Dual-Screen Engine Inlet Guard for Ice Shedding and FOD Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft engine inlet guard screens are inadequate in preventing foreign object debris and ice accumulation, which can cause damage to engine components.
Innovation Solution
A dual-screen inlet guard system with actuators that move screens relative to each other in radial, axial, and circumferential directions to shed ice and debris, maintaining airflow efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single screen inlet guard is used, then the structure is simple, but it accumulates ice and cannot effectively prevent foreign object debris
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet guard is divided into two separate screens (first screen and second screen) positioned at different radial locations. This segmentation allows each screen to perform specific functions: the first screen prevents foreign object debris while the second screen prevents ice accumulation, thereby improving reliability without requiring a single complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a radial dimension by positioning screens at different radial distances from the engine centerline. The first screen is located at a first radial position and the second screen at a second radial position, creating a multi-dimensional防护 system that addresses both FOD and ice prevention simultaneously
2Productivity
If ice accumulates on the inlet guard, then protection against foreign objects is maintained, but airflow efficiency decreases and engine damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet guard screens are designed to be movable rather than fixed. The actuator system enables dynamic adjustment of screen positions and orientations, allowing the system to adapt to icing conditions by moving screens to shed ice or adjust angles to prevent ice accumulation, thereby maintaining airflow efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates self-cleaning capability through the actuator-driven movement of screens. When ice accumulates, the actuator moves the screens relative to each other, causing ice to be shed from the screen surfaces, enabling the inlet guard to maintain its protective function without external intervention
3Reliability
If the inlet guard is made more effective at preventing debris, then more screens are needed, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Each screen is designed to perform multiple functions: preventing foreign object debris, preventing ice accumulation, and enabling self-cleaning through relative movement. This multi-functionality allows two screens to provide comprehensive protection without requiring additional components, maintaining device simplicity while improving reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A system for an aircraft includes an aircraft engine having a central axis with a flowpath projecting into the aircraft engine from an airflow inlet. An inlet plenum at the airflow inlet extends between a front wall and a rear wall along the central axis. An inlet guard is arranged at the airflow inlet and extends across the flowpath. The inlet guard includes a first screen extending circumferentially about the central axis and axially from the front wall to the rear wall, and a second screen radially outward of the first screen and axially overlapping the first screen. An actuator is operable to move the first screen and the second screen relative to one another in one or more of a radial, axial and circumferential direction to shed ice from the inlet guard.