Wing-Pylon Horizontal Assembly for Larger Engine Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional positioning of engine pylons below aircraft wings limits the potential increase in engine size due to the need for a minimum distance from the ground, restricting space utilization in the joint region.
Innovation Solution
A novel assembly is proposed where a longitudinal member of the wing is aligned horizontally with the engine pylon, using screw-nut systems that penetrate through aligned bores in the contact wall and upper longitudinal member, with shear pins and intermediate walls to distribute forces, allowing the assembly to be reduced in height and oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the engine pylon is arranged below the wing, then the engine can be positioned with sufficient distance from the ground, but the assembly height increases and space in the joint region is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional vertical arrangement by positioning the engine pylon horizontally aligned with the longitudinal member of the wing. The screw-nut fastening system is oriented horizontally rather than vertically, which reduces the vertical height of the assembly while maintaining adequate ground clearance for the engine.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a vertical arrangement (conventional below-wing pylon mounting) to a horizontal arrangement (longitudinal alignment with the wing). This dimensional change redistributes the spatial requirements, reducing vertical height while increasing horizontal space utilization in the joint region.
2Power
If the engine size is increased, then engine efficiency improves, but the minimum distance from the ground constraint limits the possible increase
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the mounting orientation from vertical to horizontal, the patent allows the engine to be positioned closer to the ground while maintaining adequate clearance. This enables larger engine sizes to be accommodated within the same vertical envelope, improving power output without increasing the minimum ground distance.
3Length of stationary object
If horizontal screw-nut systems are used, then the assembly height is reduced and space is optimized, but the fastening system must work exclusively under tension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fastening function into two distinct systems: horizontal screw-nut systems that handle tensile loads and reduce assembly height, and vertical shear pins that handle shear loads and prevent rotation. This segmentation allows each subsystem to be optimized for its specific loading condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The shear pins act as intermediary elements that complement the horizontal screw-nut systems. They provide the shear resistance and rotational prevention that the horizontal fasteners cannot provide alone, enabling the assembly to handle combined loading conditions despite the horizontal fasteners working exclusively in tension.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly comprising a longitudinal member of an aircraft wing, where the longitudinal member has a contact wall which is penetrated by first bores, each passing through the contact wall parallel to a longitudinal direction, an engine pylon which is arranged at the end of the longitudinal member in the longitudinal direction and having an upper longitudinal member which, for each first bore, is penetrated by a second bore which is aligned with the first bore, and a nut and a screw for each pair of a first bore and a second bore, which are aligned, where the screw is screwed into the nut successively via the first bore and the second bore, sandwiching the upper longitudinal member and the contact wall.