Universal Rotor Blade Spar for Multi-Aircraft Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing different rotor blades for rotary wing aircraft requires expensive custom tooling and machinery, occupying valuable factory space.
Innovation Solution
A rotor blade design with a spar having a substantially constant height and thickness, allowing for trimming or extension to accommodate various aircraft models, and a root seal positioned outboard to facilitate easy adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If custom tooling and machinery are used to manufacture different rotor blades for various aircraft models, then the rotor blades can be precisely fitted to specific aircraft requirements, but the manufacturing cost increases and valuable factory space is occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade is designed with a standardized geometry that can be used across multiple aircraft models. The blade includes a root portion with a constant overall height and constant thickness sections that allow it to serve as a universal component. This universal design enables a single blade type to be fitted to various aircraft models through simple modifications like changing the root portion length, eliminating the need for custom tooling for each model.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor blade is divided into distinct sections with different functions: a root portion that can be modified for different aircraft models, and an outboard portion with constant geometry that maintains aerodynamic performance. The segmentation allows the outboard portion to remain standardized while only the root portion needs variation, simplifying manufacturing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple custom rotor blade designs are manufactured for different aircraft models, then each blade can be optimized for its specific aircraft, but the device complexity and number of tooling requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor blade employs a universal design where the outboard portion maintains constant geometry across all aircraft models. The root portion is designed with a standardized interface that can accommodate different aircraft models through simple length adjustments. This universality reduces the number of unique blade designs needed and simplifies tooling requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of redesigning the entire rotor blade for each aircraft model, the invention changes only specific parameters of the root portion (such as length) while maintaining the constant geometry of the outboard portion. This parameter-based adaptation approach reduces device complexity by avoiding the need for completely different tooling sets for each model.
3Manufacturing precision
If factory space is dedicated to manufacturing custom rotor blades, then specialized equipment can be used for precise manufacturing, but the productivity of other aircraft components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The standardized rotor blade design can be manufactured using existing, general-purpose manufacturing equipment rather than requiring specialized custom tooling for each aircraft model. This universality allows the same production facilities to manufacture rotor blades for multiple aircraft models, maintaining manufacturing precision while improving overall factory productivity and reducing the space dedicated to rotor blade production.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor blade configured to be installed on a rotary wing aircraft includes a spar including an inboard portion extending from a root of the rotor blade to a first spanwise position of the rotor blade and an outboard portion meeting the inboard portion at the first spanwise position. The rotor blade further includes an upper skin coupled to the outboard portion of the spar, a lower skin coupled to the outboard portion of the spar, and a blade extender surrounding and extending inboard of the root of the rotor blade.