Angled Endoscopic Blade Repair for In-Situ Engine Edge Access

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Modern aircraft engine blades with complex geometries pose a challenge for in-situ surface processing, as conventional endoscopic systems struggle to reliably reach and repair leading and trailing edges without disassembling the engine casing.

Innovation Solution

An endoscopic processing instrument with a tubular shaft that can be angled, allowing insertion through a lateral access port downstream of the engine blade, featuring a rotatably driven tool holder and interchangeable tool heads for surface processing, along with an optional integrated or separate observation instrument for precise operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional endoscopic systems are inserted through lateral access ports arranged upstream of the engine blade, then the system can be inserted into the aircraft engine, but the leading edges and trailing edges of the engine blades cannot be reached reliably

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of reaching leading and trailing edgesVSAvoidaccessibility to flow edges

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by arranging the lateral access port downstream of the engine blade instead of upstream. This allows the processing instrument to approach the blade from the opposite direction, enabling reliable engagement with both leading and trailing edges that were previously inaccessible from upstream access ports.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces angular positioning capability to the processing instrument, allowing it to be angled relative to the engine axis. This adds a rotational dimension to the instrument's orientation, enabling it to reach flow edges at various angles and positions that cannot be accessed by straight-line insertion from upstream ports.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If the engine casing is disassembled to access engine blades for repair, then complete access to all blade surfaces is achieved, but the complexity and time of the repair process increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility to engine blade surfacesVSAvoidcomplexity of disassembly and reassembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service repair by providing all necessary processing capabilities through a single access port. The processing instrument integrates multiple functions (observation, machining, polishing) in one device that can be inserted and operated through the downstream access port without requiring engine disassembly, allowing the engine to remain assembled throughout the repair process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If a single access port is used for processing, then the engine casing remains assembled, but hard-to-reach regions of the engine blade cannot be accessed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of engine assemblyVSAvoidaccessibility to hard-to-reach regions

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The processing instrument is designed with dynamic angular positioning capability, allowing it to be rotated and angled to different orientations while inserted through the single downstream access port. This dynamic adjustment enables the tool to reach various surfaces and edges of the engine blade including hard-to-reach regions, all while maintaining engine assembly integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

Enables effective surface processing of engine blades, including hard-to-reach regions, by angling the processing instrument to engage with leading and trailing edges, allowing for repair without disassembling the engine, and accommodating various tool heads for different machining tasks.

Implementation Method 1

a rotatably driven tool holder for a tool head for the surface processing

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRotation:

Data Source

PatentUS20240125236A1System for in-situ surface processing of an engine blade

Publication Date: 2024.04.18 RICHARD WOLF GMBH

AI summary

A system provides in-situ surface processing of an engine blade within an aircraft engine. The system includes an endoscopic processing instrument with a variable-angle tubular shaft. The processing instrument is inserted radially through a lateral access opening into the aircraft engine in a non-angled initial configuration. The lateral access opening is downstream of the engine blade. The processing instrument has a rotatably driven tool holder at a distal end of the shaft for a surface processing tool head. In an angled working configuration, a tool head inserted into the tool holder is applied to a flow edge of the engine blade. Furthermore, a process uses the corresponding system.