Impulse-Absorbing Structural Component with Interception Bag
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing impulse-absorbing structural components for aircraft face challenges such as increased weight or reduced strength due to the placement of energy-absorbing layers, limited functional performance due to manufacturing costs, and risk of damage to intercept bags under certain loads.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional impulse-absorbing layer with a regular pattern of elevations and depressions, where a high-strength covering layer is applied to the elevations and the impulse-absorbing layer is raised from the covering layer, using materials with greater elongation at break than the covering layer to form an intercept bag that dissipates kinetic energy without interacting with structural components, and optionally incorporating a further layer to increase stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an energy-absorbing layer is inserted between two covering layers, then impulse absorption capability is improved, but weight increases or strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The impulse-absorbing layer is designed with a three-dimensional structure featuring elevations and depressions, creating local variations in density and mechanical properties. This allows the layer to absorb impulses effectively while maintaining lower overall weight compared to uniform thick layers. The elevations provide structural support while the depressions create void spaces for energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural component combines a covering layer made of high-strength carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics material (CFK) with an impulse-absorbing layer made of glass-fibre-reinforced plastics material (GFK). This composite material approach allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally - the CFK covering layer provides strength and stiffness, while the GFK impulse-absorbing layer provides elongation and energy absorption, achieving better weight-strength-impulse absorption balance than single-material solutions.
2Reliability
If an energy-absorbing layer is placed between covering layers, then impulse absorption is improved, but strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional structure of the impulse-absorbing layer with elevations and depressions creates local quality variations where elevations maintain structural integrity and load-bearing capacity while depressions provide energy absorption capacity. This local differentiation allows the layer to contribute to both strength and impulse absorption simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFK) for the covering layer provides exceptional tensile strength and stiffness, while the glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFK) for the impulse-absorbing layer provides high elongation at break. The combination creates a composite structure where the strong CFK layer prevents catastrophic failure while the GFK layer absorbs impulse energy, achieving both high strength and high impulse absorption capability.
3Reliability
If the impulse-absorbing layer is made of high elongation material, then energy absorption is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The three-dimensional structure with elevations and depressions allows the high-elongation material to be used efficiently only where needed for energy absorption (in the depressions and during intercept bag formation), while the elevations provide structural support. This localized use of expensive high-performance material reduces overall material cost compared to using the same material uniformly throughout the entire component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite approach where the more expensive high-elongation glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFK) is used only for the impulse-absorbing layer, while the covering layer uses carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFK) which, while also high-performance, provides the necessary strength and stiffness at potentially lower cost for this specific function. This strategic material allocation optimizes the balance between energy absorption capability and manufacturing cost.
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 provides a reliable, cost-effective impulse-absorbing structural component that effectively dissipates kinetic energy, prevents damage to essential components, and maintains structural integrity under various impacts, including bird strikes and pressure waves, while ensuring the intercept bag's functionality is not compromised.
Implementation Method 1
The material of the impulse-absorbing layer has a greater stretching or elongation at its breaking point than does the covering layer. Should a mass impact on the covering layer, an intercept bag which forms in the impulse-absorbing layer dissipates the kinetic energy of the mass.
Data Source
AI summary
An impulse-absorbing structural component, particularly for an aircraft, has an impulse-absorbing layer and a covering layer applied thereto. The impulse-absorbing layer is made of a material that has a higher capacity for elongation at its breaking point than does the covering layer, and has a regular pattern of elevations and depressions. If a mass impacts on the covering layer, an intercept bag forms in the impulse-absorbing layer, and absorbs the kinetic energy of the mass. Viewed in the direction of the spread of the intercept bag, the structural component has structure beyond the impulse-absorbing layer, such that the formation of the intercept bag can take place without further interaction with the structural component.