Cable mounting device in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for mounting a cable in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system, comprising means (2) for attaching the cable to a rotating housing (II) of the propulsion assembly while providing a slack strand (B) in the cable. It includes means (4) for positioning the cable acting on the slack strand so as to maintain it in a predetermined position. Figure for the abstract: Fig 1

Description

Title of the invention: Device for mounting a cable in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to aircraft engines and more particularly to the attachment of a cable or a cable harness to the rotating parts of an aircraft engine. Previous techniques

[0002] One of the major concerns of aircraft engine manufacturers is to offer engines with maximum propulsive efficiency, in particular through an unfaired architecture.

[0003] Such an architecture is a vector of significant optimization of fuel consumption, while offering the same speed performance and the same cabin experiences for passengers.

[0004] Indeed, climate change is a major concern for many legislative and regulatory bodies around the world.

[0005] Various restrictions on carbon emissions have been or will be adopted by various states.

[0006] In particular, an ambitious standard applies both to new types of aircraft and to those in circulation, requiring the implementation of technological solutions in order to make them comply with the regulations in force.

[0007] Civil aviation has been mobilizing for several years now to contribute to the fight against climate change.

[0008] Technological research efforts have already made it possible to significantly improve the environmental performance of aircraft.

[0009] The Applicant takes into consideration the factors impacting all phases of design and development in order to obtain aeronautical components and products that are less energy-intensive, more environmentally friendly and whose integration and use in civil aviation have moderate environmental consequences with the aim of improving the energy efficiency of aircraft.

[0010] Consequently, the Applicant is constantly working to reduce its negative climate impact by using methods and operating virtuous development and manufacturing processes that minimize greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce the environmental footprint of its activity.

[0011] An application of the invention therefore also relates to propulsion systems comprising an electric hybridization.

[0012] Aircraft propulsion systems are conventionally equipped with cable bundles that provide electrical power to electrified devices.

[0013] This may, for example, be a device for defrosting the nose of the engine, which receives an electrical power supply conveyed by a bundle of cables.

[0014] The cables are generally held by fasteners or clamps, providing in the cables a sufficient amount of slack to allow the cable connection connectors to be removed.

[0015] Managing the slack strand, particularly its length and positioning, is difficult to achieve during the assembly of the nose, which is carried out by a rotational movement of a hood relative to a housing between which the cable bundle is connected.

[0016] The presence of the slack strand also presents a major disadvantage related to the fact that during the rotation of the motor, the cable bundle is likely to be in various uncontrolled positions under the effect of centrifugal force.

[0017] The random positioning of the cables makes balancing the rotating propulsion assembly difficult to manage.

[0018] In addition, the service life of the cables is likely to be altered due to the stresses caused by centrifugal force. Description of the invention

[0019] The aim of the invention is therefore to overcome these drawbacks and, in particular, to guarantee the position of a cable or a bundle of cables of an aircraft propulsion system during the rotation of the propulsion system.

[0020] The invention therefore relates to a device for mounting a cable in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system, comprising means for fixing the cable on a rotating cover of the propulsion assembly by providing a slack strand in the cable, this device comprising means for positioning the cable acting on the slack strand so as to maintain it in a predetermined position.

[0021] During the rotation of the propulsion assembly, the soft strand comes to position itself in the positioning means under the action of the centrifugal force in order to be held in position.

[0022] Thus, the position of the soft strand is reproducible and guaranteed, avoiding any untimely movement of the soft strand which could cause its alteration.

[0023] In addition, the position of the slack strand being guaranteed, the balancing of the rotating assembly is facilitated.

[0024] In one embodiment, the device includes means for connecting the cable to a housing during an assembly movement of the cover on the housing tending to tighten the slack strand.

[0025] For example, the hood has a cable guide surface for rotation of the rotating hood.

[0026] In a particular embodiment, the positioning means comprise a chute having a bottom in which the slack strand of the cable is housed during the rotation of the propulsion system, said chute comprising lateral walls for guiding the cable in the bottom of the chute.

[0027] For example, the chute has a V-shaped cross-section.

