Aircraft Spoiler Actuation Using Aerodynamic Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft spoilers face challenges in deploying quickly enough to alleviate wind gust loads due to the need for substantial actuator load and power capacity, which increases the actuator's size and weight, potentially eroding aerodynamic benefits and requiring significant on-board space.
Innovation Solution
The spoiler actuation apparatus utilizes a rack and guide member system where the rack slides along a longitudinal axis, leveraging aerodynamic forces to accelerate the spoiler from a stowed to a deployed configuration, decoupling the movement from the actuator's speed and inertia, allowing for rapid deployment using a lighter actuator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a traditional actuator is used to deploy the spoiler quickly, then the deployment speed is improved, but the actuator size and weight increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the aerodynamic force generation from the actuator system by allowing the spoiler surface itself to generate the deployment force through its interaction with airflow. The actuator only needs to position the spoiler at a critical angle, while the aerodynamic forces complete the deployment, separating the positioning function from the force-generation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The spoiler deployes itself using aerodynamic forces generated by its own surface area and configuration. Once the actuator positions the spoiler at the critical angle, the aerodynamic pressure differential and lift forces automatically accelerate the spoiler to full deployment without requiring continuous actuator power or a large actuator system.
2Productivity
If a large actuator with substantial load capacity is used, then the spoiler can be deployed quickly, but the on-board space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for a large-volume actuator by extracting the force-generation function from the actuator system. The actuator volume is dramatically reduced because it only needs to provide positioning capability, not the full deployment force. The force generation is extracted and provided by aerodynamic forces acting on the spoiler surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The spoiler system serves its own deployment needs by generating aerodynamic forces during the deployment process. The spoiler uses its own surface area and aerodynamic interaction with the airflow to provide the deployment force, eliminating the need for a large external actuator system.
3Reliability
If a heavy actuator system is installed to ensure quick deployment, then the deployment reliability is improved, but the aerodynamic benefits of the spoiler are eroded
Solution Approach 1:
The spoiler deployment system achieves reliability through self-service aerodynamic forces rather than heavy actuator systems. The aerodynamic forces naturally generated during flight provide the deployment force, ensuring reliable operation without adding the weight penalty of oversized actuators. The system reliability comes from utilizing the existing aerodynamic environment rather than fighting against it with heavy machinery.
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
This solution enables spoiler deployment in less than a second, effectively reacting to temporal aerodynamic events, reducing structural deformations, and allowing for a lighter airframe design without the weight penalty of a large actuator, while improving dynamic flight performance and passenger comfort.
Implementation Method 1
the rack is operable to accelerate relative to the guide member away from the second position by an aerodynamic force acting on the spoiler
Data Source
AI summary
A spoiler actuation apparatus for moving an aircraft spoiler. The spoiler is moveable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. The spoiler actuation apparatus includes a guide member, a rack mounted on the guide member and slideable along a longitudinal axis of the guide member, and a gear coupled to the rack, the gear arranged to move the spoiler in response to sliding of the rack. The rack is held at a first position when the spoiler is in the stowed configuration. An actuator moves the rack from the first position to a second position along the longitudinal axis. When the rack is at the second position, the rack is operable to accelerate relative to the guide member away from the second position by an aerodynamic force acting on the spoiler.