ACOUSTIC ATTENUATION PANEL AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHODS

Abstract

An acoustic attenuation panel includes a cellular structure including a plurality of acoustic cells separated from one another by peripheral partitions, a perforated acoustic structure, the perforated acoustic structure and the cellular structure being formed in one piece in a first material, and a porous acoustic layer formed of a second material and fastened to a surface of the perforated acoustic structure by entangling the first material and the second material.

Claims

1. An acoustic attenuation panel comprising: a cellular structure comprising a plurality of acoustic cells separated from each other by peripheral partitions; a perforated acoustic structure, the perforated acoustic structure and the cellular structure being formed in a single part in a first material; and a porous acoustic layer formed of a second material, fixed to a surface of the perforated acoustic structure by entanglement of the first material and the second material.

2. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the single part formed from the cellular structure and the perforated acoustic structure and the porous acoustic layer comprise identical materials.

3. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the single part formed from the cellular structure and the perforated acoustic structure and the porous acoustic layer comprise different materials.

4. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein perforations of the perforated acoustic structure are spaced from each other by a variable distance in an axial direction.

5. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein perforations of the perforated acoustic structure have an increasing dimension in an axial direction.

6. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein perforations of the perforated acoustic structure comprise a rectangular shape.

7. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein perforations of the perforated acoustic structure comprise at least 20% of the surface of said perforated acoustic structure.

8. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein perforations of the perforated acoustic structure comprise at least 40% of the surface of said perforated acoustic structure.

9. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein perforations of the perforated acoustic structure comprise at least 60% of the surface of said perforated acoustic structure.

10. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the porous acoustic layer comprises holes of dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the perforations of the perforated acoustic structure.

11. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the porous acoustic layer comprises holes of increasing size in an axial direction.

12. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the perforated acoustic structure and the peripheral partitions comprise a thickness between 1 and 5 millimeters.

13. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the perforated acoustic structure and the peripheral partitions comprise a thickness between 1 and 2 millimeters.

14. The acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic attenuation panel comprises a removable cover arranged on one face of the cellular structure opposite the perforated acoustic structure.

15. An air inlet of a nacelle, arranged upstream of a fan, the air inlet comprising an inner face facing the fan, said inner face receiving at least one acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1.

16. A method for manufacturing an acoustic attenuation panel according to claim 1 by a molding tool comprising at least one mold and a counter-mold, the method comprising: placing a porous acoustic layer in a space located between said at least one mold and the counter-mold; pinching the porous acoustic layer between said at least one mold and the counter-mold; injecting a material intended to form a perforated acoustic structure and a cellular structure in one piece in a molding tool; entangling the material intended to form a perforated acoustic structure and a cellular structure with the material of the porous acoustic layer; and removing the acoustic attenuation panel formed from the molding tool.

17. The manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein said at least one mold comprises at least one punch configured to form a perforation in the perforated acoustic structure.

18. The manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein surfaces of said at least one punch and of the counter-mold are coated with a flexible material.

19. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein the flexible material comprises at least one of silicone and fluorocarbon.

20. The manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein surfaces of the at least one punch and of the counter-mold comprise a rigid material.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0065] 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:

[0066] FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an acoustic attenuation panel according to the present disclosure;

[0067] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view of the acoustic attenuation panel according to the present disclosure;

[0068] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the acoustic attenuation panel according to one form of the present disclosure;

[0069] FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the acoustic attenuation panel according to another form of the present disclosure;

[0070] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the acoustic attenuation panel according to yet another form of the present disclosure;

[0071] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a method for manufacturing an acoustic panel according to the present disclosure; and

[0072] FIG. 7 is an illustration of a propulsion unit comprising a nacelle whose air inlet receives an acoustic attenuation panel according to the present disclosure.

[0073] 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 DESCRIPTION

[0074] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0075] Note that in the description and in the claims, the terms upstream and downstream must be understood in relation to the circulation of the air flow inside the propulsion unit formed by the nacelle and the turbojet engine, that is to say from left to right with reference to FIG. 7.

[0076] FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an acoustic attenuation panel (FIG. 3) according to the present disclosure.

[0077] The acoustic panel 1 comprises a cellular structure 10, a perforated acoustic structure 20, and a porous acoustic layer 30 attached to the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0078] Thus, the cellular structure 10 of the acoustic panel according to the present disclosure has a free face and a face provided with a perforated acoustic structure 20 and a porous acoustic layer 30.

[0079] The cellular structure 10 and the perforated acoustic structure 20 are formed in a single part, that is to say they are made in one part.

[0080] This reduces the risk of erosion, abrasion, detachment, or delamination of the acoustic panels of the prior art in which the two structures are interconnected, for example by gluing or adhesive bonding.

[0081] The cellular structure 10 comprises a plurality of acoustic cells 100 which are separated from each other by peripheral partitions 102.

[0082] In the present example, each cell has a square shape with a side of 5 centimeters.

[0083] In a variant, each cell may have a rectangular shape as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0084] The acoustic cells are not limited to the shapes described above and can have other polygonal shapes such as a triangle, a pentagon, and a hexagon, among others.

