Aileron structure for an eVTOL aircraft

Abstract

The utility model discloses an eVTOL airplane aileron structure, including aileron framework and the aileron skin that wraps in aileron framework outside. Aileron framework includes the beam of exhibition, chord rib, rudder angle and a plurality of suspension joint, and the beam of exhibition is composed of web and the edge strip of web upper and lower two sides. Rudder angle is composed of connecting portion and ear piece, and the web inside surface of beam of exhibition is fixed with suspension joint, and a plurality of suspension joint symmetrical setting is in the two sides of rudder angle, and the through -hole is set up on suspension joint. Chord rib includes two end ribs, a plurality of ordinary ribs and a plurality of leading edge ribs, and the aileron skin is composed of upper skin, lower skin and three connecting band plate. In the utility model aileron structure, the main body structure of rudder angle is connected in the inside of aileron, only the connecting ear piece of rudder angle is exposed in the air, and the wind area is very small, and the aerodynamic drag is small. Meanwhile, the other side of the beam of exhibition is designed with reinforcing joint in the position corresponding with rudder angle, and the reinforcing joint and rudder angle are connected together by fastener through the web of beam, and the connecting strength is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electric aircraft technology, specifically to an aileron structure for an eVTOL aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, with their aileron structures, enable vertical takeoff and landing, eliminating the need for long runways and allowing for operations within limited spaces. This significantly improves the flexibility and accessibility of air transport, making them suitable for urban air mobility and other scenarios. Powered by electricity, they produce no pollutants such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, meeting zero-carbon goals and environmental requirements. They also significantly reduce noise, enhancing passenger experience and comfort. The overall configuration allows for various innovative aerodynamic designs, including multi-rotor, compound, and vector propulsion types, to meet diverse travel needs. Their relatively simple structure and low maintenance requirements, coupled with the fact that electricity costs are typically lower than fuel costs, promise lower operating costs after large-scale commercial operation.

[0003] Because eVTOL aircraft have multiple motor arms and the motors and propellers on those arms, they experience significant aerodynamic drag during level flight. Therefore, compared to traditional general aviation aircraft of the same size, eVTOL aircraft have a lower lift-to-drag ratio and a higher stall speed, requiring greater forward thrust. Currently, eVTOL aircraft are electrically powered, resulting in shorter cruise times and shorter ranges. To improve range, it is necessary to minimize aerodynamic drag during forward flight. One effective method is to reduce the frontal area of ​​the eVTOL aircraft, which effectively reduces its shape drag.

[0004] Traditional general aviation aircraft use rudders that protrude from the wing surface and are connected to the aileron surface via a control mechanism. By pushing or pulling the rudder, the aileron rotates around a pivot, changing the aerodynamic forces on the aileron and achieving roll control of the aircraft. The aileron rudder is mounted on the aileron surface, protruding significantly, resulting in high aerodynamic drag. Furthermore, the single-sided connection between the rudder and the aileron results in low connection strength and rigidity. While some ailerons are located close to the fuselage, allowing for the control structure to be designed within the fuselage via torsion bars, these torsion bars are long and heavy, making them unsuitable for structures where the ailerons are located on the outer side of the wing.

[0005] Reference 1: Chinese patent document with publication number CN204433036U.

[0006] Reference 1 discloses a bulge-free aileron structure for an aircraft, including control surfaces, a transmission structure, and an booster connector. The transmission structure includes a torsion bar and a transmission angle box. The transmission angle box has a cross-section composed of two parts: a "[" shaped part and an arc-shaped part. The "[" shaped part is fitted and connected to the aileron's front sparsity, and the center of the arc-shaped part is concentric with the aileron's rotation axis. The torsion bar is connected to the transmission angle box. One end of the booster connector is coaxially connected to the torsion bar, and the other end is fixed to the fuselage via a bearing, forming a double-support beam. The booster connector rocker arm is connected to the booster installed inside the fuselage and is perpendicular to the torsion bar. This invention allows the booster to be placed inside the fuselage, thus eliminating the large booster bulge under the wing. It also eliminates the need for a booster cover on the main wing surface, reducing damage to the main load-bearing structure and improving structural efficiency. A type of eVTOL aircraft aileron structure.

[0007] Reference 1 is suitable for aircraft with aileron structures close to the fuselage. For eVTOL aircraft with ailerons on the outer side of the wing, the torsion bar extends into the fuselage, resulting in an excessively long and heavy structure. Additionally, the motor arm on the inner side of the aileron will affect the installation of the torsion bar, making it unsuitable for eVTOL aircraft with aileron structures on the outer side of the wing. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to solve the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art and to provide an eVTOL aircraft aileron structure.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is: an aileron structure for an eVTOL aircraft, including an aileron skeleton and an aileron skin wrapped around the outside of the aileron skeleton;

[0010] The aileron frame includes spanwise spar, chord rib, rudder angle and several suspension joints. The spanwise spar is composed of a web and flanges on the upper and lower sides of the web.

