Composite Guide Vane Insert Design for Gas Turbine
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing guide vanes for gas turbine engines using composite materials are complex, time-consuming, and require expensive tooling, limiting their widespread adoption for weight reduction.
Innovation Solution
A composite guide vane design featuring a body with a composite laminate and an insert made of fibrous composite materials, where the insert is integrated within the laminate and a head or foot is overmolded onto the end portion, facilitating reduced stress and improved durability through mechanical retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If composite materials are used to make guide vanes, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide vane is divided into distinct segments: a composite laminate body and a separate metal insert. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured using optimized processes for its specific requirements, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining weight reduction benefits from the composite materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vane employs composite materials (fiber-reinforced polymers) for the main body to achieve weight reduction, while strategically integrating metal inserts for critical structural functions. This hybrid approach balances weight reduction with manufacturing feasibility and structural integrity.
2Weight of moving object
If composite materials are used to make guide vanes, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal insert is pre-formed and prepared before being integrated into the composite laminate body. This preliminary preparation of the insert allows for more efficient assembly during the final manufacturing stage, reducing total manufacturing time despite the complexity of working with composite materials.
3Weight of moving object
If composite materials are used to make guide vanes, then weight is reduced, but tooling cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the guide vane into a composite laminate body and a metal insert, the design allows for the use of standard, relatively inexpensive tooling for the metal insert while the composite body can be manufactured using flexible layup processes. This reduces the need for expensive specialized tooling compared to manufacturing the entire vane as a single composite piece.
4Strength
If an insert is added to the composite laminate, then structural performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal insert is strategically positioned within the composite laminate at specific locations where enhanced structural performance is most critical. This localized reinforcement approach improves overall strength without requiring the entire guide vane structure to be overly complex or heavy.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vane uses a hybrid composite structure combining metal insert with fiber-reinforced polymer laminate. This combination provides superior structural performance through the synergistic properties of the materials while maintaining a relatively simple overall design that does not excessively increase device complexity.
5Reliability
If an insert is added to the composite laminate, then durability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal insert is pre-formed and prepared in advance before integration with the composite laminate. This preliminary preparation simplifies the final assembly process and ensures proper positioning and bonding, thereby improving durability without significantly increasing overall manufacturing complexity.
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 the durability and structural performance of composite guide vanes by reducing stress from aerodynamic pressure and foreign object impact, while simplifying the manufacturing process and potentially lowering costs.
Implementation Method 1
consolidating the layup into a unified body using heat and pressure
Implementation Method 2
overmolding a head or foot of the composite guide vane onto the end portion of the body
Data Source
AI summary
Composite guide vanes for gas turbine engines are described together with methods of manufacturing such composite guide vanes. A composite guide vane comprises a body having a longitudinal axis and including a composite laminate made of an assembly of layers of a first fibrous composite material. The composite laminate defines a mid portion of the body for interacting with a fluid and an end portion of the body disposed axially of the mid portion of the body. A composite insert is disposed inside the composite laminate and made of a second fibrous composite material. The composite insert extends axially from the end portion of the body to a second location in the mid portion of the body. A head or foot of the composite guide vane envelops the end portion of the body.