Aircraft Vent Member Segmentation for Blockage Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In aircraft vent members, there is a risk of pressure imbalances in fuel tanks due to blockages from debris during assembly or maintenance, which can occur even with multiple vent members, especially in small-scale aircraft where space constraints limit the installation of multiple vent members.
Innovation Solution
A vent member design featuring multiple opening portions along its inner surface, with ribs and a cover to ensure ventilation capability even if one opening is blocked, and strategically formed opening ends to reduce stress concentration and facilitate natural object displacement by gravity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple vent members are provided in parallel to prevent blockage, then reliability of ventilation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vent member is segmented into multiple opening portions distributed at different locations along its length. This segmentation allows the single vent member to provide redundant ventilation paths, eliminating the need for multiple separate vent members while maintaining reliability. If one opening is blocked, other openings can still facilitate ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single opening configuration to multiple openings distributed along the longitudinal dimension of the vent member. This dimensional distribution creates redundancy without increasing the number of separate vent member components, effectively resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Device complexity
If a single vent member is used in small-scale aircraft to simplify structure, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of ventilation deteriorates due to blockage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The single vent member is divided into multiple functional segments through the formation of multiple opening portions at different locations. This internal segmentation provides redundancy and blockage resistance while maintaining the simplicity of a single external component, perfectly addressing the constraints of small-scale aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the vent member are differentiated by the presence of multiple opening portions at specific locations. This local differentiation creates redundancy in critical areas without requiring the entire structure to be complex, allowing simple overall design with localized reliability enhancement.
3Productivity
If opening portions are formed in the vent member to enable air flow, then ventilation capability is improved, but susceptibility to blockage by debris increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is segmented into multiple independent opening portions distributed along the vent member. This segmentation means that blockage at one location does not completely stop air flow, as other openings can still facilitate ventilation, thus maintaining productivity while reducing the harmful effect of blockage.
Solution Approach 2:
The design anticipates the possibility of blockage by pre-positioning multiple opening portions at different locations. This beforehand cushioning ensures that if debris blocks one opening, the system still maintains adequate ventilation capability through the remaining openings, cushioning against the harmful effect of blockage.
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 design ensures reliable ventilation in aircraft fuel tanks by distributing opening portions across different surfaces, preventing complete blockage and reducing stress concentrations, thus maintaining proper pressure balance and enhancing safety and workability.
Implementation Method 1
a vent member is provided which introduces air from the outside into the fuel tank in order to prevent the pressure in the tank from becoming a negative pressure when fuel in the fuel tank is reduced
Implementation Method 2
the vent member also functions to prevent the inside of the tank from being over-pressurized at the time of refueling on the ground
Implementation Method 3
strategically formed opening ends to reduce stress concentration and facilitate natural object displacement by gravity
Data Source
AI summary
An opening portion of a vent member is prevented from being blocked, and thus ventilation is reliably performed. A plurality of opening portions (40A, 40B) are formed in a single vent stringer (20), and thus even in a case where one of the opening portions (40A, 40B) is blocked, ventilation is secured by the other opening portion. At this time, since the opening portions (40A, 40B) are formed in surfaces different from each other in the vent stringer (20), a possibility that both the opening portions (40A, 40B) may be simultaneously blocked is less.