Aircraft Engine Component Flow Compliance via Digital Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for air flow testing of aircraft engine components, such as combustor liners, are time-consuming and costly due to the need for extensive experimental testing to ensure compliance with flow requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for evaluating compliance of aircraft engine components with flow requirements through apertures, involving obtaining experimental data from a prototype, creating a digitized model of the production component, computing a nominal mass flow rate, correcting it using experimental data, and assigning installation approval parameters based on compliance with prescribed flow ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extensive experimental testing is performed on each production component, then flow requirement compliance is ensured, but time consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A correction factor is determined from experimental testing of a single prototype component before production. This correction factor is then applied to computational models of production components, eliminating the need for extensive experimental testing of each production component while ensuring flow requirement compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of physically testing each production component, the invention creates computational copies (digital models) of the components and applies the correction factor to these models. This virtual testing approach maintains reliability while dramatically reducing time and cost.
2Reliability
If extensive experimental testing is performed on each production component, then flow requirement compliance is ensured, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The correction factor is determined once from prototype testing before production begins. This preliminary determination eliminates the need for repeated expensive experimental testing of each production component, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining compliance assurance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive physical testing of production components with computational modeling. By using digital copies and applying the pre-determined correction factor, the manufacturing process becomes more cost-effective while still ensuring flow requirement compliance.
3Productivity
If computational modeling is used without experimental correction, then testing speed increases, but measurement precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The correction factor acts as an intermediary between experimental data and computational models. It bridges the gap by translating physical measurement results into adjustments for the computational model, thereby improving the accuracy of speedier computational evaluations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adjusts the parameters of the computational model by applying the correction factor derived from experimental data. This parameter adjustment maintains measurement precision while allowing the use of faster computational methods for evaluating production components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the need for extensive experimental testing of each production component, saving time and cost while ensuring compliance with flow requirements, thereby facilitating more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
computing a nominal mass flow rate through the digitized apertures using the geometrical data and flow parameters from the experimental data
Implementation Method 2
correcting the nominal mass flow rate of the digitized model using the experimental data to obtain a computed mass flow rate of the production model
Data Source
AI summary
A method of evaluating compliance of a component of an aircraft engine with flow requirements has: obtaining experimental data from experimental testing on a prototype of the component; obtaining a digitized model of a production model of the component, the digitized model including digitized apertures having geometrical data corresponding to that of apertures defined in the production model; computing a nominal mass flow rate through the digitized apertures using the geometrical data and flow parameters from the experimental data; correcting the nominal mass flow rate of the digitized model to obtain a computed mass flow rate of the production model; and assigning at least one parameter to the production model, the at least one parameter indicative of installation approval of the production model of the component for installation on the aircraft engine when the computed mass flow rate is determined to be within a prescribed range of the flow requirements.