Foldable Wing Tip Actuation With Heating for Low-Temperature Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft wing actuating systems for foldable wings are heavy and large, requiring significant resources and increasing airport fees due to the need for infrastructure adaptation, while also facing challenges in operating efficiently across varying temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight and compact actuating system with a heating arrangement that reduces the force required to move the wing tip section between deployed and stowed positions by heating specific components, such as gearboxes and actuators, to counteract increased reaction loads at low temperatures, thereby optimizing the wing's span and reducing weight and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional actuating system is used to move the tip section, then the wing can be folded between deployed and stowed positions, but the actuating system becomes heavy and large, increasing weight and space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating system is divided into modular components including a gearbox, actuator, and coupling parts. This segmentation allows for optimized design of each component, reducing overall weight while maintaining reliability through specialized functionality of each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a heating arrangement that modifies the temperature parameter of the actuating system components. This thermal parameter change reduces reaction loads and friction at low temperatures, allowing for a lighter actuating system design while maintaining operational reliability across temperature ranges.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the wing span is increased to improve flight efficiency, then fuel consumption decreases, but airport fees increase due to infrastructure adaptation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The wing configuration is made dynamic through the foldable tip section that can change span between deployed and stowed positions. This dynamic adaptability allows the aircraft to optimize fuel efficiency during cruise with extended wingspan while reducing span for airport operations, providing versatility across different operational phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The wingspan parameter is made variable through the actuating system that enables the tip section to pivot between positions. This parameter change allows the aircraft to adapt to different operational requirements, achieving long wingspan for fuel-efficient flight and short wingspan for airport compatibility.
3Weight of moving object
If the actuating system is made lighter and smaller, then weight and space requirements decrease, but the system may not reliably operate under all temperature conditions
Solution Approach 1:
A heating arrangement is integrated into the actuating system to modify the temperature parameter of critical components like the gearbox and actuator. This thermal parameter change compensates for low-temperature effects such as increased friction and reaction loads, enabling a lighter actuating system to maintain operational reliability across the full temperature range without requiring oversized components.
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 actuating system enables safe, reliable, and efficient movement of the wing tip section across all operating conditions, reducing the overall weight and size of the wing arrangement while minimizing fuel consumption and airport fees by optimizing wing span and aspect ratio.
Implementation Method 1
a heating arrangement which is positioned and adapted to be operable to heat at least one portion of the actuating arrangement such that—at least for ambient temperatures below a predetermined temperature—the required work to be effected by the actuator when moving the second coupling part between the first position and the second position is lower than without heating the at least one portion
Data Source
AI summary
An actuating system for pivoting a wing tip section (13) about a fixed wing base section (11), and including a heating arrangement (33) positioned and adapted to be operable to heat at least one portion of an actuating arrangement (23) that pivots the wing tip section such that at least for ambient temperatures below a predetermined temperature the required work to be effected by the actuator (25) when moving the second coupling part (31) between the first position and the second position is lower than without heating the at least one portion.