Aircraft Pressure Deck with Arch Web and Swing Link Intercostal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure deck designs for aircraft compromise structural flexibility needed for passenger aircraft while requiring additional rigidity for freighter variants, leading to increased manufacturing costs due to distinct structural designs for different applications.
Innovation Solution
A pressure deck design that includes longitudinally extending beams with a web featuring arches for lateral flexibility, a box structure to transfer loads, and intercostals coupled via a swing link to allow lateral flexing while maintaining load paths, enabling use in both passenger and freighter versions with common tooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additional structural support is provided for freighter floor, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but structural flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure deck is segmented into multiple beams (first beam, second beam, third beam, fourth beam) connected by discrete intercostals rather than a continuous rigid structure. This segmentation allows each component to contribute to load-bearing while maintaining flexibility at the connections between segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The second intercostal is coupled to the third beam via a swing link that enables lateral movement, making the structure dynamic rather than static. This allows the pressure deck to adapt its rigidity based on operational requirements - rigid when load-bearing is needed, flexible when structural adaptability is required.
2Reliability
If distinct structural designs are created for passenger and freighter aircraft, then specific performance requirements are met, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure deck design incorporates a swing link mechanism that enables a single structure to serve multiple functions: it provides rigid support when needed for freighter load-bearing requirements, and allows flexibility for passenger aircraft requirements. This universal design eliminates the need for separate pressure deck designs for different aircraft variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The swing link allows the structural parameters (rigidity, flexibility) to change based on operational conditions rather than requiring different designs. The same physical structure can transition between rigid and flexible states, enabling one design to meet multiple performance requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If structural flexibility is maintained for passenger aircraft, then structural adaptability is improved, but load-bearing capacity for heavy loads deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The swing link creates a dynamic system where the pressure deck can transition between flexible and rigid states. When heavy loads need to be carried, the structure can assume a more rigid configuration; when structural flexibility is needed, it can accommodate movement. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction between flexibility and load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural parameters are made changeable rather than fixed. The swing link mechanism allows the same structure to exhibit different mechanical properties (flexible or rigid) depending on operational requirements, enabling the structure to provide both flexibility and high load-bearing capacity as needed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Embodiments for aircraft (100) pressure deck (150, 200). One embodiment is a pressure deck (150, 200) of an aircraft (100). The pressure deck (150, 200) includes beams (201, 202, 203) extending longitudinally along a fuselage (102) of the aircraft (100), and a web (220) attached to an underside of the beams (201, 202, 203), the web (220) including arches (222) between adjacent beams (201) to allow the pressure deck (150, 200) to flex laterally. The pressure deck (150, 200) also includes a box structure (230) between a middle pair of the beams (201, 202, 203) and configured to transfer load forward to a rear spar (126) of a wing of the aircraft (100) and aft to an aft wheel well bulkhead (128) of the aircraft (100). The pressure deck (150, 200) further includes a first intercostal (250) outboard from the box structure (230) and configured to stabilize a first outboard pair of the beams (201, 202, 203), and a second intercostal (260) outboard from the first intercostal (250) and coupled between a second outboard pair of the beams (201, 202, 203) via a swing link (362) to allow the second intercostal (260) to flex laterally.