Movable Fuselage Struts for Underfloor Duct Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic ducts in aircraft is complex and time-consuming due to the confined and difficult-to-access 'triangle area' under the fuselage, where dimensional tolerances and limited space complicate the abutment and connection of duct portions.
Innovation Solution
The use of pivoting struts that can tilt or detach from their nominal position to facilitate access to the triangle area, allowing ducts to be assembled and installed more easily, with the option to form and test duct sets independently of the aircraft before final installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the floor is located in the vicinity of the horizontal diametral plane of the fuselage to optimize the triangle area for duct installation, then the duct installation area is well-suited and maximized, but the access to this area becomes difficult and confined
Solution Approach 1:
The struts are made movable relative to the fuselage structure through detachable links, allowing them to transition between a nominal position (providing structural support) and a moved position (granting access to the triangle area). This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction by making the previously fixed obstructing elements temporarily removable.
Solution Approach 2:
The struts are divided into separable components through detachable links, allowing individual struts to be moved or removed independently. This segmentation enables selective access to different portions of the triangle area while maintaining structural integrity when struts are in their nominal position.
2Ease of manufacture
If the ducts are installed in the triangle area under the floor, then the duct distribution system is efficiently organized, but the installation operation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The struts are moved or detached before the duct installation begins, creating clear access to the triangle area. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex maneuvers during duct installation, reducing the time and complexity of the overall installation operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable struts with detachable links allow the installation team to quickly reconfigure the space by moving struts out of the way during installation, then return them to their nominal position afterward. This dynamic adjustment significantly reduces installation time compared to working around fixed struts.
3Ease of manufacture
If the duct portions are connected in the confined triangle area, then the duct system is assembled in-situ, but the connectors require difficult clamping operations due to limited space
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the struts to alternative positions using the detachable links, the workspace in the triangle area is dynamically expanded. This creates sufficient space for operators to perform clamping operations on duct connectors without the constraint of limited space, significantly simplifying the connection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable struts act as intermediaries that can be temporarily relocated to facilitate duct connection operations. When struts are moved aside, they serve as removable obstacles that enable access and maneuverability during the connection process, then can be returned to their structural position afterward.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft fuselage portion extending in a general longitudinal direction and comprising a fuselage structure comprising annular frames and a flat floor. The fuselage portion also comprises struts perpendicular to the floor in a nominal position and extending from the floor to a frame. Each strut comprises, in the vicinity of at least one of the ends thereof, a detachable link so that the strut can be moved relative to the fuselage structure or separated from the fuselage structure to temporarily grant access to a triangle area located between the frames, the floor and the struts in the nominal position. This allows access to be granted to the area in which the ducts must be installed in the aircraft, in particular, in the form of sets of ducts assembled prior to their installation in the fuselage.