Aircraft Flap System with Internal Track Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft flap systems generate excessive drag and weight at transonic speeds, leading to inefficiencies in fuel consumption and performance, as they are designed for subsonic speeds and lack efficient mechanisms to minimize drag when retracted during cruise flight.
Innovation Solution
A novel flap system and actuation mechanism that includes a foil with a track housing, anchor plate, and actuator, allowing for reduced size and weight while maintaining lift performance, with the actuator and track system housed within the flap to minimize profile drag and pylon size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If current flap systems are used to increase lift, then lift is improved, but drag increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The track system is nested within the flap structure itself, with the track housing integrated into the foil. This eliminates the need for external pylons and reduces the overall profile drag while maintaining the flap's lift-generating capability. The actuator and track components are contained within the flap's internal volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The track is configured with a curved shape that guides the foil through a three-dimensional path during extension and retraction. This curved trajectory allows the flap to achieve greater effective chord length and lift augmentation while minimizing the projected area that contributes to drag during cruise configuration.
2Force
If flap size is increased to produce more lift, then lift is improved, but profile drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flap system employs a dynamic curved track that guides the foil through an optimized trajectory during deployment. This dynamic path allows the flap to achieve maximum lift effect at extended positions while maintaining a compact, low-drag profile during retraction. The curved geometry enables the flap to sweep back during extension, reducing its projected area in the freestream direction.
3Force
If actuator size is increased to extend foil further, then lift augmentation is improved, but pylon size and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is nested within the flap structure, with the foil clevis and anchor plate integrated into the internal geometry. This eliminates the need for large external pylons to house the actuation mechanism. The track housing contains the actuator components, allowing the full extension stroke to be achieved within the flap's internal volume, thereby eliminating pylon-related profile drag entirely.
4Strength
If flap structure is strengthened to support larger loads, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The track housing and internal structural components are nested within the flap's existing structure, utilizing the flap's internal volume for load-bearing elements. This integrated approach allows the structural strength to be distributed efficiently throughout the flap geometry rather than adding separate external reinforcement structures, thereby minimizing weight increase while maintaining the required load-carrying capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A process and a machine for reducing a profile of a flap system including forming a track housing within a flap system including: a foil and a track housing within the foil, two track housing lugs extending out from an opening therein and beyond a leading edge of the foil, and a track that has a curved shape configured to: support the foil; and guide a movement of the foil along the track. The flap system may include an anchor plate and an actuator configured to connect to the foil, and a pylon that includes: a length and a depth enclosing a section of a dual channel portion of the track extending out an exit hole of the track housing in the foil. The process may continue by attaching the anchor plate and the pylon to a wing, and the actuator to the anchor plate.