[0028] For example, the chute comprises a first proximal portion, with direction essentially longitudinal, which corresponds to a portion of the cable entry into the duct, an intermediate angled portion, then a distal portion with an axial direction which corresponds to the direction of the cable connection.

[0029] For example, the chute extends in a circumferential direction in an internal face of the hood or in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the hood.

[0030] Alternatively, the chute can be radial.

[0031] In one embodiment, the device includes elements configured to apply pressure to the cable at the bottom of the cable tray. These elements facilitate the securing of the cable at the bottom of the cable tray.

[0032] In one embodiment, the positioning means comprise a fairing mounted on the housing and intended to receive and radially hold an elastically deformable spiral portion of the cable.

[0033] The invention also relates to an aircraft propulsion system comprising a cable mounting device as defined above, as well as an aircraft comprising such a propulsion system. Brief description of the drawings

[0034] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting examples, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0035] [Fig. 1] mounts a first embodiment of a cable mounting device in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system according to the invention;

[0036] [Fig.2] shows a variant of the device of [Fig.1];

[0037] [Fig.3] illustrates another variant of the mounting device of [Fig.1];

[0038] [Fig.4] shows another embodiment of a cable mounting device in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system according to the invention;

[0039] [Fig.5] shows the device of the [Fig.4] during the rotation of the propulsion system;

[0040] [Fig.6] is a cross-sectional view along line AA of [Fig.5], showing a detail of the embodiment of the device of figures 4 and 5;

[0041] [Fig.7] is a cross-sectional view along line AA of [Fig.5] in another embodiment of the device of figures 4 to 6;

[0042] [Fig.8] illustrates another embodiment of a cable mounting device according to the invention.

[0043] [Fig.9] illustrates the movement of the hood when it is mounted on the housing

[0044] Description of at least one embodiment of the invention

[0045] Reference is made first to figures 1 to 3 which illustrate examples of the realization of a cable mounting device according to the invention.

[0046] Such a device is intended to ensure the retention of a power cable in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system.

[0047] It is in particular intended to ensure the retention of a bundle of electrical power cables in a rotating cowling / housing assembly of an aircraft engine, also known as a barrel.

[0048] Such a system is intended to receive a set of cables or a bundle of cables, for example for the power supply of engine nose de-icing devices.

[0049] The cable 1 illustrated in figures 1 to 3 is fixed to the hood I using clamp-type fixing means 2 and has at its end a connector 3 intended to be connected to a corresponding connector (not shown) of a cable or cable bundle mounted on a rotating housing II visible in figures 4 and 5.

[0050] The fastening means 2 are provided and, in particular, are positioned on the cover I, so as to provide in the cable 1 a slack strand B which, in particular, allows the connection and disconnection of the connector 3. The cable 1 can thus adopt a first free configuration (Cl), a second configuration (C2) in which it is connected to the corresponding connector of the housing, and a third tensioned configuration (C3) resulting from the rotation of the cover during assembly and under the effect of the centrifugal force generated during the rotation of the cover / housing assembly.

[0051] In order to ensure reproducible positioning of the slack strand during rotation of the hood I, the retaining device includes cable positioning means, designated by the general numerical reference 4, which are provided in the inner face of the hood and which act on the slack strand during rotation of the hood to maintain it in a predetermined position.

[0052] The soft strand is notably held in this determined position during the rotation of the motor, under the effect of the centrifugal force produced during the rotation, while being held by the positioning means.

[0053] In the embodiment of [Fig.1], these positioning means comprise a V-shaped chute comprising two branches 5 and 6 erected from the hood and inclined so as to form cable guidance surfaces in the bottom of the chute 4, when the hood is rotated under the effect of centrifugal force.

[0054] In the embodiment of [Fig.1], the chute extends in a circumferential direction on the inner wall of the hood I.

