Ballistic Liner Segmentation for Gas Turbine Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for installing ballistic rings in gas turbine engines face challenges in balancing blade containment with the demands of low weight, high strength, and manufacturability, particularly due to the complexity of assembling thicker core cases to prevent blade or fragment penetration.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus involving a containment zone with a ballistic liner composed of radially oriented ring segments, where each segment has opposing circumferential ends forming butt joints that are staggered, allowing for easier alignment and installation by applying adhesive and pressure, and curing, which simplifies the formation of the liner to the engine casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the core case thickness is increased to prevent blade or fragment penetration, then blade containment reliability is improved, but the difficulty of assembling and bending the core case increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ballistic liner is divided into multiple ring segments that can be separately manufactured and then assembled together. This segmentation allows the liner to be installed in a modular fashion, reducing the complexity of assembly while maintaining the required thickness and containment reliability. The ring segments can be bent and formed more easily than a single thick piece, and their staggered arrangement further simplifies the assembly process.
2Reliability
If the core case is made thicker to resist penetration, then blade containment capability is improved, but the weight of the core case increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ballistic liner utilizes composite construction with ring segments arranged in staggered layers, creating a composite structure that provides enhanced penetration resistance. This composite approach allows achieving the required containment capability with optimized material distribution, potentially reducing overall weight compared to a solid thick core case while maintaining or improving containment performance.
3Strength
If the core case is made thicker to prevent penetration, then blade containment strength is improved, but the complexity of forming to the engine surface increases
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the ballistic liner into multiple ring segments that can be independently formed and then assembled reduces the forming complexity. Each segment can be manufactured to a standard shape and then configured to match the engine surface contours through modular assembly, rather than requiring a single complex forming operation for the entire thick structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a two-dimensional surface forming problem to a three-dimensional modular assembly problem. By stacking ring segments in multiple layers with staggered joints, the liner achieves the required thickness and surface conformity through vertical layering rather than complex lateral forming, simplifying the manufacturing process.
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
This approach simplifies the alignment and installation of the ballistic liner, enhancing its ability to form to the engine containment zone while maintaining effective containment of blade fragments without compromising manufacturability.
Implementation Method 1
a ballistic liner adhered to a containment zone casing
Implementation Method 2
curing the adhesive
Data Source
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AI summary
A gas turbine engine (20) is provided. The gas turbine engine comprising: a fan section (22) having a fan; and a containment zone (100) encircling the fan, the containment zone comprising: a ballistic liner (200; 300; 400) composed of a plurality of ring segments (220a-e; 320a-f) located radially outward of the fan; wherein each of the plurality of ring segments include two opposing circumferential ends (230a, 230b; 330a, 330b), and wherein the plurality of ring segments are arranged circumferentially around the fan section and the circumferential ends of each of the plurality of ring segments meet at joints (240; 330) to form the ballistic liner.