当前申请(专利权)人：
AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
原始申请(专利权)人：
AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Pegasus House, Aerospace Avenue, Filton, BRISTOL, BS34 7PA, United Kingdom
摘要：
An elongate structural element 200 (e.g. a spar (fig.2,200,300) or rib (fig.2,400)), suitable for a primary structure (fig.2,22) of an aircraft (fig.1,1) aerodynamic structure (e.g. a wing (fig.1,20), wingtip device (fig.1,30) or stabiliser (fig.1,40,50)), has a shear web 210 with a twist 211 about its longitudinal axis A-A so that a face of at least part of the web is non-planar when free from torque or torsional force applied about the longitudinal axis (i.e. a cross-sectional shape of the web at a first section 201&fig.4(i) is rotationally offset from one taken in the twisted section 202&fig.4(ii)). There may be multiple twists 211,212 about the longitudinal axis, which may be irregular such that the rate of rotational offset is non-uniform, or not consistent, along the axis. Preferably, the spar is made from a composite material formed with at least one fibre layup. Preferably, the spar has a flange 230 protruding from the web at an angle A of between 80 to 100 degrees. The flange is used for aligning or abutting separate upper and lower covers (fig.1,21,20) so that the angles between the covers and the shear web are equal, or no more than 10 degrees different.
权利要求：
CLAIMS:
L An elongate primary structural element for a primary structure of an aircraft aerodynamic structure, wherein the primary structural element has a shear web comprising a twist about a longitudinal axis of the shear web so that a face of at least a portion of the shear web is non-planar when the shear web is free from a torque applied about the longitudinal axis.
2. The primary structural element of claim 1, wherein the shear web comprises plural twists about the longitudinal axis.
3. The primary structural element of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the or each twist is an irregular twist.
4. The primary structural element of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the primary structural element is a spar.
5. The primary structural element of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the primary structural element comprises a composite material.
6. The primary structural element of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the primary structural element has a flange protruding from the portion of the shear web, wherein the flange is for aligning with or abutting a cover, and wherein an angle between the flange and the portion of the shear web is between 80 and 100 degrees.
32. A primary structure for an aircraft aerodynamic structure, wherein the primary structure comprises at least one primary structural element according to any one of claims 1t06.
8. A primary structure for an aircraft aerodynamic structure, wherein the primary structure comprises at least one elongate primary structural element, and wherein the or each primary structural element has a shear web comprising an irregular twist about a
longitudinal axis of the shear web so that a face of at least a portion of the shear web is non-planar.
9. An aircraft aerodynamic structure comprising at least one cover, wherein the aircraft aerodynamic structure comprises at least one primary structural element according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or a primary structure according to claim 7 or claim 8, connected to the at least one cover.
10. The aircraft aerodynamic structure of claim 9, wherein the or each primary structural element is non-unitary with the at least one cover.
11. The aircraft aerodynamic structure of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the at least one cover comprises an upper cover and a lower cover; and
wherein a first angle between the portion of the shear web and the upper cover either:
1s equal to a second angle between the portion of the shear web and the
lower cover, or
differs from the second angle by no more than 10 degrees.
12. The aircraft aerodynamic structure of claim 11, wherein the first angle is between 80 and 100 degrees, and wherein the second angle is between 80 and 100 degrees.
13. The aircraft aerodynamic structure of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the aircraft aerodynamic structure is one of: a wing, a wingtip device, and a stabiliser.
14. A method of manufacturing an elongate primary structural element for a primary structure of an aircraft aerodynamic structure, the method comprising:
forming a shear web comprising a twist, without applying a torque to the shear web, so that a face of at least a portion of the shear web is non-planar.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the forming comprises laying up at least one fibre layup.
16. A primary structural element for a primary structure of an aircraft aerodynamic structure, wherein the primary structural element is substantially free of built-in stress and has a shear web having a cross-sectional shape, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the shear web at a first section of the primary structural element is rotationally offset from the cross-sectional shape of the shear web at a second section of the primary structural element so that a face of at least a portion of the shear web is non-planar.
17. An aircraft comprising at least one aircraft aerodynamic structure according to any one of claims 9 to 13 or comprising at least one primary structural element according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and 16.