Aircraft Engine Mount Connecting Rods for Vibration Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft designs face challenges in minimizing drag and weight while effectively isolating fuselage vibrations from engine support structures, leading to discomfort for occupants and increased structural stress.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates force-absorbing connecting rods that allow for oscillating movement of the engine support structure relative to the fuselage, filtering vibrations and reducing stress concentrations, with the rods taking up forces in transverse and vertical directions, and featuring adjustable inclination to minimize structural reinforcements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a through structure is used to support engines, then the intensity of forces introduced into the fuselage is reduced, but the opening frames and surrounding fuselage portions must be oversized, increasing overall weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces connecting rods as intermediary elements between the engine support structure and the fuselage. These rods act as mediators that transfer forces from the engines to the fuselage through defined attachment points, allowing the support structure to be lighter while maintaining force transmission capability. The connecting rods enable force distribution that reduces the need for oversized opening frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The engine support structure is divided into separate components: the support structure itself, the connecting rods, and the attachment means. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the support structure can be lighter since forces are managed by the dedicated connecting rods and attachment means, rather than requiring the entire structure to be oversized.
2Force
If a through structure is used to support engines, then force intensity is reduced, but vibration isolation between fuselage and engine assembly becomes difficult, transmitting substantial vibrations to occupants
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rods serve as vibrational isolators between the engine support structure and the fuselage. By introducing these intermediary elements with specific attachment characteristics, the system allows vibrational energy to be dampened rather than directly transmitted to the fuselage and occupants, while still maintaining necessary force transmission for structural support.
3Strength
If significant dimensioning is used for mast and fixing means to transfer engine forces, then force transfer is ensured, but drag increases, penalizing aerodynamic performance
Solution Approach 1:
The force transfer function is segmented from the aerodynamic surface. Instead of having a large, drag-generating mast structure, the force transfer is handled by dedicated connecting rods and attachment means that are minimized in size and optimized for strength-to-drag ratio. This allows the majority of the fuselage surface to maintain smooth aerodynamic contours.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting rods act as intermediaries that efficiently transfer forces between the engine support structure and fuselage with minimal aerodynamic interference. These slender, optimized connection elements provide necessary structural strength while presenting minimal drag penalty compared to traditional mast configurations.
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 solution enhances aerodynamic performance, reduces weight, and improves occupant comfort by efficiently filtering vibrations and minimizing stress on the fuselage and engine support structure.
Implementation Method 1
the vibrations are preferably not transmitted directly to the openings of the fuselage through which the engine support structure passes, but pass through the connecting rods. This passage through the connecting rods allows a very efficient filtration / damping of vibrations.
Implementation Method 2
each connecting rod having a first end mounted on said support structure in a rotatable manner according to an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal direction (X) of the aircraft, and a second end mounted on the fuselage, at a distance first and second openings, rotatably along an axis of rotation parallel to the longitudinal direction (X) of the aircraft.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 2a~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a rear section of an aircraft including two connecting rods (66) symmetrically arranged on either side of a vertical median plane (P), each connecting rod having an end mounted on an engine mounting structure (14) and another end mounted on the fuselage (6), said section being designed so as to enable, by rotating the connecting rods (66) about the rotational axes thereof, a limited amplitude swinging movement of the assembly (23) formed by the mounting structure and the engines, relative to the fuselage (6), through first and second openings (18) of the fuselage.