Cooling Tube Retaining Assembly for Minimal Turbine Housing Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current turbomachine cooling systems face challenges in maintaining a minimal air gap between cooling tubes and the crankcase while avoiding contact, especially due to operational expansion and tolerance accumulation, which affects cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A holding device with a fixing support and a connecting assembly that includes an elastic return element, allowing for secure attachment of cooling tubes without requiring adjustments, ensuring a minimal clearance and accommodating differential expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling tubes are positioned closer to the housing to minimize air gap and maximize cooling efficiency, then cooling performance is improved, but the risk of contact and damage between parts increases due to tolerance accumulation and operational expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic mounting bracket system that can adapt its position relative to the housing. The bracket includes adjustable elements and compliance features that allow it to move slightly to accommodate thermal expansion and tolerance variations, maintaining optimal cooling tube positioning without causing contact damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameters such as adjustable bracket positioning, variable clearance distances, and adaptable fastening forces to optimize the balance between cooling efficiency and contact prevention. By changing these parameters within certain ranges, the system achieves both minimal air gap and reliable operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple intermediate parts are used to hold cooling tubes, then positioning flexibility and tolerance absorption are improved, but device complexity and tolerance accumulation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple intermediate holding parts into a single integrated mounting bracket assembly. This unified structure incorporates positioning features, spacing elements, and fastening mechanisms in one component, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining precise cooling tube positioning and absorbing tolerances through integrated design features.
3Reliability
If cooling tubes are kept away from the housing to avoid contact, then reliability is improved, but cooling efficiency decreases due to larger air gap
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities that allow the cooling tubes to be positioned as close to the housing as possible during optimal conditions, while automatically creating appropriate clearance when expansion or tolerance variations occur, thus maintaining both efficiency and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different clearance requirements locally - minimal clearance in areas where cooling efficiency is critical and slightly larger clearance in areas where contact risk is higher. The mounting bracket can be positioned or adjusted to provide locally optimized spacing throughout the housing perimeter.
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
The solution simplifies the mounting process, maintains a minimal air gap, and enhances cooling efficiency by allowing for precise positioning of cooling tubes relative to the crankcase without the need for adjustments, reducing the risk of contact and improving the overall cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
a connecting assembly (140) between said retaining element and said mounting bracket, which connects said retaining element to said mounting bracket in a compressed state
Data Source
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AI summary
A retaining device (101) for at least one cooling tube (120) of a turbomachine housing (10) cooling system (100), the retaining device comprising a mounting bracket (104), a retaining element (160) configured to retain two cooling tubes (120), and a connecting assembly (140) between the retaining element (160) and a mounting bracket (104), extending on either side of the bracket, the connecting assembly (160) comprising a connecting piece (150) extending through an opening (108) in the mounting bracket from an external portion (141) to the internal portion (142) of the connecting assembly, the internal portion (142) being disposed between two cooling tubes (120) and integral with the retaining element (160), while the external portion (141) comprises a stressed elastic return element (170). in compression towards the fixing support by the connecting piece (150).