[0055] Alternatively, as shown in [Fig. 2], the channel 4 extends generally in a longitudinal direction, i.e., parallel to the axis of rotation of the cover. The channel 4 is angled to receive a loop of the slack strand of the cable 1, initially free in configuration C1 and then pressed into the bottom of the channel (configuration C2). In this respect, the channel comprises a proximal portion 4a, with an essentially longitudinal direction, which corresponds to the cable entry portion of the channel, an intermediate portion 4b with a change of angle from the longitudinal to the axial direction, and then a distal portion 4c with an axial direction that corresponds to the direction of the connection between the portion of the cable on the cover I and the portion of the cable on the housing IL

[0056] As previously stated, cable 1 is provided with an end connector which connects to a corresponding connector on the engine housing.

[0057] This cover is mounted on the housing II, during assembly, by a rotational movement, for example of the order of 45 degrees.

[0058] This rotational movement of the hood relative to the housing is used to tension the slack strand in the chute 4.

[0059] With reference to [Fig.3], to facilitate tensioning of the slack strand, in one embodiment, the hood has a guide surface 7 on which the cable slides during rotation of the hood, during assembly.

[0060] This guiding surface 7 has, for example, the shape of a comb or equivalent. It is fixed to the housing II.

[0061] We will now describe, with reference to figures 4 to 7, another embodiment of a mounting device according to the invention.

[0062] In this embodiment, the housing II includes a radial channel 8, that is to say a channel which extends over a radial surface of the housing II between a first connection point 9 located near the axis of rotation XX of the assembly and a peripheral area 10 at the level of which the cable 1 is connected to a cable of the hood I.

[0063] In [Fig.4], the hood I and the housing II are shown in the open maintenance position, while in [Fig.5], the hood and the housing are shown in the closed position.

[0064] As can be seen in [Fig. 6], the chute 8 also has a generally V-shaped cross-section and comprises two lateral guide surfaces 11 and 12 in order to guide the cable 1 in the bottom 13 of the chute, during the rotation of the propulsion system.

[0065] As seen in [Fig.7], in order to improve the positioning of the cable in the bottom 11 of the duct, magnets 15 can be provided along the duct, in the vicinity of the bottom 11, in order to position the cable in the bottom of the duct.

[0066] If necessary, a metal sheath can be attached to cable 1.

[0067] Of course, any other element configured to stress the cable at the bottom of the A chute can be used as an alternative.

[0068] In the embodiment of [Fig.8], the cable positioning means comprise a fairing 16 fixed on the internal peripheral surface of the hood I so as to delimit a volume with a general axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the hood I in which an elastically deformable spiral portion of the cable 1 is housed to hold it radially.

[0069] This embodiment is suitable for receiving the slack strand of a cable made in the form of an elastically deformable spiral portion which spontaneously fits into the channel when the hood is closed.

[0070] Figure 9 more explicitly illustrates the rotational movement mentioned earlier during assembly. The movement 17 consists of a translation followed by a rotation, forming a displacement that can be likened to a helical movement of the hood relative to the housing.

Claims

Demands

1. A device for mounting a cable in a rotating assembly of an aircraft propulsion system, comprising means (2) for fixing the cable on a rotating cover (I) of the rotating assembly while providing a slack strand (B) in the cable, characterized in that it comprises means for positioning (4) the cable acting on the slack strand so as to maintain it in a predetermined position.

2. Device according to claim 1, comprising means for connecting (3) the cable to a housing (I) during an assembly movement of the cover on the housing tending to tighten the slack strand.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the hood has a cable guide surface (7) for the rotation of the rotating hood.

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the positioning means comprise a chute (4) having a bottom in which the slack strand of the cable is housed during the rotation of the propulsion system, said chute comprising lateral walls (5, 6) for guiding the cable in the bottom of the chute.

5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the chute (4) has a V-shaped cross-section.

6. Device according to any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the chute comprises a first proximal portion (4a), with an essentially longitudinal direction, which corresponds to a portion of the cable entry into the chute, an intermediate portion (4b) which is bent, and then a distal portion (4c) with an axial direction which corresponds to the direction of the cable connection.

7. Device according to any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the chute extends in a circumferential direction in an internal face of the hood.

8. Device according to any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the chute extends in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the hood.

9. Aircraft propulsion system comprising a cable mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Aircraft comprising a propulsion system according to claim 9.

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