Closed-angle composite airfoil spar and method of fabricating the same
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsEric E Deck, Charles Alan Rhodes, Jeffry K Berner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed-angle composite airfoil spar is provided for an airfoil assembly. The composite airfoil spar comprises a web portion having a thickness. The composite airfoil spar also comprises a flange portion having a thickness. The flange portion extends transverse to the web portion. The composite airfoil spar further comprises a radius portion interconnecting the web and flange portions. The radius portion is an acceptable amount thinner relative to thickness of the web portion and thickness of the flange portion based on design requirements and material properties.
Claims35
A closed-angle composite airfoil spar for an airfoil assembly, the composite airfoil spar comprising:
- a web portion having a web portion thickness;
- an elongated flange portion having an elongated flange portion thickness and extending transverse to the web portion and forming an acute angle between the web portion and the elongated flange portion, wherein the elongated flange portion serves as a splice between a leading edge and a skin panel of the airfoil assembly, and wherein the web portion thickness is substantially equal to the elongated flange portion thickness;
- and
- a radius portion interconnecting the web portion and the elongated flange portion, wherein the radius portion has a radius portion thickness, and wherein the radius portion thickness is no more than 10 percent thinner than the web portion thickness and no more than 10 percent thinner than the elongated flange portion thickness.
An airfoil assembly comprising:
- a leading edge;
- a skin panel abutting the leading edge;
- and
- a closed-angle spar comprising:
- a web portion having a web portion thickness;
- an elongated flange portion having an elongated flange portion thickness that is substantially equal to the web portion thickness, the elongated flange portion extending transverse to the web portion and forming an acute angle between the web portion and the elongated flange portion, wherein the elongated flange portion serves as a splice between the leading edge and the skin panel;
- and
- a radius portion interconnecting the web portion and the elongated flange portion, the radius portion having a radius portion thickness that is no more than 10 percent thinner than the web portion thickness and no more than 10 percent thinner than the elongated flange portion thickness.
A method of assembling an airfoil assembly having a leading edge and a skin panel that abuts the leading edge, the method comprising:
- providing a closed-angle spar having an elongated flange portion, a web portion that forms an acute angle between the elongated flange portion and the web portion, and a radius portion interconnecting the web portion and the elongated flange portion, wherein the web portion has a web portion thickness and the elongated flange portion has an elongated flange portion thickness, wherein the web portion thickness is substantially equal to the elongated flange portion thickness, and wherein the radius portion has a radius portion thickness, and wherein the radius portion thickness is no more than 10 percent thinner than the web portion thickness and no more than 10 percent thinner than the elongated flange portion thickness;
- and
- splicing the leading edge and the skin panel at a splice point along the elongated flange portion of the closed-angle spar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.