Composite Turbine Engine Air Intake and Fan Casing Joining

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Solution Overview

Problem

The use of resin/fiber composites for aircraft turbine engine components, such as the air intake and fan casing, is hindered by delamination issues at the 90° elbow where peripheral flanges meet, leading to a substantial drop in mechanical strength and potential breakage.

Innovation Solution

The components are made entirely of resin/fiber composite without projecting flanges, with fasteners angled at least 60° to the longitudinal axis, allowing for direct or spacer-assisted contact and using bolts with captive nuts or plastically deformable members to absorb impact energy, eliminating the need for connecting flanges and reducing delamination risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If resin/fiber composites are used for air intake and fan casing components, then weight reduction and manufacturing flexibility are improved, but delamination occurs at the 90° elbow where peripheral flanges meet, causing substantial drop in mechanical strength

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent weightVSAvoidmechanical strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the problematic peripheral flanges from the composite structure entirely. By eliminating the flange projection at the 90° elbow, the design extracts the source of delamination while maintaining joining capability through alternative means (fasteners with axes at 60° or more to the longitudinal axis), thus preserving strength while keeping weight benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes resin/fiber composite materials for the air intake and fan casing components, leveraging their high strength-to-weight ratio and manufacturing flexibility. The composite structure is designed to accommodate fasteners with specific orientation angles, optimizing both weight reduction and structural integrity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If peripheral flanges are added to enable joining of composite components, then ease of assembly is improved, but delamination risk at the 90° elbow increases, reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidcomponent reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of adding flanges to enable joining, the invention inverts the approach by removing flanges entirely and using fasteners with axes oriented at 60° or more to the longitudinal axis. This inverted design achieves both assembly ease and reliability by avoiding the delamination-prone 90° elbow geometry

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the fastener orientation parameter from the conventional parallel-to-axis configuration to an angled configuration (60° or more to the longitudinal axis). This parameter change allows effective joining of composite components without requiring peripheral flanges, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving manufacturing ease

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8142144B2Turbine engine for aircraft

Publication Date: 2012.03.27 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)

AI summary

Disclosed is an aircraft turbine engine. The turbine engine includes an air intake having a tubular internal wall and a fan enclosed by a tubular fan casing, and the rear end of the said air intake internal wall and the front end of the fan casing are joined together by at least one fastener. The air intake internal wall, the fan casing, or both, are comprised of a resin/fiber composite. The rear end of the air intake internal wall and the front end of the fan casing are uniform, and have no projections that join the internal wall and casing together.