Aircraft Fuselage Connector Assembly for Swivel-Tolerant Tank Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and maintenance of large aircraft components, such as hydrogen tanks, within the fuselage are difficult due to their size, making access and alignment challenging.
Innovation Solution
A fuselage portion with connector elements having first and second ends, where the first end is held in a bore through the shell and the second end is joined to the aircraft component with a swiveling joint, allowing a predetermined tolerance, facilitating installation and maintenance by avoiding internal access and enabling tolerance compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydrogen tanks are installed inside the fuselage shell, then the aircraft can carry hydrogen fuel, but the tanks become difficult to access for installation and maintenance due to their large size
Solution Approach 1:
The connector elements are divided into two distinct parts: a first end that is held in the shell and a second end that is joined to the aircraft component. This segmentation allows the connector to bridge the gap between the fixed shell structure and the movable aircraft component, enabling access from the exterior while maintaining internal installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a purely internal installation approach to a multi-dimensional approach by extending connector elements through the shell. This allows installation and maintenance operations to be performed from the exterior dimension, bypassing the accessibility constraints of internal installation.
2Ease of manufacture
If connector elements are used to install aircraft components in the shell, then installation is simplified, but alignment precision becomes challenging due to size tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The joint between the second end of the connector element and the aircraft component is designed to provide a margin of swivelling, transforming the connector from a rigid fixed element to a dynamic adjustable element. This allows the connector to adapt to alignment variations while maintaining a secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The swivelling joint changes the angular parameter of the connector element, allowing it to accommodate variations in alignment within a predetermined tolerance range. This parameter adjustment capability resolves the conflict between installation simplicity and alignment precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If swivelling joints are provided for tolerance compensation, then alignment flexibility is improved, but the connector element complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The swivelling capability is provided to a predetermined tolerance level, which is sufficient to accommodate alignment variations without requiring excessive complexity. The solution applies the minimum necessary adaptability rather than maximum possible complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1a~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6a~6c
AI summary
Disclosed is a fuselage portion 100 of or for an aircraft. The fuselage portion comprises an aircraft component 20, 20' which is installed in a shell 10 of the fuselage portion by means of a plurality of connector elements 30, 30', 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. Therein, a respective first end 301, 30a1, 30b1, 30c1, 30d1 of each connector element is held in an associated bore b running through the shell 10, and a respective second end 302, 30a2 of each connector element is joined to the aircraft component 20, 20' by a joint providing the respective connector element 30, 30', 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d a margin of swivelling relative to the aircraft component 20, 20'. Further disclosed are an aircraft comprising such fuselage portion 100, and a method for assembling such fuselage portion 100.