Arcuate Fiber Structure for Aeroengine Casing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex-shaped composite material parts, such as aeroengine casings with suspension yokes, face challenges in achieving high mechanical strength due to the separate fabrication of fiber reinforcement, leading to increased weight and structural limitations under high mechanical stresses.
Innovation Solution
A composite material part with a fiber reinforcement structure woven as a single piece using multilayer weaving, featuring arcuate portions with continuous warp yarns that extend over one face, allowing forces to be distributed throughout the structure, thereby enhancing mechanical strength and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If fiber reinforcement is fabricated independently and added by stitching or adhesive, then complex shapes can be achieved, but mechanical strength is insufficient under high stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the suspension yoke and casing shroud into a single integrated fiber reinforcement structure. The arcuate portion forming the suspension yoke is woven continuously from the same fiber structure as the casing shroud, eliminating separate fabrication and joining operations. This integration ensures that mechanical forces are distributed throughout the entire structure through continuous fiber paths, achieving both complex shape and high mechanical strength simultaneously.
2Strength
If fiber reinforcement is made as a single piece, then mechanical strength is high, but complex shapes with supporting elements are difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a multi-layer weaving architecture with arcuate portions that extend in the thickness direction of the fiber structure. By utilizing multiple layers of fiber tows and creating three-dimensional arcuate configurations, the invention achieves complex supporting elements (suspension yokes) while maintaining continuous fiber paths for high mechanical strength. The arcuate portion comprises multiple layers of fiber tows arranged in adjacent manner, enabling complex shaping without compromising structural integrity.
3Strength
If metal is used for engine-support yokes, then sufficient mechanical strength is achieved, but overall weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction with continuous fiber reinforcement (carbon or glass fibers) densified by a matrix material. The integrated fiber structure with arcuate portions provides high specific strength (strength-to-weight ratio), enabling the suspension yoke to bear engine loads while significantly reducing overall weight compared to traditional metal construction. The composite architecture allows forces to be distributed through continuous fiber paths, achieving metal-level strength with reduced weight.
4Stability of the object's composition
If warp yarns are interlinked in traditional weaving, then structural uniformity is maintained, but arcuate portions cannot be formed with continuous fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fiber structure into distinct functional zones: interlinked warp yarn regions for structural uniformity and non-interlinked arcuate portions for continuous force paths. The arcuate portion comprises multiple layers of fiber tows that are not interlinked with warp yarns from other layers, allowing these specific fibers to form continuous unbroken paths from one end of the arcuate portion to the other. This segmentation enables both structural uniformity in the casing shroud and optimized force distribution in the suspension yoke.
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforcing fiber structure for a composite material part is woven as a single piece by multilayer weaving between plural layers of weft yarns and plural layers of warp yarns arranged in adjacent manner between two faces of the structure. The fiber structure includes at least one arcuate portion extending over one of the faces of the fiber structure, the arcuate portion including at least some of the warp yarns continuous with at least two adjacent warp yarn layers present on one of the faces of the structure. The warp yarns of the arcuate portion are of a length that is longer than the warp yarns of at least two underlying warp yarn layers of the structure. In addition, the warp yarns of the arcuate portion are not interlinked with other warp yarns of the fiber structure.