Abstract:
Over the last few decades the design of high lift devices has become a very
important part of the total aircraft design process. Reviews of the design process
are performed on a regular basis, with the intent to improve and optimize the
design process.
This thesis describes a new and innovative methodology for the design and
evaluation of mechanisms for Trailing Edge High-Lift devices. The initial research
reviewed existing High-Lift device design methodologies and current flap systems
used on existing commercial transport aircraft. This revealed the need for a design
methodology that could improve the design process of High-Lift devices, moving
away from the conventional "trial and error" design approach, and cover a wider
range of design attributes. This new methodology includes the use of the
innovative design tool called SYNAMEC. This is a state-of-the-art engineering
design tool for the synthesis and optimizations of aeronautical mechanisms. The
new multidisciplinary design methodology also looks into issues not usually
associated with the initial stages of the design process, such as Maintainability,
Reliability, Weight and Cost.
The availability of the SYNAMEC design tool and its ability to perform Synthesis
and Optimization of mechanisms led to it being used as an important module in
the development of the new design methodology. The SYNAMEC tool allows
designers to assess more mechanisms in a given time than the traditional design
methodologies.
A validation of the new methodology was performed and showed that creditable
results were achieved.
A case study was performed on the ATRA
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Advance Transport Regional Aircraft,
a Cranfield University design project, to apply the design methodology and select
from within a group of viable solutions the most suitable type of mechanism for the
Variable Camber Wing concept initially defined for the aircraft. The results show
that the most appropriate mechanism type for the ATRA Variable Camber Wing is
the Link /Track Mechanism. It also demonstrated how a wide range of design
attributes can now be considered at a much earlier stage of the design.
