Underwing Heat Exchanger Bracket Assembly for Wing Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft propulsion system heat exchanger cooling assemblies lack efficient and resilient mounting solutions that accommodate wing bending during flight and potential disruptions, such as bird strikes, while maintaining effective thermal management.
Innovation Solution
A mounting assembly for underwing heat exchangers featuring pivotably mounted heat exchanger brackets to support brackets, allowing flexibility and resilience, with brackets fixedly attached to the wing body, and optionally incorporating an underwing fairing for airflow management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid mounting is used to securely attach heat exchangers to the wing body, then the heat exchangers remain firmly fixed, but the mounting cannot accommodate wing bending during flight
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly incorporates pivotable brackets that allow dynamic adjustment and movement. The heat exchanger brackets can pivot relative to the support brackets, enabling the system to adapt to wing bending while maintaining secure attachment. This dynamic mechanism resolves the contradiction between rigid fixation and flexibility needed for wing deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting assembly is divided into multiple independent components: support brackets fixed to the wing body, heat exchanger brackets attached to the heat exchangers, and pivot connections between them. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while the overall system accommodates wing bending through the pivot joints.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mounting assembly is made flexible to accommodate wing bending, then the heat exchangers can remain attached during flight, but the heat exchangers may become detached during disruptions like bird strikes
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable mounting assembly is designed to absorb and distribute impact forces through its articulated joints. During disruptions like bird strikes, the pivot connections allow controlled movement that cushions the impact, preventing catastrophic detachment while maintaining attachment security. The design anticipates potential disruptions and incorporates force-distributing mechanisms in advance.
3Reliability
If multiple support brackets are used to securely mount the heat exchanger brackets, then the attachment is more reliable, but the mounting assembly becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting assembly is segmented into modular support brackets and heat exchanger brackets connected by pivot joints. This segmentation allows the use of multiple brackets for enhanced reliability while keeping each individual component simple and manageable. The modular design reduces overall system complexity compared to a monolithic rigid structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
An assembly for an aircraft includes a wing assembly, a plurality of underwing heat exchangers (84), and a mounting assembly (86). The wing assembly includes a wing body. The plurality of underwing heat exchangers (84) are arranged along the wing body in a longitudinal direction. The plurality of underwing heat exchangers (84) includes a first underwing heat exchanger (84) and a second underwing heat exchanger (84). The first underwing heat exchanger (84) is longitudinally adjacent the second underwing heat exchanger (84). The mounting assembly (86) includes a first heat exchanger bracket (96), a second heat exchanger bracket (96), and a first support bracket (98). The first heat exchanger bracket (96) is fixedly mounted to the first underwing heat exchanger (84). The second heat exchanger bracket (96) is fixedly mounted to the second underwing heat exchanger (84). The first heat exchanger bracket (96) and the second heat exchanger bracket (96) are pivotably mounted to the first support bracket (98). The first support bracket (98) is fixedly mounted to the wing body.