Adaptive Magnetic Coupling for Varying Skin Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Magnetic coupling systems face challenges in maintaining a consistent attraction force across varying skin thicknesses, leading to potential damage or insufficient contact during non-destructive inspection of composite structures like aircraft horizontal stabilizers.
Innovation Solution
The system actively adjusts the attraction force between magnetically coupled tractor and trailer vehicles by using a control system that determines the appropriate force based on skin thickness, allowing for adaptive magnet positioning or electro-permanent magnet activation to maintain a desired force range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the magnet separation distance is reduced to increase attraction force, then the attraction force between tractor and trailer vehicles is improved, but the friction and rolling resistance increase excessively making it difficult for the drive motor to overcome
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet separation distance is made dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. The system actively controls and varies the separation distance between tractor and trailer magnets based on real-time conditions, allowing the attraction force to be optimized for each specific situation. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by enabling high attraction force when needed while maintaining ease of movement when attraction force is sufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of magnet separation distance to control the attraction force. By actively adjusting this parameter, the system can achieve the desired attraction force without excessive friction, resolving the contradiction between force magnitude and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If the magnet separation distance is increased to reduce friction and rolling resistance, then the ease of movement is improved, but the attraction force becomes insufficient to maintain contact with the skin surface
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts magnet separation distance to maintain optimal attraction force. Rather than using a fixed large separation that would guarantee ease of movement but insufficient attraction, the system actively controls the separation to be just sufficient for maintaining contact, thereby achieving both adequate attraction force and ease of movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback control to monitor and adjust magnet separation distance. By sensing the actual attraction force or separation distance and comparing it to desired values, the system automatically adjusts the magnet position to maintain optimal contact force, resolving the contradiction between sufficient attraction and ease of movement.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the magnet separation distance is set within tight tolerance to maintain consistent attraction force, then the attraction force stability is improved, but the system becomes difficult to control and adjust
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control to automatically maintain stable attraction force. Sensors monitor the magnet separation distance or attraction force, and the control system automatically adjusts the magnet position to compensate for variations. This eliminates the need for tight manual tolerance control while maintaining attraction force stability, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-regulating mechanisms where the control system automatically adjusts magnet separation to maintain stable attraction force without requiring precise manual setup or continuous operator intervention. The system serves itself by detecting and correcting deviations from optimal conditions, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This adaptive control ensures consistent and safe magnetic coupling across varying skin thicknesses, preventing damage and ensuring effective inspection by maintaining the necessary attraction force without excessive friction or force on the skin.
Implementation Method 1
The magnetic coupling between the magnets on the tractor and trailer vehicles produces an attraction force
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a tractor vehicle, at least one trailer vehicle and a skin between and in contact with the tractor and trailer vehicles. One of the vehicles is disposed in a non-inverted position above the skin and the other is inverted and below the skin. The trailer vehicle comprises one or more magnets, while the tractor vehicle comprises one or more magnets magnetically coupled to each opposing magnet on the trailer vehicle. The vehicles may have mutually opposing permanent magnets in one-to-one relationship. Alternatively, each permanent magnet on the trailer vehicle could be opposed by one or more electro-permanent magnets on the tractor vehicle. The system further comprises means for maintaining the magnetic attraction force within a range as the vehicles move along a portion of the skin having a varying thickness.