Adjustable Engine-Mounting Link System for Deflection Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft engine mounting systems face challenges in reducing engine deflection and bending, which can lead to blade tip rub encounters and increased specific fuel consumption (SFC), due to the configuration and arrangement of engine mounts.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of engine-mounting linkage systems with adjustable inclination angles, utilizing actuators to change the inclination of engine-mounting links, which counteract bending moments caused by flight and engine operating conditions, thereby reducing engine deflection and allowing for narrower blade tip clearances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional fixed configuration engine mounts are used, then the engine mounting system is simple and reliable, but engine deflection and bending increase under various loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the Dynamics principle by transforming the traditional fixed engine mounting system into a dynamic, adjustable system. Engine-mounting links with adjustable inclination angles allow the system to adapt to varying flight conditions and engine loads, thereby reducing engine deflection and bending while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements Parameter changes by modifying the inclination angle parameter of the engine-mounting links. By dynamically adjusting this geometric parameter based on operating conditions, the system optimizes engine positioning to minimize deflection and bending without requiring complete redesign of the mounting structure.
2Stability of the object's composition
If wider blade tip clearances are used, then engine deflection tolerance is increased, but specific fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By making the engine mounting system dynamic with adjustable link angles, the system can actively compensate for engine deflection, allowing narrower blade tip clearances to be maintained safely. This reduces the energy penalty associated with wider clearances while ensuring operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor engine position and deflection, automatically adjusting the mounting link angles to maintain optimal blade tip clearances. This closed-loop control enables narrower clearances by continuously correcting for deflection, thereby improving fuel efficiency while preserving clearance stability.
3Productivity
If adjustable inclination angle links are implemented, then engine deflection is reduced and fuel consumption improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine mounting system incorporates self-service capabilities through automated actuators that adjust link angles based on sensor feedback. This reduces the need for manual intervention and complex control systems, achieving improved fuel efficiency while keeping the overall system complexity manageable through self-regulating mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable mounting links serve multiple functions: they provide structural support, accommodate thermal expansion, reduce engine deflection, and optimize blade tip clearances. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional system, the patent achieves improved fuel efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity.
4Use of energy by moving object
If blade tip clearances are narrowed, then specific fuel consumption decreases, but blade tip rub encounters increase with engine deflection
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic adjustment of mounting link angles compensates for engine deflection in real-time, allowing narrower blade tip clearances to be maintained without increasing the risk of rub encounters. This enhances both fuel efficiency and reliability by actively managing clearance variations under different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback control system monitors engine position and adjusts mounting link angles to maintain safe blade tip clearances, enabling narrower design clearances while preventing rub encounters. This closed-loop control ensures reliability is maintained even with reduced clearances, improving fuel consumption without sacrificing safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system and methods for controlling the position of one or more engine-mounting links of an engine-mounting linkage system are provided. In one aspect, an engine-mounting linkage system includes one or more engine-mounting links that each have an adjustable inclination angle. An inclination angle of a link may be adjusted by an actuator of the control system. One or more controllers of the control system can control the actuator and thus the inclination angle of the link by determining a control command based at least in part on an output received from one or more sensors of the control system. The controllers can then cause the actuator to change the inclination angle of the link based at least in part on the determined control command.