Method and device for compensation of mechanical stresses in an aircraft structure

• US 20090234516A1
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Grauerholz, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/06 Frames; Stringers; Longerons ; Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/18 Spars; Ribs; Stringers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/38 Adjustment of complete wings or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00

Abstract

A method and a device are described for compensation of mechanical stresses in an aircraft structure. The method comprises the steps of producing signals that represent mechanical stresses occurring in the aircraft structure, and operating actuators, which absorb at least some of the mechanical stresses and are arranged in the aircraft structure, such that the mechanical stresses are compensated.

Claims

1. A method for compensation of mechanical stresses in an aircraft structure, comprising the steps of:

producing signals that represent mechanical stresses occurring in the aircraft structure, and

operating actuators, which absorb at least some of the mechanical stresses and are arranged in the aircraft structure, such that the mechanical stresses are compensated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signals that represent the mechanical stresses are derived from sensors.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signals that represent the mechanical stresses are derived from at least one of flight state data and manoeuvre data.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the signals which represent the mechanical stresses are derived by means of an electronic computation device from at least one of the flight state data and manoeuvre data and from data that represents load states which occur in the aircraft structure as a function of at least one of the flight state and manoeuvres.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said at least one of the flight state data and manoeuvre data is derived from a primary flight computer, and the data that represents load states which occur in the aircraft structure as a function of at least one of the flight state and manoeuvres is derived from a database which is coupled to the electronic computation device.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the database which is coupled to the electronic computation device contains data obtained from a finite element load model.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein actuators formed by piezoelectric elements are operated in order to compensate the mechanical stresses.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein actuators which are arranged on at least one of frames, spars, longerons and stringers in the aircraft structure are operated in order to compensate the mechanical stresses.

9. A device for compensation of mechanical stresses in an aircraft structure, wherein the device is adapted to produce signals representing mechanical stresses which occur in the aircraft structure, and comprises actuators, which are arranged in the aircraft structure and absorb at least some of the mechanical stresses, in order to compensate the mechanical stresses.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device comprises sensors for producing the signals which represent the mechanical stresses.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device is adapted to derive signals which represent the mechanical stresses from at least one of flight state data and manoeuvre data.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device contains an electronic computation device for derivation of the signals which represent the mechanical stresses from at least one of the flight state data and manoeuvre data, and from data which represents load states which occur in the aircraft structure as a function of at least one of the flight state and manoeuvres.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device contains a database which is coupled to the electronic computation device and in which data which represents load states which occur as a function of at least on one of the flight state and manoeuvres is provided, and is adapted to derive said at least one of the flight state data and manoeuvre data from a primary flight computer, and to derive the data which represents load states which occur in the aircraft structure as a function of at least one of the flight state and manoeuvres from the database which is coupled to the electronic computation device.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the database which is coupled to the electronic computation device contains data obtained from a finite element load model.

15. The device according to claim 9, wherein the actuators comprise piezoelectric elements.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the actuators comprise piezoelectric elements which are adhesively bonded to said at least one of frames, spars, longerons and stringers.

17. The device according to claim 9, wherein the actuators are arranged on at least one of frames, spars, longerons and stringers in the aircraft structure, in order to compensate the mechanical stresses.