Metal sheets and plates having friction-reducing textured surfaces and methods of manufacturing same

• US 8,444,092 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2009
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howmet Aerospace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alcoa Incorporated (Howmet Aerospace, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Ming, Marinelli, James M., Magnusen, Paul E., Sheu, Simon, Heinimann, Markus B., Liu, John, Vega, Luis Fanor, Liu, Jiantao
• Primary Examiner(s): Alsomiri, Isam
• Assistant Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US12/536,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 244/198, 244/199.1, 244/200, 244/204, 244/130, 244/133
• US Class Current: 244/133
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 1/227 Surface roughening or texturing
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 2003/001 Aluminium or its alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 21/10 using other surface properties, e.g. roughness
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2230/26 by using rib lets or hydrophobic surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/004 oriented essentially parallel to the direction of flow
• CPC Class Codes: F15D 1/12 by influencing the boundary layer use of materials, e.g. to reduce surface friction C09K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12389 having variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1359 Three or more layers [continuous layer]

Abstract

Metal sheets and plates having friction-reducing textured surfaces and methods of manufacturing these metal sheets and plates are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, there is provided a transportation vessel that includes at least one metal product having at least one surface that is substantially grooved, wherein the substantially grooved surface forms a riblet topography, the riblet topography including a multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets running along at least a part of the surface, and wherein the riblet topography is coated with at least one coating sufficiently designed and applied to preserve the riblet topography. In an embodiment, the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets results in a friction-reducing textured surface. In an embodiment, metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of an aircraft. In an embodiment, metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of a rotor blade.

Claims

1. A transportation vessel comprising:

at least one metal product having a surface comprising;

a substantially grooved riblet topography including a multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets running along at least a part of the surface;

a first organic primer layer applied to the riblet topography at a thickness of between 25 μ

m and 65 μ

m; and

a second topcoat layer applied over the first organic primer layer at a thickness of between 25 μ

m and 65 μ

m,

wherein the first organic primer layer and the second topcoat layer provide a substantially constant thickness coating along the entire surface of the riblet topography to preserve the riblet topography while simultaneously providing corrosion protection and self-cleaning capability to the riblet topography.

2. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets results in a friction-reducing textured surface.

3. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the metal product is an aluminum alloy sheet or plate.

4. The transportation vessel of claim 3 wherein the sheet or plate is fabricated from an Alclad aluminum alloy.

5. The transportation vessel of claim 3 wherein the metal product is a titanium sheet or plate.

6. The transportation vessel of claim 3 wherein the metal product is a steel sheet or plate.

7. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the riblet topography includes at least one hundred adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets.

8. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets are evenly spaced a distance apart.

9. The transportation vessel of claim 8 wherein the distance ranges from about 25 μ

m to about 5.0 mm.

10. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein each of the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets have a peak height between about 25 μ

m to about 5.0 mm.

11. The transportation vessel of claim 1 further comprising an easy/self-cleaning coating.

12. The transportation vessel of claim 11 wherein the easy/self-cleaning coating is a super-hydrophilic coating.

13. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the primer layer is an epoxy primer.

14. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the topcoat layer is a polyurethane topcoat.

15. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the super-hydrophilic coating is a light-activated system containing anatase titanium dioxide.

16. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein a hydrophobic chemical additive is added to the topcoat layer.

17. The transportation vessel of claim 16 wherein the hydrophobic chemical additive is a functionalized siloxane system.

18. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of an aircraft.

19. The transportation vessel of claim 18 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating a wing of the aircraft.

20. The transportation vessel of claim 18 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating a fuselage of the aircraft.

21. The transportation vessel of claim 18 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating a stabilizer of the aircraft.

22. The transportation vessel of claim 1 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of a rotor blade.

23. A transportation vessel comprising:

at least one metal product having a surface comprising;

a substantially grooved riblet topography including a multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets running along at least a part of the surface;

a first organic primer layer applied to the riblet topography at a thickness of between 25 μ

m and 65 μ

m;

a second topcoat layer applied over the first organic primer layer at a thickness of between 25 μ

m and 65 μ

m; and

a third super-hydrophilic coating layer over the second topcoat layer at a thickness of between 5 μ

m and 20 μ

m,

wherein the first organic primer layer, the second topcoat layer, and the third super-hydrophilic coating layer provide a substantially constant thickness coating along the entire surface of the riblet topography to preserve the riblet topography while simultaneously providing corrosion protection and self-cleaning capability to the riblet topography.

24. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets results in a friction-reducing textured surface.

25. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the metal product is an aluminum alloy sheet or plate.

26. The transportation vessel of claim 25 wherein the sheet or plate is fabricated from an Alclad aluminum alloy.

27. The transportation vessel of claim 25 wherein the metal product is a titanium sheet or plate.

28. The transportation vessel of claim 25 wherein the metal product is a steel sheet or plate.

29. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the riblet topography includes at least one hundred adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets.

30. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets are evenly spaced a distance apart.

31. The transportation vessel of claim 30 wherein the distance ranges from about 25 μ

m to about 5.0 mm.

32. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein each of the multiplicity of adjacent permanently rolled longitudinal riblets have a peak height between about 25 μ

m to about 5.0 mm.

33. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the primer layer is an epoxy primer.

34. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the topcoat layer is a polyurethane topcoat.

35. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the super-hydrophilic coating is a light-activated system containing anatase titanium dioxide.

36. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein a hydrophobic chemical additive is added to the topcoat.

37. The transportation vessel of claim 36 wherein the hydrophobic chemical additive is a functionalized siloxane system.

38. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of an aircraft.

39. The transportation vessel of claim 38 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating a wing of the aircraft.

40. The transportation vessel of claim 38 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating a fuselage of the aircraft.

41. The transportation vessel of claim 38 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating a stabilizer of the aircraft.

42. The transportation vessel of claim 23 wherein the metal product is used in fabricating at least a portion of a rotor blade.