Gas Turbine Fan Disk Concave Indentation Water Drainage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, water can ingress into the nose cone and fan disk cavities through gaps between the nose cone and fan disk, leading to potential freezing and imbalances during shutdown, which can jeopardize the starting process.
Innovation Solution
A concave indentation is formed on the fan disk's periphery to direct ingressing water downward and prevent it from entering the nose cone or fan disk cavities, combined with a radially outer contact surface that ensures watertightness and additional mechanical support for the nose cone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the nose cone is connected to the fan disk with a gap, then the nose cone can be easily assembled and disassembled, but water can ingress into the gap and cause freezing and imbalances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a drainage groove as an intermediary structure between the nose cone and fan disk. This groove acts as a mediator that allows water to be collected and drained away from the assembly interface, preventing water ingress into critical areas while maintaining the gap necessary for assembly. The groove serves as a buffer zone that manages the water drainage function without requiring direct contact between the nose cone and fan disk.
2Reliability
If the nose cone is tightly fitted to the fan disk, then water ingress is prevented, but assembly and disassembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interface between the nose cone and fan disk into multiple functional zones: a gap region for assembly clearance, a drainage groove for water management, and a contact region for structural support. This segmentation allows each zone to fulfill its specific function - the gap enables easy assembly, the groove prevents water ingress, and the contact region provides mechanical strength - without compromising the overall design.
3Productivity
If water drains freely through the gap, then water removal is effective, but water may still enter cavities of the fan disk and nose cone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a drainage groove with specific geometric characteristics at the critical interface region. The groove is designed with a bottom surface that promotes water flow away from the assembly, and its position and shape are optimized to intercept water before it can enter the cavities of the fan disk or nose cone. This localized structural modification addresses the water drainage issue precisely where it occurs without affecting the overall assembly design.
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 design effectively prevents water ingress and ice formation, ensuring reliable engine starting by directing water away from critical areas and providing enhanced structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
water which ingresses into a gap between the axially rear edge of the nose cone and the fan disk passes into the concave indentation. By means of the concave indentation, it is achieved that ingressing water can be discharged downward therein
Data Source
AI summary
A fan of a gas turbine engine, which has a fan disk with a multiplicity of fastening elements which are spaced apart in a circumferential direction and which project axially forwardly from the fan disk, and a nose cone which is arranged upstream of the fan disk and which is connected by means of the fastening elements to the fan disk. On an axially front side of the fan disk, there is formed a periphery which runs in encircling fashion in the circumferential direction and which runs radially at the inside in relation to the axially rear end region of the nose cone, wherein the periphery which runs in encircling fashion in the circumferential direction forms a concave indentation, in such a way that water which ingresses into a gap between the axially rear edge of the nose cone and the fan disk passes into the concave indentation.