Horizontal Engine Support Tool for Cantilever Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engine assembly stands face challenges in supporting engines during horizontal assembly, particularly due to fluid leaks and stress caused by the engine's cantilevered position, which requires additional scaffolding and compensation for weight distribution.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal support tool with a support tube made of nonmetallic composite material, featuring a puck assembly that is selectively extendable and retractable, and a load cell to measure and adjust for weight, allowing for precise alignment and support within a spherical bearing, facilitating the assembly of gas turbine engine modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the engine is mounted horizontally on a build stand, then fluid leaks are reduced and assembly access is improved, but the engine center of gravity is displaced from the vertical support creating stress and force moments
Solution Approach 1:
A horizontal support tool acts as an intermediary element between the vertical support structure and the engine rotor. This support tool transfers the engine weight to the build stand structure, creating a moment counterbalance that offsets the stress and force moments generated by the displaced center of gravity, thereby resolving the contradiction between horizontal mounting benefits and structural stress
Solution Approach 2:
The horizontal support tool functions as a counterbalancing mechanism that provides an opposing moment to counteract the stress and force moments created by the engine's displaced center of gravity in horizontal mounting configuration, allowing the engine to be mounted horizontally without excessive structural stress
2Ease of operation
If a vertical support member with a horizontal shaft is used to mount the engine, then horizontal assembly is enabled, but the engine becomes cantilevered and subjected to stress moments
Solution Approach 1:
The horizontal support tool serves as a mediator that connects the cantilevered engine to the vertical support structure, providing additional stabilization that reduces the instability inherent in cantilevered configurations while preserving the horizontal assembly capability
Solution Approach 2:
The support system is segmented into multiple functional components: the vertical support member provides primary elevation, the horizontal shaft enables rotational support, and the horizontal support tool provides additional stabilization. This segmentation allows each component to address specific aspects of the stability-ease of operation contradiction
3Device complexity
If the engine is mounted vertically on rings, then support is simplified, but fluid leaks occur and scaffold stands are required for technicians
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting orientation is inverted from the conventional vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration using the horizontal support tool. This inversion eliminates fluid leaks by preventing gravitational drainage of fluids from the engine while also eliminating the need for scaffold stands, as the horizontal position provides better access for technicians
Data Source
AI summary
A horizontal support tool for an engine build stand, the horizontal support tool includes a support tube along an axis and a tie shaft between a handle and a puck assembly, the puck assembly including a puck selectively extendable and retractable transverse to the axis in response to rotation of the handle. A method of horizontally assembling a portion of a gas turbine engine including mounting a first module to an engine build stand; installing a horizontal support tool into the first module, the horizontal support tool supported in a spherical bearing supported by the engine build stand; and installing a second module to the first module, the horizontal support tool operable to at least partially support second module.