Engine Mount Connection Assembly for Aft Inclination and Tool Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current connection assemblies for mounting engines, such as gas turbine engines, face a physical limitation in aft inclination angle due to access issues, which restricts the ability to achieve the preferred range for minimizing backbone bending and clearance distortion.
Innovation Solution
A connection assembly that includes an engine coupling piece and a connection piece inclined toward the axial direction, allowing for a wider range of aft inclination angles while maintaining accessibility for tool operation, comprising a link with a curved beam and lugs that extend upwardly, enabling flexible mounting configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the connection assembly uses a conventional structure, then the manufacturing and installation are straightforward, but the aft inclination angle is limited to below a certain degree due to access issues
Solution Approach 1:
The connection assembly introduces a degree of freedom in the lateral direction by allowing the connection piece to pivot or adjust in addition to the vertical inclination. This dimensional change enables the connection assembly to achieve greater aft inclination angles while maintaining adequate tool access space, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The connection assembly incorporates movable or adjustable components that allow the inclination angle to be dynamically changed during installation or maintenance. This dynamic capability enables optimization of both the aft inclination angle for performance and the access angle for tool operation, resolving the static limitation of conventional fixed-structure connections
2Reliability
If the aft inclination angle is increased beyond conventional limits, then backbone bending and clearance distortion are minimized, but tool access for operation becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The connection assembly is divided into multiple segments or components, including a connection piece with distinct articulation points. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the inclination angle for reliability optimization while maintaining separate access pathways for tool operation, resolving the contradiction between backbone bending reduction and tool accessibility
3Adaptability or versatility
If a new connection assembly design is developed to increase aft inclination angle, then engine mounting performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection piece is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides the primary structural connection, enables inclination angle adjustment for performance optimization, and maintains access pathways for tool operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving greater inclination angle adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A connection assembly for mounting an engine to a mounting structure. The engine is rotatable about an axis of rotation and defines an axial direction extending along the axis of rotation from a forward end to an aft end. The engine has a center of gravity. The connection assembly includes: an engine coupling piece coupled to the engine; and a connection piece connecting the engine coupling piece and the mounting structure, the connection piece being inclined toward the axial direction. A mounting system including the connection assembly is also described.