Articulated Engine Mounts for Thermal Growth Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aircraft engine mounting systems lack sufficient flexibility and adjustment capabilities to accommodate design uncertainties and variability, leading to costly redesigns and delays, especially when dealing with multiple variants and thermal growth.
Innovation Solution
The use of adjustable mounting assemblies with extendible elements, such as pivoting links and axially adjustable tie-rods, that allow for inboard or outboard movement and thermal expansion compensation, enabling secure engine mounting across various aircraft configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional mount systems use shims for adjustment, then the mounting precision is improved, but the adaptability to accommodate design uncertainties and thermal growth deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing static shim-based adjustment with dynamic articulated mounting assemblies that include pivoting links and extendible elements. These components can actively adapt their configuration to accommodate design uncertainties, thermal growth, and interface variations, transforming a rigid precision system into a flexible adaptive system that maintains both precision and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by incorporating extendible elements that can modify the length and configuration of mounting links. This allows the mounting system to change its geometric parameters in response to thermal expansion, design variations, and interface requirements, thereby maintaining proper mounting precision across different operating conditions and aircraft variants.
2Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are used in machining and manufacturing, then the mounting precision is improved, but the flexibility for adjustment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the mounting system into multiple articulated segments including pivoting links, extendible elements, and adjustable components. This segmentation allows each element to be manufactured to tight tolerances while the overall system maintains flexibility through the articulated joints and adjustable mechanisms that connect these precise segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dynamics to transform a statically precise but inflexible mounting system into a dynamically adjustable one. The articulated links and extendible elements can move and reconfigure, providing ease of operation and flexibility for adjustment while maintaining mounting precision through controlled movement and positioning mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If fixed mounting systems are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to accommodate thermal growth and interface variations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent directly addresses thermal expansion by incorporating articulated mounting assemblies with pivoting links and extendible elements that can accommodate thermal growth of the engine and airframe. These components allow for controlled movement and adjustment in response to thermal expansion, maintaining proper interface alignment without requiring complex active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing mounting assemblies that can accommodate multiple aircraft variants, engine types, and interface configurations using the same basic articulated structure. The extendible elements and adjustable links provide multi-functionality, allowing the same mounting system to adapt to different thermal growth patterns and interface requirements across various applications.
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 provides a flexible and adaptable mounting system that accommodates engine variability and thermal growth, reducing redesign efforts and delays by allowing for secure engine attachment across different aircraft interfaces and variants.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the extendible element and the another extendible element includes a forward link which rotates about an axis to change a position of the link to accommodate a tolerance associated with the engine and to accommodate thermal growth associated with the engine
Data Source
AI summary
A method for securing an engine using an adjustable mounting assembly is provided including adjusting an extendible element of the adjustable mounted assembly from a first position to a second position. Another extendible element of the adjustable mounting assembly is adjusted from a third position to a fourth position. The engine is mounted using the adjustable mounted assembly with the extendible element in the second position and another extendible element in the fourth position.