Frangible Composite Guy Wire for Airport Masts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airport masts and guy wires do not effectively fracture upon impact, posing hazards or causing critical damage, as they are typically designed for bending or windowing failure mechanisms, which do not meet ICAO or FAA certification requirements for demanding applications.
Innovation Solution
A frangible guy wire made of composite material, specifically a tubular profile with a thin wall thickness and high fibreglass reinforcement, designed to break into small fragments upon impact, minimizing secondary hazards and adhering to ICAO regulations by employing a fracture-based breaking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If steel or aluminium guy wires are used, then the guy wire has high strength and durability, but it creates hazard and causes critical damage to aircraft upon impact
Solution Approach 1:
The guy wire material composition is changed from traditional steel or aluminium to composite material with specific fibre reinforcement content (30-80% by weight). This parameter change in material composition enables the guy wire to have sufficient strength for normal operation while fracturing into small non-hazardous fragments upon impact with aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material consisting of fibres (such as glass fibres, basalt fibres, carbon fibres) embedded in a matrix material. This composite structure provides the necessary mechanical strength while enabling controlled fracture into small pieces upon impact, eliminating the hazard associated with traditional metal guy wires.
2Stability of the object's composition
If guy wires are designed for bending or windowing failure mechanism, then the structure maintains integrity, but it does not meet ICAO or FAA certification requirements for frangible behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The wall thickness of the tubular guy wire is specifically controlled within the range of 0.5-5 mm, and the fibre reinforcement content is set between 30-80% by weight. These parameter changes ensure the guy wire achieves the desired fracture behavior upon impact while maintaining sufficient structural integrity during normal operation to meet certification requirements.
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 composite guy wire effectively fractures into small, non-hazardous components upon impact, ensuring safety and compliance with ICAO and FAA standards for demanding applications, preventing damage to aircraft.
Implementation Method 1
The rigidity of the coupler exceeds that of the rods to concentrate shock bending stresses at an axial transition between one rod and the more rigid coupler. The stress concentration will cause the rod to fracture and break at the point of stress concentration as a result of a sudden impact.
Data Source
Figure 1~1D
Figure 2~3
AI summary
A frangible guy wire (2,3) of an airport mast (1), which breaks on impact without presenting a hazard or causing critical damage to the object impacting with it. The main part of the length of the guy wire consists of a tube (4) or tubular profile made of composite material, the proportions of the dimensions and materials of which have been selected in such a way that in the event of impact, the tube (4) or tubular profile will break by fracturing, that is, by breaking into pieces. The wall thickness of the tube or tubular profile is selected to be so thin that the desired fracturing is achieved.