METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ACOUSTIC PANEL

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a composite panel is described. The method includes producing a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall from composite materials including an oxide matrix and long oxide fibres; from the first and second walls, producing a cellular core including a plurality of cells, each cell including a first end and an opposing second end, covering the first and second ends of the cells of the cellular core with the third wall and the fourth wall, respectively, so as to close the ends of said cells.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing a composite panel, comprising: making a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall of composite materials comprising an oxide matrix and long oxide fibers; from the first and second walls, forming a honeycomb core having a plurality of cells, each cell having a first end and an opposite second end; and covering said first and second ends of the cells of said honeycomb core with said third wall and said fourth wall, respectively, so as to close the ends of said cells.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising: forming the first wall so as to obtain a corrugated wall having alternating first and second apex portions interconnected by apex connecting portions; cutting slots in said first apex portions and in said apex connecting portions of the first wall; making cuts in the second wall so as to obtain a plurality of strips; and inserting said strips into the slots of the first wall so as to delimit a plurality of cells.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising applying an adhesive to the junction areas of the first wall and the strips.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: cutting the first wall and the second wall into first strips and second strips of the same width, respectively, each having a first edge and a second edge which are substantially parallel; in said first edges of each of the first strips and the second strips, making first parallel slots and second parallel slots, respectively, and forming the honeycomb core by nesting said first strips in the second slots of the second strips and said second strips in the first slots of the first strips so that the bottoms of the first slots are in contact with the bottoms of the second slots.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first strips and the second strips have the same width.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the width of the first strips, the width of the second strips and the depth of the slots are dimensioned in such a way that the first edges of the first strips are flush with the second edges of the second strips and/or the second edges of the first strips are flush with the first edges of the second strips.

7. The method according to claim 4, comprising applying an adhesive to the joining areas of the first strips and the second strips.

8. The method according to claim 2, comprising applying an adhesive to the areas of junctions of the honeycomb core with at least one of the third wall and the fourth wall.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite material is obtained by adding a binding slurry to biaxial or unidirectional fiber webs.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the first wall, the second wall, the third wall and the fourth wall is obtained by thermoforming.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first wall, the second wall, the third wall and the fourth wall is obtained by forming with the aid of an impression.

12. The method according to claim 1, comprising at least one debonding step followed by a sintering step, said debonding and sintering steps configured to take place after at least one of the following steps: obtaining one of the first, second, third or fourth walls; cutting of strips; assembling the strips in said slots; or bonding the third wall and the fourth wall to the honeycomb core.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the third wall and the fourth wall comprises perforations, each of the perforations opening into a cell.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0054] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an acoustic panel for a turbomachine according to the prior art;

[0055] FIGS. 2a to 2d illustrate the various making steps of an acoustic panel according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0056] FIGS. 3a to 3e illustrate the various making steps of an acoustic panel according to a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] In the following detailed description, the term “fibres” refers to “long oxide fibres”. The term “axial” means an axial direction oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine when the acoustic panel 10 according to the invention is mounted in a turbomachine.

[0058] FIG. 1 relates to an acoustic panel 10 of the prior art described above.

[0059] Reference is now made to FIGS. 2a to 2d, representing the process of obtaining an acoustic panel 10 in ceramic matrix composite material according to the first embodiment.

[0060] The first, second, third and fourth composite walls 20, 22, 24, 26 are obtained, respectively, from a biaxial fibre web or a unidirectional fibre web.

[0061] In the case of biaxial fibre webs, the web is coated with a slurry so that the slurry penetrates into the porosities of the web and thus forms a composite wall. The slurry is filled with alumina powder and a binder, the binder may be a thermoplastic or a fugitive thermoset or a preceramic oxide thermoset. The binder allows the coated biaxial fibre web to be stiffened following heat treatment. Following a coating, the biaxial fibre web is passed under a press or vacuum tarp to ensure the compaction and penetration of the slurry into the fibre web. If the binder used is a fugitive binder, then the coated sheet is loosened, in the form of a heat treatment, so that the binder is removed from the wall. A fugitive binder is intended to be removed by a debonding process.

