Dynamic impact energy measurement device, aircraft flap assembly, and method of dynamic impact energy measurement

Abstract

A dynamic impact energy measuring device for measuring impact energy resulting from relative movement between first and second components, comprising: a first attachment member for attachment to the first component; a second attachment member for attachment to the second component, the first and second attachment members being configured to be capable of impact movement relative to each other in an impact direction; an energy absorbing device disposed between the first and second attachment members and capable of being subjected to a load as a result of relative movement of the first and second attachment members over at least a portion of their relative movement, and being configured to be capable of absorbing impact energy as a result of at least partial deformation due to the load; and a sensing assembly arranged to measure the amount of load to which the energy absorbing device is subjected and the amount of deformation which occurs, respectively. The device can be designed to protect a structure from overload based on the structure's load bearing capability by designing the diameter / height and thickness of the energy absorbing core. Also disclosed are an aircraft flap assembly and a method of dynamic impact energy measurement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft design and manufacturing, and more specifically to a dynamic impact energy measuring device with overload protection for measuring dynamic impact energy, and to an aircraft flap assembly and a method for measuring dynamic impact energy. Background Technology

[0002] Single-actuator disengagement failure of flaps in civil aircraft is a scenario that must be considered during aircraft design. Airworthiness regulations require that such single-failure failures be accounted for in the design process, regardless of their probability of occurrence. Generally, a connecting device can be added between the inner and outer flaps to link them, reducing the flap's cantilever angle and thus minimizing the impact of rolling moment on handling stability, thereby ensuring safer flight.

[0003] When designing a flap crosslinking device, it is necessary to obtain the dynamic impact energy that the flap crosslinking device needs to absorb after the aircraft flap actuator disengages. This is an important input for the design of the flap crosslinking device. Because the flap surface and its support mechanism will undergo complex deformation under this failure scenario, current desktop simulations cannot accurately simulate this failure scenario. The failure scenario can be simulated through ground tests. In the test, a device needs to be designed to measure the dynamic impact energy of the flap crosslinking device after the flap single actuator disengages. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure that the impact load of the inner and outer flaps is limited to a safe range to ensure the structural safety of the inner and outer flaps.

[0004] Impact energy can be measured on a specialized drop hammer test bench, where the impact energy is calculated based on the weight and height of the falling hammer. Alternatively, it can be calculated using the formula: impact energy equals the impact load multiplied by the displacement of the object caused by the impact. Typically, force sensors and high-speed displacement sensors are used to measure the impact load and displacement respectively, and the impact energy is obtained by integrating the load-displacement ratio.

[0005] Neither of the above two methods is suitable for measuring the impact energy after a single flap actuator disengages from a civil aircraft. Due to the aerodynamic loads in this fault scenario, the flap surface will generate a huge impact force. If the impact load and displacement information during the flap actuator disengagement process are directly measured, it may cause damage to the inner and outer flap structures. To ensure structural safety, this invention designs an impact energy measurement device with overload protection between the inner and outer flaps to measure the energy during the impact process, which is safe and efficient.

[0006] There is no existing technology that can perform dynamic measurements after a single flap actuator is disengaged. For example, the inner and outer flap crosslinking device of CN107161325B and the flap crosslinking device of CN112678151A can only achieve the function of energy absorption and stopping, but they do not have the function of measuring dynamic impact energy. At the same time, the way energy absorption is achieved is also difficult to meet the measurement requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a dynamic impact energy measuring device, which is used to measure the impact energy generated by the relative motion between a first component and a second component.

[0008] The measuring device includes:

[0009] A first connector is used to connect to the first component;

[0010] A second connector is used to connect to the second component, wherein the first connector and the second connector are configured to generate impact motion relative to each other in the impact direction;

[0011] An energy-absorbing device, disposed between the first connector and the second connector, capable of bearing a load due to the relative movement of the first connector and the second connector during at least a portion of their relative travel, and configured to absorb the impact energy due to at least partial deformation caused by the load; and

[0012] A sensing component, the sensing component being arranged to measure the load and deformation of the energy-absorbing device, respectively.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the measuring device of the present invention, the second connecting member includes a shaft section, the shaft section having a flange at one end near the first connecting member, the first connecting member having a bridging section that passes through the flange and is sleeved on the shaft section, and the energy absorption device being disposed between the shaft section and the bridging section.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the measuring device of the present invention, the energy absorption device includes a segmented tubular member sleeved on the shaft section, the segmented tubular member including at least two tubular sections with different diameters, and a stepped portion provided between the different tubular sections.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the measuring device of the present invention, the energy-absorbing device includes an energy-absorbing pad disposed at at least one end of the segmented tubular member.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the measuring device of the present invention, the sensing component includes strain gauges disposed on the first connector and / or the second connector.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the measuring device of the present invention, the sensing component includes a laser displacement sensing component, the laser displacement sensing component comprising:

[0018] A laser emitting part for emitting laser along the laser direction, fixedly mounted on one of the first connector and the second connector;

[0019] A laser receiver fixed relative to the laser emitter for receiving laser light; and

[0020] A reflector fixed to the other of the first connector and the second connector, the reflector being configured to reflect laser light from the laser emitting unit to the laser receiving unit.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the measuring device of the present invention, it further includes at least one set of locating pins, which are detachably inserted into the bridging section.

