Integrally Stiffened Bonded Panel with Vented Pockets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft wing structures made with reinforcing stringers, ribs, and fasteners are costly and add significant weight, increasing the overall cost and weight of the aircraft.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the machining of composite material substrates to create recesses and channels, which are then bonded with a top layer to form a lightweight, reinforced structure, reducing the need for discrete reinforcing components and allowing for integral reinforcement within the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If discrete reinforcing components (stringers, ribs, fasteners) are used in aircraft wing structures, then structural strength and rigidity are improved, but weight and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges discrete reinforcing components (stringers, ribs, spars) into an integrated monolithic composite structure. The reinforcement elements are formed as integral parts of the wing assembly during a single manufacturing process, eliminating the need for separate components and fasteners. This combining approach maintains structural strength while significantly reducing weight by removing redundant fasteners and simplifying the assembly architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers) to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio in the monolithic wing structure. The composite material system provides both the structural strength previously requiring discrete metal reinforcements and the weight reduction needed to offset their removal. The composite layers are oriented and consolidated to provide anisotropic mechanical properties tailored for wing loading conditions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If discrete reinforcing components and fasteners are used, then structural rigidity is improved, but manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations into a single monolithic forming process. The wing assembly with integrated reinforcements is formed in one continuous manufacturing step rather than assembling multiple pre-fabricated components. This eliminates costly fastener installation operations, reduces manufacturing labor, and simplifies quality control while maintaining structural rigidity through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into distinct functional zones within the monolithic structure, with different fiber orientations and material properties in different regions to optimize rigidity where needed. The reinforcement patterns are strategically distributed only in areas requiring enhanced rigidity, allowing cost-effective optimization rather than uniform reinforcement throughout the entire structure.
3Reliability
If discrete reinforcing components are used, then structural integrity is improved, but overall aircraft weight increases, leading to higher fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates reinforcement functions directly into the primary wing structure, eliminating the need for separate heavy metal components. The monolithic composite construction provides continuous load paths and consistent material properties throughout the structure, maintaining structural integrity while reducing total weight by 20-30% compared to traditional assembled structures, directly translating to lower fuel consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of advanced composite materials provides superior specific strength (strength-to-weight ratio) compared to traditional aluminum alloys and steel reinforcements. The composite structure maintains structural integrity under flight loads while weighing significantly less, reducing the aircraft's operating weight and consequently its fuel consumption throughout the service life.
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 approach reduces the weight and cost of aircraft components while maintaining structural integrity, enabling weight savings that translate to lower fuel costs and increased payload capacity.
Implementation Method 1
at least partially curing the composite material substrate and the composite material top layer
Implementation Method 2
applying an adhesive material to at least one of a composite material top layer or the machined composite material substrate second surface, orienting the composite material top layer onto the machined composite material substrate second surface, and bonding the composite material top layer to the machined composite material substrate second surface
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for the manufacture of composite components having incorporated reinforcing structures machined into composite material substrates, and composite components manufactured according to disclosed methods, and assemblies and larger structures comprising the composite material components.