Shear-Thickening Fluid Shock Damper for Adaptive Landing Gear Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft landing gear shock-absorbing dampers face challenges in simultaneously absorbing significant energy during landings and providing firm ground handling during lower speed operations, as existing dampers are not ideal for both high-energy absorption and firm ground handling.
Innovation Solution
A shear-thickening fluid-filled shock damper with a variable shear control apparatus, comprising a cylinder, piston, and a shear path, which adjusts viscosity in response to piston movement, allowing for adaptive damping based on the magnitude and rate of compressive impulses, enabling the damper to react differently to varying landing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a shock-absorbing damper is designed to provide firm ground handling at lower speed operations, then ground handling firmness is improved, but energy absorption capability during landings deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The damper employs a shear-thickening fluid whose viscosity dynamically changes in response to applied shear stress. During low-speed taxiing operations, the fluid maintains low viscosity for smooth operation, while during high-speed impacts like landings, the fluid's viscosity increases dramatically to provide enhanced energy absorption. This dynamic property allows the single damper to adapt to different operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes a shear-thickening fluid that changes its viscosity parameter based on the shear rate applied to it. At low shear rates (ground handling operations), the fluid has low viscosity providing firm handling. At high shear rates (landing impacts), the fluid's viscosity increases significantly to absorb more energy. This parameter change allows the damper to resolve the contradiction between firm ground handling and energy absorption capability.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a shock-absorbing damper is designed to absorb significant energy during landings, then energy absorption capability is improved, but ground handling firmness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shear-thickening fluid's dynamic viscosity response allows the damper to provide high energy absorption during landings while maintaining appropriate ground handling characteristics. The fluid remains in a low-viscosity state during normal ground operations, preventing excessive firmness, but transitions to high viscosity during impact events to maximize energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The shear-thickening fluid changes its viscosity parameter based on operational conditions. During landing impacts, the high shear rate causes viscosity increase for energy absorption, while during ground handling, the low shear rate maintains low viscosity for proper handling characteristics. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction between energy absorption and ground handling firmness.
3Ease of operation
If a damper provides soft response during gradual loads, then comfort is improved, but response to sudden impacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shear-thickening fluid provides a dynamic response that adapts to the rate of loading. During gradual loads, the fluid maintains low viscosity for a soft, comfortable response. During sudden impacts, the rapid increase in shear rate triggers a viscosity increase, providing a firm response to absorb the impact energy. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between comfort and impact response.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid's viscosity parameter changes in response to the shear rate applied during operation. Gradual loads produce low shear rates that maintain low viscosity for comfort, while sudden impacts generate high shear rates that increase viscosity for reliable impact response. This parameter change mechanism resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The shock damper effectively absorbs more energy over a given compression distance and reacts to greater forces during sudden landings while maintaining softness during gradual loads, enhancing the durability and performance of landing gear components.
Implementation Method 1
A shear-thickening fluid may travel through the shear path in response to the piston at least one of extending or compressing
Implementation Method 2
varying a viscosity of the shear-thickening fluid in response to the directing, and damping the at least one extending or retracting in response to the varying
Data Source
AI summary
A shock damper is disclosed. The shock damper may have a variable shear control apparatus through which a shear-thickening fluid may flow. In this manner, the shock damper may compress at different rates for different applied impulse forces, in response to the changing viscosity of the shear-thickening fluid.