Torsion Box Rudder Spar Concept Design for Load Alleviation in the Rudder Shells

A Feasibility and Parametric Study Conducted on the Airbus Single-Aisle Rudder

Master Thesis (2023)
Author(s)

G.M. Mătieş (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

Contributor(s)

C Bisagni – Mentor (TU Delft - Aerospace Structures & Computational Mechanics)

Henrik Lüttmann – Mentor (Airbus)

Ralf Hilgers – Mentor (AIRBUS)

Faculty
Aerospace Engineering
Copyright
© 2023 Georgiana Mătieş
More Info
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Publication Year
2023
Language
English
Copyright
© 2023 Georgiana Mătieş
Coordinates
53.535833,9.836944
Graduation Date
13-12-2023
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Project
['Faster H2- W.P.3 - ECO Rudder']
Programme
['Aerospace Engineering']
Faculty
Aerospace Engineering
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Abstract

The rudder is one of the few aircraft primary composite structures that experience relatively low external aerodynamic loading during regular flight conditions. This renders the rudder shell the perfect candidate to study the possibility of introducing sustainable materials with lower mechanical properties in primary structures. However, high internal loads are introduced in the shells during actuator jamming events, which occur with low frequency. Locally redesigning the rudder spar as a torsion box to take up the jamming loads and alleviate the shell loading could enable the safe usage of green materials in the rudder shells. The aim of this thesis is to study the design feasibility of three rudder torsion-box spar concepts to separate the aerodynamic and jamming loads in the rudder and provide a preliminary optimised structural design based on a parametric study of the torsion-box spar design variables and static FEM simulations.

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