structural assembly is cured by at least one of a room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure cure, and a vacuum autoclave cure.
16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat conducting array defines at least one upper cap, at least one lower cap, and a wall portion extending between at least one upper cap and at least one lower cap when placed around the foam elements, and the wall portion is perforated.
17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the forming step is carried out in a press.
18. An air vehicle having a component manufactured according to the method claim 11.
19. A method of manufacturing a structural assembly, the structural assembly comprising a heat conducting array defining a plurality of apertures placed around foam elements, the method comprising forming the structural assembly under heat and pressure, wherein a material of the foam elements extends through the perforated portion of the heat conducting array during the forming step.
20. An air vehicle having a component manufactured according to the method claim 19.
Type: Application
Filed: May 26, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 24, 2015
Inventors: Uchenna Ofoma (San Gabriel, CA), Bart Dean Hibbs (Simi Valley, CA), Ronald Olch (Van Nuys, CA), Justin B. McAllister (Simi Valley, CA)
Application Number: 14/721,527