Shaped Aircraft Fuel Cells With Impact-Accommodating Voids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft fuel tanks face challenges in maintaining integrity during crashes or drop tests, as they are subjected to deceleration loads and potential impacts from surrounding structures, which can lead to fuel leakage and fires.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of shaped fuel cells with defined through-voids and edge cavities that correspond to specific aircraft structures. These shaped fuel cells are designed to accommodate translating aircraft structures during a drop impact, preventing rupture and fuel leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional rigid fuel tanks are used, then structural strength is maintained, but the fuel tanks are susceptible to rupture during crash impact from translating aircraft structures
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel tank is designed with locally varied properties through strategic placement of reinforcement zones and energy-absorbing materials in specific areas most susceptible to impact from translating structures, while maintaining lighter construction in non-critical areas
Solution Approach 2:
Energy-absorbing materials and compliant layers are pre-installed between the fuel tank and surrounding aircraft structures to cushion and absorb impact forces before they can reach and rupture the fuel tank during crash conditions
2Reliability
If fuel tanks are designed with complex protective structures, then crashworthiness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel tank structure is merged with surrounding aircraft panels and structures to form an integrated protective assembly, where the fuel tank itself serves as both the fuel containment and a structural component of the crash protection system
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel tank is designed to serve multiple functions: fuel containment, structural support, and crash energy absorption, thereby reducing the need for separate protective structures and simplifying the overall system
3Ease of manufacture
If standard fuel cell shapes are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but they cannot accommodate translating aircraft structures during impact
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel tank geometry is locally modified with recesses, voids, and contoured surfaces in specific areas where translating structures are expected to contact during crash, while maintaining simple manufacturing processes for the majority of the tank surface
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel tank is pre-shaped during manufacturing with anticipated crash contact zones built in, allowing standard manufacturing processes to produce a geometry that is optimized for crashworthiness without requiring complex post-processing or assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft, such as a rotorcraft, may have at least one area designated to house at least one fuel cell and at least one aircraft structure that may translate, during a drop impact of the aircraft, into the area designated to house the fuel cell. At least one shaped fuel cell may be provided and deployed therein, in accordance with the present systems and methods. Each respective shaped fuel cell may define at least one respective through-voids defined through the respective shaped fuel cell, and/or at least one respective edge cavity defined along an edge of the shaped fuel cell, wherein the respective through-void and/or the respective edge cavity correspond to the respective aircraft structure that may translate, during the drop impact of the aircraft, into the area of the aircraft designated to house the respective fuel cell to receive and accommodate the respective structure during the drop impact.