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US 10,723,436 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus to increase strength and toughness of aircraft structural components
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJiangtian Cheng, Forouzan Behzadpour
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus to increase strength and toughness of aircraft structural components are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a composite structure of an aircraft, a stringer coupled to the composite structure of the aircraft, where the stringer and the composite structure form a stringer radius gap. A gap filler is disposed in the stringer radius gap, which includes chopped fibers randomly distributed throughout an entire volume of the gap filler.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a composite structure of an aircraft;
- a stringer formed by a first stiffener segment and a second stiffener segment, each of the first and second stiffener segments having a first portion extending away from the composite structure and a second portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first portion and coupled to the composite structure, each second portion including an end, each end including a chamfer having a chamfer angle between 13 and 17 degrees, each end further including an edge to which the chamfer tapers, each edge having a thickness between 0.08 and 0.12 inches, the first and second stiffener segments and the composite structure defining a stringer radius gap;
- and
- a gap filler disposed in the stringer radius gap, the gap filler including chopped carbon fiber flakes randomly distributed throughout substantially an entire volume of the gap filler, respective ones of the chopped carbon fiber flakes having a square shape defined by edges measuring between 0.005 and 3.0 inches in length.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- forming chopped carbon fiber flakes and a resin into a gap filler, the chopped carbon fiber flakes being randomly distributed throughout substantially an entire volume of the gap filler, respective ones of the chopped carbon fiber flakes having a square shape defined by edges measuring between 0.005 and 3.0 inches in length;
- curing the gap filler formed by the chopped carbon fiber flakes;
- and
- inserting the gap filler into a radius gap of a stringer, the stringer formed by a first stiffener segment and a second stiffener segment, each of the first and second stiffener segments having a first portion configured to extend away from a composite structure and a second portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first portion and configured to be coupled to the composite structure, each second portion including an end, each end including a chamfer having a chamfer angle between 13 and 17 degrees, each end further including an edge to which the chamfer tapers, each edge having a thickness between 0.08 and 0.12 inches, the first and second stiffener segments defining the radius gap.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a composite structure of an aircraft;
- a stringer formed by a first stiffener segment and a second stiffener segment, each of the first and second stiffener segments having a first portion extending away from the composite structure and a second portion extending substantially perpendicular to the first portion and coupled to the composite structure, each second portion including an end, each end including a chamfer having a chamfer angle between 13 and 17 degrees, each end further including an edge to which the chamfer tapers, each edge having a thickness between 0.08 and 0.12 inches, the first and second stiffener segments and the composite structure defining a stringer radius gap;
- and
- a gap filler disposed in the stringer radius gap, the gap filler including chopped carbon fiber flakes randomly distributed throughout substantially an entire volume of the gap filler.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.