Vacuum Adherence Crawler for Swept Airfoil Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated maintenance systems for airfoil-shaped bodies, such as aircraft blades, face challenges in maintaining alignment on complexly curved and swept blade configurations, particularly when encountering trailing edge protrusions, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity, which hinders effective navigation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An automated end effector-carrying apparatus utilizing vacuum adherence devices and ball-and-socket bearings to adhere and align with airfoil-shaped bodies, allowing for robust and automatic motion along complex curvatures and over protrusions, eliminating the need for trailing edge follower wheels and simplifying componentry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compression mechanisms with multiple alignment wheels are used to maintain crawler alignment, then alignment capability is improved, but device complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the trailing edge follower wheel and compression spring mechanism from the system. Instead of using active compression mechanisms to maintain alignment, the invention relies on the vacuum adherence force alone to hold the crawler in place, eliminating the complex alignment system while maintaining reliability through simplified means
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum adherence system automatically maintains crawler alignment without requiring external compression mechanisms or active alignment control. The vacuum force itself provides both attachment and alignment, allowing the system to self-regulate its position on the blade surface without additional complexity
2Reliability
If trailing edge follower wheels are used to maintain alignment, then alignment on complex curvatures is improved, but the ability to traverse protrusions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the trailing edge follower wheel entirely from the system. By eliminating this component that causes problems with protrusions, the crawler can now traverse trailing edge features like trim tabs without interruption, while vacuum adherence maintains sufficient alignment reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses vacuum adherence (a pneumatic principle) to replace mechanical follower wheels for maintaining alignment. This allows the crawler to maintain reliable positioning through suction force while being able to move freely over surface irregularities without mechanical contact constraints
3Measurement precision
If compression mechanisms are used to induce crawler alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but maintenance and tuning complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates compression springs and adjustable alignment mechanisms from the system. Without these mechanical components requiring tuning and maintenance, the alignment system becomes significantly easier to maintain, while vacuum adherence provides sufficient precision for the application
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum adherence system automatically maintains alignment precision without requiring manual adjustment or tuning. The system self-regulates through the vacuum force, eliminating the need for operator intervention to maintain alignment settings and reducing maintenance requirements
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
Enables reliable and cost-effective automated maintenance on complex airfoil shapes, including rotor blades and propellers, with improved navigation over swept configurations and trailing edge protrusions, reducing maintenance time and human errors while maintaining alignment and adherence.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing vacuum adherence devices and ball-and-socket bearings to adhere and align with airfoil-shaped bodies
Implementation Method 2
utilizing vacuum adherence devices and ball-and-socket bearings to adhere and align with airfoil-shaped bodies
Data Source
AI summary
Devices for enabling navigation of a crawler vehicle along an airfoil-shaped body, such as a helicopter blade, in a low-cost fashion with high reliability, especially for swept configuration blades. Using the natural tendency of vacuum adherence devices to adhere to changing surface contours, the crawler vehicle can adhere itself to airfoil-shaped structures in a way that allows the crawler vehicle to easily translate along an airfoil-shaped body while accommodating extreme variations along the surface of the airfoil-shaped body. The crawler vehicle can be designed to eliminate any trailing edge follower wheel, which simplifies the crawler's ability to accommodate trailing edge protrusions, such as trim tabs.