Offset-Port Actuator Structure for Lighter Aircraft Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional actuators with offset connection ports are heavy and voluminous, complicating their integration in aircraft due to the use of drilled ducts, which increase weight and size.
Innovation Solution
The actuator design incorporates offset connection ports connected to the body via struts, allowing for reduced weight by creating empty spaces between them, while maintaining vibration and pressure performance through the use of struts that do not impede fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If drilled ducts are used to connect offset connection ports to the actuator body, then the connection ports can be offset for dynamic performance, but the actuator becomes heavy and voluminous
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the offset connection port and the actuator body is segmented into multiple discrete struts rather than a solid drilled duct. This segmentation allows material to be removed from non-critical areas while maintaining structural connectivity through the struts, thereby reducing overall weight while preserving the offset configuration for dynamic performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Material is extracted from the actuator body by replacing solid drilled ducts with hollow struts that have internal flow passages. This extraction removes unnecessary material that would add weight, while the struts maintain the necessary fluid connection and structural support for the offset port configuration.
2Speed
If drilled ducts are used to connect offset connection ports to the actuator body, then the connection ports can be offset for dynamic performance, but the actuator becomes voluminous
Solution Approach 1:
The solid duct structure is segmented into multiple thin-walled struts with internal passages. This segmentation allows the fluid flow path to be maintained while significantly reducing the external volume occupied by the connection structure, enabling compact integration in aircraft landing gear applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid flow passage is nested within the hollow struts themselves. The internal channels of the struts contain the fluid flow path that would otherwise require separate external ducting, thereby eliminating additional volume and integrating multiple functions into a compact structure.
3Weight of moving object
If struts are used to connect the connection port to the body, then weight is reduced by creating empty spaces, but structural strength must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The struts are designed with optimized material distribution, potentially using composite structures or strategically placed reinforcement elements within the hollow struts. This allows the struts to maintain adequate structural strength for withstanding operating pressures and vibrations while minimizing material usage and overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The strut design implements local quality by varying wall thickness and structural density in different regions of the struts. Areas subject to higher stress concentrations have increased material presence, while less critical areas have reduced material content, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio for the overall connection structure.
Data Source
AI summary
An actuator includes a body and at least a first offset connection port that is connected to the body by a first duct projecting from the body. The first connection port is mechanically connected to the body at least by first and second struts. The first strut and the second strut extend from the first connection port, respectively, to a first segment of the body and to a second segment of the body that is axially spaced apart from the first segment. An undercarriage includes such an actuator as its locking or unlocking actuator.