[0085] Each peripheral partition 102 extends from the perforated acoustic structure 20 at an angle of 90°. In other words, each peripheral partition extends substantially perpendicular to the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0086] These partitions 102 may include projections or tappings (not represented) intended to allow the acoustic attenuation panel to be fixed in a nacelle (FIG. 7). In some forms of the present disclosure, the acoustic panel is intended to be fixed or glued to a duct of the nacelle to provide the functions of aerodynamic surface and acoustic attenuator of this duct of the nacelle. In the case of a fixing, the surface between the panel and the nacelle may present a clearance. As such, provision is made in the acoustic attenuation panel 1 to support a sealing element such as a joint sealing.

[0087] In one form, the perforated acoustic structure 20 and the peripheral partitions 102 have a thickness between 0.5 and 5 millimeters. For example, the perforated acoustic structure 20 has a thickness between 0.5 and 2 millimeters, the peripheral partitions 102 have a thickness between 1 and 5 millimeters, or the peripheral partitions 102 have a thickness between 1 and 3 millimeters.

[0088] This relatively thin thickness is particularly desired in acoustic treatments.

[0089] The perforated acoustic structure 20 comprises a plurality of perforations 200 formed in a regular manner in the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0090] In a form of the present disclosure not shown, the perforations 200 can be spaced apart by a variable distance in the axial direction A.

[0091] The term axial direction should be understood with respect to the circulation of the air flow as represented by the arrow A in FIG. 1.

[0092] As illustrated in FIG. 3, each perforation 200 of the perforated acoustic structure has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded tops. In the present example, each acoustic cell 100 comprises four perforations 200.

[0093] The present disclosure is not limited to this type of shape, indeed the shape of the perforations 200 can be variable and correspond to fractal shapes for example as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0094] In a variant, the perforations 200 may have different shapes as illustrated in FIG. 5 in which at least one perforation 200 is circular in shape and at least one perforation is trapezoidal in shape.

[0095] In the same way, the dimension S of the perforations 200 can vary and be for example increasing along the axial direction A. This scalable distribution also makes it possible to provide larger dimensions S near the fan and smaller at the distal end of the latter to provide an acoustic treatment which is proportional to the sound level.

[0096] In one form of the present disclosure, the dimension of the perforations is at least 1 millimeter, and can be at least 2 millimeters.

[0097] The acoustic panel 1 has a porous acoustic layer 30. By porous layer it is meant a layer having at least one hole perforated by various mechanical means or a hole formed by the porosity of the material of the porous acoustic layer 30.

[0098] The porous acoustic layer 30 is arranged on the surface of the perforated acoustic structure 20 opposite the face of said structure 20 from which the peripheral partitions 102 extend. The porous acoustic layer 30 extends parallel to the perforated acoustic structure 20

[0099] The porous acoustic layer 30 is rigidly attached to the perforated acoustic structure 20 by entanglement of at least one of the materials with the second material. FIG. 2 illustrates in more detail the fixing between the porous acoustic layer 30 and the perforated acoustic structure 20. The porous acoustic layer 30 is fixed to the perforated acoustic structure 20 by an entanglement of the respective materials of the porous acoustic layer 30 and of the perforated acoustic structure.

[0100] By entanglement it is meant a diffusion of material into another material, a penetration of material to create bridges of material between the components.

[0101] This entanglement is obtained during the manufacture of the acoustic attenuation panel which is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0102] Thus, it is possible to dispense with the techniques of fixing by bonding of the prior art which generate problems of holding and detachment over time, in particular in the case of porous layers of materials liable to corrode.

[0103] The porous acoustic layer 30 has holes 32 of dimensions smaller than the dimensions S of the perforations 200 of the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0104] In a form of the present disclosure not shown, the dimension of the holes 32 of the porous acoustic layer 30 can vary and for example be increasing along the axial direction A.

[0105] According to one form of the present disclosure, the cellular structure 10, the perforated acoustic structure 20, and the porous acoustic layer 30 are made of identical materials.

[0106] According to a first example, the cellular structure 10, the perforated acoustic structure 20, and the porous acoustic layer 30 are made of metallic material, such as aluminum, more specifically an aluminum alloy selected from the 6000 series.

[0107] The porous acoustic layer 30 may be a micro-perforated metal sheet, for example by a micro-drilling technique produced by laser so as to form a layer similar to a mesh.

[0108] Alternatively, the porous acoustic layer 30 may be a very fine mesh of aluminum alloy of the same series or of a series of compatible alloy such as an alloy selected from the 5000 series.

[0109] According to a second example, the cellular structure 10, the perforated acoustic structure 20, and the porous acoustic layer 30 are made of composite material, for example of a material formed from a thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix.

[0110] According to another form of the present disclosure, the cellular structure 10, the perforated acoustic structure 20, and the porous acoustic layer 30 are made of different materials. For example, the cellular structure 10 and the perforated acoustic structure 20 are made of composite materials and the porous acoustic layer 30 is made of metallic material.

[0111] In another form, the acoustic attenuation panel 1 may comprise a removable cover (not shown) arranged on the face of the cellular structure opposite to the face comprising the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0112] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a method for manufacturing the acoustic attenuation panel 1 according to one form of the present disclosure.

