Turbine Blade Resin Ducts for In-Situ Coating Reload
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for repairing or replacing the abradable layer on the internal surface of a turbine engine casing are lengthy, expensive, and require disassembly of the engine, which is inefficient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A blade with a housing for polymerizable refill resin and longitudinal ducts that deposit resin onto the casing during rotation, allowing for the reloading of the abradable layer without disassembling the engine, utilizing centrifugal forces to project the resin onto the casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods are used to repair or replace the abradable layer, then the abradable layer can be restored, but the engine must be disassembled and the process is time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is equipped with a self-contained resin reservoir and dispensing system that allows it to automatically reload the abradable layer during engine operation or maintenance without requiring external assistance or engine disassembly. The blade serves its own maintenance needs by carrying and applying the resin material directly at the tip where it contacts the casing.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin is pre-loaded into the blade's internal reservoir before the blade is installed or before the reloading operation begins. This preliminary preparation allows the blade to be ready for immediate application of the abradable layer material without requiring engine disassembly or complex external supply systems during the repair process.
2Ease of repair
If the engine is disassembled for abradable layer repair, then the layer can be reloaded, but maintenance costs and aircraft downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade performs its own maintenance function by carrying the resin material and applying it to the casing surface. This self-service capability eliminates the need for expensive disassembly operations, specialized maintenance equipment, and extensive labor, thereby reducing maintenance costs and simplifying the repair process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the state of the resin from a stationary material stored in the blade to a moving material that is projected onto the casing during blade rotation. This parameter change from static to dynamic application enables the resin to be distributed effectively across the casing surface without requiring engine disassembly or complex application equipment.
3Productivity
If resin is deposited onto the casing during blade rotation, then the abradable layer can be reloaded efficiently, but the resin must be precisely controlled to ensure proper distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The resin dispensing system is divided into multiple longitudinal ducts that are distributed along the blade chord. This segmentation allows the resin to be delivered through multiple separate channels, ensuring more uniform distribution across the casing surface and preventing localized over-application or gaps in the abradable layer restoration.
Solution Approach 2:
The scraping member acts as an intermediary between the resin delivery system and the casing surface. It receives the resin projected from the ducts and mechanically spreads and scrapes it into a uniform layer on the casing, ensuring proper distribution and thickness control without requiring precise control of the projection process itself.
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
Enables efficient and cost-effective reloading of the abradable layer under normal operating conditions, reducing aircraft downtime and maintenance costs by allowing in-situ repair without disassembly.
Implementation Method 1
Under the effect of the centrifugal forces, the resin in intended to be displaced from the housing to the ducts and then to the tip of the blade
Implementation Method 2
a housing for the storage or passage of a polymerisable refill resin
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a blade (16), in particular a fan blade, for resurfacing an abradable coating (26) on an internal surface of a turbine engine case (18) intended to surround the blade. The comprises a root (20) and an airfoil (24) having a tip opposite the root, said root comprising a housing (32) for the storage or passage of a polymerisable refill resin. The airfoil comprises longitudinal channels (34), the first ends of said channels being connected to the housing and the opposite ends opening at the aforementioned tip.