Composite Flexible-Rigid Air Pipe for Easier Aircraft Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The positioning of air-conditioning ducts and electrical cables in aircraft is cumbersome and costly due to their lightweight, fragile structure, requiring time-consuming installation and frequent replacements, and the rigid cable configurations are not easily reconfigurable, leading to space and weight constraints.
Innovation Solution
A flexible-rigid pipe structure made from composite materials with a flexible resin matrix and stiffened sections formed by a lattice framework, allowing for easy installation and integration of electrical conductors, reducing the need for multiple connection zones and supports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If rigid pipes made of glass-fiber and phenolic resin composite are used, then weight is reduced, but the pipes become fragile and difficult to position during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the pipe from rigid phenolic resin composite to flexible resin composite, transforming the mechanical properties from rigid and fragile to flexible and easier to handle. This allows the pipe to be more easily positioned during installation while maintaining weight reduction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of a flexible resin matrix (such as polyurethane or epoxy) combined with reinforcing fibers (glass fiber, carbon fiber, or aramid). This composite structure provides both the lightweight characteristic and improved flexibility for easier installation and repositioning.
2Reliability
If rigid cable strands of specific dimensions are used, then electrical interconnection is achieved, but the cabling becomes lax and requires significant deployment volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cable structure from rigid to flexible, allowing the cable to be routed more efficiently through the aircraft structure. The flexible cable can follow tighter paths and requires less deployment volume while maintaining reliable electrical interconnection between components.
3Ease of operation
If supports are fixed to structural elements for positioning pipes and cables, then positioning is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming due to surface preparation, bonding/riveting, and drying cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from separate supports that require complex installation procedures (surface preparation, bonding, drying cycles) and integrates it directly into the pipe and cable structure itself. The flexible pipe and cable can be positioned and secured more simply without requiring extensive support installation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible nature of the pipe and cable allows preliminary positioning adjustments to be made during installation without requiring final fixation through complex support procedures. The material's flexibility enables easy adjustment and securing in the desired position, reducing the time required for the complete positioning process.
4Reliability
If separation distances are maintained between adjacent electrical connections, then safety regulations are met, but the cabling requires significant deployment volume not compatible with modern aircraft architectures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cable from rigid to flexible, which allows the cable to maintain proper separation distances between connections through its own flexibility and routing capability rather than requiring excessive deployment volume. The flexible cable can navigate tight spaces while maintaining safety clearances.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe for forming air flow pipelines in a structure that includes a flexible tube made from composite material, the tube having, on the length of same, sections for which the wall of the tube is stiffened by means of structural elements made from a rigid composite material incorporated into the wall of the tube. The structural elements are configured and arranged at the surface of the tube in such a way as to form a lattice framework surrounding the wall of the tube. The pipe further includes electrical conductors, disposed longitudinally on the wall of the pipe, the electrical conductors having a straight path at the stiffened sections of the pipe and a meandering path at certain of the non-stiffened sections of the pipe, the meandering allowing the conductor to tolerate the possible twisting of the pipe when it is installed in the structure.