Aircraft Fuel Bladder Flex Region with Resilient Creases
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel bladders in aircraft experience load-related failures and leaks due to mismatched manufacturing tolerances and movement, causing installation difficulties and costly repairs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating non-planar flex regions with resilient creases or corrugations in the bladder wall to allow movement and reduce loads on interconnects, enabling a flexible fit within the fuel housing while maintaining a close configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid interconnect is used to attach to the fuel bladder, then structural strength is improved, but damage to interconnects and fuel bladders occurs due to loads from bladder movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible bellows structure between the rigid interconnect and the fuel bladder. This bellows structure acts as a flexible element that can accommodate bladder movement while protecting the rigid interconnect from damage. The bellows expands and contracts to absorb the movement, preventing load transfer to the interconnect and bladder attachment points.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight manufacturing tolerances are used to ensure proper fit, then installation precision is improved, but installation difficulty increases and loads are applied to interconnects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bellows structure that changes the geometric parameters of the connection system. The bellows provides axial play or movement capability, effectively changing the dimensional tolerance requirements. This allows for easier installation with relaxed tolerances while maintaining proper connection, as the bellows can accommodate size variations through its expansion and contraction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the fuel bladder is made flexible to accommodate movement, then adaptability is improved, but loads are applied to interconnects and back-up structures
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows structure serves as an intermediary element between the flexible fuel bladder and the rigid interconnect. It mediates the interaction by absorbing the movement forces generated by the flexible bladder, preventing these forces from being transmitted to the interconnect and back-up structures. The bellows acts as a buffer that decouples the two 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 solution reduces the risk of damage to interconnects and fuel bladders by distributing loads and accommodating slight variances in bladder size, thereby minimizing leaks and repair costs.
Implementation Method 1
The flex region includes at least one resilient crease in the bladder wall and the rim is between the flex region and the opening. The flex region exhibits the property of allowing movement of the rim with respect to the portion of the bladder wall.
Implementation Method 2
The storage container includes a plurality of resilient, concentric corrugations in the container wall adjacent to the orifice. The plurality of corrugations exhibit the property of allowing translational movement of the orifice with respect to the surrounding portion of the container wall.
Implementation Method 3
The corrugation exhibits the property of allowing movement of the rim with respect to the surrounding portion of the bladder wall, reducing the risk of damage to interconnects and fuel bladders by distributing loads and accommodating slight variances in bladder size.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage container, which may be a fuel bladder, includes a container wall configured to retain a fluid within the container and an opening through the container wall. The container includes a rim of the container wall surrounding the opening and a non-planar flex region of the container wall adjacent to the rim. The flex region includes at least one resilient crease in the container wall and the rim is between the flex region and the opening. A portion of the container wall surrounds the flex region. The flex region exhibits the property of allowing movement of the rim with respect to the portion of the container wall.