Hinged Raked Wing Tip for Airport Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing airport designs impose limitations on aircraft wingspan, restricting the use of long span wings due to dimensional constraints, and current folding wing designs for commercial aircraft are weight-intensive, negating the fuel efficiency benefits of long span wings.
Innovation Solution
A raked wing tip design with a hinge line oriented in various directions, including streamwise, ribwise, and vertical orientations, allowing for folding and extension to fit within airport dimensions while minimizing weight through the use of stub spars and hinged torque boxes, enabling interference-free movement and reduced reacting forces on hinges and locking pins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If folding wing designs are used to reduce span to fit within airport limitations, then the aircraft can comply with airport codes, but the weight increases due to larger hinges and locking pins
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge line is reoriented from a conventional spanwise direction to a streamwise direction (parallel to the wing leading edge). This dimensional change in hinge orientation allows the wing tip to fold forward along the streamwise axis rather than upward, reducing the required wing bending reaction moment arm and enabling lighter hinge and locking pin components while still achieving the necessary wingspan reduction for airport compliance.
2Use of energy by moving object
If long span wings are used to improve aerodynamic efficiency, then fuel consumption decreases, but the aircraft cannot fit within existing airport infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The wing tip is designed with movable folding capability along the streamwise hinge line, allowing it to dynamically change position between a folded state (for airport infrastructure compliance) and an extended state (for optimal aerodynamic efficiency during flight). This dynamic configuration enables the aircraft to achieve long span wings for fuel efficiency while maintaining compatibility with existing airport dimensions.
3Strength
If conventional folding wing designs are scaled up for commercial aircraft, then high reaction loads can be overcome, but aircraft weight increases and operating costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By reorienting the hinge line from spanwise to streamwise direction, the wing bending reaction moment arm is significantly reduced. This dimensional change in the hinge configuration allows the same hinge and locking pin components to handle high reaction loads with much smaller sizes, thereby reducing aircraft weight while maintaining the capability to overcome high reaction loads during folding operations.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 3C~4
AI summary
A wing assembly comprises a raked wing tip having an outboard portion hinged to one of a main wing having at least one moveable control surface and an inboard raked wing tip portion. The outboard portion of the raked wing tip does not carry any moveable flight control surfaces.