[0113] In the present example, the acoustic attenuation panel is produced by a molding tool 4 comprising a plurality of molds 40 and a counter-mold 400.

[0114] In the present example, each mold 40 has a shape intended to form an acoustic cell 100. Each mold comprises a plurality of punches 42 complementary to the perforations 200, intended to form an opening in the perforated acoustic structure 20. In the present example, a mold comprises four punches.

[0115] In a first form, a porous layer 30 is placed between the plurality of molds 40 and the counter-mold 400. As such, the molding tool 4 has a space located between the molds 40 and the counter-mold 400 corresponding to the thickness of the porous layer 30.

[0116] The porous layer 30 is pinched between the molds 40 and the counter-mold 400, for example by moving the mold 40 or by moving the counter-mold 400.

[0117] The material used to produce the perforated acoustic structure 20 and the cellular structure 10 in one part is injected into the molding tool 4 so that it infiltrates the parts of the mold located between two adjacent punches and fuses with or coats the material in the porous layer.

[0118] Thus, the porous acoustic layer 30 is fixed to the perforated acoustic structure 20 at the level of the parts P around the perforations 200.

[0119] The materials are then hardened, and the acoustic panel thus created is unmolded, for example by removing the molds 40 and then removing the acoustic panel created from the counter-mold 400.

[0120] In a first variant, the surfaces of the punches 42 and of the counter-mold 400 are coated with a flexible material such as silicone or fluorocarbon so that they are deformed to inhibit migration of material into the perforations 200 being formed. In addition, this soft coating makes it possible not to deform the porous acoustic layer during the pinching step.

[0121] In another variant, the surfaces of the punches 42 and of the counter-mold 400 can be made of a rigid material, the pinching of the porous layer causes deformation of the latter by work hardening. In a particular solution, the pinch is slightly more important in the zones of formation of the perforations 200 to inhibit migration of material.

[0122] In a second form, the perforated acoustic structure 20 and the cellular structure 10 formed in a single part are produced during a first operation using the molds 40 and the counter-mold 400 to form the acoustic cells 100 and an openwork of the perforated acoustic structure. The single part is hardened and then demolded.

[0123] The porous acoustic layer 30 is placed against the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0124] The connection between the porous acoustic layer 30 and the perforated acoustic structure 20 is obtained by melting or partial dissolution either of the material of the single part formed of the perforated acoustic structure 20 and of the cellular structure 10, or of the porous layer 30, or both, so that the materials become entangled with each other. The fusion can be carried out by ultrasound, induction, Joule effect or by heating the molds 40 or the counter-mold 400.

[0125] In one form, the perforated acoustic structure 20 has irregularities, for example a micro-uneven surface, that is to say which is not smooth in order to improve the anchoring of the material of the porous layer 30 in the perforated acoustic structure 20.

[0126] The newly formed acoustic attenuation panel is cooled so as to form a mechanical and/or molecular bond between the components of the panel.

[0127] The present disclosure provides for reliably and effectively interposing the porous acoustic layer 30 on the perforated acoustic structure 20. The production of the perforations 200 of the acoustic panel 1 is improved and the dimension S of the perforations 200 is better controlled.

[0128] The acoustic attenuation panel 1 can be formed in a single, circular part, 360° corresponding to the dimensions of the nacelle or be sectorized into a plurality of panels that can be assembled, for example into twenty-four panels presenting a deformation at 15°. As such, the counter-mold 400 can have a concave or convex shape in the range of 15° so that the panel 1 has a desired degree of deformation. The arrangement in assembleable acoustic panels facilitates the replacement of a damaged panel in the nacelle.

[0129] The production of acoustic attenuation panels is not limited to the manufacturing methods as described previously and can for example be produced by additive manufacturing without using the molding tool.

[0130] This variation has the advantage of improving the design of the acoustic attenuation panel, in particular of the perforated acoustic structure in which perforations of complex shape can be made. Furthermore, the material surrounding the perforations may have a variable thickness or width, thus making it possible to provide acoustic structures with multiple scales of stiffness.

[0131] FIG. 7 is an illustration of a propulsion unit 5 extending along a longitudinal axis X comprising a short nacelle 50 and a turbojet engine 500. The nacelle 50 has a structure comprising an upstream section forming an air inlet 52, a middle section 54 comprising fan cowls intended to surround a fan 510 of the turbojet engine 500, a downstream section 56 comprising a thrust reverser and intended to surround the combustion chamber of the turbojet engine, and an exhaust nozzle 58.

[0132] The air inlet 52 comprises an inner face 53 facing the fan 510, said inner face receives at least one acoustic attenuation panel 1 according to the examples previously described.

[0133] As illustrated in FIG. 7, other components of the nacelle such as the thrust reverser for example, can receive the acoustic attenuation panel 1 according to the examples previously described.

[0134] The acoustic attenuation panel can find application in several locations of a nacelle such as an air inlet, an extended air inlet, at the level of a fan casing or even of a thrust reverser.

[0135] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

[0136] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0137] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.