Structure element for an aircraft

• US 7,598,657 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Konstanzer, Peter, Frankenberger, Eckart
• Primary Examiner(s): BUDD, MARK OSBORNE
• Application Number:
  US11/333,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 310/321, 310/326, 310330-332, 310/328
• US Class Current: 310/328
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/06 Frames; Stringers; Longerons ; Fuselage sections
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/18 Floors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/40 Sound or heat insulation , e.g. using insulation blankets

Abstract

Nowadays floor structures in the fuselage of airplanes, which floor structures comprise transverse floor girders, are usually connected to the frame on the right and left by means of rivets and are in turn supported vertically downward by the frame by way of Samer rods. According to one embodiment of the present invention a structural element for an aircraft is stated, comprising an active element and a passive element. In this way additional stiffening of the fuselage, a reduction in fuselage deformation, or active vibration dampening can be provided without additional weight.

Claims

1. A structural element for an aircraft, the structural element comprising:

an active element; and

a passive element;

wherein the active element is adapted for controllable or regulable active introduction of forces into the passive element;

wherein the passive element is selected from the group consisting of a floor structure, frame in the floor region of the aircraft, traversal beam in the floor region, and Samer rod; and

wherein the structural element is adapted to reduce bending of a fuselage in a floor region of the aircraft which is due to a flight maneuver or a gust load;

wherein the structural element is connected to a control- or regulating electronics adapted for registering internal forces, flight maneuvers and a gust load that trigger said internal forces and for predicting a load state of the fuselage such that corresponding counter forces can be introduction into the passive element well in time in order to reduce bending of the fuselage.

2. The structural element of claim 1,

wherein furthermore the active element is adapted for actively stiffening the structural element;

and

wherein the active element is essentially integrated in the passive element.

3. The structural element of claim 1,

wherein the active element comprises piezoceramics;

and

wherein the piezoceramics are deformable by applying a voltage signal to the piezoceramics.

4. The structural element of claim 3,

wherein electrical contacts are provided for measuring a voltage generated by the piezoceramics or for measuring a capacitance of the piezoceramics;

wherein the generated voltage corresponds to a force acting on the piezoceramics; and

wherein the capacitance corresponds to a temperature of the piezoceramics.

5. The structural element of claim 1,

wherein the passive element is selected from the group consisting of floor structure, frame, transverse girder and Samer rod.

8. The use of a structural element of claim 1 in an aircraft.

11. The structural element of claim 1, wherein the structural element is further adapted to stiffen the fuselage and to dampen vibrations in the fuselage.

6. An aircraft comprising a fuselage, a structural element to reduce deformation of the fuselage and control- or regulating electronics, the structural element comprising:

an active element; and

a passive element;

wherein the passive element is selected from the group consisting of a floor structure, frame in the floor region of the aircraft, traversal beam in the floor region, and Samer rod;

wherein the active element is adapted for controllable or regulable active introduction of forces into the passive element to reduce bending of the fuselage in a floor region of the aircraft which is due to a flight maneuver or a gust load;

the control- or regulating electronics being adapted for registering internal forces, flight maneuvers and a gust load that trigger said internal forces and for predicting a load state of the fuselage such that corresponding counter forces can be introduction into the passive element well in time in order to reduce bending of the fuselage.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, further comprising:

measuring electronics for measuring a voltage generated by the active element or a capacitance of the active element;

evaluation electronics to evaluate the data measured by the measuring electronics; and

control- or regulating electronics to generate a control- or regulating signal for the active element.

9. A method for the active structuring of aircraft, comprising the following steps:

registering internal forces, flight maneuvers and a gust load that trigger said internal forces and predicting a load state of the fuselage by control- or regulating electronics;

generating a control- or regulating signal for an active element of a structural element based on the predicted load state by means of the control- or regulating electronics;

driving the active element with the control- or regulating signal, thereby reducing deformation in a fuselage;

wherein the structural element comprises;

the active element; and

a passive element;

wherein the passive element is selected from the group consisting of a floor structure, frame in the floor region of the aircraft, traversal beam in the floor region, and Samer rod;

wherein the active element is designed for controllable or regulable active introduction of forces into the passive element; and

wherein the structural element is designed for reducing bending in the fuselage in a floor region of the aircraft which is due to a flight maneuver or a gust load.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the following steps:

measuring forces experienced in a structural element by means of measuring electronics;

evaluating the data measured by the measuring electronics by way of evaluation electronics; and

generating a control- or regulating signal for the active element by the control- or regulating electronics on the basis of the evaluation.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dampening vibrations in the fuselage; and

stiffening the fuselage.