Undulating Web Composite Structural Member for Shear Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current structural members in commercial aircraft, particularly those made from reinforced polymer-based materials, are expensive to fabricate, difficult to inspect and repair, and less effective in resisting shear loads compared to metal structures, while also facing challenges in reducing weight to increase load capacity and reduce fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
A composite structural member with a central web portion having both planar and non-planar sections, featuring varying thickness and undulating shapes, and reinforced polymer-based substrates with specific fiber orientations, which are easily fabricated, inspected, and repaired, and provide improved flexural strength-to-weight ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If reinforced polymer-based materials are used to form structural members, then weight is reduced and flexural strength is improved, but shear load resistance deteriorates and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hybrid composite structure combining metal web portion with polymer-based flange portions. The metal web provides superior shear load resistance through its inherent material properties, while the polymer flanges contribute to flexural strength and weight reduction. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by assigning different material functions to different structural components based on their mechanical properties.
2Weight of moving object
If reinforced polymer-based materials are used to form structural members, then weight is reduced and flexural strength is improved, but manufacturing cost and repair difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The structural member is segmented into distinct metal and polymer portions that can be manufactured separately using different processes optimized for each material type. The metal web can be fabricated using conventional metal forming and welding techniques, while the polymer flanges can be manufactured using composite laying-up or molding processes. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently and then joined, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Each portion of the structural member is made from homogeneous material (metal web, polymer flanges) rather than attempting to manufacture the entire structure from a single composite material. This homogeneity within each component simplifies manufacturing processes, inspection procedures, and repair methods, as each material type can be handled with established conventional techniques.
3Strength
If the web portion is made non-planar with undulating shape, then shear load resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The web portion is formed with a non-planar undulating or corrugated geometry that increases its moment of inertia and shear load resistance. The curved undulations transform the flat web into a three-dimensional structure that more effectively resists applied loads. This curvature principle allows the metal web to achieve enhanced structural performance while maintaining manufacturability through conventional forming processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Composite structural members and methods for forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a composite structural member includes a central structural portion that extends in a first direction and having a first flange portion and a second flange portion that are spaced apart in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction by a web portion, the web portion further including a periodic or a non-periodic undulation extending in the first direction. A first reinforced polymer-based substrate is fixedly coupled to the first flange portion, and a second reinforced polymer-based substrate is fixedly coupled to the second flange portion.