Flexible Printed Circuit Harness for Gas Turbine Engine Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical harnesses in gas turbine engines are bulky, heavy, and difficult to manipulate due to their complex assembly of insulated wires and cables, making them inefficient for use in weight-sensitive applications like aircraft.
Innovation Solution
The use of flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) harnesses with conductive tracks, which can be deformed and connected robustly to each other using a method involving terminating regions with receiving holes and pins, encapsulated in a continuous insulating body for a reliable and lightweight connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electrical harnesses are used, then electrical connections can be established, but the harness becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional bulky wire harnesses with flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) that use thin flexible substrates with conductive tracks. This allows the electrical connections to maintain reliability while dramatically reducing the weight and bulk of the harness assembly, directly addressing the contradiction between connection reliability and harness weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental structure and material parameters of the electrical harness from traditional insulated wires to thin-film FPCB technology. This parameter change enables the harness to achieve the same electrical connection function with significantly reduced weight while maintaining reliability through the encapsulated connection formation.
2Reliability
If conventional electrical harnesses are used, then electrical connections can be established, but the harness becomes difficult to manipulate
Solution Approach 1:
The FPCB technology provides inherently flexible and manipulative electrical connections compared to rigid wire harnesses. The flexible substrate allows the harness to be easily routed and positioned while the encapsulated connection formation ensures reliable electrical connections, resolving the contradiction between connection reliability and ease of manipulation.
3Weight of stationary object
If FPCB harnesses are used to reduce weight, then harness weight decreases, but robust connection method is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection formation with the FPCB structure itself, where conductive tracks on the FPCB extend into receiving holes and make direct contact with pins. This integration creates robust electrical connections while maintaining the lightweight FPCB design, resolving the contradiction between reduced weight and connection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a simple pin insertion method into receiving holes without requiring complex fastening mechanisms. The pins are held in place by the encapsulating body, providing reliable connections through a simple, lightweight structure that maintains connection integrity without adding excessive weight.
4Ease of manufacture
If connection formation is exposed, then assembly is simple, but protection from harsh environment is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulating body acts as a protective shell that completely surrounds the connection formation, protecting pins and conductive tracks from harsh environmental conditions such as moisture, dust, and chemical exposure. This encapsulation maintains assembly simplicity while providing comprehensive environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection formation is nested within the encapsulating body, with pins inserted into receiving holes and surrounded by the protective encapsulation. This nested structure provides environmental protection while maintaining a compact, simple assembly that does not require complex protective mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical connection between two electrical harnesses is provided. The electrical harnesses comprise flexible printed circuits with embedded conductive tracks, each of which terminates in a receiving hole in a respective terminating region The terminating regions are connected together using conductive pins. The connection formation is then encapsulated by an encapsulating body formed of an insulating. The encapsulating body seals and protects the electrical connection, which is thus reliable and robust.