[0062] The step of coating a slurry can be replaced by an infusion or injection step.

[0063] In the case where the web is composed of unidirectional fibres, the unidirectional fibres are bound to each other by means of a first binder, commonly known as a “binder”, ensuring cohesion between them. The unidirectional fiber web is draped directly into the impression in the desired shape. This unidirectional fiber web is undergoing debonding. This debonding creates porosities. The slurry is injected onto the unidirectional fibres once the impression is closed. The slurry is injected via an STM (Slurry Transfer Molding) process and will become lodged between the unidirectional fibers of the unidirectional fiber web. Said slurry is filled with an alumina or alumino-silicate powder and a thermoplastic binder, typically PVA. The alumina or alumino-silicate of the slurry forms the oxide matrix of the composite material and the thermoplastic ensures cohesion between the unidirectional fibres. The binder of the slurry is used to hold the alumina powder grains or alumino-silicate together. The binder prevents the alumina powder or the alumino-silicate from crumbling and consequently the material is not very durable or even does not hold up after injection. This binder will subsequently be removed at a later temperature during sintering, the powder grains being sufficiently solid to ensure the material's holding power. This injection of slurry also allows the unidirectional fibre web to take the shape of the impression. Thus, the wall obtained after injection directly presents the desired shape.

[0064] Alternatively, the slurry injection step can be replaced by an infusion step.

[0065] It should be noted that unidirectional fibre webs can also be thermoformed, thanks to the first binder present in the unidirectional fibre web. The first binder is heated to allow the unidirectional fiber web to conform to the shape of the impression. Once the thermoforming has been completed, the first binder is removed by circulating hot water in the closed cavity. When the first binder is removed, the impression is kept closed and a slurry comprising alumina powder or alumino-silicate and binder is injected under pressure onto the unidirectional fibre web.

[0066] Preferably, unidirectional fibre webs have a thickness of between 0.1 and 0.3 mm and biaxial fibre webs have a thickness of between 0.3 and 0.6 mm.

[0067] Corrugated sheet 28, shown in FIGS. 2a, 2c and 2d, is obtained by forming the first wall 20 using one of the processes described above.

[0068] Optionally, the walls can also be obtained by thermoforming biaxial fibre webs previously coated with an injected slurry using an STM process or by infusion. The fugitive binder can be replaced by a preceramic polysiloxane type binder, preferably powder-filled. If the binder is of the polysiloxane type, the coated biaxial fibre web is thermoformed and then pyrolysed to convert the polysiloxane into ceramic oxide.

[0069] When the acoustic panel 10 is mounted on the casing of the turbomachine, the width of the corrugated wall 28, otherwise known as the corrugated sheet, designates the circumferential component and the direction normal to the apex portions 30, and more generally to the corrugated sheet 28, designates the radial direction. Corrugated sheet 28 has a curved profile in the direction of its width, so as to define a ring sector. Corrugated sheet 28 comprises, between its upstream axial end 32 and downstream axial end 34, a succession of first and second apex portions 36, 38 and apex connecting portions 40 in an axial direction. Each first apex portion 36 extends in a substantially axial direction along a cylindrical surface as illustrated in FIG. 42. Each second apex portion 38 extends in a substantially axial direction along a cylindrical surface as shown in FIG. 44. Cylindrical surfaces 42, 44 are approximately parallel to each other and are therefore not confused. Each apex linkage portion 40 extends to link a first apex portion 36 to a second apex portion 38.

[0070] Thus, in FIG. 2a, the first portions 36 of the apices are all aligned along the cylindrical surface 42 and the second portions 38 of the apex along the cylindrical surface 44. Preferably, the upstream axial ends 32 and downstream axial ends 34 of the corrugated sheet 28 form first apex portions 36 also extending along the cylindrical surface 42.

[0071] The first apex portions 36, respectively the second apex portions 38, together with the connecting portions 40 of adjacent apices, define a trapezoidal shape without its largest base. The small base is defined by a first apex portion 36, respectively, and a second apex portion 38. The two non-parallel sides of the trapezium are defined by the apex connecting portions 40 connected on either side to the apex portion 36, 38 forming the small base.

