Monolithic acoustically-treated composite structures and methods for fabricating the same

• Main Authors: KOWAL ADAM, WILCOX DAVID E, HEIN JEFF M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2014
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HELICOPTERS; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Monolithic acoustically-treated composite structures and methods for fabricating the same are provided. A monolithic acoustically-treated composite structure comprises an internal frame assembly comprising a unitary composite frame structure and at least one acoustic panel assembly. The unitary composite frame structure defines a shape of the monolithic acoustically-treated composite structure to be fabricated. A composite overlay covers the internal frame assembly. The method for fabricating the monolithic acoustically-treated composite structure comprises forming the unitary composite frame structure, including the at least one acoustic panel in the unitary composite frame structure, and covering the internal frame assembly with the composite overlay.