[0011] The rudder angle is composed of a connecting part and a lug. The connecting part has a beam connecting surface and a skin connecting surface. The rudder angle is fixed to the middle of the outer side of the web of the spanwise beam through the beam connecting surface. The lug is provided with a connecting hole.

[0012] The suspension joint is fixed to the inner side of the web of the span beam, and several suspension joints are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rudder angle. The suspension joint is provided with through holes.

[0013] The chord ribs include two end ribs, several ordinary ribs, and several leading edge ribs. The two end ribs are located at both ends of the spanning beam. The ordinary ribs are fixed to the outer side of the web of the spanning beam. The several ordinary ribs are evenly distributed along the length of the spanning beam. The leading edge ribs are fixed to the inner side of the web of the spanning beam. The several leading edge ribs are distributed on both sides of the suspension joint.

[0014] The aileron skin consists of an upper skin, a lower skin, and three connecting strips. The leading edges of the upper and lower skins are connected by connecting strips. Several connecting strips are distributed along the length of the spanwise beam, and a suspension joint mounting position is formed between adjacent connecting strips.

[0015] As a further optimization of the aileron structure of the eVTOL aircraft of this utility model: the aileron frame also includes a reinforcing joint, which is located in the middle of the inner side of the web of the spanwise beam.

[0016] As a further optimization of the aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft according to this utility model: the leading edges of the upper skin and the lower skin are provided with clearance grooves corresponding to the suspension joints.

[0017] As a further optimization of the eVTOL aircraft aileron structure of this utility model: the upper skin, lower skin and connecting strip are all made of carbon fiber composite material.

[0018] As a further optimization of the aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft according to this utility model: a thickened reinforcing zone is provided at the connection between the upper skin and the lower skin and the spandrel beam, end rib and rudder angle.

[0019] As a further optimization of the aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft according to this utility model: a groove is provided in the middle of the upper skin for the lugs of the rudder angle to pass through.

[0020] As a further optimization of the eVTOL aircraft aileron structure of this utility model: the suspension joint and the reinforcing joint are both made of 7050 aluminum alloy.

[0021] As a further optimization of the eVTOL aircraft aileron structure of this utility model: the reinforcing joint and the rudder angle are connected back to back on both sides of the span beam, and the reinforcing joint, the span beam and the rudder angle are connected together by fasteners.

[0022] As a further optimization of the aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft according to this utility model: the connecting part of the rudder angle is connected to the spanwise beam by structural adhesive and fasteners.

[0023] As a further optimization of the eVTOL aircraft aileron structure of this utility model: the fastener is a countersunk blind rivet.

[0024] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. In the aileron structure of this utility model, the main structure of the rudder angle is connected inside the aileron, and only the connecting lug of the rudder angle is exposed to the air, resulting in a very small frontal area and low aerodynamic drag.

[0026] 2. In the aileron structure of this utility model, the upper and lower skins connected to the rudder angle are locally thickened. At the position corresponding to the rudder angle, a reinforcing joint is designed on the other side of the spanwise beam. Fasteners pass through the web of the beam to connect the reinforcing joint and the rudder angle together, resulting in high connection strength.

[0027] 3. In the aileron structure of this utility model, the three connecting surfaces of the rudder angle are connected to the spanwise beam, the upper skin and the lower skin respectively, and the connection is stable. Even if one connecting surface fails, there are still two connecting surfaces, so the safety margin is high. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is an axonometric drawing of the aileron structure of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the aileron structure of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 3 This is an axonometric view of the aileron structure of this utility model with the upper skin concealed.

[0031] Figure 4 This is an axonometric view of the aileron skeleton in the aileron structure of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 5 This is an axonometric view of the upper skin in the aileron structure of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 6 This is an axonometric view of the rudder angle in the aileron structure of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the aileron structure of this utility model at the rudder angle position;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the aileron structure of this utility model at the rudder angle position;

[0036] The diagram labels are as follows: 1. Aileron frame; 11. Rudder angle; 111. Connecting hole; 112. Beam connection surface; 113. Skin connection surface; 12. Spanning beam; 13. Chord rib; 131. End rib; 132. Ordinary rib; 133. Leading edge rib; 14. Suspension joint; 15. Reinforced joint; 2. Aileron skin; 21. Upper skin; 211. Groove; 212. Reinforced area; 213. Clearance groove; 22. Lower skin; 23. Connecting strip plate. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To better understand this utility model, the following embodiments further illustrate the content of this utility model, but the content of this utility model is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an aileron structure for an eVTOL aircraft is provided. This aileron structure is located on the outer side of the wing and consists of an aileron frame 1 and an aileron skin 2. The aileron frame 1 is located inside the aileron skin 2 and is bonded to the aileron skin 2 with structural adhesive. The aileron frame 1 supports the aileron skin 2, preventing it from becoming unstable under stress. Only the connecting lugs of the aileron frame 1 at the control angle 11 are exposed to the air, maintaining a small frontal area for the eVTOL aircraft during flight.

