Combustion Chamber Fairing with Internal Tabs for Aerodynamic Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combustion chamber designs face performance penalties due to airflow disturbances caused by bolt heads and are difficult to repair due to welds that complicate disassembly and reassembly.
Innovation Solution
The combustion chamber employs internal tabs and caps with circumferentially distributed fixing parts that are welded or brazed, allowing for easy disassembly and repair by grinding welded zones, and uses TIG welding and brazing to maintain structural integrity without disturbing airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If bolted assembly is used to join combustion chamber components, then ease of disassembly and repair is improved, but airflow disturbances caused by bolt heads worsen aerodynamic performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful bolt heads from the external surface of the combustion chamber by moving the fastening mechanism inside the fairing. The tabs and slots with retaining rings are positioned within the fairing structure, eliminating protruding elements that disrupt airflow while maintaining easy disassembly capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism is nested within the fairing structure. The tabs are positioned inside the fairing, and the retaining rings are housed within the fairing's internal geometry, allowing the fastening system to be contained within the aerodynamic envelope rather than protruding outward.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If welds are used to join combustion chamber components, then aerodynamic performance is improved by eliminating bolt heads, but ease of repair worsens due to difficulty in cutting and reassembling welded joints
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the combustion chamber into modular components (fairing, outer wall, inner wall, bottom wall) that can be independently removed and reassembled. The tab-and-slot design with retaining rings allows each component to be separated without cutting, enabling modular repair and replacement while maintaining aerodynamic smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining rings act as intermediary elements that facilitate the connection between tabs and slots. These removable intermediaries allow for easy disassembly by simply removing the retaining rings, avoiding the need to cut welded joints while maintaining a smooth external surface for aerodynamic performance.
3Strength
If multiple welds are used to join fairing and chamber components, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity worsens due to multiple assembly steps and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing and chamber components are segmented into modular sections connected by tabs and slots. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and assembled independently, reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed tab-slot connections throughout the structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the connection parameter from permanent welding to removable mechanical fastening with retaining rings. This parameter change simplifies the assembly process, reduces manufacturing costs, and enables easy disassembly while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for the application.
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 aerodynamic performance by minimizing airflow disruptions and facilitates maintenance by allowing for seamless disassembly and reassembly of components, improving repairability and reducing reassembly costs.
Implementation Method 1
The tabs attached to the caps are preferably joined to them by brazing. Each tab is joined to the cap using a filler metal whose melting point is lower than the melting point of the materials being joined. The joint is therefore made without melting the metal of the components being joined. Once heated to its melting point, the filler metal penetrates the joints between the parts to be joined by capillary action.
Implementation Method 2
Once heated to its melting point, the filler metal penetrates the joints between the parts to be joined by capillary action.
Implementation Method 3
The welding process joining the tabs is preferably a TIG weld, a well-known technique. A high-intensity current passes through a tungsten electrode, forming an electric arc with the parts to be joined. The metal receiving the arc undergoes localized melting. The welding is performed in a neutral gas environment (argon, for example).
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2
AI summary
The chamber has a chamber end wall with an injector unit and extending between annular outer and inner walls (12, 13). A fairing (15) has outer and inner caps (16, 17) with respective tongues (25) projecting into an annular cavity. The outer cap and the annular inner wall are assembled together by welding. The tongues are curved so as to touch each other in pairs one against the other, and welded together at their ends.