Net Edge Composite Core Splices for Aircraft Wings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for splicing net edge composite core structures to transition between different core cell sizes or shapes are weight prohibitive and hinder gas permeability, often requiring fillers or adhesives that compromise structural integrity and moisture venting.
Innovation Solution
A method and structure for splicing composite core assemblies by directly interfacing facets of cells with different sizes and shapes, eliminating the need for fillers or adhesives, and maintaining gas permeability across the splice region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If filler material is used to bridge the gap between core volumes, then load transfer between core blocks is improved, but weight increases and gas permeability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the filler material from the splice region, allowing direct contact between core blocks. The core blocks are designed with complementary geometric features (protrusions and recesses) that enable mechanical interlocking without requiring additional filler materials, thus reducing weight while maintaining load transfer capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite geometric features at the interface of core blocks, combining mechanical interlocking shapes with adhesive bonding surfaces. This composite approach allows the structure to achieve both mechanical strength through geometric interlocking and chemical bonding through adhesive, eliminating the need for bulk filler materials.
2Stability of the object's composition
If filler material is used to occupy the volume between core blocks, then structural integration is improved, but gas permeability is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains the porous cellular structure of the core blocks at the splice interface, allowing gas to permeate through the cell walls. The geometric interlocking features are designed to align or interlock in a way that preserves the open cell structure, enabling moisture and gas to vent through the core without being blocked by filler materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention removes filler materials that would block gas pathways, allowing the natural porous structure of the core to remain open and permeable at the splice region. This extraction of harmful filler material while retaining the beneficial porous structure resolves the contradiction between structural integration and gas permeability.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional core treatment is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but individual cell interface control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the core into discrete blocks with controlled cellular structures, where each block can be manufactured independently with precise cell geometry. The cell walls are designed to align at interfaces, creating a segmented but continuous cellular structure that maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving precise cell interface control.
4Weight of moving object
If composite core material is used, then weight is reduced and specific strength is improved, but connection of different core cell sizes becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the core blocks, specifically designing protrusions and recesses with dimensions that correspond to the cell sizes. This allows different cell sizes to interlock through scaled geometric features, maintaining the lightweight composite material benefit while simplifying the splicing process through parameter-matched geometric interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and related structures to splice two sizes of cores in a manner to directly interface the facets of the cells and avoid the common practice of using fillers, casting materials, and expanding adhesives is useful to optimize the specific strength of the design and minimize the weight while maximizing the load carrying capability of the structure and to allow the core to vent moisture and other gasses.