Corrugated C-Channel Fuselage Column for Stable Crash Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft fuselage structures with C-channel components are prone to local buckling or sudden failure during crashes, leading to instability in energy absorption and reduced protection for occupants.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft column components featuring a corrugated C-channel and stanchion fittings are used to connect between the cargo floor crossbeam and lower fuselage frame, allowing the corrugated section to collapse progressively while the stanchion fittings stabilize the flanges, preventing twisting and ensuring stable energy absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If open-section thin-walled C-channel structure is used, then the structure is lightweight and easy to manufacture, but it is prone to local buckling or sudden failure during crash, leading to poor energy absorption stability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces corrugations (curved wave-like structures) into the C-channel walls, transforming the flat thin-walled structure into a corrugated structure. This curvature design enables progressive collapse during compression, allowing the structure to absorb impact energy in a controlled manner while maintaining stability and preventing sudden failure, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and energy absorption stability.
2Weight of moving object
If thin-walled composite material or aluminum alloy C-channel is used, then the weight is reduced, but the load capacity is lost quickly when local buckling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated structure maintains the lightweight advantage of thin-walled materials while fundamentally changing the deformation mode. The curved corrugations distribute stress along the wave patterns, preventing localized buckling and enabling progressive, controlled collapse that maintains load capacity throughout the crushing process, thus resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and load capacity retention.
3Device complexity
If straight C-channel structure is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot stably absorb impact energy due to sudden failure
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugations add a controlled geometric complexity to the otherwise simple C-channel structure. These curved wave patterns transform the energy absorption mechanism from sudden failure to progressive collapse, where the structure absorbs impact energy in a stable, predictable manner through controlled deformation of the corrugated sections, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and energy absorption efficiency.
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 corrugated C-channel design enhances the stability and efficiency of energy absorption, improving crashworthiness and occupant protection by maintaining load capacity during crashes.
Implementation Method 1
the corrugated section can collapse along its length direction when the corrugated C-channel is compressed
Implementation Method 2
deformation and failure of the fuselage sub-floor structure can absorb the impact energy generated by the collision
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft fuselage sub-floor structure with an aircraft column component includes an upper fuselage frame, a lower curved fuselage frame, and a corrugated corrugated C-channel component. The upper fuselage frame is integrated with a cargo floor crossbeam, and the upper fuselage frame connects with the lower curved fuselage frame through a splice plate. The lower curved fuselage frame is divided into left and right sections at the bottom, and is strengthened by a doubler at the bottom of the docking. The corrugated C-channel includes an intermediate corrugated section and a straight section arranged at both ends of the intermediate corrugated section. The straight section of the corrugated C-channel is connected to the cargo floor crossbeam and the upper curved fuselage frame through the upper and lower stanchion fitting respectively. The upper and lower stanchion fitting flanges are connected to the flanges on both sides of the straight section.