Auxiliary Flap Carriage and Track Design for Jam Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current auxiliary flap assemblies for aircraft wings are bulky, heavy, and prone to jamming due to debris accumulation, leading to high bending loads and performance issues.
Innovation Solution
A failsafe, jam-resistant auxiliary flap assembly featuring a track with C-shaped channels, a wingbox attachment, and a flap carriage with spherical bearings and rollers, allowing for non-linear motion and pivotability, reducing the risk of jamming and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional auxiliary flap assemblies are used, then flap support and alignment are provided, but the assembly becomes bulky, heavy, and requires large fairings
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary flap assembly is divided into separate functional components: a track system attached to the wing, a flap carriage that moves along the track, and the flap itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall weight while maintaining support and alignment functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly transitions from a static support structure to a dynamic system where the flap carriage moves along the track to adjust flap position. This dynamic capability provides flexible flap support and alignment without requiring a bulky fixed structure, thereby reducing weight while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If traditional auxiliary flap assemblies are used, then flap support structures are provided, but large fairings are required
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented into the track system and flap carriage, allowing the support structure to be distributed along the flap's movement path rather than concentrated in a single bulky fairing. This reduces the cross-sectional area required and eliminates the need for large enclosing fairings.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a three-dimensional enclosed fairing to a one-dimensional track system. By confining the support mechanism to a linear track that guides the flap carriage, the design eliminates the need for large volumetric fairings while maintaining flap support functionality.
3Ease of operation
If rollers are used in traditional assemblies, then flap movement is enabled, but debris accumulation causes rollers to jam and break
Solution Approach 1:
The rollers are extracted from enclosed housings and placed directly on open tracks. This extraction allows the rollers to operate in an environment where debris cannot accumulate around them, preventing jamming while maintaining smooth flap movement through the roller-truck interaction with the open track.
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 assembly provides stable, efficient flap movement with reduced risk of jamming and weight, enhancing aircraft performance by minimizing drag and maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The top portion includes a spherical bearing. In some embodiments, the top portion is configured to be coupled to the flap via the spherical bearing.
Implementation Method 2
the bottom portion includes a pair of primary rollers configured to roll along the bottom surface of the track
Implementation Method 3
the intermediate portion includes a pair of secondary rollers. Each of the secondary rollers is configured to roll along a corresponding one of the opposing C-shaped channels.
Data Source
AI summary
An auxiliary flap assembly includes a track, a wingbox attachment, and a flap carriage. The wingbox attachment is attached to an aircraft wing and to the track such that the track is pivotable relative to the aircraft wing. The flap carriage is movably engaged with the track such that the flap carriage is retained by and movable along a length of the track. The flap carriage includes a top portion, a bottom portion, and an intermediate portion. The top portion includes a spherical bearing coupled to the flap. The bottom portion includes a pair of primary rollers configured to roll along the bottom surface of the track and the intermediate portion includes a pair of secondary rollers configured to roll along opposing C-shaped channels of the track.