Fairing Panel Bracket Layout for Engine Casing Vibration Isolation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional attachments used to couple fairing panels to aircraft engine casings are inefficient and unreliable, leading to structural failure due to vibration transmission and mechanical stress, which can cause damage to the aircraft.

Innovation Solution

The use of a pair of rigid brackets with specific stiffness to couple one side of the fairing panel to the engine casing, combined with a pair of flexible brackets having different stiffnesses to couple the opposite side, allowing for torsion instead of bending and thus mitigating vibration-induced structural failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional attachments are used to couple the fairing panel to the engine casing, then the fairing panel is connected to the engine casing, but the attachments transmit vibrations and mechanical stress from the engine casing to the fairing panel, leading to structural failure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of attachment couplingVSAvoidvibration transmission

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment system is segmented into multiple brackets (at least two brackets) that distribute the coupling function. Each bracket independently couples the fairing panel to the engine casing, dividing the vibration transmission path and reducing the stress concentration on any single attachment point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The brackets are designed with asymmetric stiffness characteristics - having different stiffness values allows them to respond differently to vibration inputs from the engine casing. This asymmetry prevents synchronous vibration excitation and reduces the overall vibration transmission to the fairing panel, preventing structural failure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Adaptability or versatility

If heavy auxiliary equipment such as TCCV is accommodated on the fairing panel, then the fairing panel can carry necessary equipment, but the fairing panel becomes susceptible to vibrations during engine operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapability to accommodate equipmentVSAvoidvibration stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The multiple brackets with different stiffnesses act as counterbalancing elements that offset the harmful vibrations induced by heavy equipment. The varying stiffness creates phase differences in vibration response, effectively canceling out resonant vibrations and stabilizing the fairing panel under equipment load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

3Strength

If the fairing panel undergoes bending due to vibrations, then the attachments experience increased stress, but this leads to structural failure of the attachments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrength of attachmentsVSAvoidmechanical stress on attachments

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The stiffness parameter of each bracket is specifically designed to be different from the others. This parameter variation ensures that the brackets deform in different ways under vibration loads, preventing uniform bending of the fairing panel and reducing the mechanical stress concentration on any single attachment point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This arrangement effectively withstands high vibrations and mechanical stress, preventing structural failure of the attachments and ensuring reliable operation of the aircraft by distributing deformation unevenly and preventing excitation of bending modes.

Implementation Method 1

the fairing panel is susceptible to vibrations during the operation of the engine... Such increase in the vibrations may excite mode shapes of the fairing, typically bending modes

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 2

a pair of flexible brackets comprising a first flexible bracket having a first stiffness and a second flexible bracket having a second stiffness... wherein the first stiffness and the second stiffness are less than the specific stiffness of the pair of rigid brackets

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11485509B2Arrangement for coupling fairing panel to engine casing

Publication Date: 2022.11.01 ROLLS ROYCE DEUT LTD & CO KG

AI summary

Disclosed is an arrangement for coupling a fairing panel to an engine casing. The arrangement includes a pair of rigid brackets having a specific stiffness, wherein the pair of rigid brackets couple a first side of the fairing panel to a first side of the engine casing. The arrangement further includes a pair of flexible brackets comprising a first flexible bracket having a first stiffness and a second flexible bracket having a second stiffness more than the first stiffness. Moreover, the first stiffness and the second stiffness are less than the specific stiffness of the pair of rigid brackets. Furthermore, the pair of flexible brackets couple a second side opposite to the first side of the fairing panel to a second side opposite to the first side of the engine casing.