[0022] The locating pin is configured to hold the first connector relative to the second connector in the impact direction by abutting against the two sides of the flange respectively.

[0023] In addition, the present invention also provides an aircraft flap assembly, comprising:

[0024] Inner flap;

[0025] The outer flap located outside the inner flap in the spanwise direction; and

[0026] According to the measuring device described above, the first component is the inner flap, and the second component is the outer flap.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the aircraft flap assembly of the present invention, the first connector is pivotally connected to the outer spanwise end of the inner flap, and the second connector is pivotally connected to the inner spanwise end of the outer flap.

[0028] Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a method for measuring dynamic impact energy using a measuring device according to the foregoing description.

[0029] The method includes the following steps in sequence:

[0030] The measuring device is installed between the first component and the second component;

[0031] After installation, remove the positioning pin to allow the first connector to move freely relative to the second connector.

[0032] To implement the relative impact motion of the first component with respect to the second component; and

[0033] During the impact motion, the sensing components measure the load and deformation of the energy-absorbing device.

[0034] In summary, this invention designs a flip-tube energy-absorbing core with a polyurethane gasket. The diameter, height, and thickness of the energy-absorbing core can be easily designed based on the load-bearing capacity of the machine body structure, so that the load after bearing can be quickly increased to near the design load and a load platform is formed, ensuring that the dynamic impact load does not exceed the strength and load-bearing capacity of the machine body structure, thereby achieving overload protection for the machine body structure.

[0035] Furthermore, this invention provides a dynamic impact energy measurement device. This device can measure the impact energy between adjacent structures. Because the device is designed with a free travel segment, it ensures that adjacent control surfaces are not constrained by the device under normal conditions. When any structure experiences a disengagement failure, the free travel decreases until it disappears, and the energy-absorbing core begins to absorb energy upon impact. At this time, the deformation and load of the energy-absorbing core are measured using a high-speed laser displacement sensor and strain gauges, respectively, and the impact energy is obtained using the load-displacement integral.

[0036] In the scenario of single flap actuator disengagement failure, direct energy measurement is not feasible due to the large flap surface load and limited modification space. Therefore, this invention acquires the displacement and load of the impact energy measurement device at high frequency, and obtains the impact energy after the single flap actuator disengages by integrating the displacement and load. It ingeniously designs a dynamic impact energy measurement device with overload protection. The device of this invention has a simple structure and has the advantages of convenient modification, accurate measurement, and easy operation. At the same time, it can realize the free travel measurement of the flap crosslinking device and the dynamic impact energy measurement function, and the accuracy is sufficient to meet the test requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0037] This document includes accompanying drawings to provide a further understanding of various embodiments. The drawings are incorporated in and form part of this specification.

[0038] The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments described herein and, together with the textual description, serve to explain the principles and operation of the claimed subject matter.

[0039] With reference to the above objectives, the technical features of the present invention are clearly described below, and its advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention by way of example, without limiting the scope of the invention.

[0040] In the attached image:

[0041] Figure 1 This is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the dynamic impact energy measuring device according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the energy-absorbing device of a preferred embodiment of the dynamic impact energy measuring device shown.

[0043] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of an aircraft flap assembly including a dynamic impact energy measuring device according to the present invention.

[0044] Figure 4 A load-time relationship diagram is shown during an exemplary operation of the measuring device according to the present invention.

[0045] Figure 5 A load-displacement relationship diagram is shown during an exemplary operation of the measuring device according to the present invention.

[0046] List of reference numerals

[0047] 10 Inner flaps

[0048] 20 Outer flaps

[0049] 100 Measuring device

[0050] 110 First Connector

[0051] 111 Cross-connection section

[0052] 120 Second Connector

[0053] 121 Shaft section

[0054] 122 flange

[0055] 130 Energy absorbing device

[0056] Pipeline section 131

[0057] 132 Pipeline Section

[0058] 133 Steps

[0059] 134 Energy Absorbing Pad

[0060] 141 Strain Gauge

[0061] 142 Laser Emitting Unit

[0062] 143 Laser Receiver

[0063] 144 Reflectors

[0064] 150 positioning pin

[0065] X Impact Direction Detailed Implementation

[0066] Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below.

