Box structural arrangement for an aircraft and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A box structural arrangement (1) for an aircraft including first (2) and second composite layers (3), at least one spar web (4) extended between opposite edges of the first and second composite layers (2, 3) along a longitudinal direction, and a conduit piece (5) extended between opposite edges of the first and second composite layers (2, 3). The conduit piece (5) has a hollow section (6) comprising at least one conduit (7) dimensioned to receive pipes or harnesses and surrounded by a resilient material (8). The conduit piece (5) is mounted on the spar web (4) to provide a channeled box structural arrangement (1). The box structural arrangement can be applicable in a torsion box or a wing. The invention further refers to a method for manufacturing the box structural arrangement for an aircraft.

Claims

1. A box structural arrangement for an aircraft comprising: a first composite layer and a second composite layer; a front spar spanning the first and second composite layers and extending between opposite edges of the first and second composite layers along a longitudinal direction of the box structural arrangement, wherein the front spar includes a spar web having an outer surface facing outward of the box structural arrangement; a conduit piece mounted to the outer surface, between the first and second composite layers, and having a hollow section filled with a resilient material, and a first conduit and a second conduit in the resilient material and each extending entirely through the conduit piece from a first end of the conduit piece to a second end of the conduit piece, wherein the first and second conduits are each dimensioned to a receive a respective pipe.

2. The box structural arrangement for the aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the resilient material includes a foam bed having conduits each configured to support one of the pipes.

3. The box structural arrangement for the aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the conduit piece has in cross-section an omega shape or a trapezoidal shape, and the conduit piece includes a flat mounting surface.

4. The box structural arrangement for the aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the resilient material includes foam or plastic.

5. The box structural arrangement as in claim 1, further comprising: a horizontal tail plane including an upper skin and a lower skin, a forward tail plane spar and a rear tail plane spar arranged along a spanwise direction of the horizontal tail plane, wherein the upper and lower skins form the first and second composite layers, and the spar web includes respective spar webs on each of the forward tail plane spar and the rear tail plane spar, and wherein the conduit piece includes a conduit piece mounted on the forward tail plane spar and another conduit piece mounted on the rear tail plane spar.

6. The box structural arrangement as in claim 1, further comprising a wing comprising an upper skin and a lower skin, a forward wing spar and a rear wing spar each arranged along a spanwise direction of the wing, wherein the upper and lower skins form the first and second composite layers, and the spar web includes respective spar webs on each of the forward wing spar and the rear wing spar, and wherein the conduit piece includes a conduit piece mounted the forward wing spar and another conduit piece mounted on the rear wing spar.

7. The box structural arrangement as in claim 1, wherein the arrangement further comprises: a vertical tail plane for an aircraft comprising skins on opposites sides of the vertical tail plane, a forward vertical tail plane spar, and a rear vertical tail plane spar both arranged in a spanwise direction of the vertical tail plane; wherein the skins form the first and second composite layers, and the spar web includes respective spar webs on each of the forward and rear vertical tail plane spars, and wherein the conduit piece includes a conduit piece mounted on the forward vertical tail plane spar and another conduit piece mounted on the rear tail plane spar.

8. A method to manufacture a box structural arrangement for an aircraft, comprising: providing a first layer of composite material and a second layer of composite material, positioning a front spar to span between the first and second layers of the composite material, wherein the front spar includes a spar web having an outer surface facing outward of the box structural arrangement; and mounting a conduit piece on the outer surface of the front spar to extend along more than one-half of a length of the front spar and positioned between the first and second composite layers, wherein the conduit piece includes a hollow section within which is a resilient material having first and second conduits each dimensioned to receive a respective one of the pipes and the first and second conduits extend entirely through the conduit piece from a first end of the conduit piece to a second end of the conduit piece.

