Corrugated Gearbox Mount Bushing for Engine Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines experience vibrations that impart undesirable loads to the gearbox, leading to potential damage and inefficiency, as existing mounting systems fail to effectively mitigate these loads.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system incorporating a sleeve with a damping member and a corrugated bushing, where the corrugated bushing is positioned between the damping member and the gearbox end, featuring a bushing sleeve and corrugations that define a bushing outer perimeter, allowing for load sharing and reduced stiffness to absorb vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid mounting system is used to couple the gearbox to the engine, then structural strength and stability are improved, but vibration loads from the engine are directly transferred to the gearbox, causing damage and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible mounting system comprising elastomeric elements and a corrugated bushing that acts as a flexible coupling between the engine and gearbox. The corrugated bushing with its undulating structure provides flexibility to absorb vibrations while maintaining structural integrity, preventing rigid load transfer from the engine to the gearbox.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the stiffness parameter of the mounting system by using elastomeric materials with specific durometer ratings and designing the corrugated bushing with controlled wall thickness and corrugation geometry. This allows the mounting system to be soft enough to absorb vibrations yet rigid enough to support the gearbox structure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a soft damping material is used to reduce vibrations, then vibration absorption is improved, but the structural support and load-bearing capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite mounting system combining elastomeric damping material with a corrugated bushing structure. The elastomeric portion provides vibration absorption while the corrugated bushing with its rigid undulating walls provides structural support, creating a composite system that achieves both damping and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system is segmented into distinct functional zones: an elastomeric damping portion for vibration absorption and a corrugated bushing portion for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
3Ease of manufacture
If a solid non-corrugated bushing is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ability to absorb vibrations and distribute loads is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces corrugations (curved undulations) into the bushing structure, transforming it from a simple cylindrical form to a corrugated geometry. These curved structures act as vibration absorbers and load distributors while still allowing for relatively simple manufacturing through processes like extrusion or molding of the corrugated profile.
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 system effectively reduces the load transferred to the gearbox during engine vibrations, enhancing damping capabilities and extending the life of the damping member by distributing loads, thereby minimizing compression and improving overall system performance.
Implementation Method 1
The corrugated bushing defines a plurality of undulations that extend tangentially about a bushing outer perimeter of the corrugated bushing
Implementation Method 2
a damping member coupled about the outer perimeter of the sleeve at the first sleeve end
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
AI summary
A mounting system (100) for coupling a gearbox (12) to an engine (10) includes a sleeve (140) having a first sleeve end (144) opposite a second sleeve end (146), an outer perimeter and a sleeve bore (148) defined through the sleeve from the first sleeve end to the second sleeve end. The mounting system includes a damping member (142) coupled about the outer perimeter of the sleeve at the first sleeve end. The mounting system includes a corrugated bushing (106) coupled about the outer perimeter of the sleeve between the damping member and the second sleeve end.