Gas Turbine Fan Platform Foam Insert Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan platforms for gas turbine engines are heavy and labor-intensive to manufacture due to the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer inserts, which are required to strengthen the structure and prevent resin seepage, but these inserts are not optimal in terms of weight and ease of formation.
Innovation Solution
A fan platform design incorporating components with enclosed voids filled with inserts made of materials with a Young's modulus less than 125 thousand pounds per square inch, formed using a resin injection method with fabric wrapping to attach the components and prevent resin infiltration, reducing weight and manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If carbon fiber reinforced polymer inserts are used to strengthen the fan platform and prevent resin seepage, then the structural strength and reliability are improved, but the weight and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter (Young's modulus) from high-stiffness carbon fiber reinforced polymer to low-stiffness foam material with specific elastic properties. The foam insert (0.05-0.25 inches thick) provides sufficient structural support and resin prevention while being significantly lighter than carbon fiber inserts, directly resolving the weight-strength contradiction
Solution Approach 2:
The fan platform uses a composite structure combining metal components (first and second components) with foam insert material. This composite approach allows the metal components to provide primary structural strength while the foam insert provides lightweight reinforcement and resin seepage prevention, achieving both strength and weight reduction
2Strength
If carbon fiber reinforced polymer inserts are used to strengthen the fan platform, then the structural integrity is improved, but the manufacturing labor intensity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foam insert is designed as a simple, easily manufactured component that can be produced through straightforward foam formation processes. Unlike complex carbon fiber inserts requiring specialized molding and assembly, the foam insert can be formed in-place or as a simple separate piece, significantly reducing manufacturing labor and complexity while maintaining its function of preventing resin seepage and providing structural support
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material from difficult-to-manufacture carbon fiber reinforced polymer to easy-to-form foam material. The foam insert's simple material properties allow for easier manufacturing processes including direct injection, foam formation, or simple insertion, eliminating the labor-intensive steps required for carbon fiber insert fabrication and installation
3Reliability
If discrete platforms are designed to accommodate centrifugal and impact loads, then the reliability under operational loads is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The foam insert combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural reinforcement to withstand centrifugal loads, absorbs impact energy from bird strikes, and prevents resin seepage into voids. This merging of functions into one simple foam component reduces the overall device complexity compared to using separate carbon fiber inserts and additional structural elements
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of metal components with foam material creates a composite structure where the foam provides lightweight reinforcement and energy absorption capabilities. This composite approach achieves the required reliability for centrifugal and impact loads while maintaining a simpler, more integrated structure than traditional discrete platform designs
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine including a fan platform positioned between adjacent fan blades of a fan of the gas turbine engine is provided. The fan platform defines an outer surface that at least partially defines an inner flowpath boundary of the fan. Additionally, the fan platform includes at least two components attached to one another. At least one of the components of the fan platform defines an enclosed void. An insert is positioned within the enclosed void formed of a material defining a relatively low Young's modulus. The insert may prevent resin from filling the enclosed void during assembly/manufacture of the fan platform, while also reducing a weight of the fan platform and an amount of stress on the fan platform.