Aircraft Engine Stand With Rotatable Mount and Modular Adaptors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for assembling and maintaining aircraft engines are satisfactory but seek improvements for enhanced efficiency and versatility in supporting various engine configurations.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft engine stand with a rotatable mount and interchangeable adaptors that allow for secure mounting of different engine types, providing easy access and adaptability through multiple axes of rotation and a coupler system for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed, single-purpose engine stand is used, then the structure is simple and stable, but it cannot accommodate multiple engine configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The engine stand is designed with a universal mount that can accommodate multiple engine configurations through interchangeable adaptors. The mount includes a plurality of apertures distributed around a central axis, allowing different adaptor arrangements to secure various engine types (e.g., turbofan, turboprop, turbojet) to the same stand structure, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated stands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into modular components: a fixed support structure, a rotatable mount, and interchangeable adaptors. Each adaptor is designed to mate with specific engine types and can be independently attached or removed from the mount, allowing flexible reconfiguration without modifying the main stand structure.
2Ease of operation
If the engine is fixed in a single position, then the mounting is stable, but access for maintenance operations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mount is designed to be rotatable relative to the support about a transverse axis, allowing the engine to be positioned at different orientations during maintenance operations. This dynamic positioning capability provides improved access to various engine components while the mount includes locking mechanisms to ensure stability when positioned.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple dedicated stands are used for different engine types, then each stand is optimized for its specific engine, but the overall system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single engine stand with universal mount and interchangeable adaptors replaces multiple dedicated stands. The mount can accommodate turbofan engines with large diameters, turboprop engines with different mounting patterns, and turbojet engines with varying configurations by simply changing the adaptors, eliminating the need to maintain separate stands for each engine type.
Solution Approach 2:
Adaptors can be quickly removed and replaced depending on the engine type being serviced. This allows the same physical stand to be reused for different engine configurations, reducing the total number of stands needed in the facility and lowering overall system cost.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft engine stand (100) for supporting an aircraft engine (10) has a support (110); a mount (120) rotatably mounted to the support (110), the mount (120) extending around a central axis (A1) from a first end (121) to a second end (122), the mount (120) surrounding an engine-receiving space (123) having an opening (124) between the first end (121) and the second end (122), the opening (124) sized for allowing the aircraft engine (10) to be positioned into and removed from the engine-receiving space (123), the mount (120) rotatable relative to the support (110) about the central axis (A1) and about a transverse axis (T1) intersecting the central axis (A1); and an adaptor (130A-C) extending radially inwardly into the engine-receiving space (123) relative to the central axis (A1) from a mounting interface (131) removably secured to the mount (120) to an engine interface (132) removably securable to the aircraft engine (10).