Beaded Composite Structural Web for Aircraft Torque Boxes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft structures, such as rotorcraft torque boxes, face challenges with weight, stiffness, and damage resistance, particularly in response to hydraulic ram events, where rigid aluminum keels can lead to catastrophic damage and are heavy.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a beaded composite structural web using composite laminate material panels with integrated stiffening beads, which provides shear resistance, prevents buckling, and allows for flexibility during hydraulic ram events, while being significantly lighter than traditional aluminum constructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid aluminum keels are used in conventional aircraft structures, then structural strength and stiffness are improved, but weight increases and damage resistance deteriorates during hydraulic ram events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by integrating beads into a composite laminate web, creating a hybrid structure that combines the strength of aluminum beads with the lightweight properties of composite material. This resolves the contradiction by achieving structural strength through the aluminum beads while maintaining overall weight reduction through the composite laminate matrix, eliminating the need for solid aluminum keels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by strategically placing discrete aluminum beads at specific locations within the composite laminate web rather than using solid aluminum construction. This allows structural strength to be concentrated at critical load-bearing points while the remaining structure uses lighter composite material, thereby resolving the weight-strength contradiction.
2Strength
If rigid aluminum keels are used in conventional aircraft structures, then structural strength is improved, but damage resistance deteriorates during hydraulic ram events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using a composite laminate web that can flex and deform during hydraulic ram events. The thin composite structure with integrated beads allows controlled deformation to absorb impact energy, preventing catastrophic damage while maintaining structural strength, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength and damage resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a structure that transitions from rigid to flexible behavior during hydraulic ram events. The composite laminate web with integrated beads maintains structural strength under normal conditions but allows controlled flexing and energy absorption during impact events, resolving the contradiction between maintaining strength and resisting damage.
3Weight of moving object
If composite laminate material panels with integrated beads are used, then weight is reduced and damage resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the bead stiffeners and composite laminate web into a single integrated structure. The beads are embedded within the composite layers during manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps and reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the advanced material system, thereby resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies composite materials in a way that leverages modern composite manufacturing techniques to integrate multiple functions (structural support, stiffening, and damage resistance) into a single manufacturing process. This resolves the manufacturing complexity contradiction by using composite material properties to achieve multiple objectives simultaneously rather than through complex assembly of separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft is described and includes a fuselage; wings attached to the fuselage; and a torque box within the fuselage, the torque box including a side panel, the side panel comprising a composite laminate material including a plurality of stiffening beads integrated therewith. The plurality of stiffening beads may be integrated with the side panel and extend parallel to one another.