[0072] Each first apex portion 36 and each second apex portion 38 and each apex connecting portion 40 extends across the entire width of the corrugated sheet 28 along the curvature of the curved profile so that the corrugated sheet 28 has a substantially corrugated shape and the direction of the corrugations is along the axial axis.

[0073] The corrugated sheet 28 is cut so as to have slots 46 extending in the axial direction and opening in a direction normal to the corrugated sheet. The slots 46 are cut in the corrugated sheet 28 in a substantially axial direction through first apex portions 36, connecting portions 40 of adjacent apex portions of said first apex portions 36, a part of the downstream end 34 of the corrugated sheet 28 and the connecting portion 40 connecting it to a said second apex portion 38. Each of said slots 46 is intended to receive a strip 48 cut from the second wall 22.

[0074] It should be noted that the cuts of the slots 46 can be made either before sintering in the case of the use of a polysiloxane, or after polymerization of the latter. The cutting of the strips 48 can also be carried out after polymerisation of a polysiloxane as well as the assembly of the whole. In this case, pyrolysis of the entire system will be carried out. It is also possible to glue the two skins 14 at the polymerized stage and thus simultaneously carry out the pyrolysis of the polysiloxane constituting the acoustic partitions 16 and the sintering of the alumina matrix of the skins 14.

[0075] In the case of the use of fugitive first binders, it is preferable to carry out the operations of cutting the slots, cutting the strips 48, assembling the complex, gluing the skins 14 at a stage where the unitary elements are pre-sintered. Once the complex has been fully assembled, the final sintering will be carried out to ensure the structural cohesion of the whole.

[0076] The strips 48, once inserted, thus extend in a normal direction with respect to the corrugated sheet 28 and partition widthwise along the bend, the first and second portions 36, 38 of the top.

[0077] The second wall 22 is cut so as to form substantially identical strips 48 having a width of approximately 10 mm. This cutting can be mechanical, water jet or laser. Each strip 48 comprises a first straight edge 50 extending substantially axially from the upstream end 32 to the downstream end 34 of the corrugated sheet 28 so as to project in a direction normal to the corrugated sheet 28 from the first apex portions 36, and the upstream end 32 and downstream end 34 of the corrugated sheet 28, when the strips are inserted. When the acoustic panel 10 is mounted on the turbomachine housing, the direction of the protrusion corresponds to the radial direction, i.e. radially inwards. The second edge 52 of each of said strips 48 extends opposite the first edge 50 and conforms to the shape of the upstream end 32 and the apex connecting portion 40 connecting the upstream end 32 of corrugated sheet 28 and a second apex portion 38. Starting from the downstream end 54 of said above-mentioned apex connecting portion 40, the second edge 52, of strip 48, extends axially, parallel to the first edge 50, so as to conform to the shape of the second apex portions 38 and to abut the latter, when strips 48 are inserted. Starting from the downstream end 56 of the second crown portion 38 connected to the downstream end 34 of the corrugated sheet 28 by a crown connecting portion 40, the second edge 52 of the strip 48 extends downstream in an axial direction and towards the first edge 50. When the spacing between the first and second edges 50, 52 is identical to that at the upstream end 34, the first edge 50 and the second edge 52 extend parallel in an axial direction so that the second edge 52 follows the shape of the downstream part 36 of the corrugated sheet 28.

[0078] FIG. 2b shows the third wall 24 forming the outer skin, otherwise known as the first skin 14 that has been shaped to be curved. The first curved skin 14 also includes a profile curved in the direction of its width to match the curved profile of the corrugated sheet 28. The first curved skin 14 extends the same axial distance as the corrugated sheet 28. Axially, the first skin 14 is formed to conform to the shape of the corrugated sheet 28 on the portions comprising the upstream end 34 and the second apex portions 38 of the corrugated sheet 28. Starting from the downstream end 56 of the second apex portion 38 connected to the downstream end 34 of the corrugated sheet 28 by an apex connecting portion 40, the first curved skin 14 is shaped so as to follow the shapes of the second edges 52 of the strips 48 inserted in the corrugated sheet 28.