9. A structural box assembly for a torsion box of an aircraft, the structural box comprising: skins formed of composite layers and having outer surfaces forming an outer surface of the aerodynamic component; a front spar spanning between the skins, and extending a length of the torsion box in a spanwise direction of the aerodynamic component, wherein the front spar includes a web having a front surface facing outward of the torsion box; a hollow conduit piece on the front surface of the web of the spar, wherein the hollow conduit piece extends more than one-half of the length of the front spar and the conduit piece is configured to receive pipes which extend the length of the conduit piece; a resilient and deformable material within the hollow conduit piece, wherein the resilient and deformable material abuts inner walls of the hollow conduit piece; and first and second channels within the resilient and deformable material which are parallel to the web of the spar, wherein the first and second channels are each configured to receive a respective one of the pipes.

10. The structural box assembly of claim 9, further comprising a bracket on an edge of a second spar, wherein the second spar spans between the skins and the bracket is configured to receive the pipes.

11. The structural box assembly of claim 9, wherein the skins are an upper skin and a lower skin of a lifting surface.

12. The structural box assembly of claim 9 wherein the skins include a left-side skin and a right-side skin of a vertical tail plane.

13. The structural box assembly of claim 9, further comprising a rear spar spanning between the skins, and another conduit piece is on an outer surface of a web of the rear spar.

14. The structural box assembly of claim 9 wherein the front spar is configured to attach to a leading edge structure of the aerodynamic component.

Description

SUMMARY OF FIGURES

(1) For a better comprehension of the invention, the following drawings are provided for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a conventional HTP equipped with a hydraulic pipeline that crosses both HTP lateral boxes.

(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b show a schematic front view (drawing A) and perspective view (drawing B) of a box structural arrangement of one the HTP lateral boxes of FIG. 1.

(4) FIGS. 3a and 3b shows a schematic front view (drawing A) and perspective view (drawing B) of a box structural arrangement for an aircraft.

(5) FIGS. 4a and 4b show a perspective view of the conduit piece (drawing A) and the conduit piece mounted on the spar web (drawing B).

(6) FIGS. 5a and 5b show a schematic perspective view (drawing A) of an HTP equipped with the box structural arrangement, and a cross sectional view (drawing B) of the A-A axis depicted in drawing A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIGS. 3a and 3b show a box structural arrangement (1) for an aircraft, such as a lateral (torsion) box for a wing, HTP or VTP. the box structural arrangement (1) comprises first (2) and second composite layers (3), at least one spar web (4) transversely arranged between the first (2) and second composite layers (3), and a conduit piece (5) mounted on the at least one spar web (4). The first and second composite layers may be skins forming outer aerodynamic surfaces on the wing, HTP or VTP such as shown as (1).

(8) The spar web (4) is extended between opposite edges (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b) of the first and second composite layers (2, 3) following a longitudinal direction. Thus, the spar web (4) has substantially the same length as the first (2) and second composite layers (3) to provide a continuous support to the conduit piece (5). The spar web may be embodied as a spar.

(9) The conduit piece (5) is also extended between opposite edges (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b) of the first and second composite layers (2, 3). Thus, the conduit piece (5) has similar (or same) length as the spar web (4) to provide continuous encapsulation (and support) for the pipes or harnesses (19) along the box structural arrangement (1)

(10) The pipelines or harnesses 15 may extend the spanwise length of one or more of the spars. For all or most of the length of a spar, the pipelines and harnesses are encased in respective conduits (7), also referred to as channels, of the conduit piece (5).

(11) The spars (4) with the conduit pieces (5) may be the front and/or rear spars as shown in FIGS. 3a, 5a and 5b. In addition, a spar internal to the torsion box may also have a conduit piece, as is shown in FIG. 3b. As is shown in FIG. 3a, a torsion box (1) may have a front/rear spar (4) with a conduit piece (5) and another rear/front spar that uses mounting brackets to support the pipelines and/or harnesses.

(12) The pipelines and/harness may also extend in a chordwise direction across edges of the spars forming the torsion box (1). As shown in FIG. 3b, the spare edges may include brackets 21 that support the pipelines and/or harnesses at an end/edge of the spar.

