Angled Strut Fastening Element for Gas Turbine De-icing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing de-icing devices for aircraft gas turbine engines face challenges due to complex and costly structures that lead to wear, thermal stress, and high maintenance needs, particularly with large annular tubular elements that experience significant thermal expansion and contraction, and commercially available fastening joints struggle with extreme temperature variations.
Innovation Solution
A fastening element designed as a framework with angled struts that allows for elastic deformation to absorb thermal and vibration loads, providing a simple, cost-effective, and wear-free solution that maintains precise positioning and reduces weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex fastening structures with multiple parts are used to accommodate thermal expansion, then the mounting reliability is improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fastening components into a single integrated fastening element that combines mounting, positioning, and thermal expansion compensation functions. This single element replaces complex multi-part structures while maintaining reliability through unified design that accommodates thermal stresses without requiring separate adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening element incorporates material or structural parameter changes that allow it to adapt to thermal expansion and contraction. By designing the element with inherent flexibility or phase-change properties, it can accommodate dimensional changes in the annular tubular element without requiring complex mechanical adjustment systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If commercially available fastening joints are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but they fail to withstand extreme temperature variations and thermal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures in the fastening element that combine materials with different thermal expansion coefficients and mechanical properties. This composite construction allows the fastening element to withstand extreme temperature variations from -56°C to 500°C while maintaining structural integrity and connection reliability.
3Reliability
If large diameter annular tubular elements are used for de-icing, then the de-icing effectiveness is improved, but thermal expansion and contraction cause strong thermal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal stress management by providing multiple fastening elements distributed around the annular tubular element. Each fastening element independently handles local thermal stresses, preventing stress concentration that would occur with a single rigid mounting structure. This segmentation allows the large diameter tubular element to expand and contract freely while maintaining de-icing effectiveness.
4Ease of manufacture
If simple fastening structures are used, then manufacturing cost and weight are reduced, but wear and tear increase leading to loosening and reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful relative movement and thermal stresses into beneficial elastic deformations of the fastening element. By designing the element to flex and deform elastically under thermal and vibrational loads, it absorbs energy that would otherwise cause wear and loosening. This eliminates wear-prone contact surfaces while maintaining a simple, cost-effective structure.
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 solution effectively absorbs thermal and vibration loads without material damage, reducing maintenance needs, lowering production costs, and achieving a significant weight reduction of up to 2/3 compared to previous designs, while ensuring a long service life and minimal wear.
Implementation Method 1
the fastening element is designed in the manner of a framework and has two struts arranged at an angle to one another... elastic deformations occur in the fastening element, which can take place without material damage
Implementation Method 2
The fastening element according to the invention is thus able, as will be described below, to absorb and carry out a number of movements... elastic deformations occur in the fastening element, which can take place without material damage and without the risk of breakage
Implementation Method 3
there are very high temperature differences in the area of the de-icing device during the operation of an aircraft gas turbine engine... leads to strong thermal expansions or contractions
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fastening element, in particular for use in a de-icing device of an aircraft gas turbine engine, for connecting two components 30, 31, wherein the fastening element 32 ensures a connection of the components 30, 31 with a predetermined relative movement capability to each other, wherein the fastening element 32 comprises two struts 33, 34 which are arranged at an angle to each other, wherein two spaced-apart first end regions 35 can be attached to one of the components 30 and the two other second end regions 36 are connected to each other and can be attached to the other component 31.