Aircraft Engine Forward Attachment System Direct Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing forward engine attachment systems for aircraft engines are complex and time-consuming to manufacture, requiring solid beams and threaded fastening elements that increase weight and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A forward engine attachment system with a direct coupling between the jet engine pylon and the engine, utilizing a connecting rod system with clevis link points and a swivel link, eliminating the need for beams and incorporating standby safety fixing points for enhanced reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If solid beams obtained by machining a forged component are used in the forward engine attachment, then the structural integrity and strength are ensured, but the manufacturing process becomes long and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate components: the pylon structure, the engine structure, and connecting rods that articulate between them. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex forged beams while maintaining strength through distributed load paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting rod directly serves dual functions: it acts as both a structural load-bearing element and a linkage component. By merging the beam function with the connecting rod, the design eliminates separate beam components and reduces manufacturing complexity.
2Strength
If solid beams and threaded fastening elements are used in the forward engine attachment, then the structural strength is ensured, but the assembly weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Threaded fastening elements and beam structures are extracted from the design. Instead, the patent uses articulating connecting rods with pin joints that achieve structural strength without the weight penalty of traditional beam-and-bolt assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using rigid beams with fasteners, the invention inverts the approach by using flexible articulating linkages that achieve structural integrity through geometry and kinematics rather than through bolted connections.
3Reliability
If traditional beam-based forward engine attachment is used, then the engine loads are withstood under normal operating conditions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod serves multiple functions simultaneously: it transmits loads, provides articulation for movement, and acts as a structural member. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall system.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system transitions from static rigid beams to dynamic articulating linkages. The connecting rods can rotate and adapt their orientation, providing both structural support and flexibility to accommodate engine movements and vibrations.
Data Source
AI summary
A forward engine attachment system for an engine of an aircraft, the forward engine attachment system including a jet engine pylon including, in the region of the forward part thereof, a front part having an attachment wall, and a forward engine attachment with a connecting rod system on either side of a median plane, wherein each connecting rod system is fixed in articulated manner by at least one first link point to the attachment wall and is designed to be fixed in an articulated manner by at least one second link point to a forward part of the engine. Such a forward engine attachment system thus includes a direct coupling between the jet engine pylon and the engine, allowing the production of an assembly that is less heavy and is easier to produce.