Aircraft Engine Canting for Debris Avoidance

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aircraft propulsion systems with open rotor configurations face safety risks due to cross-engine debris impact from a failed fan blade, which can lead to additional engine failures, and traditional shielding solutions increase weight and drag, affecting fuel efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A multi-engine propulsion system design where each engine is axially spaced and/or splayed relative to the others, ensuring that the plane of rotation of each fan rotor does not intersect with any other engine, thereby directing cross-engine debris away from other engines, reducing the risk of impact and associated damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a cowling or shielding device is installed to prevent cross-engine debris impact, then engine reliability is improved, but aircraft weight and drag increase, worsening fuel efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine reliabilityVSAvoidaircraft weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the need for protective cowling by redesigning the engine installation geometry. By spacing engines apart and canting their rotation planes, the system removes the harmful debris projection path entirely, making protective shielding unnecessary and thus eliminating the associated weight penalty.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces angular canting of the engine rotation planes relative to each other, creating a three-dimensional spatial separation that prevents debris from one engine from reaching the other. This dimensional approach (rotating planes at different angles) replaces the traditional two-dimensional protective barrier approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If a cowling or shielding device is installed to prevent cross-engine debris impact, then engine reliability is improved, but aircraft drag increases, worsening fuel efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengine reliabilityVSAvoidaircraft drag

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the need for protective cowling by redesigning the engine installation geometry. By spacing engines apart and canting their rotation planes, the system removes the harmful debris projection path entirely, making protective shielding unnecessary and thus eliminating the associated drag penalty.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of energy

If engines are spaced apart and canted to prevent cross-engine debris impact, then fuel efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidpropulsion system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by canting the engine rotation planes at different angles relative to the aircraft fuselage. This asymmetric angular arrangement creates non-intersecting debris paths while maintaining symmetric performance characteristics. The asymmetric geometry is simple to implement but effectively solves the debris projection problem.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces angular canting of the engine rotation planes relative to each other, creating a three-dimensional spatial separation that prevents debris from one engine from reaching the other. This dimensional approach (rotating planes at different angles) replaces the traditional two-dimensional protective barrier approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10442541B2Method and system for cross engine debris avoidance

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

A propulsion system for an aircraft includes at least two propulsion engines. Each propulsion engine rotates about a longitudinal rotational axis, and a propulsive fan associated with each propulsion engine rotates in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal rotational axis. Each plane is at least one of spaced axially along a fuselage of the aircraft and canted such that each plane does not intersect any other plane associated with another propulsion engine and propulsive fan.