Fiber Composite Truss Panel Spray Boom Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Larger agricultural spray implements face challenges in minimizing peak fold height during transportation while maintaining strength and weight efficiency, as well as adhering to regulatory limits and managing increased weight and stress at longer lengths.
Innovation Solution
The use of unitary truss panels made from fiber composite materials, featuring upper and lower beams, diagonal braces, and integral rigidifying ribs, which are laminated for optimal strength and weight characteristics, and designed to minimize the number of fold joints and internal cavities for housing spray equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional metal boom structures are used, then strength and durability are improved, but weight increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is constructed from fiber composite materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers) that provide high strength-to-weight ratio, achieving structural strength comparable to or exceeding conventional metal booms while significantly reducing overall weight. This composite construction allows for optimized structural performance without the penalty of increased weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The boom is divided into multiple modular segments that can be independently manufactured, assembled, and maintained. This segmentation allows for optimized composite layup designs in each segment while reducing overall manufacturing complexity and enabling easier repair or replacement of individual sections without replacing the entire boom structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of fold joints is increased to enable horizontal folding, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The boom is segmented into modular sections connected by hinge joints that enable horizontal folding. The segmentation is optimized to provide the necessary folding capability while minimizing the total number of joints required, thereby reducing complexity and potential failure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The fold joints are designed with dynamic characteristics that allow smooth transitions between deployed and folded positions. The hinge mechanisms incorporate damping and controlled motion features that reduce stress concentrations and improve reliability during folding operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If internal cavities are added for housing spray equipment, then functionality is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal cavities for housing spray equipment are integrated directly into the composite boom structure during the manufacturing process. This merging of structural and functional elements eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets or housings, reducing the total number of parts and simplifying assembly while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite manufacturing process (such as resin transfer molding or autoclave curing) is used to create complex internal cavities and chambers within the boom structure. These cavities are formed as integral parts of the composite layup, allowing for sophisticated internal geometries that would be difficult or expensive to achieve with conventional metal fabrication methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A boom segment is provided for a spray boom assembly configured to carry a spray system of a work vehicle. The boom segment includes a truss panel formed as a unitary structure composed of fiber composite material and configured to support components of the spray system. The truss panel includes a panel wall extending along a length of the truss panel and defining an upper beam, a lower beam, and an array of braces spaced apart and extending diagonally and seamlessly between the upper beam and the lower beam to define a series of truss openings therebetween and a plurality of rigidifying ribs formed integrally with and projecting at an angle from the panel wall.