One or more power transmission devices may be implemented into a machine to transmit or share power between one component and another. The power transmission device may include a shaft that is used to couple components within a machine via one or more gears, splines or linkage arrangements. Any suitable machine component capable of operating in response to rotational motion may be coupled to the shaft. In one example, the machine may be part of an aircraft, and may be coupled to a shaft this is driven by a jet engine. In another example, an electromechanical actuator may deliver rotational motion to the shaft, which then selectively deploys or retracts a thrust reverser assembly of the aircraft.
To reduce wear and heat generation during operation of the power transmission device, a lubrication system may be employed. In one type of lubrication system, the gears or shaft may be made of or coated with a self-lubricating material. Recently, it has been discovered that pure rhenium has superior lubricating properties over other self-lubricants. However, practical methods of coating pure rhenium onto certain substrate materials, such as nickel-based alloys, cobalt-based alloys, iron-based alloys, and steel, are not known. Although components could be made entirely of pure rhenium, such an option may not be available in applications in which cost may be a constraint.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a method for coating pure rhenium onto a substrate. In addition, it is desirable for the method to be relatively low cost and simple to perform. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the inventive subject matter will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the inventive subject matter and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the inventive subject matter.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds