Funnel Support Member for Manhole-Free Aircraft Fuel Pipe Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional installation and maintenance of fuel pipes in aircraft wings require manholes, which increase structural complexity, weight, and limit design freedom due to the need for accessing rib bays, making it inefficient and cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
The use of support members with funnel parts fixedly attached to aircraft ribs, allowing fuel pipes to be inserted coaxially through apertures without the need for manholes, using a kit of parts with unique funnel diameters and collars for secure and friction-reducing installation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manholes are provided in aircraft ribs for installing and maintaining fuel pipes, then access to rib bays is enabled, but structural complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the manhole opening from the rib structure by providing access through apertures in the rib skin rather than through the rib structure itself. The support member with funnel part guides the pipe through the aperture without requiring a manhole opening in the rib, thereby maintaining structural integrity while enabling access.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member with funnel part acts as an intermediary component that facilitates pipe installation through the aperture. The funnel shape guides the pipe into the rib bay without requiring a large manhole opening, thus enabling access while minimizing structural modification.
2Ease of operation
If manholes are provided in aircraft ribs for installing and maintaining fuel pipes, then access to rib bays is enabled, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the need for heavy manhole openings in the rib structure by using apertures in the rib skin combined with a support member. This extraction of the manhole concept reduces the weight penalty associated with large structural openings while maintaining access capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib skin with aperture acts as a flexible barrier that can be opened for access without requiring heavy structural modification. The thin film nature of the rib skin allows for apertures that are much lighter than traditional manhole openings while still providing necessary access.
3Reliability
If conventional pipe sections connected via connectors on ribs are used, then fuel transport is enabled, but installation and maintenance require accessing each rib bay interior
Solution Approach 1:
The support member with funnel part provides self-service functionality by guiding the pipe into the rib bay through the aperture without requiring manual access to the interior. The funnel shape automatically directs the pipe into the correct position, eliminating the need for workers to reach into the rib bay for installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member acts as an intermediary that mediates between the external pipe installation process and the internal rib bay space. It enables pipe installation from the exterior while maintaining reliable fuel transport capability within the rib bay.
4Manufacturing precision
If the support member has a funnel part with base diameter equal to aperture diameter, then precise coaxial alignment is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The funnel part is pre-formed with the correct geometry during support member manufacturing, establishing the coaxial alignment relationship between the funnel axis and the aperture before installation. This preliminary action of forming the funnel with precise dimensions simplifies the overall manufacturing process by consolidating alignment requirements into a single component fabrication step.
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
This method enables efficient installation and removal of fuel pipes within aircraft wings without the need for manholes, reducing structural complexity and weight while enhancing design flexibility and installation speed.
Implementation Method 1
at least part of the support member has a low-friction coating
Data Source
Figure 1a~2b
Figure 3~4a
Figure 4b~5b
AI summary
There is provided a support member configured to support a first structure within an aperture of a second structure. The support member comprises a bracket for attaching the support member to the second structure; and a funnel part. The diameter of the base of the funnel is less than or equal to the diameter of the aperture, and is substantially equal to the diameter of a part of the first structure to be supported by the support member.