Aircraft Engine Mount with Coat Hanger Shackle and Failsafe Securement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft engine mounts require fail-safe mechanisms to ensure safe operation in case of failure, while also being readily accessible for efficient installation, removal, and servicing, and must accommodate load distribution and thermal expansion without introducing internal stresses.
Innovation Solution
The engine mounting system includes a forward shackle assembly with a coat hanger bracket, center and spherical bearings, and a double wrench washer tool, along with an aft mount that reacts vertical, lateral, and rear loads, providing fail-safe features and statically determinant load paths under all conditions, including component failures, and accommodates installation tolerances and thermal expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fail-safe mechanisms are incorporated into engine mounts, then safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine mount system is divided into multiple independent securement points (primary and secondary) that can function independently. Each mounting point has its own bearing and fastening mechanism, allowing the system to maintain functionality even if one segment fails, thus improving reliability without requiring a completely complex integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates secondary securement points and fail-safe mechanisms in advance before any failure occurs. These backup elements are pre-positioned and ready to engage automatically upon failure of primary mounting points, providing beforehand protection against potential failures while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If multiple securement points are used to ensure fail-safe operation, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system uses modular segmented components including individual bearings, pins, and fasteners that can be independently installed or removed. This segmentation allows maintenance personnel to access and service specific mounting points without having to disassemble the entire engine mount system, improving ease of operation while maintaining multiple securement points for reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing assemblies are designed to be extractable from the mount structure, allowing quick removal and replacement during maintenance. This extraction capability enables efficient servicing of individual securement points without affecting other parts of the mounting system, thus improving ease of operation while preserving the fail-safe multi-point securement architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the mount system accommodates thermal expansion and installation tolerances, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing selections and mounting clearances are specifically chosen to accommodate thermal expansion parameters. By selecting appropriate bearing types with suitable clearance ranges and specifying tolerance ranges for mounting hole dimensions, the system naturally accommodates thermal growth and installation variations without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates slightly excessive clearance in the bearing fits and mounting tolerances to ensure that thermal expansion and installation variations are always accommodated. This partial excess in dimensional tolerances provides a buffer that absorbs thermal growth and tolerance stack-up without requiring the structure to be precisely controlled, thereby maintaining simplicity while improving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An engine mount system having failsafe securement points. The engine mount system includes a forward mount carrying a coat hanger shackle having a spherical bearing and a cylindrical bearing. Securement of the engine mount to a support utilizes pins and bolts with a retaining double wrench washer incorporated into the final mounting structure. The engine mount system additionally includes an aft mount.