Aircraft Rear Section Continuous Skin Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing configuration of aircraft rear sections with vertical tail planes and propulsion systems faces issues with weight, complexity, and operational costs due to heavy metallic frames required for load distribution, as well as the risk of empennage detachment from impact damage, necessitating additional reinforcement and shielding.
Innovation Solution
A continuous skin structure is introduced, symmetrically placed with respect to the aircraft's middle vertical plane, directly transmitting loads from the vertical tail plane to the fuselage, eliminating the need for main interface fittings and providing internal structural components made of composite or metallic materials for enhanced load distribution and impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If main interface fittings and supporting frames are used to join the vertical tail plane to the fuselage, then load distribution is achieved, but weight and structural complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the vertical tail plane skin and fuselage skin into a single continuous skin structure. This continuous skin directly transmits loads from the vertical tail plane to the fuselage, eliminating the need for separate interface fittings and supporting frames, thereby reducing both weight and structural complexity while maintaining load distribution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the heavy metallic frames and main interface fittings from the structure. By using the continuous skin itself to carry and transmit loads, these separate load-transmission components are eliminated, directly addressing the contradiction between strength and complexity
2Shape
If external fairings are added to cover the main interface fittings, then aerodynamic smoothness is improved, but weight, manufacturing cost, and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the external fairings by eliminating the need for interface fittings that require covering. The continuous skin provides both structural function and aerodynamic smoothness in a single integrated component, eliminating the separate fairing layer and its associated manufacturing and maintenance complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous skin merges the structural load-bearing function with the aerodynamic fairing function into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate external fairings, as the continuous skin itself provides the smooth aerodynamic surface while carrying structural loads
3Reliability
If additional reinforcement and duplication of interface fittings are implemented, then impact resistance and fail-safe capability are improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the need for duplicated interface fittings by using the continuous skin structure. The continuous skin provides inherent impact resistance through its uninterrupted load path, eliminating the need for redundant fittings and their associated weight penalty
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous skin merges multiple functions into a single structure: load transmission, impact resistance, and fail-safe capability. The uninterrupted skin provides redundant load paths internally without requiring external duplication of fittings, achieving reliability without additional weight
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~5b
AI summary
The invention refers to an aircraft rear section (20) comprising a fuselage rear section (21) extending from the rear pressure bulkhead (23) to the end of the fuselage and an empennage (12) including at least a vertical tail plane (13). The invention provides an aircraft rear section (20) with a continuous skin (31) formed by two lateral sides placed symmetrically with respect to the middle vertical plane of the aircraft, each side comprising an upper portion (26) for the torsion box (14) of the vertical tail plane (13), a lower portion (28) for the fuselage rear section (21) and a transition portion (27) between the upper and lower portions (26, 28). The upper and lower portions (26, 28) of the continuous skin (31) are joined to inner structural components of the vertical tail plane (13) and the fuselage rear section (21).