Box Wing Aircraft Configuration With Segmented Swept Wings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional box wing aircraft designs face challenges in reducing wingspan, structural strength, and fuel storage capacity due to the use of narrow wings, which also affect aerodynamic performance and compatibility with airport infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a pair of backward swept front wings, elevated forward swept rear wings, a highly swept wingtip fence, and a middle wing with differently swept sections, applying the area rule method to increase fuel storage capacity and reduce wingspan, while enhancing structural strength and aerodynamic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If narrow wings are used in box wing aircraft, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but wingspan cannot be reduced and structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the wing structure into multiple segments with different sweep angles. The front wing has a first sweep angle while the rear wing has a second sweep angle, creating segmented wing sections that independently optimize both aerodynamic performance and structural strength characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the wing structure are given different local qualities through varying sweep angles. The front and rear wing sections have distinct sweep angles optimized for their specific structural and aerodynamic requirements, rather than using a uniform sweep angle across the entire wingspan
2Reliability
If narrow wings are used to improve aerodynamic performance, then fuel storage capacity in wings is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for reduced wing fuel storage by utilizing the fuselage volume through area rule application. By optimizing the fuselage cross-sectional area distribution and using the fuselage as an additional fuel storage dimension, the design offsets the limited capacity in narrow wings
3Length of moving object
If wingspan is reduced for airport compatibility, then sufficient wing area cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sweep angle parameter across different wing sections to optimize the relationship between wingspan and wing area. By using different sweep angles in front and rear wing sections, the design achieves sufficient effective wing area while maintaining a reduced overall wingspan suitable for airport infrastructure
4Strength
If wingtip fence length is increased for structural connection, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wingtip fence is segmented into front and rear portions corresponding to the different sweep angle sections. This segmentation allows each fence portion to be optimized for its specific structural role while maintaining overall structural strength, and simplifies manufacturing by allowing modular construction
Data Source
AI summary
Aircraft configuration by applying the following method steps for improving the conventional box wing aircraft concept: dividing both the backward swept front and the forward swept rear wings into root and tip sections, wherein the tip sections (34) of the front wings are more backward swept than the root sections (37), and the tip sections (35) of the rear wings are more forward swept than the root sections (38). Preferred embodiments comprise moving the front wing to the nose and the rear wing towards the rear end of a long fuselage; adding a middle wing and thereby decreasing the wingspan by one third; dividing the middle wing into a backward swept root section (28) and two tip sections (29,30), one forward and another backward swept. The four wingtips on each side are interconnected by a wingtip fence (26), obtaining seven closed frame structures, as well as seven aerodynamic channels for the stream flow.