Thermoplastic Composite Control Surface With Integrated Stiffeners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft control surfaces are prone to impact damage and require numerous components, which increases weight and reduces fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method for forming fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surfaces by stacking composite sheets, overmolding stiffener structures, and welding skins together to create a monolithic structure with integrated sidewalls and hinges, optimizing material usage and reducing cycle time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional control surfaces are constructed with multiple separate components, then structural flexibility and ease of assembly are improved, but weight increases and fuel efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate control surface components (skins, stiffeners, ribs, splice plates) into a single monolithic thermoplastic composite structure. This integration eliminates the need for numerous fasteners and joints, reducing overall weight while maintaining structural flexibility and ease of assembly through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thermoplastic composite materials with fiber reinforcement to create a monolithic control surface structure. This composite material approach provides high strength-to-weight ratio, enabling weight reduction while maintaining structural integrity and flexibility needed for assembly and operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional control surfaces use numerous separate components, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but component count increases and productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations into a single molding process that produces the monolithic control surface structure in one piece. This eliminates sequential assembly steps for attaching skins, stiffeners, and ribs, significantly improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through tooling design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates all structural features (stiffeners, ribs, splice plates) directly into the molding process before final assembly. This preliminary formation of all components in a single operation reduces subsequent assembly steps and improves overall production efficiency.
3Reliability
If control surfaces are made with integrated monolithic structure, then impact resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials to create the monolithic structure, providing superior impact resistance through the composite's inherent toughness and fiber reinforcement. The thermoplastic matrix allows for energy absorption during impact while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the thermoplastic material's ability to change physical state with temperature, allowing the material to be molded at elevated temperatures and then cooled to achieve the final monolithic structure. This parameter change enables complex integrated geometries to be formed in a single process step.
4Loss of substance
If thermoplastic composite sheets are stacked and compressed to form skins, then material utilization is improved, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the skin formation and stiffener integration steps into a single compression molding operation. Thermoplastic composite sheets are stacked with pre-formed stiffener structures between them, and the entire assembly is compressed and consolidated in one process, improving material utilization while reducing manufacturing time compared to separate operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the thermoplastic material's phase transition between solid and molten states during compression molding. The material is heated to become more pliable for consolidation, then cooled to achieve the final rigid structure, enabling efficient material utilization and reduced cycle time through controlled thermal processing.
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 method enhances impact resistance, reduces component count, and improves fuel efficiency by minimizing weight and optimizing material usage.
Implementation Method 1
heating the overmolding tool
Implementation Method 2
compressing, via the overmolding tool, the first skin and the second skin
Implementation Method 3
injecting a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material between the first skin and the second skin to form a stiffener structure
Implementation Method 4
welding skins together to create a monolithic structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C
AI summary
A method for forming a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface (600) includes forming first and second skins (610, 612) from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. The method further includes overmolding fiber-reinforced thermoplastic features onto the first skin (610) and/or second skin (612), including stiffener structures (614), sidewalls (633), and/or hinges. The method further comprises welding or consolidating the first and second skins (610, 612) together, along with the associated internal features overmolded thereon to form a single-piece, stiffened, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic control surface (600).