Aircraft Engine Pylon Mounting Assembly With Reduced Vertical Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine mounts for aircraft engines with larger fans are unable to reduce the distance between the nacelle cowls and the ground, necessitating a new arrangement to bring the nacelle closer to the wing.
Innovation Solution
A front engine attachment system with a suspension pylon comprising a primary structure, upper and lower spars, side panels, and transverse reinforcements, utilizing male and female yokes, pins, and connecting rods to reduce the vertical footprint and enhance engine integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the fan size is increased to improve engine performance, then the engine performance is improved, but the distance between the nacelle cowls and the ground is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reconfigures the engine attachment system by introducing a front engine attachment with yokes and connecting rods that operate in a different spatial dimension. The front male and female yokes connect at the front transverse reinforcement, while lower male and female yokes connect at the lower spar, creating a three-dimensional attachment geometry that reduces the vertical footprint and allows the nacelle to be positioned closer to the ground without compromising engine performance
2Power
If the nacelle is positioned closer to the ground to improve aerodynamics, then the aerodynamic performance is improved, but the engine attachment system height must be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The engine attachment system is segmented into multiple independent components: front male yoke, front female yoke, lower male yoke, lower female yoke, front pin, lower shaft, and connecting rods. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and enables the overall system to achieve a compact vertical configuration while maintaining the structural integrity needed to support the engine at a lower position
3Length of stationary object
If a compact engine attachment system is designed to reduce vertical footprint, then the nacelle can be positioned closer to the wing, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the front and lower attachment functions into an integrated system where the front transverse reinforcement and lower spar work together with the yokes and connecting rods to provide both shear force resistance and moment management. This merging reduces the overall vertical footprint while distributing the structural complexity across multiple coordinated components rather than requiring a single complex structure
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly of a mounting mast (104) with an aircraft engine (102) comprising a forward engine mount (150) having front male and female clevises (112, 113), lower male and female clevises (114, 115) connecting the mounting mast and the engine via a front shaft (120) mounted in the front clevises and a lower shaft (122) mounted in the lower clevises, port/starboard connecting rods (118) mounted between the mounting mast and the engine via mounting shafts, wherein the front and lower shafts are orthogonal to a median plane (XZ), and wherein the mounting shafts of the connecting rods are parallel to the median plane (XZ). Such an assembly has a reduced vertical footprint.