Stationary Engine Tiltwing Pivot System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tiltwing aircraft designs face limitations in engine design and operational efficiency due to the need for engines to rotate between vertical and horizontal positions, which complicates fluid system management and restricts the use of suitable engine models.
Innovation Solution
A pivot system for tiltwing aircraft that allows independent rotation of wings relative to the fuselage, with a support shaft, bearing, and gearbox configuration, enabling engines to remain stationary and eliminating the need for rotation, thus allowing the use of any suitable engine without vertical operation capability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If engines are mounted to rotate with the wings between vertical and horizontal positions, then the aircraft can transition between hover and forward flight, but the engine design becomes more complex and fluid system management is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft system is divided into independent rotational and stationary components. The wings and rotor assemblies rotate independently on pivot systems, while the engines remain stationary relative to the fuselage. This segmentation allows the propulsion system to be decoupled from the rotating wing assembly, eliminating the complexity of rotating engines and fluid system management while maintaining the ability to transition between hover and forward flight modes.
2Ease of manufacture
If the entire wing with engines and rotors rotates together, then the structure is simpler, but the engines must be designed to operate in vertical positions which limits engine model selection
Solution Approach 1:
The wing assembly is segmented to separate the engines from the rotating components. Engines are mounted stationary to the fuselage while the wing structure with rotor assemblies rotates independently via pivot systems. This allows selection of any suitable engine model without vertical operation capability while maintaining the tiltwing configuration for V/STOL operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A pivot system with support shaft and bearing acts as an intermediary between the stationary engine mounting and the rotating wing assembly. This intermediary mechanism transmits the rotational motion requirement from the wing to the rotor assemblies without requiring the engines themselves to rotate, thus resolving the conflict between structural simplicity and engine selection flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single wing member is hinged to the fuselage for rotation, then the tiltwing mechanism is achieved, but the pivot system requires complex support structures to handle the rotation loads
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot system is segmented into distinct functional components: a support shaft mounted to the fuselage, a bearing mounted to the support shaft, and a support fitting mounted to the bearing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and facilitates maintenance and replacement while maintaining the overall rotation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot system is designed with a bearing that enables smooth rotational motion between the support shaft and support fitting. The bearing allows the wing to dynamically rotate between horizontal and vertical positions while supporting the structural loads, providing the necessary adaptability with reduced structural complexity compared to rigid hinge designs.
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 design enhances operational efficiency by allowing any engine to be used, reduces design complexity, and improves survivability and redundancy in engine systems, while maintaining engines in a horizontal aspect for improved performance and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
A bearing is mounted to the support shaft outboard of the support shaft about the wing tilt axis
Data Source
AI summary
A tiltwing aircraft includes a fuselage, an engine mounted stationary relative to the fuselage, and an opposed pair of wings. The wings are separated from each other with the fuselage therebetween, each wing independently mounted to the fuselage by a respective pivot system for rotation relative to the fuselage. An opposed pair of rotor assemblies is included, each operatively connected to a respective one of the wings for common rotation with the respective wing back and forth between a first position predominantly for lift to a second position predominantly for thrust.