Composite Aircraft Leading Edge Bird Strike Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft leading edges require impact resistance to withstand bird strikes while minimizing weight and simplifying structural integrity, as traditional solutions like splitter plates incur significant weight penalties and complex assembly.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft leading edges are designed as one-piece components made from fiber-reinforced composite materials with an arcuate skin and Y-shaped internal reinforcement, featuring a planar rib element and divergent reinforcement arms, providing enhanced rigidity and impact resistance while being electrically non-conductive for component integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid metal splitter plate is installed inside the leading edge to absorb impact energy, then impact resistance is improved, but weight increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by constructing the leading edge from multiple layers including a collapsible metal skin, rigid support members, and energy-absorbing core material. This composite structure achieves impact resistance comparable to solid metal splitter plates while significantly reducing weight, as the energy-absorbing core and collapsible design eliminate the need for heavy solid metal construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The leading edge is segmented into distinct functional zones: a collapsible metal skin that deforms on impact, rigid support members that maintain structural integrity, and an energy-absorbing core material that dissipates impact energy. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, achieving impact protection without the weight penalty of a solid metal plate.
2Loss of energy
If a collapsible metal skin with rigid support members is used, then impact energy absorption is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components. The rigid support members are attached directly to the inner surface of the metal skin, and the energy-absorbing core material is positioned between them, creating a unified structure where all components work together during impact. This integration reduces the number of separate assemblies and simplifies manufacturing compared to traditional splitter plate designs.
3Strength
If the metal skin is made collapsible to absorb impact, then impact resistance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by varying the thickness and material properties of the metal skin across different zones. The skin is designed with specific thickness parameters that allow controlled collapse during impact while maintaining manufacturing feasibility. The rigid support members are spaced at optimized intervals to ensure predictable deformation patterns without requiring excessive manufacturing precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
Aircraft empennage structures have impact resistance satisfying transport aircraft certification requirements (for example, FAR part 25 and/or other international certification requirements). The structures may be specifically embodied in leading edge structures that are preferably in the form of one-piece components formed from fiber-reinforced composite materials (e.g., reinforcement fibers such as glass fibers, aramid fibers and/or carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix such as an epoxy resin). The leading edge structures will most preferably include an arcuate skin (12) and longitudinally extending internal reinforcement which is generally Y-shaped and includes a planar rib element (16) and a pair of planar divergent reinforcement arms (18-1,18-2). The rib element may be positioned so as to be coplanar with a longitudinal bisecting plane (BP) of the leading edge structure. A forward end of the rib element may thus be integrally attached aft of an apical end of the skin, whereas an aft end of the rib may be integrally attached to each of the reinforcement arms. According to certain embodiments, rigidity and thus impact resistance may be facilitated by providing the apical end of the skin with a greater cross-sectional thickness as compared to the attachment ends of the skin.