Elastically Deformable Fan Rotor Spacer for Gas Turbine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fan blade spacers in gas turbine engines are often made of heavy metals or non-durable plastics, which can break during use, requiring frequent replacement and failing to effectively reduce clearance and slippage between the fan blade root and rotor disk slot under centrifugal loading.
Innovation Solution
The use of elastically deformable materials, such as rigid elastic, compliant, or viscoelastic composite materials, for the spacers, along with a metallic conduit for safe removal, to minimize clearance and enhance durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional heavy metal or non-durable plastic spacers are used, then the spacer can be manufactured, but the spacer breaks during use requiring frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the spacer from traditional heavy metal or non-durable plastic to elastically deformable materials such as rigid elastic materials, compliant materials, elastomeric materials, viscoelastic composite materials, or plastically crushable materials. This parameter change enables the spacer to deform under centrifugal loading and then recover, preventing breakage and extending service life while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials, specifically viscoelastic composite materials, which combine the advantages of different materials to achieve both durability and elastic deformability. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by creating a spacer that is both strong enough to withstand operational loads and flexible enough to avoid catastrophic failure.
2Manufacturing precision
If rigid spacers are used to minimize clearance, then clearance reduction is achieved, but the spacer cannot accommodate centrifugal loading without breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the spacer from a static rigid component to a dynamic elastically deformable component. The spacer is designed to deform under centrifugal loading forces and then recover its original shape, allowing it to maintain minimal clearance during normal operation while accommodating dynamic loads without breaking. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between clearance minimization and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the spacer material to include elastic deformability, allowing the spacer to dynamically adjust its shape in response to operational loads while maintaining precise clearance control during normal operation.
3Ease of operation
If non-durable plastic spacers with retrieval features are used, then the spacers can be removed, but the retrieval features break during use requiring new spacers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the spacer to elastically deformable materials that are inherently more durable than traditional non-durable plastics. This material parameter change allows the spacer body itself to serve as the retrieval mechanism through its elastic deformation capabilities, eliminating the need for separate brittle retrieval features that are prone to breaking during removal operations.
4Strength
If heavy metal spacers are used, then structural strength is provided, but weight increases affecting engine performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials and elastically deformable materials that provide high strength-to-weight ratios, maintaining the necessary structural strength for spacer functionality while significantly reducing the overall weight compared to traditional heavy metal spacers. This resolves the contradiction between strength and weight by using materials that offer both properties in optimal balance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters to include elastically deformable materials with optimized strength and density characteristics, allowing the spacer to maintain sufficient structural strength for its function while minimizing weight to improve engine performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
A fan blade spacer (62) includes a conduit (82) disposed within a body (78) composed of an elastically deformable material. The conduit (82) may be threaded on its inner and outer surfaces (84, 86).