Automated Fatigue Margin Correction for Structural Components

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for fatigue and structural analysis of structural components, such as aircraft and bridges, are inefficient in identifying and correcting negative fatigue margins, often requiring manual trial and error, which can lead to increased weight and cost due to non-optimal dimensional adjustments and lack of automated data organization and biaxial stress analysis.

Innovation Solution

An automated system and method that uses a processor to calculate fatigue margins for structural components, identifies negative margins, and adjusts dimensional characteristics locally to achieve positive margins with minimal weight impact, utilizing finite element models and iterative processes to optimize structural design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual trial and error methods are used to adjust dimensional characteristics, then fatigue margins can be corrected, but the process is inefficient and increases weight and cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefatigue marginVSAvoidanalysis efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs fatigue analysis and identifies negative fatigue margins without requiring manual intervention. The automated iterative process adjusts dimensional characteristics itself based on the analysis results, eliminating the need for manual trial and error methods while maintaining reliability of fatigue margin correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical trial and error adjustments with an automated computational system. The processor automatically calculates fatigue margins, identifies problematic areas, and adjusts dimensional characteristics through iterative computational processes, substituting manual mechanical methods with automated digital systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If dimensional characteristics are adjusted to correct negative fatigue margins, then fatigue life is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefatigue lifeVSAvoidstructural weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system adjusts dimensional characteristics locally only at specific areas where negative fatigue margins are identified, rather than uniformly increasing dimensions throughout the entire structure. This localized adjustment approach corrects fatigue issues while minimizing unnecessary weight increases in areas that do not require reinforcement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The automated system iteratively adjusts dimensional parameters (such as thickness or cross-sectional dimensions) at critical locations to achieve positive fatigue margins. By systematically varying these parameters and recalculating fatigue margins in each iteration, the system optimizes the balance between fatigue life improvement and weight minimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Weight of moving object

If automated iterative adjustment is used, then weight is minimized, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural weightVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated system divides the structural analysis into discrete segments by identifying specific details of interest where negative fatigue margins occur. Rather than analyzing the entire structure uniformly, the system segments the problem into localized areas requiring adjustment, making the computational process more manageable and efficient while still achieving optimal weight reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Manufacturing precision

If manual trial and error methods are used, then dimensional adjustments can be made, but costs increase due to inefficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensional adjustmentVSAvoidanalysis cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated system incorporates feedback loops where fatigue margins are calculated, areas with negative margins are identified, dimensional adjustments are automatically applied, and the analysis is repeated. This iterative feedback process continuously refines the dimensional characteristics to achieve optimal fatigue performance, eliminating costly manual trial and error methods while maintaining manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10108766B2Methods and apparatus for analyzing fatigue of a structure and optimizing a characteristic of the structure based on the fatigue analysis

Publication Date: 2018.10.23 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for analyzing fatigue of a structure and optimizing a characteristic of the structure based on the fatigue analysis are disclosed herein. An example method disclosed herein includes obtaining mass and unit stress values of a plurality of details of interest of a structural component, calculating fatigue margins for each of the details of interest, identifying among the calculated fatigue margins any negative fatigue margins associated with one or more of the details of interest, and adjusting, via a processor, a dimensional characteristic of each detail of interest associated with the negative fatigue margin(s) until positive fatigue margin(s) at each detail of interest is obtained.