Airfoil Fluid Damper Network for Vibration Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing damping solutions for gas turbine engine components, such as spring dampers and physical dampers, face issues with wear and limited effective lifetimes, leading to reduced damping performance and potential malfunctions.

Innovation Solution

An airfoil design featuring a damping network with internal cavities and flow passages filled with a damping material, such as bismuth or tin alloys, that flows through the network to absorb vibrational energy, reducing oscillations and vibrations without the wear associated with physical dampers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If spring dampers or physical dampers are used to reduce vibration, then damping performance is improved, but the dampers are subject to wear and have limited effective lifetimes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamping performanceVSAvoideffective lifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical spring dampers with a fluid-based damping system. The damping material (liquid or gel) fills cavities within the airfoil structure and provides damping forces through fluid dynamics rather than mechanical spring deformation. This substitution eliminates wear associated with mechanical contacts while maintaining effective damping performance throughout the component's operational life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs hydraulic principles by using a fluid damping material contained within sealed cavities. The fluid resists vibration-induced pressure changes and volume variations, providing damping forces through its incompressibility and viscous properties. This hydraulic approach replaces mechanical spring dampers, eliminating wear while maintaining reliable damping performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Reliability

If physical dampers with multiple parts are used, then damping performance is improved, but they can malfunction resulting in reduced damping performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamping performanceVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the damping function directly into the airfoil structure by integrating damping material-filled cavities within the airfoil body. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate, multi-part damper assemblies, reducing complexity and potential failure points while maintaining effective damping performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If damping material is used to reduce vibrations, then vibrational displacement and dynamic stress levels are reduced, but the damping material must be added after airfoil formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration reductionVSAvoidmanufacturing process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates damping material-filled cavities directly into the airfoil during the additive manufacturing process itself. The damping material is deposited as part of the layer-by-layer construction, eliminating the need for post-manufacturing assembly steps. This preliminary integration simplifies the manufacturing process while ensuring the damping function is built-in from the start.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes the ability of additive manufacturing to vary material properties and densities during the building process. By controlling the deposition parameters, the system can create cavities filled with damping material directly within the airfoil structure, integrating the damping function into the manufacturing process rather than requiring separate post-processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The airfoil design effectively reduces vibrational displacement and dynamic stress levels by using a damping material that melts at lower temperatures than the airfoil, providing extended life and manufacturing flexibility by tuning damping capabilities through material and geometry adjustments.

Implementation Method 1

damping material that is configured to flow through the damping network to reduce oscillations and vibrations within the component during operation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Implementation Method 2

damping material is configured to flow through the damping network during operation of the rotating device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Data Source

PatentEP2947271B1Airfoil with fluid damper and methods of making

Publication Date: 2019.10.30 UNITED TECH CORP

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AI summary

An airfoil (70) includes an airfoil structure defining a damping network (80) that includes a first cavity (82), a second cavity (84), a flow passage (86) connecting the first and second cavities (82, 84). The airfoil (70) further includes a damping material (90) configured to flow through the damping network (80). A method of forming an airfoil (70) includes forming an airfoil body having a damping network (80) that includes a first cavity (82), a second cavity (84), and a flow passage (86) connecting the first and second cavities (82, 84). The method further includes adding a damping material (90) configured to flow through the damping network (80).