[0079] FIG. 2c shows the honeycomb core 12 consisting of corrugated sheet 28 and strips 48 inserted in slots 46 of corrugated sheet 28. Each cell 18 of the honeycomb core 12 defined by a first apex portion 36 opens radially outwards when acoustic panel 10 is mounted in the turbomachine. Respectively, each cell 18 of the honeycomb core 12 defined by a second apex portion 38 opens radially inwards, when acoustic panel 10 is mounted in the turbomachine.

[0080] When strips 48 forming partitions 16 are inserted into slots 48 of corrugated sheet 28, it is preferable to apply adhesive at the junction areas of corrugated sheet 28 and strips 48. These junction zones are defined by the ends of slots 46. Applying adhesive to the joint areas will stiffen the honeycomb core 12.

[0081] Optionally, the adhesive can be applied at the ends of the slots 46 intended to come into contact with the strips 48, before the strips 48 are inserted.

[0082] When the honeycomb core 12 is formed and stiffened, the third 24 wall and the fourth wall (not shown), forming the outer and inner skins 14, otherwise known as the first skin and second skin of the acoustic panel 10, are fixed, in a direction normal to the corrugated sheet 28, on either side of the honeycomb core 12, so as to enclose the cells 18.

[0083] The second skin (not shown), obtained from the fourth wall 26, covers the side of the honeycomb core 12 opposite that covered by the first skin, obtained from the third wall 24. The second skin extends circumferentially around the entire circumference of the acoustic panel 10 and longitudinally from the upstream end to the downstream end of the first skin. The second skin is shaped so as to be adhered to the honeycomb core 12 and the first skin arranged radially outside the honeycomb core 12 upstream and downstream of the honeycomb core 12.

[0084] To ensure the attachment of the skins 14 to the honeycomb core 12, an adhesive is applied to surface 58 of skin 14 coming into contact with the first and second portions 36, 38 of the top of the honeycomb core 12. Alternatively, or additionally, the adhesive is applied to surface 60 of the upstream end 34 of the corrugated sheet 28, surfaces 62 of the second apex portions 38 and the second edges 52 of the strips 48, at the downstream end 36 of the corrugated sheet 28. The surfaces 60, 62 of the upstream end 32 and the second portions 38 of the top and the second edges 52 of strips 48 are opposite the skin 14 formed by the third wall 24. The adhesive used is preferably pre-ceramic oxide resin or ceramic glue, as described above.

[0085] When the skins 14 are fixed, the acoustic panel 10 according to the first embodiment is obtained.

[0086] Preferably, when the corrugated sheet 28, the strips 48 forming the partitions 16 of the cells 18 of the honeycomb core 12, the skins 14 are respectively obtained, debonding and pre-sintering can be carried out.

[0087] Debonding is carried out to remove the slurry from the aforementioned pieces obtained using the first, second, third and fourth walls 20, 22, 24, 26. This slurry is removed during the temperature rise in the pre-sintering cycle.

[0088] Pre-sintering is carried out at a temperature of approximately 1,000 to 1,100° C. to consolidate the material. At this temperature, the grains of alumina powder create bridges between them giving the material strength.

[0089] Optionally, these debonding and pre-sintering steps can also be carried out after assembly of the strips 48 in the slots 46 of the corrugated sheet 28 or after gluing the skins 14 to the honeycomb core 12.

[0090] FIGS. 3a to 3e illustrate an acoustic panel according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0091] In the second embodiment of the composite acoustic panel 10, as in the first embodiment, the first, second, third and fourth composite walls 20, 22, 24, 26 are obtained respectively from a biaxial fibre fleece or a unidirectional fibre fleece.

[0092] FIG. 3a shows the first composite wall 20 obtained after coating and pressing or vacuum forming. Cut-out areas 64 of the first wall 20, in the form of parallel dashed lines, so as to form first strips 66, are illustrated. This cutting can be mechanical, by water jet, or laser. The first strips 66 have a roughly rectangular shape. The width 68 of each first strip 66 is of the order of 10 mm.

[0093] The second wall 22 is obtained by the same process as the first wall 20 and is also cut into second strips 70 having the same characteristics as the first strips 66.

