AEROSPACE VEHICLE FAIRING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20080001036A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Voogt, Nicolaas
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/215
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 7/00 Structures or fairings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/16 at the rear of the wing
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/22 at the front of the wing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/30 Wing lift efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49622 Vehicular structural member making

Abstract

Aerospace vehicle fairing systems and associated methods, including fairings that house flap surface drive mechanisms on aircraft, are disclosed herein. A method in accordance with one embodiment, for example, can include adjusting lift distribution across an airfoil. The airfoil includes a first inboard portion and a second outboard portion. The method can include locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing at least approximately forward of a trailing edge of the airfoil proximate to the first inboard portion. The method can also include locating a point of maximum curvature of a second fairing at least approximately aft of a trailing edge of the airfoil proximate to the second outboard portion. The locations of the points of maximum curvature for the first and second fairings are based, at least in part, on a target lift distribution.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting lift distribution across an airfoil, the method comprising:

based at least in part on a target lift distribution, locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing at least approximately forward of a trailing edge of the airfoil proximate to a first inboard portion of the airfoil; and

based at least in part on the target lift distribution, locating a point of maximum curvature of a second fairing at least approximately aft of a trailing edge of the airfoil proximate to a second outboard portion of the airfoil.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the airfoil has a fixed geometry and an initial spanwise lift distribution, and wherein locating a point of maximum curvature of the first fairing at least approximately forward of the trailing edge and locating a point of maximum curvature of the second fairing at least approximately aft of the trailing edge comprises changing the initial spanwise lift distribution to the target spanwise lift distribution, and wherein the target spanwise lift distribution is different than the initial spanwise lift distribution.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein changing the initial spanwise lift distribution to the target spanwise lift distribution includes changing the spanwise lift distribution of the airfoil from a first shape to a second shape different than the first shape, and wherein the second shape is more elliptical than the first shape.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing at least approximately forward of a trailing edge of the airfoil comprises locating the first fairing based at least in part on a target first local lift coefficient; and

locating a point of maximum curvature of a second fairing at least approximately aft of a trailing edge of the airfoil comprises locating the second fairing based at least in part on a target second local lift coefficient, and wherein the second local lift coefficient is less than the first local lift coefficient.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing at least approximately forward of a trailing edge of the airfoil comprises locating a first fairing having a first configuration; and

locating a point of maximum curvature of a second fairing at least approximately aft of a trailing edge of the airfoil comprises locating a second fairing having a second configuration different than the first configuration.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein, based at least in part on the target lift distribution, the method further comprises:

(a) locating a point of maximum curvature of one or more additional first fairings at least approximately forward of the trailing edge of the airfoil proximate to the first inboard portion of the airfoil;

(b) locating a point of maximum curvature of one or more additional second fairings at least approximately aft of the trailing edge of the airfoil proximate to the second outboard portion of the airfoil;

or

(c) both (a) and (b).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing and a second fairing comprises locating first and second fairings that house (a) at least a portion of a drive mechanism configured to move a movable surface of the airfoil, (b) at least a portion of one or more supports associated with the movable surface, or (c) both (a) and (b).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing and a second fairing comprises locating points of maximum curvature on first and second fairings proximate to an airfoil that is couplable to an aerospace vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the target lift distribution is a first target lift distribution and the points of maximum curvature of the first fairing and the second fairing are located at first and second target positions, respectively, and wherein the method further comprises changing the first target lift distribution of the airfoil to a second target lift distribution by—

locating the point of maximum curvature of the first fairing at a third target position relative to the trailing edge proximate to the first inboard portion of the airfoil, wherein the point of maximum curvature of the first fairing remains at least approximately forward of the trailing edge; and

locating the point of maximum curvature of the second fairing at a fourth target position relative to the trailing edge proximate to the second outboard portion of the airfoil, wherein the point of maximum curvature of the second fairing remains at least approximately aft of the trailing edge.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising repeating the locating steps for the points of maximum curvature of the first and second fairings based, at least in part, on one or more additional target lift distributions.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second fairings each include a first side and a second side laterally displaced from a longitudinal axis, and wherein:

locating a point of maximum curvature of a first fairing and a second fairing relative to the trailing edge of the airfoil comprises locating the first and second fairings with the first side of each fairing facing an inboard portion of the airfoil and the second side of each fairing facing an outboard portion of the airfoil; and

based at least in part on the target lift distribution, the method further comprises applying camber to (a) at least a portion of the second side of the first fairing that extends aft of the trailing edge, (b) at least a portion of the second side of the second fairing that extends aft of the trailing edge, or (c) both (a) and (b).

