Lightweight Structural Panel with Integral Stiffeners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lightweight structural panels for aircraft face challenges in combining low weight with high strength and damage tolerance, particularly in preventing crack formation.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight structural panel design featuring a planar outer skin formed by interconnected component layers, with stiffening elements integrated with one of the component layers, providing a unified structure that includes web and flange regions and additional reinforcing elements to enhance strength and resistance to damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If stiffening elements are connected to outer skin separately and then fastened by riveting or adhesive bonding, then the structure can be assembled, but the connection strength and damage tolerance are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffening element and outer skin are merged into a single integral component formed by one piece of material. The stiffening element includes a web portion and flange portion that are continuously connected without separate fastening operations, eliminating the need for rivets or adhesive bonds and achieving both high connection strength and simplified manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure utilizes composite construction where the outer skin and stiffening element are formed as an integrated composite component. This allows the combination of different material properties in a unified structure that achieves both strength requirements and damage tolerance without relying on separate connection methods.
2Weight of moving object
If the outer skin is made thinner to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but strength and damage tolerance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the thickness of the outer skin in the planar direction, the design adds structural dimension by incorporating a three-dimensional stiffening element with web and flange portions. This vertical dimension provides the necessary strength and damage tolerance while keeping the outer skin thickness minimal for weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffening element is strategically positioned at specific locations on the outer skin where additional strength is needed. The web portion extends perpendicular to the outer skin surface, providing localized reinforcement without requiring the entire outer skin to be thicker, thus maintaining weight efficiency while achieving required strength properties.
3Strength
If additional reinforcing elements are added to stiffening profiles, then strength is improved, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing elements are merged with the stiffening element into a single integral structure. The web portion, flange portion, and reinforcing elements are all formed as one continuous component without separate assembly operations, achieving enhanced strength while minimizing the increase in structural complexity and weight.
Data Source
AI summary
What is described is a lightweight structural panel which comprises a planarly extended outer skin of given thickness and stiffening elements which are connected to this outer skin and are arranged at a given distance from one another. According to the invention, the outer skin is formed by component layers which are each extended in the planar direction of the lightweight structural panel and complement one another in the direction of thickness to form the thickness of the outer skin and are interconnected, the stiffening elements being formed in one piece with one of the component layers.