Aircraft Evacuation Slide Integrated Spoiler Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency evacuation slides on aircrafts face challenges with aerodynamic forces causing the slide to lift off the ground during deployment, hindering proper exit due to high winds.
Innovation Solution
Integration of aerodynamic lift spoilers, comprising a side tube with a flap and ligament configuration that pivots in response to aerodynamic forces, coupled with a coupling mechanism to inhibit gas exchange across seams, enhancing structural integrity and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the evacuation slide is deployed in high wind conditions, then the slide can provide an emergency exit path, but aerodynamic forces lift the foot of the slide away from the ground preventing proper deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful aerodynamic lift force into a beneficial deployment mechanism. The spoiler flap is designed to pivot in response to aerodynamic forces, using the very wind that causes lift problems to activate the anti-lift mechanism. When the slide deploys, wind flow causes the flap to rotate and generate downward force on the foot, transforming the harmful lift into a beneficial grounding force that ensures proper deployment even in high wind conditions.
2Force
If the flap is made larger to increase aerodynamic counterforce, then the anti-lift effect improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tube wall to form the spoiler flap, integrating the anti-lift mechanism directly into the existing tube structure rather than adding a separate complex device. The flap is formed from the tube wall itself with a seam and coupling system, dividing the structure into manageable segments that can be manufactured and assembled using standard processes, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The spoiler flap is designed as a dynamic component that pivots about the seam rather than being fixed. This dynamic design allows the flap to automatically adjust its angle in response to varying aerodynamic conditions, optimizing the counterforce generation without requiring complex control systems or multiple adjustment mechanisms, thus maintaining simplicity while improving force generation.
3Strength
If the coupling across the seam is made stronger to prevent gas exchange, then structural integrity improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible coupling mechanism across the seam that accommodates manufacturing tolerances and thermal expansion. The coupling allows for slight movements and adjustments, preventing gas exchange while being forgiving of manufacturing variations. This flexible approach maintains structural integrity for gas containment without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision, making the seam coupling both strong and manufacturable.
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 integrated spoilers effectively counteract aerodynamic forces, ensuring the slide remains grounded and deployed properly, enhancing safety and stability during emergency evacuations.
Implementation Method 1
High winds tend to apply aerodynamic forces on the slide which tend to inhibit proper deployment of the slide and tend to lift the foot of the slide away from the ground
Implementation Method 2
a coupling across the seam configured to inhibit an exchange of a gas across the seam
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated spoiler may comprise a side tube having a tube wall, wherein the tube wall has a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge is disposed proximate a portion of the tube wall; a seam proximate the first edge and the portion of the tube wall; a coupling across the seam configured to inhibit the exchange of gas across the seam; a flap comprising the second edge and extending outward of the seam; and a ligament. The flap may further comprise an angle θ between the flap and an outer surface of the tube wall wherein the ligament is configured to restrain angle θ at a maximum. The flap may be configured to pivot about the seam through angle θ in response to an aerodynamic force.