[0039] The aileron skin 2 consists of an upper skin 21, a lower skin 22, and a connecting strip 23. The leading edges of the upper skin 21 and the lower skin 22 are connected by the connecting strip 23. At the suspension joint 14 of the frame, the connecting strip 23 is broken into multiple segments; in this example, it consists of three segments. The upper skin 21 and the lower skin 22 have corresponding clearance grooves 213 at their leading edges to allow the suspension joint 14 to connect to the rear structure of the wing. The suspension joint 14 is not enclosed by the aileron skin 2, but its position at the rear of the wing means that even if the aileron deflects, it will be shielded by the rear of the wing, resulting in no frontal surface and low aerodynamic drag.

[0040] The upper skin 21, lower skin 22 and connecting strip 23 are all carbon fiber composite material structures. The upper skin 21 and lower skin 22 are locally thickened (reinforced area 212) at the connection positions with the spanwise beam 12, end chord rib 131 and rudder angle 11 to increase the thickness of the main force path. At the same time, the thicker thickness also meets the countersunk depth requirements of the countersunk fastener, making the outer surface of the aileron skin 2 smooth and reducing aerodynamic drag.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, the front of the rudder 11 is connected to the spanwise beam 12, and the upper and lower parts are connected to the aileron skin 2. The upper skin 21 and the lower skin 22 are supported by ordinary chord ribs 132 in the area behind the rudder 11 to ensure high rigidity and prevent the skin behind the rudder 11 from being torn apart by push and pull forces, resulting in local deformation and glass breakage. This ensures the structural safety of the skin at the rear edge of the rudder 11 and prevents deformation from causing large stress.

[0042] like Figure 4As shown, the aileron frame 1 consists of a control angle 11, a spanwise beam 12, a chordal rib 13, a suspension joint 14, and a reinforcing joint 15. The spanwise beam 12 is arranged along the spanwise direction, and the chordal rib 13 is arranged along the chordal direction. The spanwise beam 12 mainly bears the concentrated force of the bending moment wing control angle 11 and the suspension joint 14. The chordal rib 13 bears the aerodynamic shear force and transfers the shear force to the spanwise beam 12. There are three types of chordal ribs 13: end ribs 131, ordinary ribs 132, and leading edge ribs 133, which are arranged according to the aileron's position. The end ribs 131 are made of carbon fiber composite laminate and are connected to both ends of the spanwise beam 12. Their upper and lower surfaces support the aileron skin 2 and are connected to the upper skin 21 and lower skin 22 by structural adhesive and blind rivets. The ordinary rib 132 and leading edge rib 133 mainly serve to support the skin. They are made of carbon fiber composite foam sandwich panels cut according to the cross-sectional shape of the aileron and are bonded to the spanwise beam 12, upper skin 21, and lower skin 22 respectively with structural adhesive. The leading edge rib 133 is arranged on both sides of the clearance groove 213 of the aileron skin 2 to seal and support the leading edge skin and connecting strip plate 23. The spanwise beam 12 is the main load-bearing structure of the entire aileron. It is made of carbon fiber composite material and has a large number of fibers arranged along the spanwise direction to improve the load-bearing capacity along the spanwise direction. The front of the spanwise beam 12 is connected to the suspension joint 14 and the leading edge chord rib 133, the rear is connected to the ordinary rib 132 and the rudder angle 11, the two ends are connected to the end rib 131, and the top and bottom are connected to the upper skin 21 and lower skin 22.

[0043] Both suspension joint 14 and reinforcing joint 15 are machined aluminum alloy parts, preferably made of 7050 aluminum alloy, and preferably heat treated to T7351 heat. Suspension joint 14 is connected to the web and flange of spanwise beam 12 via fasteners. Ordinary ribs 132 are arranged at the rear of suspension joint 14 to support the skin and improve the rigidity of the connection area. Both suspension joints 14 have connection holes centered on the aileron axis, allowing the aileron to rotate around the axis. Reinforcing joint 15 and rudder angle 11 are connected back-to-back on both sides of spanwise beam 12, and fasteners are used to connect reinforcing joint 15, spanwise beam 12, and rudder angle 11 together, improving the connection rigidity of rudder angle 11 and making the aileron control angle more precise.