[0067] Although the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. Rather, the invention is intended to cover not only these exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0068] To facilitate explanation and precise definition of the technical solutions of the present invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," and "outer" are used to describe these features with reference to the positions of features in the exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0069] Various preferred but non-limiting embodiments of the measuring device, the flap assembly including the measuring device, and the measuring method of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a dynamic impact energy measuring device 100. The measuring device 100 is used to measure the impact energy generated by the relative motion between a first component and a second component. The measuring device 100 includes: a first connector 110, a second connector 120, an energy absorption device 130, and a sensing component.

[0071] The first connector 110 is used to connect with the first component.

[0072] The second connector 120 is used to connect with the second component, wherein the first connector 110 and the second connector 120 are configured to generate impact motion relative to each other in the impact direction X.

[0073] The second connector 120 may preferably include a shaft section 121, with a flange 122 at one end of the shaft section 121 near the first connector 110. The first connector 110 has a bridging section 111 that spans the flange 122 and is fitted onto the shaft section 121. The energy absorption device 130 is disposed between the shaft section 121 and the bridging section 111.

[0074] The energy-absorbing device 130 is disposed between the first connector 110 and the second connector 120, and is able to bear the load due to the relative movement of the first connector 110 and the second connector 120 during at least a part of their relative movement, and is configured to absorb impact energy due to deformation caused by the load in at least a part.

[0075] The energy absorption device 130 may preferably include a segmented tubular member sleeved on the shaft section 121. The segmented tubular member includes at least two tubular sections 131 and 132 with different diameters, and a stepped portion 133 is provided between the different tubular sections.

[0076] The energy-absorbing device 130 may also include an energy-absorbing pad 134 disposed at at least one end of the segmented tubular member.

[0077] The sensing components are arranged to measure the load and deformation of the energy-absorbing device.

[0078] The sensing component may preferably include a strain gauge 141 disposed on the first connector 110 and / or the second connector 120.

[0079] The sensing component may also preferably include a laser displacement sensing component, which includes a laser emitting part 142, a laser receiving part 143, and a reflector 144.

[0080] The laser emitting part 142 is fixed on one of the first connector 110 and the second connector 120 and is used to emit laser along the laser direction.

[0081] The laser receiver 143 is fixed relative to the laser emitter 142 and is used to receive laser light.

[0082] The reflector 144 is fixed to the other of the first connector 110 and the second connector 120. The reflector 144 is configured to reflect the laser from the laser emitter 142 to the laser receiver 143.

[0083] The measuring device 100 may also preferably include at least one set of positioning pins 150, which are detachably inserted into the bridging section 111. The positioning pins 150 are configured to hold the first connector 110 relative to the second connector 120 in the impact direction X by abutting against the two sides of the flange 122 in the impact direction X.

[0084] refer to Figure 2 The present invention also provides an aircraft flap assembly, including: an inner flap 10, an outer flap 20 and the aforementioned measuring device 100.

[0085] The reflector 144 is located outside the inner flap 10 in the spanwise direction. The first component is the inner flap 10, and the second component is the outer flap 20.

[0086] Preferably, the first connector 110 is pivotally connected to the outer spanwise end of the inner flap 10, and the second connector 120 is pivotally connected to the inner spanwise end of the outer flap 20.

[0087] The following describes a method for measuring dynamic impact energy using the measuring device 100 according to the present invention.

[0088] The method includes the following steps in sequence:

[0089] The measuring device 100 is installed between the first component and the second component;

[0090] After installation, remove the positioning pin 150 so that the first connector 110 can move freely relative to the second connector 120;

[0091] Implement the relative impact motion of the first component with respect to the second component; and

[0092] During the impact motion, the load and deformation of the energy absorption device 130 are measured by the sensing components.

[0093] In summary, the structural diagram of the dynamic impact energy measuring device 100 with overload protection designed in this invention is as follows: Figure 1 As shown. The measuring device 100 is installed between the inner and outer flaps 10 and 20 via a first connector and a second connector. A schematic diagram of its installation is shown below. Figure 2 The first connector of the measuring device 100 is installed on the inner flap 10, and the second connector is installed on the outer flap 20. After installation, the positioning pin 150 is pulled out. When the test load reaches the predetermined load, the crank is de-rotated by the flap actuator disengagement device to simulate a single flap actuator disengagement failure. After disengagement, the second connecting rod 120 can move axially within its free travel range. When the flange 122 at the bottom of the second connecting member 120 contacts the energy absorption device 130, which includes a flip tube and a polyurethane gasket 134, in the sleeve-shaped cross-connection section 111, under a huge transient impact load, the polyurethane gasket 134 reduces the initial load peak, and the initial deformation of the flip tube... The deformation zone begins to absorb energy. At this time, strain gauge 141 can measure the axial load on the crosslinking device. The laser displacement sensor emits a laser that hits the reflector 144 and is reflected after hitting the reflector plate. The reflector plate is fixed by the reflector plate bracket. The data is transmitted to the data acquisition system through the laser displacement sensor data transmission terminal for high-frequency acquisition, thereby measuring the stroke change of the crosslinking device and the deformation data of the energy-absorbing core. Based on the displacement and load data of the energy-absorbing core, the impact energy between the inner and outer flaps after the flap single actuator is disengaged can be obtained by integrating the displacement and load.

