Gas Turbine Balancing Ring Anti-Rotation Spacer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing balancing techniques for rotating structures in gas turbine engines face challenges in securely locking the orientation of balancing rings to maintain unbalance correction, often requiring additional anti-rotation components and limiting the flexibility of balancing force adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A dual-use spacer with anti-rotation features, such as scallops and lugs, is integrated into the rotating assembly to securely lock the balancing rings in place, eliminating the need for additional anti-rotation components and allowing for smooth and adjustable positioning of the balancing rings to correct unbalances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional anti-rotation components are used to lock balancing rings, then the orientation security is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides axial positioning of the balancing ring, prevents radial displacement, and locks the circumferential orientation through anti-rotation features (protrusions engaging with recesses). This consolidation of multiple functions into a single component eliminates the need for separate anti-rotation components, thereby improving reliability while reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer serves as a universal component that handles multiple balancing ring constraints in one structure. It provides axial spacing, radial support, and circumferential locking through its integrated anti-rotation features, making it a multi-functional element that replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components
2Reliability
If balancing rings are securely locked in place, then the unbalance correction stability is improved, but the flexibility of positioning adjustments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-rotation locking mechanism is designed to be dynamically adjustable. The protrusions and recesses allow the balancing ring to be positioned at different circumferential locations and locked in place, enabling adjustment during the balancing process while providing secure locking once the desired position is achieved. This dynamic capability maintains both flexibility and stability
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple components are used for balancing ring mounting, then the mounting precision is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple mounting functions (axial positioning, radial support, circumferential locking) are merged into the single spacer component. This integration maintains mounting precision by providing all necessary constraints in one part, while simplifying manufacturing by reducing the total number of components that need to be produced and assembled
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A rotating assembly for a gas turbine engine has a balancing ring (26b) mounted to a first rotating component (22i') having a rotating unbalance about an axis of rotation. The ring (26b) is clocked at a circumferential position about the axis to counteract the rotating unbalance. A spacer (22j') is axially abutted against the first rotating component (22i') to set an axial position of the first rotating component (22i') relative to a second rotating component. The balancing ring (26b) is locked against rotation relative to the first rotating component (22i') in its circumferential position by the dual use spacer (22j').