Structrual-technological desing of an advanced composite cylinder for a light aeronautical hydraulic actuator

摘要

In this paper some of the results of a research project developed under the IMT Brite/EuRam financial support, devoted to check the feasibility of applying advanced composite materials to the retraction/extention actuators of a future large transport aircraft main landing gear are outlined. During a first phase of the research activity a small size hydraulic actuator was designed and 3 protoypes were manufactured. The cylinder body was reinforced making use of the filament winding technology. Significant benefits were obtained by the integration of the filament winding simulation software ARIANNA with a finite element structural analysis software. This allowed to develop a tool able to apply composite materials advantages, finite element design features and an advanced automated technology like filament winding, that offers a great weight and cost saving potential, to highly loaded structural elements such as the landing gear actuators. After the evaluation and a carefull analysis of the performances of the actuator, a second actuator was conceived and developed. The larger size of this second type of actuator allows a best exploitation of the weight saving that can be obtained thanks to the use of composite materials for the reinforcement of the cylinder.