[0044] like Figure 5As shown, the upper skin 21 and lower skin 22 have similar structures. The upper skin 21 has an additional groove 211 for the lug of the rudder angle 11 to pass through. The size of the groove 211 is larger than that of the lug of the rudder angle 11, avoiding the rounded corner at the bottom of the lug of the rudder angle 11. This example only introduces the upper skin 21. The upper skin 21 is locally thickened at the connection points with the spanwise beam 12, the end rib 131 and the rudder angle 11. An avoidance groove 213 is designed at the leading edge of the upper skin 21 so that the suspension joint 14 can be connected to the joint at the rear of the spanwise beam 12 of the wing. At the same time, it ensures that when the aileron rotates around the connection hole of the suspension joint 14, the upper skin 21 will not interfere with the joint at the rear of the wing.

[0045] like Figure 6 As shown, the rudder angle 11 is a machined aluminum alloy part, preferably made of 7050 aluminum alloy, and preferably heat treated in T7351 heat. The rudder angle 11 is designed with a connecting hole 111, a beam connecting surface 112, and a skin connecting surface 113. The connecting hole 111 is connected to the aileron control mechanism, allowing the control structure to push and pull the aileron. The beam connecting surface 112 and the skin connecting surface 113 are connected to the spanwise beam 12, the upper skin 21, and the lower skin 22, respectively, by structural adhesive and fasteners. In this example, the fasteners are countersunk blind rivets made of titanium alloy. The connection of the three three-dimensional surfaces of the rudder angle 11 can ensure that the rudder angle 11 has a high failure safety characteristic.

[0046] like Figure 7 and 8 As shown, the rudder angle 11 is reinforced by a reinforcing joint 15 on the back of the spanwise beam 12. The reinforcing joint 15 is wrapped inside the aileron skin 2. In this local area, the upper skin 21, lower skin 22, spanwise beam 12, reinforcing joint 15 and rudder angle 11 form a three-dimensional closed structure with high rigidity. When the aileron control mechanism pushes or pulls the rudder angle 11, the deformation is small, so that the aileron angle deviates from the angle designed by the flight control system, which is beneficial to the automatic flight control of the eVTOL aircraft.

[0047] The specific embodiments of this utility model have been described above. It should be understood that this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this utility model.

Claims

1. An aileron structure for an eVTOL aircraft, characterized in that: It includes an aileron frame (1) and an aileron skin (2) that wraps around the aileron frame (1); The aileron frame (1) includes spanwise beams (12), chord ribs (13), rudder angles (11) and several suspension joints (14). The spanwise beams (12) are composed of a web and flanges on the upper and lower sides of the web. The rudder angle (11) is composed of a connecting part and a lug. The connecting part has a beam connecting surface (112) and a skin connecting surface (113). The rudder angle (11) is fixed to the middle of the outer side of the web of the span beam (12) through the beam connecting surface (112). The lug is provided with a connecting hole (111). The suspension joint (14) is fixed on the inner side of the web of the span beam (12), and several suspension joints (14) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rudder angle (11). The suspension joint (14) is provided with through holes. The chord rib (13) includes two end ribs (131), several ordinary ribs (132) and several leading edge ribs (133). The two end ribs (131) are located at both ends of the span beam (12). The ordinary ribs (132) are fixed to the outer side of the web of the span beam (12). The several ordinary ribs (132) are evenly distributed along the length of the span beam (12). The leading edge ribs (133) are fixed to the inner side of the web of the span beam (12). The several leading edge ribs (133) are distributed on both sides of the suspension joint (14). The aileron skin (2) consists of an upper skin (21), a lower skin (22) and three connecting strips (23). The leading edges of the upper skin (21) and the lower skin (22) are connected by connecting strips (23). Several connecting strips (23) are distributed along the length of the spanwise beam (12), and the mounting position of the suspension joint (14) is formed between adjacent connecting strips (23).

2. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The aileron frame (1) also includes a reinforcing joint (15), which is located at the middle of the inner side of the web of the spanwise beam (12).

3. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper skin (21) and lower skin (22) are provided with clearance grooves (213) corresponding to the suspension joint (14) at their front edges.

4. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper skin (21), lower skin (22) and connecting strip (23) are all made of carbon fiber composite material.

5. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper skin (21) and lower skin (22) are provided with thickened reinforcing zones (212) at the connection points with the stretching beam (12), end rib (131) and rudder angle (11).

6. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper skin (21) is provided with a groove (211) in the middle for the lug of the rudder angle (11) to pass through.

7. The eVTOL aircraft aileron structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The suspension joint (14) and the reinforcing joint (15) are both made of 7050 aluminum alloy.

8. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The reinforcing joint (15) and the rudder angle (11) are connected back-to-back on both sides of the span beam (12), and the reinforcing joint (15), the span beam (12) and the rudder angle (11) are connected together by fasteners.

9. The aileron structure of an eVTOL aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting part of the rudder angle (11) is connected to the span beam (12) by structural adhesive and fasteners.

10. The eVTOL aircraft aileron structure as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The fastener is a countersunk blind rivet.

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