Aircraft Servo Control with Dissimilar Materials for Modular Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft servo controls lack adaptability and modularity, with weight and bulk characteristics that are inflexible and dependent on location and force requirements, limiting their effectiveness in controlling a wide range of moving elements.
Innovation Solution
A servo control system comprising a power device with a hydraulic cylinder and a control device with a set of electronic, mechanical, and/or hydraulic accessories, where the body of the control unit is made of a distinct material from the hydraulic cylinder, allowing for differential expansion and improved connectivity through a connection device, enabling adaptability and modularity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the hydraulic cylinder and control unit body are made of the same material as a single monobloc, then manufacturing is simpler, but adaptability and modularity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The servo control is divided into separate components: the hydraulic cylinder and the control unit body are manufactured as distinct parts from different materials, then assembled together. This segmentation enables both manufacturing efficiency and adaptability, as each component can be optimized independently and reconfigured for different applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit body is designed with a universal structure that can accommodate different hydraulic cylinders and configurations. The separate manufacturing approach allows the same control unit body to work with various hydraulic cylinder types, enhancing versatility and modularity across different aircraft applications.
2Strength
If the servo control is designed with fixed weight and size characteristics, then structural integrity is maintained, but adaptability to different locations and force requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Different materials are selected for the hydraulic cylinder and control unit body based on their specific functional requirements and operational environments. This allows each component to have optimized local properties - such as weight, strength, and thermal expansion characteristics - suitable for its specific location and force requirements within the aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
The servo control system is designed with dynamic adaptability through modular components that can be reconfigured for different applications. The separate manufacturing of hydraulic cylinder and control unit allows the system to be adapted to various force requirements and locations while maintaining structural integrity through proper material selection and connection design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different materials are used for the hydraulic cylinder and control unit body, then adaptability and differential expansion are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into separately manufactured components (hydraulic cylinder and control unit body) made from different materials. This segmentation manages manufacturing complexity by allowing each component to be produced independently using optimal processes for its material, then assembled through standardized connections that accommodate differential expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection device acts as an intermediary between the hydraulic cylinder and control unit body, mediating the differences in material properties and thermal expansion. This intermediary component simplifies the overall manufacturing process by providing a standardized interface that handles the complexity of joining different materials, while enabling adaptability and differential expansion management.
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
The solution enhances adaptability and modularity, reduces mass and bulk, and extends the lifespan of the servo control by allowing differential expansion, while facilitating the production of various servo controls for different aircraft elements.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one connection part being movable relative to the body of the control unit and/or relative to the hydraulic cylinder to allow differential expansion of the body of the control unit and of the hydraulic cylinder relative to each other
Data Source
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AI summary
The servo control (18) comprises: - a power device (30) including at least one hydraulic cylinder (32); and - a control device (60) configured to control the power device (30) according to a command to move the moving element. The control device (60) comprises at least one control unit (62) including: + a set of electronic, mechanical, and/or hydraulic accessories in fluidic communication with the hydraulic cylinder (32); and + a body defining a network of tubular cavities fluidically connecting the accessories and the hydraulic cylinder (32). At least a portion of the hydraulic cylinder (32) is made of a first material, the body of the control unit (62) being made of a second material distinct from the first material.