Portable Manual Drive Unit for Lower-Weight Thrust Reverser Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thrust reverser actuation systems in aircraft nacelles require large manual drive units (MDUs) that increase weight and cost, necessitating additional support structures for the actuators, which further adds to the overall weight and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A portable manual drive unit (MDU) is used in conjunction with actuators that are circumferentially spaced apart, allowing for releasable engagement and torque limiting, reducing the need for permanently attached MDUs and minimizing weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large manual drive units (MDUs) are permanently attached to actuators, then the actuators can be reliably driven during maintenance, but the weight and cost of the thrust reverser assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The MDU is segmented from the actuator, allowing the actuator to be permanently mounted on the thrust reverser while the MDU is separately mounted on the maintenance stand. This segmentation eliminates the need for heavy MDUs to be permanently attached to the actuator, reducing the overall weight of the thrust reverser assembly while maintaining reliable drive capability during maintenance operations.
2Reliability
If large manual drive units (MDUs) are permanently attached to actuators, then the actuators can be reliably driven during maintenance, but the cost of the thrust reverser assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The MDU is segmented from the actuator, allowing the actuator to be permanently mounted on the thrust reverser while the MDU is separately mounted on the maintenance stand. This segmentation eliminates the need for heavy MDUs to be permanently attached to the actuator, reducing the overall weight of the thrust reverser assembly while maintaining reliable drive capability during maintenance operations.
3Reliability
If actuators are configured to support permanently attached MDUs, then reliable manual drive is achieved, but additional weight and structural complexity are required
Solution Approach 1:
The MDU is segmented from the actuator, allowing the actuator to be permanently mounted on the thrust reverser while the MDU is separately mounted on the maintenance stand. This segmentation eliminates the need for heavy MDUs to be permanently attached to the actuator, reducing the overall weight of the thrust reverser assembly while maintaining reliable drive capability during maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The MDU is extracted from the actuator assembly and mounted separately on the maintenance stand. This extraction removes the need for the actuator to support the MDU, eliminating additional structural complexity and weight in the actuator support system while maintaining reliable manual drive capability through the separate MDU mounting arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft nacelle is provided that includes a fan cowl, a thrust reverser translating sleeve, and a thrust reverser. The fan cowl and the sleeve are configured to circumferentially enclose an engine. The thrust reverser includes a thrust reverser actuation system (TRAS). The TRAS includes first and second actuators, and a portable manual drive unit (MDU). The first and second actuators are each configured to translate the sleeve linearly between stowed and deployed positions, and each has an actuator input drive port. The portable MDU has an MDU input drive port, an MDU output drive port, and a torque limiting device. The MDU output drive port is configured for engagement with the actuator input drive port. The portable MDU is configured for releasable engagement with the first actuator and for releasable engagement with the second actuator.