Abstract:
A concentrated solar energy system includes a photovoltaic cell (12), an optical concentrator (20), a heat removal system (14), and means (16) for providing thermal contact between the photovoltaic cell (12) and the heat removal system (14). The optical concentrator (20) is configured to direct concentrated solar energy to the photovoltaic cell (12) such that the photovoltaic cell (12) generates electricity and heat. The heat removal system (14) removes heat from the photovoltaic cell (12). The means (16) for providing thermal contact provides an effective thermal conductivity per unit length between the photovoltaic cell (12) and the heat removal system (14) of greater than about 50 kilowatts per square meter per degree Celsius.
Abstract:
A method for producing ceramic articles having a complex geometry. Temporary tooling is provided having cavities corresponding in shape to the desired ceramic article. The cavities are filled with a ceramic slurry which is solidified by freezing or gelation of a polymer. The ceramic is treated to remove the original liquid portion of the slurry and the temporary tooling is removed. The ceramic is then sintered. The ceramic article thus obtained may be used to investment cast a metal article.
Abstract:
A method for producing ceramic articles having a complex geometry. Temporary tooling is provided having cavities corresponding in shape to the desired ceramic article. The cavities are filled with a ceramic slurry which is solidified by freezing or gelation of a polymer. The ceramic is treated to remove the original liquid portion of the slurry and the temporary tooling is removed. The ceramic is then sintered. The ceramic article thus obtained may be used to investment cast a metal article.
Abstract:
A disclosed method of forming a ceramic article includes forming a pre-ceramic polymer article within a mold tool, and performing a first pyrolizing step on the initial pre-ceramic polymer article to form a ceramic article. The method further includes performing at least one pre-heat treatment polymer infiltration and pyrolizing (PIP) cycle on the ceramic article and an initial heat treatment cycle of the ceramic article after the at least one pre-heat treatment PIP cycle. Subsequent PIP cycles and heat treatment cycles are performed in combination to form a ceramic article including a desired density.
Abstract:
Production of refractory carbides comprises preparing a polymer (I), combining it with a refractory metal (II) in an amount stoichiometrically equivalent to the excess carbon, shaping the mixture to form a blank for a propulsion unit component, and heating the blank so that (I) decomposes. (I) is capable of forming silicon carbide and contains excess carbon, and is combined with (II) in an amount stoichiometrically equivalent to the excess carbon. (I) decomposes into silicon carbide and excess carbon such that the excess carbon reacts with the metal to form a refractory carbide.
Abstract:
A gas turbine engine includes an airfoil having a core that has a first hardness and a surface on the core. The surface includes a plurality of geometric features that have a second, greater hardness. The geometric features define a surface porosity by area percent and a corresponding surface solidity by area percent. The surface includes a ratio of the surface solidity divided by the surface porosity that is 1.8 or greater. The geometric features and the ratio establish the surface to be hydrophobic, and the second, greater hardness and the ratio establish an erosion rate of the surface that is equal to or less than an erosion rate of the core under identical erosion conditions.
Abstract:
An article comprising a substrate containing silicon and a barrier layer which functions as an environmental barrier coating and, more particularly, a barrier layer which comprises hafnium silicate and, optionally, zirconium silicate and a method for forming the hafnium silicate as a barrier coating.
Abstract:
A fuel system for an energy conversion device includes a deoxygenator system with an oxygen permeable membrane having a textured surface. A sweep gas and/or vacuum maintains an oxygen concentration differential across the membrane to deoxygenate the fuel. The textured surface increases the surface area of the oxygen permeable membrane. The textured surface of the oxygen permeable membrane is fabricated by pressing the textured surface into the oxygen permeable membrane with a microreplication-based tooling system. Another fabrication method presses the textured surface into a sacrificial film and the oxygen permeable membrane is then formed upon the sacrificial film to transfer the textured surface to the oxygen permeable membrane and the sacrificial film is then subsequently removed. Another fabrication method applies additional material to the oxyge n permeable membrane through a porous sacrificial film.