Aircraft Fuel Tank Access Cover Panel Sealing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access panel cover assemblies for commercial aircraft wing fuel tanks lack efficient sealing mechanisms, leading to potential fuel leakage during operations.
Innovation Solution
The access cover panel assemblies feature an inner and outer cover plate with a circumferentially spaced-apart plurality of apertures, U-shaped floating nut plates, and attachment bolts, which securely fasten the plates together and to the surrounding structure, ensuring a tight seal with an O-ring seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional bolt and nut assemblies are used to secure access panels, then the panels can be firmly attached, but the sealing reliability deteriorates due to potential fuel leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The access panel assembly is divided into multiple segments: inner cover plate, outer cover plate, and intermediate floating nut plates. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the inner plate provides sealing surface, the floating nut plates provide attachment points, and the outer plate provides structural support, collectively achieving both strength and sealing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The floating nut plates serve as intermediary elements between the inner and outer cover plates. These intermediaries provide threaded attachment points while allowing the sealing surface to remain intact, enabling secure fastening without compromising the seal between the cover plates
2Reliability
If access panels are securely fastened to prevent fuel leakage, then sealing reliability improves, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in disassembly for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with separate inner cover plate, floating nut plates, and outer cover plate allows the panel to be disassembled in stages. Maintenance personnel can remove the outer plate and floating nut plates independently while leaving the inner sealing plate in place, facilitating easy maintenance while maintaining sealing integrity when assembled
Solution Approach 2:
The floating nut plates are designed to be removable and repositionable, providing dynamic attachment points that can be easily accessed for disassembly. This dynamic design allows the panel to transition between secured and maintenance states without requiring complete removal of all components
Data Source
AI summary
Access cover panel assemblies are provided that are especially useful to cover access openings of aircraft wing fuel tanks and include an inner cover plate and an outer cover plate spaced from the inner cover plate which defines a circumferentially spaced-apart plurality of apertures. A circumferentially spaced-apart plurality of generally U-shaped floating nut plates dependently extend from the inner cover plate toward the outer cover plate with each nut plate being in alignment with a respective one of the apertures. A corresponding plurality of attachment bolts extend through each of the apertures of the outer cover plate and are threadably coupled to a respective one of the floating nut plates to thereby removably secure the inner and outer cover plates to one another and to the surrounding structure defining the access opening.