Aircraft Control Surface Tube Support for Vibration Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft control surfaces, particularly all-moving control surfaces, are susceptible to high cycle vibrations due to their design, which can affect their stability and performance during flight.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a movable control surface assembly that includes a tube extending from the empennage, rotatably supported and connected to a rudder via a connection element, allowing for rotational fixation and secure attachment, thereby distributing forces and moments effectively and reducing vibrational stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard control surfaces are used, then the aircraft can achieve basic directional control, but the control surfaces are susceptible to high cycle vibration which reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The control surface is divided into multiple segments (first control surface portion and second control surface portion) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows each segment to absorb and dissipate vibrational energy separately, reducing the impact of high cycle vibrations on the overall control surface stability and improving reliability.
2Ease of operation
If all-moving control surface design is used, then directional control authority is improved, but the control surface becomes more susceptible to high cycle vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The control surface design incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing the first and second control surface portions to move independently through defined ranges of motion. This dynamic capability enables the control surface to adapt to varying flight conditions and absorb vibrational stresses, maintaining directional control authority while improving vibration resistance and reliability.
3Reliability
If complex connection mechanisms are used to reduce vibration, then vibration resistance improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection mechanism employs a nested structure where the second control surface portion is connected to the first control surface portion through a series of nested joints and linkages. This nesting approach allows multiple vibration-dampening functions to be integrated within a compact structure, reducing vibration resistance improvements without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft includes a main body having an empennage, a main rotor assembly mounted on the main body, and a movable control surface assembly supported on the empennage. The movable control surface assembly includes a tube extending from the empennage along a tube axis to a free end, the tube being supported for rotation about the tube axis with respect to the empennage, and a movable control surface mounted on the tube for rotation therewith. The movable control surface is supported on the tube by a connection element that couples the movable control surface to the free end of the tube to rotatably fix the movable control surface with respect to the tube.