Structural component and method for producing a structural component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988136-B2
Application number	US-201514926786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A structural component for reinforcing the fuselage of an aircraft or spacecraft is integrally formed and segmented into surface-like stiffening sections, whereby at least one stiffening section is formed as a rigid mesh section, and at least one stiffening section is formed as a solid section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft structural component for reinforcing a fuselage of an aircraft or spacecraft, the structural component comprising:
a planar web segmented into stiffening sections, wherein the stiffening sections are mutually co-planar,
wherein the structural component is an integrally formed frame element or stringer element,
wherein at least a first stiffening section of the stiffening sections is configured as a rigid mesh section,
wherein at least a second stiffening section of the stiffening sections is configured as a solid section,
wherein a plurality of solid sections are connected with each other to form a stiffening framework, and
wherein the plurality of solid sections of the stiffening framework surround a plurality of rigid mesh sections.

2. The structural component of claim 1 , wherein the at least first stiffening section and the at least second stiffening section are arranged and formed to optimize a stiffness of the structural component for a predetermined stress load of the structural component.

3. The structural component of claim 1 , wherein the structural component is integrally formed from metal.

4. The structural component of claim 1 , wherein the structural component is substantially formed from aluminum or titanium.

5. The structural component of claim 1 , wherein the structural component is formed in an additive manufacturing process and the structural component is substantially formed from aluminum and/or titanium.

6. The structural component of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of solid sections is configured as a frame coupling element and/or a stringer coupling element.

7. The structural component of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of solid sections is configured as an assembly area for assembling clips, support angles, and/or brackets to the structural component.

8. An aircraft or spacecraft comprising a structural component, the structural component comprising a planar web segmented into stiffening sections,
wherein the structural component is a frame element or a stringer element and is integrally formed therewith,
wherein the stiffening sections are mutually co-planar,
wherein at least a first stiffening section of the stiffening sections is configured as a rigid mesh section,
wherein at least a second stiffening section of the stiffening sections is configured as a solid section,
wherein a plurality of solid sections are connected with each other to form a stiffening framework, and
wherein the plurality of solid sections of the stiffening framework surround a plurality of rigid mesh sections.

9. A method for forming an aircraft structural component for reinforcing a fuselage of an aircraft or spacecraft, the structural component being a frame element or a stringer element comprising a planar web segmented into stiffening sections, which are each mutually co-planar, at least a first stiffening section of the stiffening sections being configured as a rigid mesh section, at least a second stiffening section of the stiffening sections being configured as a solid section, a plurality of solid sections being connected with each other to form a stiffening framework, the plurality of solid sections of the stiffening framework surrounding a plurality of rigid mesh sections, the method comprising:
using a computer-based system to operate upon data that corresponds to a geometric configuration of the structural component;
predetermining an expected stress load of the structural component with the computer-based system; and
integrally forming the structural component to segment the structural component into the stiffening sections;
wherein the at least first stiffening section and the at least second stiffening section are arranged and formed using topology optimization, such that a stiffness of the structural component is optimized for a predetermined stress load of the structural component.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein integrally forming the structural component comprises an additive manufacturing process.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein integrally forming the structural component comprises punching and/or milling holes into a sheet metal.

12. The method of claim 9 , comprising covering the structural component with a layer of fiber-reinforced composite material.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fiber-reinforced composite material contains a polymer matrix reinforced with carbon fibers, the method comprising curing the polymer matrix in an autoclave process.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the structural component is substantially formed from aluminum or titanium.

15. The method of claim 9 , comprising forming at least one of the plurality of solid sections as a frame coupling element and/or a stringer coupling element.

16. The method of claim 9 , comprising providing, on at least one of the plurality of solid sections, an assembly area for assembling clips, support angles, and/or brackets to the structural component.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Tiryaki Memis
• Sauer Michael

Classifications

• B22F10/12

  by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP] · CPC title

• B22F10/18

  by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F3/1115

  comprising complex forms, e.g. honeycombs · CPC title

• B64C3/187

  Ribs · CPC title