Two-Part Bearing Outer Ring for Balanced Turbine Load Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing structural subassemblies for gas turbine engines face challenges in uniformly transferring loads from bearings to support structures, often resulting in bending moments that can lead to inefficiencies and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A structural subassembly with a two-part outer ring design, where each part is connected to the housing flange, ensuring symmetrical load transfer and minimizing bending moments by arranging the housing flange centrally between the connecting elements, thereby maintaining the center of mass in a plane perpendicular to the bearing's axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a unilateral connection of the outer ring to the housing flange is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but bending moments occur during load transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The outer ring is divided into two separate parts (first outer ring part and second outer ring part), each connected to the housing flange via its own connecting element. This segmentation allows the bearing to connect to the housing flange at multiple locations, distributing the load transfer path and eliminating bending moments by ensuring forces act through the center of mass.
2Strength
If the housing flange is arranged centrally between two connecting elements, then bending moments are avoided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two outer ring parts are merged with the housing flange through connecting elements that are integrated into the bearing assembly. This merging approach allows the load transfer paths to converge at the center of mass of the housing flange, achieving balanced force distribution while maintaining a compact, unified structure.
3Strength
If a two-part outer ring design is implemented, then the contact area for frictional load transfer is increased, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outer ring is segmented into two parts that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation enables the creation of larger total contact area with the housing flange while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular production and assembly of the divided components.
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 design enhances load transfer efficiency by increasing the contact area for frictional load distribution, avoiding bending moments and ensuring uniform stress distribution, thus improving the structural integrity and performance of the gas turbine engine's support system.
Implementation Method 1
the contact area available for load transfer to the housing flange by friction is increased
Data Source
AI summary
A structural subassembly which has a bearing which comprises a statically arranged outer ring and a rotatably arranged inner ring, wherein the inner ring is connected for conjoint rotation to a component that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis or said inner ring forms part of such a component, and wherein the longitudinal axis defines an axial direction of the bearing. The structural subassembly furthermore comprises a housing flange of a support structure, to which flange the statically arranged outer ring is connected. Provision is made for the outer ring to be of two-part design, wherein each part of the outer ring has a connecting element which is connected to the housing flange, wherein the housing flange is arranged between the two connecting elements in the axial direction.