D-Truss UAV Wing Structure for Load Distribution and Low Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wings of aerial vehicles, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), face challenges in managing various loads during flight, which can lead to damage and reduced lifespan if not properly addressed.
Innovation Solution
A D-truss wing structure comprising a leading edge tubular member, upper and lower tubular members, rib members, a rigid sandwich shell, and a sandwich shear web forming a D-shape, with components made of composite materials like carbon fiber and epoxy, and features such as expansion joints and cross-bracing members to manage bending, torsional, and shear loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional wing structures are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but weight is higher and structural integrity under various loads is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials throughout the D-truss wing structure, including carbon fiber reinforced polymers for tubular members and sandwich composites for shells and webs. This allows achieving high strength-to-weight ratio, where the composite materials provide superior structural integrity while maintaining low weight compared to traditional metallic structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The wing structure is segmented into discrete D-truss elements (tubular members, rib members, sandwich shell, sandwich web) that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This segmentation allows optimization of each component's material and geometry, achieving overall structural efficiency with reduced weight while maintaining integrity under various loads.
2Reliability
If rigid structure is used to manage loads, then structural integrity is improved, but weight increases and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes sandwich construction with varying core thicknesses and face sheet configurations to achieve optimal stiffness-to-weight ratios. The sandwich shell and sandwich web employ low-density cores (such as foam or honeycomb) between thin composite face sheets, providing high rigidity for load management while keeping weight minimal. This parameter optimization ensures durability under repeated loading cycles without excessive weight.
3Adaptability or versatility
If expansion joints are added to the rigid sandwich shell, then adaptability to thermal and structural changes is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid sandwich shell is divided into multiple segments by expansion joints, allowing independent movement and thermal expansion of each section. This segmentation enables the structure to adapt to thermal changes and structural deformations during flight while maintaining overall integrity. The modular nature of segmented construction also facilitates easier manufacturing and assembly compared to a monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Expansion joints act as intermediary elements between sandwich shell segments, accommodating differential movement and thermal expansion. These joints provide a controlled mechanism for structural adaptation without requiring complex active control systems, balancing adaptability with manufacturing feasibility.
4Strength
If D-truss configuration with sandwich components is used, then load distribution is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The D-truss configuration integrates multiple structural functions into a unified geometry. The arrangement of tubular members, rib members, sandwich shell, and sandwich web collectively provides bending resistance, torsional stiffness, and shear load paths. This multi-functional design achieves optimized load distribution without requiring separate components for each structural function, thereby managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Composite materials enable the D-truss components to achieve high strength and stiffness with reduced cross-sectional areas. The carbon fiber reinforced polymers and sandwich composites provide superior mechanical properties per unit weight, allowing the complex D-truss geometry to be realized with minimal material while maintaining optimized load distribution across all members.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods including a leading edge tubular member; an upper tubular member; a lower tubular member; one or more upper rib members connected between the leading edge tubular member and the upper tubular member; one or more lower rib members connected between the leading edge tubular member and the lower tubular member; a rigid sandwich shell disposed between the upper tubular member and the leading edge tubular member; and a sandwich shear web disposed between the upper tubular member and the lower tubular member; where the rigid sandwich shell and the sandwich shear web form a D-shape.