[0094] Optionally, the first and second strips 66, 70 can be obtained from the first wall 20 and/or the second wall 22.

[0095] The first and second strips 66, 70 each comprise a first parallel edge 72 and a second parallel edge 74 defining the length of said first and second strips 66, 70. The first and second edges 72, 74 of the first and second strips 66, 70 are spaced apart so as to define the width 68 of said first and second strips 66, 70.

[0096] FIG. 3b illustrates a cutting of first slots 76 in the first strips 66 and respectively second slots 78 in the second strips 70. The first and second slots 76, 78 extend respectively in a direction parallel to the width 68 of said first and second strips 66, 70 from their respective first edge 72. The first and second slots 76, 78 each comprise a bottom 80 and two flanks 82 extending parallel on either side of said bottom 80. Each of said first and second slots 76, 78 extends respectively over half the width 68 of said first and second strips 66, 70. The first and second strips 66, 70 with first and second slots 76, 78 respectively form a comb. The first slots 76 of the first strips 66 are equally spaced. The second slots 78 of the second strips 70 are equally spaced at equal distances from each other.

[0097] FIG. 3c shows an interlocking of the first strips 66 in the second slots 78 of the second strips 70 and an interlocking of the second strips 70 in the first slots 76 of the first strips 66, so that the bottom 80 of the first slots 76 is in contact with the bottom 80 of the second slots 78.

[0098] The first slots 76 of the first strips 66 being equally spaced from each other, and likewise for the second slots 78 of the second strips 70. All first strips 66 are substantially identical and all second strips 70 are substantially identical. When the first strips 66 are nested in the second slots 78 of the second strips 70, said first strips 66 extend parallel to each other. Similarly, when the second strips 70 are nested in the first slots 76 of the first strips 66, said second strips 70 extend parallel to each other. The second strips 70 extend perpendicularly to the first strips 66.

[0099] These nests of the first and second strips 66, 70 thus allow the production of the honeycomb core 12 (shown in FIG. 3d). The cells 18 of the honeycomb core 12 are defined by the intersections of the first strip 66 and the second strip 70. Thus, a cell 18 is defined by the intersection of two successive first strips 66 with two successive second strips 70. The parallelism of the first strips 66 and respectively the second strips 70 and the perpendicularity of the first and second strips 66, 70 allow the definition of cells 18 having a rectangular, and preferably square, shape. Cell 18 includes open ends at the outcrops of the first and second strips 66, 70 defining cell 18.

[0100] Advantageously, when the honeycomb core 12 is obtained by interlocking the first strips 66 and second strips 70, an adhesive is applied at the joining areas of said first and second strips 66, 70, in order to stiffen the honeycomb core 12 and to avoid dissociation of the first strips 66 and second strips 70 constituting the honeycomb core 12.

[0101] Optionally, before nesting the first and second strips 66, 70, adhesive can be applied to the bottom 80 and sides 82 of each of the first and second slots 66, 70.

[0102] When the honeycomb core 12 is produced and stiffened, debonding and pre-sintering is carried out on the parts obtained using the first, second, third and fourth walls 20, 22, 24, 26. The process is identical to that described in the first embodiment of the invention.

[0103] When debonding and pre-sintering have been completed, the third wall 24 and the fourth wall 26, forming the skins 14, are positioned on either side of the honeycomb core 12 so as to cover the open ends of the cells 18, as shown in FIG. 3e. The third wall 24 and the fourth wall 26 forming the skins 14 are attached to the honeycomb core 12 with an adhesive. Preferably, the adhesive is oxide ceramic glue. The oxide ceramic adhesive is applied to the surface of the third wall 24 and the surface of the fourth wall 26 coming into contact with the honeycomb core 12 and/or to the open ends of the cells 18 intended to come into contact with said third and fourth walls 24, 26.

[0104] The assembly of the skins 14 with the honeycomb core 12 makes it possible to produce an acoustic panel 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0105] Acoustic panel 10, according to the first and the second embodiment, is in the form of an annular sector. Several acoustic panels 10 can be arranged circumferentially end to end to form a ring of acoustic panels 10.