Fan Casing Surface Cooler Mounting Bracket for Thermal Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft engines face thermal constraints due to limited space for heat exchangers, which are also subject to high temperatures causing thermal expansion, and require a mounting system that allows for thermal growth while maintaining stability and ease of assembly.
Innovation Solution
A compact mounting system for surface coolers using a mounting bracket with wear and vibration attenuators that compressively retains hooks from the surface cooler, allowing for dynamic stability and thermal flexibility, reducing the need for welding and optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat exchangers are mounted to the engine to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but available space is reduced due to thermal expansion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is designed with asymmetric geometry where one side is fixed to the engine and the other side is free to move axially, allowing the heat exchanger to expand and contract dynamically with temperature changes while maintaining stable mounting
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket's asymmetric design creates different stiffness characteristics in different directions, being rigid in the radial direction to prevent vibration but flexible in the axial direction to accommodate thermal expansion, effectively changing the mechanical parameters based on direction
2Stability of the object's composition
If heat exchangers are firmly fixed to prevent vibration, then stability is improved, but thermal expansion is constrained causing high cycle fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system provides different qualities at different locations: the fixed side attached to the engine provides rigid stability to prevent vibration, while the free side provides flexibility to accommodate thermal expansion, creating local quality differences in stiffness and constraint
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex mounting systems are used to accommodate thermal expansion, then thermal flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural support, vibration attenuation through integrated dampers, and thermal expansion accommodation through its asymmetric design, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms for each function
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
The solution provides a stable and compact mounting system that accommodates thermal expansion, simplifies assembly, and reduces the axial and radial footprint, enabling efficient heat dissipation in space-constrained aircraft engine environments.
Implementation Method 1
the heat exchangers are subject to relatively high temperatures that cause them to expand thermally, especially laterally or tangentially
Implementation Method 2
A compact mounting system for surface coolers using a mounting bracket with wear and vibration attenuators that compressively retains hooks from the surface cooler, allowing for dynamic stability and thermal flexibility
Data Source
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AI summary
A fan casing assembly for a turbine engine including a fan casing having a peripheral wall (54), a surface cooler (50) having a first surface (66) confronting the peripheral wall (54) and forward and aft projections, which are radially spaced from the first surface (66) and located between the peripheral wall (54) and the first surface (66), and a mounting bracket (90) to mount the surface cooler (50) to the fan casing and a method of mounting a surface cooler (50) to a fan casing of a turbine engine.