[0094] The following is a brief description of the preferred measurement method according to the present invention:

[0095] 1) Install the inventive device between the inner and outer flaps, such as Figure 3 As shown;

[0096] 2) After installation, pull out the positioning pin of the flap crosslinking device;

[0097] 3) Apply aerodynamic loads to the flap surfaces;

[0098] 4) When the wing surface load reaches the test set value, the single actuator of the control flap is disengaged;

[0099] 5) The flap crosslinking device begins continuous high-speed data acquisition (including displacement and strain).

[0100] By implementing this invention, the energy-absorbing core can bear load stably, and the load can rise rapidly to form a load platform, as detailed below. Figure 4 The impact energy can be obtained by integrating the load and displacement. Figure 5 The area enclosed by the curve.

[0101] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but it should be understood that, if necessary, aspects of the embodiments can be modified to utilize aspects, features, and concepts from various patents, applications, and publications to provide other embodiments.

[0102] Given the detailed description above, various readily conceivable variations can be made to the embodiments described herein.

[0103] Generally speaking, the terminology used in the claims should not be considered as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims, but should be understood to include all possible embodiments together with the full scope of equivalents enjoyed by the claims.

Claims

1. A dynamic impact energy measuring device (100), said measuring device (100) being used to measure the impact energy generated by the relative motion between a first component and a second component. in, The measuring device (100) includes: A first connector (110) is used to connect with the first component; A second connector (120) is used to connect with the second component, wherein the first connector (110) and the second connector (120) are configured to generate impact motion relative to each other in the impact direction (X); An energy-absorbing device (130) is disposed between the first connector (110) and the second connector (120), and is capable of bearing a load due to the relative movement of the first connector (110) and the second connector (120) during at least a portion of their relative travel, and is configured to absorb the impact energy due to at least partial deformation caused by the load; and The sensing components are arranged to measure the load and deformation experienced by the energy-absorbing device. The second connector (120) includes a shaft section (121), with a flange (122) at one end near the first connector (110). The first connector (110) has a bridging section (111) that spans the flange (122) and is fitted onto the shaft section (121). The energy-absorbing device (130) is disposed between the shaft section (121) and the bridging section (111). Furthermore, the energy-absorbing device (130) includes a segmented tubular component sleeved on the shaft section (121), the segmented tubular component includes at least two tubular sections (131, 132) with different diameters, and a stepped portion (133) is provided between the different tubular sections. The energy-absorbing device (130) includes an energy-absorbing pad (134) disposed at at least one end of the segmented tubular component.

2. The measuring device (100) according to claim 1. Its features are, The sensing component includes strain gauges (141) disposed on the first connector (110) and / or the second connector (120).

3. The measuring device (100) according to claim 1. Its features are, The sensing component includes a laser displacement sensing component, which includes: A laser emitting part (142) for emitting laser along the laser direction, which is fixed on one of the first connector (110) and the second connector (120). A laser receiver (143) fixed relative to the laser emitter (142) for receiving laser light; and A reflector (144) is fixed on the other of the first connector (110) and the second connector (120), the reflector (144) being configured to reflect laser light from the laser emitter (142) to the laser receiver (143).

4. The measuring device (100) according to claim 2. Its features are, It also includes at least one set of locating pins (150), which are detachably inserted into the cross-joint section (111). The positioning pin (150) is configured to hold the first connector (110) fixed relative to the second connector (120) in the impact direction (X) by abutting against the two sides of the flange (122) in the impact direction (X).

5. An aircraft flap assembly, comprising: Inner flap (10); The outer flap (20) is located outside the inner flap (10) in the spanwise direction; as well as The measuring device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first component is the inner flap (10) and the second component is the outer flap (20).

6. The aircraft flap assembly according to claim 5, Its features are, The first connector (110) is pivotally connected to the outer spanwise end of the inner flap (10), and the second connector (120) is pivotally connected to the inner spanwise end of the outer flap (20).

7. A method for measuring dynamic impact energy using the measuring device (100) according to claim 4. in, The method includes the following steps in sequence: The measuring device (100) is installed between the first component and the second component; After installation, remove the positioning pin (150) so that the first connector (110) can move freely relative to the second connector (120); To implement the relative impact motion of the first component with respect to the second component; and During the impact motion, the load and deformation of the energy-absorbing device (130) are measured by the sensing component.

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