Aircraft Fillet Fairing with Movable Aft Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft fillet fairings at wing/body junctions are inefficient in managing airflow complexity, particularly when deployable devices are deployed at non-cruise conditions, leading to suboptimal performance and weight issues due to complex sealing requirements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a fillet with a movable intermediate portion that tracks the motion of spoilers and flaps, creating gaps to isolate airflow and maintain aerodynamic smoothness, coupled with a mechanical link and fly-by-wire arrangement to ensure optimal airflow control across various flight conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fillet is designed primarily for cruise conditions, then the flow at the wing/body junction is optimized for cruise, but the flow performance becomes suboptimal when flaps or other devices are deployed at non-cruise conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The fillet fairing is divided into a forward fixed portion and an aft moveable portion that can change position dynamically. The moveable portion tracks the deployment of flaps and spoilers, adjusting the fillet geometry to maintain optimal flow characteristics across different flight conditions rather than being fixed for cruise only
Solution Approach 2:
The fillet fairing is segmented into multiple portions: a forward fixed portion attached to the fuselage and an aft moveable portion attached to the flap. This segmentation allows different parts of the fillet to have different degrees of freedom, enabling the aft portion to adapt to flap deployment while the forward portion remains stable
2Reliability
If a seal is provided between moveable devices and the fuselage to account for relative motion, then sealing is achieved at both cruise and non-cruise conditions, but large wiping surfaces or bumps are required which add complexity and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from complex wiping surfaces and bumps, replacing them with a simpler seal member positioned at the interface between the moveable fillet portion and the fuselage. This seal member tracks with the moveable fillet portion, providing effective sealing without the complexity of large wiping surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
A seal member acts as an intermediary between the moveable fillet portion and the fuselage. This seal member simplifies the sealing interface by providing a dedicated sealing element that accommodates relative motion without requiring complex mechanical structures
3Reliability
If a seal is provided between moveable devices and the fuselage to account for relative motion, then sealing is achieved at both cruise and non-cruise conditions, but the weight of the aircraft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from heavy structural elements like large wiping surfaces and bumps, replacing them with a lighter dedicated seal member that provides equivalent sealing functionality with reduced weight
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member functions as a flexible sealing element that can accommodate relative motion between the moveable fillet portion and the fuselage. This flexible seal provides effective sealing without the weight penalty of rigid, complex sealing structures
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
Aircraft fillet fairings with fixed and moveable portions, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a wing (10) having an upper surface (111), an inboard portion, and an outboard portion. A deployable flap (140) is carried by the wing at the inboard portion. The flap has an upper surface and is moveable relative to the wing between a stowed position and a deployed position, with the flap extending aft of the wing when in the deployed position. The system further includes a fillet (120) that in turn includes a forward portion fixed relative to the wing and projecting upwardly from the wing upper surface, and an aft portion (122) that is moveable with the flap. The aft portion projects upwardly from the flap upper surface and is generally aligned with the forward portion in an axial direction.