Wing flap deflection control removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10538306-B2
Application number	US-201615386211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A high-lift device surface and associated method of designing the high-lift device surface is described. The flap can be attached to a wing on aircraft. The method can involve determining a manufactured shape of the flap. The manufactured flap shape can be deflected in some manner, such as bent or twisted, so that under selected flight conditions, such as cruise, the manufactured flap shape morphs into a second desired shape that satisfies specified constraints, such as geometric and sealing constraints. An advantage of the approach is that the flap doesn't have to be mechanically forced, using mechanical elements, into the second desired shape. The elimination of the mechanical elements results in weight and cost savings to aircraft on which the flap is deployed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerodynamic system for an aircraft comprising:
a fixed portion of a wing;
a seal coupled to and extending from the fixed portion of the wing;
a high-lift device surface coupled to the wing having an as-built shape determined based on an anticipated deformation during one or more flight conditions,
wherein, while not in flight, the high-lift device surface in the as-built shape does not make contact with the seal or partially makes contact with the seal such that air can flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface, and wherein, at the one or more flight conditions, the high-lift device surface, under aerodynamic forces, deforms from the as-built shape to a second shape to fully contact the seal to prevent air flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface, wherein the full contact between the seal and the high lift device surface is caused by deformation due to the aerodynamic forces.

2. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more flight conditions include a cruise condition.

3. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the as-built shape is bowed and straightens under the aerodynamic forces.

4. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the as-built shape is twisted and untwists under the aerodynamic forces.

5. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein a loft of the as-built shape is increased such that the high-lift device surface flattens and lengthens under the aerodynamic forces.

6. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein a leading edge of the high-lift device surface is shaped to improve an aerodynamic performance of the high-lift device surface while maintaining its ability to seal at the one or more flight conditions.

7. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein high-lift device surface includes a middle portion between two ends and wherein the as-built shape is bowed downward in the middle portion and upwards near the two ends such that a portion of the high-lift device surface extends above a portion of the wing adjacent to the portion of the high-lift device surface.

8. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 , wherein the high-lift device surface is a flap attached to a trailing edge of the fixed portion of the wing.

9. The aerodynamic system of claim 8 , wherein the flap is configured to be positioned at a plurality of different positions during a cruise condition and wherein at each of the plurality of different positions the flap deforms under the aerodynamic force from the as-built shape such that the flap fully contacts the seal to prevent the air flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface.

10. The aerodynamic system of claim 8 wherein the flap is part of a trailing edge variable camber system.

11. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 wherein the high-lift device surface further includes one or more attachment interfaces which allow the high-lift device surface to move relative to the fixed portion of the wing.

12. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 wherein at an interface between the fixed portion of the wing and the high-lift device surface a slope of the fixed portion of the wing at the interface and a slope of the high-lift device surface at the interface substantially match.

13. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 wherein high-lift device surface is formed from a composite material, a metal or combinations thereof.

14. The aerodynamic system of claim 1 wherein the high-lift device surface is configured to retract and unretract and wherein, while not in flight, the high-lift device is retracted.

15. A method of generating a high-lift device surface comprising:
determining a shape of a fixed portion of a wing and as-built shape of a high-lift device surface wherein the high-lift device surface is mechanically coupled to the wing such that it can move relative to the wing and wherein a seal is interposed between the fixed portion of the wing and the high-lift device surface that prevents air flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface at a flight condition;
determining a first structure and first materials of the wing and a second structure and second materials of the high-lift device surface; and
specifying the flight condition; and
wherein the as-built shape of the high-lift device surface is shaped based, at least in part, on an anticipated deformation during the flight condition such that it is configured to aeroelasticly deform from a first shape while not in flight to a second shape in flight wherein, in the first shape, gaps exist between the high-lift device surface and the seal and wherein in the second shape the gaps between the high-lift device surface and the seal are removed such that there is full contact between the seal and the high lift device surface that is caused by an aeroelastic deformation resulting from aerodynamic forces.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the high-lift device surface is a flap.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the flap is coupled to a trailing edge of the fixed portion of the wing.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the flap is a component of a trailing edge variable camber system.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein flight condition is a cruise condition.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first shape is twisted relative to the second shape.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first shape is bowed relative the second shape.

22. An aircraft comprising:
a wing including a fixed portion of the wing;
a seal coupled to and extending from the fixed portion of the wing;
a high-lift device surface coupled to the wing having an as-built shape determined based on an anticipated deformation during one or more flight conditions, wherein, while not in flight, the high-lift device surface in the as-built shape partially makes contact with the seal such that air can flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface and wherein, at the one or more flight conditions, the high-lift device surface deforms under aerodynamic forces from the as-built shape to a second shape to fully contact the seal to prevent air flow between the seal and the high-lift device surface, wherein the full contact between the seal and the high lift device surface is caused by deformation due to the aerodynamic forces.

23. The aircraft of claim 22 , wherein the high-lift device surface is selected from the group consisting of an aileron, a flaperon, a spoiler, a rudder, an elevator, a slat, a flap and a horizontal stabilizer.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kordel Jan A
• Virnig Jacob Daniel
• Balzer Michael Albert
• Detert Bruce
• Setiawan Emanuel Rizal

Classifications

• B64F5/00

  Designing, manufacturing, assembling, cleaning, maintaining or repairing aircraft, not otherwise provided for; Handling, transporting, testing or inspecting aircraft components, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C13/00

  Control systems or transmitting systems for actuating flying-control surfaces, lift-increasing flaps, air brakes, or spoilers · CPC title

• B64C9/20 Primary

  by multiple flaps · CPC title

• B64C3/50 Primary

  by leading or trailing edge flaps · CPC title

• B64C9/30

  Balancing hinged surfaces, e.g. dynamically · CPC title