12. A method for manufacturing a wing, the method comprising:

locating a first fairing and a second fairing proximate to the wing, the individual fairings including a first side and a second side laterally displaced from a longitudinal axis, wherein the first and second fairings each house (a) at least a portion of a drive mechanism configured to move one or more movable surfaces of the wing, (b) at least a portion of one or more supports associated with the corresponding movable surface, or (c) both (a) and (b);

mounting the first fairing to the wing with a point of maximum curvature for at least one of a first side and a second side of the first fairing located approximately forward of a trailing edge of the wing; and

mounting the second fairing to the wing outboard of the first fairing and with a point of maximum curvature for at least one of a first side and a second side of the second fairing located approximately aft of the trailing edge of the wing.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

mounting the first fairing to the wing comprises mounting the first fairing with both the point of maximum curvature of the first side and the point of maximum curvature of the second side of the first fairing located forward of the trailing edge; and

mounting the second fairing to the wing comprises mounting the second fairing with both the point of maximum curvature of the first side and the point of maximum curvature of the second side of the second fairing located aft of the trailing edge.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:

mounting the first fairing to the wing includes mounting a first flap fairing to a wing having a movable flap surface, the first flap fairing housing at least a portion of a drive mechanism for the flap surface, the wing being coupled to a fuselage of an aircraft; and

mounting the second fairing to the wing includes mounting a second flap fairing to the wing and movable flap surface, the second flap fairing housing at least a portion of the drive mechanism for the flap surface.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the first fairing and the second fairing are configured to move when the corresponding drive mechanism moves the one or more movable surfaces.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein mounting a first fairing and a second fairing to the wing comprises mounting the first and second fairings to a wing that is couplable to an aerospace vehicle.

17. An aircraft system, comprising:

an airfoil having a first inboard portion, a second outboard portion, and a trailing edge;

a first fairing mounted to the airfoil proximate to the first portion of the airfoil, the first fairing having a point of maximum curvature at least approximately forward of the trailing edge; and

a second fairing mounted to the airfoil proximate to the second portion of the airfoil, the second fairing having a point of maximum curvature at least approximately aft of the trailing edge.

18. The aircraft system of claim 17 wherein the airfoil further comprises a movable surface, and wherein at least one of the first fairing and the second fairing houses (a) at least a portion of a drive mechanism configured to move the movable surface of the airfoil, (b) at least a portion of one or more supports associated with the movable surface, or (c) both (a) and (b).

19. The aircraft system of claim 17 wherein:

the airfoil includes a wing with a flap surface, the wing being coupled to a fuselage of an aircraft; and

at least one of the first fairing and the second fairing includes a flap fairing that houses a least a portion of a drive mechanism for the flap surface, the flap surface being movable from a retracted position to at least one extended position.

20. The aircraft system of claim 17 wherein the airfoil includes an airfoil couplable to an aerospace vehicle.

21. The aircraft system of claim 17 wherein the airfoil has a first local lift coefficient at the first inboard portion and a second local lift coefficient at the second outboard portion, and wherein the first local lift coefficient is less than the second local lift coefficient.

22. The aircraft system of claim 17 wherein:

the first fairing includes a first side and a second side laterally displaced from a first longitudinal axis, each side having a point of maximum curvature, and wherein the point of maximum curvature for at least one of the first and second sides of the first fairing is located forward of the trailing edge; and

the second fairing includes a first side and a second side laterally displaced from a second longitudinal axis, each side having a point of maximum curvature, and wherein the point of maximum curvature for at least one of the first and second sides of the second fairing is located aft of the trailing edge.

23. The aircraft system of claim 22 wherein:

the first side and the second side of the first fairing are each located forward of the trailing edge; and

the first side and the second side of the second fairing are each located aft of the trailing edge.

24. The aircraft system of claim 17 wherein the first fairing has a first configuration and the second fairing has a second configuration different than the first configuration.

25. The aircraft system of claim 17, further comprising one or more additional fairings mounted to the airfoil, the one or more additional fairings having a point of maximum curvature positioned relative to the trailing edge of the airfoil based, at least in part, on a target lift distribution for the airfoil.