(13) As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the hollow section (6) of the conduit piece (5) encloses two conduits (7) (channels or canals) surrounded by a resilient material (8). The conduits (7) are dimensioned to receive pipes or harnesses (19), which will be preferably coated by a hard cover (20), e.g., sleeve, to provide rigidity and an easy insertion into the conduits (7).

(14) The conduits (7) may include a foam bed surface (21) to ease the introduction of pipes or harnesses (19). The foam bed surface 21 may be a cylindrical surface dimensioned to slidably receive and support the hard cover (20) for the pipes or harnesses (19).

(15) As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the conduit piece (5) may have a cross-sectional shape of an omega or trapezoidal shape. The conduit piece may be integrated into the spar as shown in FIG. 4a or mounted to a surface of a web of the spar as shown in FIG. 4b. If integrated into the spar, one side of the conduit piece has a flat mounting surface (9) to facilitate its integration into the spar web (4). Alternatively and as shown in FIG. 4b, the conduit piece (5) may have an open side that is closed by a surface of the spar (4) to which the conduit piece is attached. As shown in FIG. 4b, the conduit piece (5) may be attached to the web of a spar (4) by fasteners. Alternatively, the conduit piece (5) may be integrated into the spar (4) such as by molding as a single component the spar (4) and the conduit piece (5).

(16) The resilient material (8) may be foam, plastic or other deformable and resilient material. The resilient material (8) substantially entirely fills a cross-sectional area of the hollow channel section (6) of the conduit piece (5). The resilient material (8) includes one or more conduits (7) which are hollow sections of the resilient material (8). The resilient material may extend along the entire length of the conduit piece (5) or be arranged at various sections along the length of the conduit piece (5) such as at the ends of the conduit piece (5) and at a middle region of the conduit piece.

(17) FIGS. 5a and 5b show a perspective and cross-sectional view of a horizontal tail plane (10). The horizontal tail plane (10) has upper (11) and lower skins (12), and forward (13) and rear spars (14) arranged along a spanwise direction. The horizontal tail plane (10) further comprises the box structural arrangement (1) described above, wherein the upper and lower skins (11, 12) comprises the first (2) and second composite layers (3), and wherein at least one conduit piece (5) is mounted on each one of the forward spars (13) and the rear spars (14).

(18) The conduit piece (5) and the spar web (4) may extend between the shortest opposite edges of the first and second composite layers (2, 3) following a spanwise direction.

(19) The invention may be deployed to provide an alternative installation concept that offers a clean and smooth surface for aerodynamic purposes. The potential extra weight of the conduit piece till the end of the stabilizer is compensated with the aerodynamic benefit of such a clean surface.

(20) Similarly, the invention may be embodied within a wing or a vertical tail plane that comprises a box structural arrangement as described.

(21) The invention may be embodied as a method for manufacturing a box structural arrangement (1) for an aircraft as described above. The method comprises the steps of:

(22) (a) providing a first and a second layer of composite material (2, 3),

(23) providing at least one spar web (4) extended between opposite edges (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b) of the first and second composite layers (2, 3),

(24) (b) arranging the spar web (4) between opposite edges (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b) of the first and second composite layers (2, 3) along a longitudinal direction,

(25) (c) providing a conduit piece (5) extended between opposite edges (2a, 2b, 3a, 3b) of the first and second composite layers (2, 3) and having a hollow section (6) (d) comprising at least one conduit (7) dimensioned to receive pipes or harnesses and surrounded by a resilient material (8),

(26) (e) mounting the conduit piece (5) on the spar web (4) to form a channeled box structural arrangement (1).

(27) The large and single pieces of pipelines/harnesses may be easily installed from one side in the factory. In case of stabilizers (HTP, VTP) connections/bifurcations can be done from outside their boxes, removing then the need for access panels (service doors) in the middle of these components. The potential extra weight is compensated with the cleanness of the surface that leads to aerodynamic benefits.

(28) While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.