Composite Reinforced Rotor with Conical Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face challenges in integrating composite reinforcement into metallic rotor assemblies to achieve a lightweight and compact rotor system while maintaining structural integrity and withstanding high stresses and extreme conditions.
Innovation Solution
A composite reinforced rotor system is designed with a disk and reinforcing ring structure, utilizing fiber-reinforced materials like carbon fiber reinforced epoxy, where the reinforcing ring fits about arm elements with complementary conical shapes, providing radial restraint and allowing for reduced bore size and weight, and varying material properties along the engine centerline to enhance high-temperature and high-pressure resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If fiber reinforced composite materials are used for the rotor, then weight is reduced and structural capabilities are improved, but difficulty in forming complex shapes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is divided into multiple components: a metallic disk portion and separate composite reinforcing rings. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured using appropriate processes (metalworking for the disk, composite layup for the rings) and then assembled together, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hybrid composite construction by combining metallic disk material with fiber reinforced composite reinforcing rings. This composite materials approach enables weight reduction through the composite portions while maintaining structural integrity and manufacturability through the metallic components.
2Weight of moving object
If composite reinforcement is integrated into metallic rotor assembly, then weight is reduced, but structural integrity under high stresses may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic disk portion and composite reinforcing rings are merged into a single integrated rotor assembly where each material contributes its strengths. The metallic disk provides baseline structural integrity and stress distribution, while the composite rings add reinforcement and weight reduction, achieving both goals simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite reinforcing rings are strategically placed in specific locations on the rotor where weight reduction is most beneficial and where the composite material can effectively handle the local stress conditions. This local quality approach ensures structural integrity is maintained while achieving weight reduction.
3Strength
If reinforcing ring fits tightly about arm element, then radial restraint is improved, but assembly difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing ring is designed with a conical shape that changes its dimensional parameters (diameter) in response to thermal expansion or mechanical forcing during assembly. This parameter change capability allows the ring to be installed over the arm element with complementary conical shape while maintaining tight radial restraint during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A component of a rotor system is provided and includes a disk and a reinforcing ring. The disk includes an airfoil element, a web extending radially inwardly from the airfoil element and an arm element extending axially from the web. The reinforcing ring is formed of fiber reinforced materials and is disposed to fit about the arm element.