Composite Preform for Aircraft Fuselage Lobe Intersections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wide-body fuselages present structural complexities due to inflections at the top and bottom, requiring novel structural support elements to effectively distribute forces and counter pressure loads, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
The use of 3-dimensional woven composite preforms, made from materials like carbon fiber, steel, or aluminum, which are woven to form structural distribution members that are co-cured with the fuselage skin and impregnated with resin to provide enhanced structural support at the intersections of side-by-side fuselage lobes, effectively distributing tensile and compressive loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If traditional tube-and-wing configuration is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but fuel efficiency cannot be further improved
Solution Approach 1:
The fuselage is divided into multiple lobes (e.g., three lobes) instead of a single tubular structure. Each lobe can be independently structured and assembled, allowing the wide-body configuration to achieve superior fuel efficiency through increased lift while managing structural complexity through modular segmentation of the fuselage into distinct lobar sections that can be manufactured and integrated separately
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials in the construction of the wide-body fuselage lobes and structural components. This allows the complex wide-body structure to achieve the necessary strength and stiffness for fuel efficiency improvements while reducing overall weight, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture despite the increased structural complexity of the multi-lobe configuration
2Use of energy by moving object
If wide-body fuselage is adopted to improve fuel efficiency, then lift is increased and wing size is reduced, but structural complexities arise at inflection points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local reinforcement and specialized structural features at the inflection points where lobes intersect. These localized structural elements are specifically designed to handle the unique stress concentrations at cusps and intersection points, while the rest of the fuselage lobes maintain a simpler structure. This allows the wide-body configuration to achieve fuel efficiency through increased lift without requiring complex structures throughout the entire fuselage
Solution Approach 2:
The inflection points and cusps are pre-reinforced with structural elements during the manufacturing process. The lobes are constructed with built-in structural features at anticipated stress points before assembly, and the intersection regions are pre-configured with reinforcement elements that are integrated during the assembly process, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly modifications at these critical locations
3Strength
If structural reinforcement is added at inflection points, then structural integrity is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials for structural reinforcement at inflection points and lobe intersections. These composite structures provide the necessary strength and stiffness to maintain structural integrity at critical locations while being significantly lighter than traditional metal reinforcement would be. The composite materials allow for optimized fiber orientation and distribution that targets strength exactly where needed without adding unnecessary weight throughout the entire fuselage
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcement is applied locally only at the specific inflection points and cusps where structural integrity is critical, rather than uniformly throughout the entire fuselage. This localized reinforcement approach ensures structural strength at stress concentration points while minimizing the overall weight penalty, as the reinforcement materials are placed only where structurally necessary and not in regions where the simple lobe structure already provides adequate strength
Data Source
AI summary
A wide-body aircraft is disclosed with a fuselage section that includes a set of side-by-side fuselage lobes having a fuselage skin. A first woven composite preform positioned at a first intersection of the set of side-by-side fuselage lobes located at a first cusp of the side-by-side fuselage lobes. A second woven composite preform positioned at a second intersection of the set of side-by-side fuselage lobes located at a second cusp of the side-by-side fuselage lobes. Each of the first and second woven composite preforms are configured to receive a structural component, such that each of the first and second woven composite preforms accommodates vertical load imparted through the structural component.