Flight deck tap off for mixer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flight deck tap offs for aircraft mixers are complex to manufacture, resulting in high waste and inefficiencies due to their design, which includes clamshell halves and welded diverter plates.
Innovation Solution
A tap off design featuring cylindrical portions with integrated diverter plates and tabs that extend into slots for proper positioning, reducing assembly complexity and scrap, utilizing a pair of cylindrical portions with diverter plates to deflect air and prevent icing by extending into the first cylindrical portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the known tap off design with clamshell halves and tube portions is used, then the diverter plates can be welded into position, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and results in high waste
Solution Approach 1:
The tap off is divided into multiple modular components: a body portion, a leg portion, and diverter plates. Each component can be manufactured separately and then assembled together using the tab and slot system, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Tabs and slots serve as intermediary elements that facilitate the connection between the diverter plates and the tap off body/leg portions. These intermediaries enable precise positioning and alignment during assembly without requiring complex welding procedures, thereby reducing both structural complexity and manufacturing waste.
2Ease of operation
If diverter plates are simply welded within the structure, then assembly is straightforward, but manufacturing complexity increases and waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tabs are pre-formed on the diverter plates and the slots are pre-formed on the body and leg portions. This preliminary action allows the components to be self-aligned during assembly, maintaining ease of operation while reducing the need for complex welding and minimizing material waste.
3Strength
If the tap off uses a complex design with multiple welded components, then structural integrity can be achieved, but manufacturing becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The body portion and leg portion are merged into a single integrated component with pre-formed slots. The diverter plates with tabs attach to this integrated structure, reducing the total number of separate components that need to be manufactured and assembled. This merging maintains structural strength while significantly improving manufacturing efficiency by reducing the number of welding operations required.
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 new design simplifies assembly, reduces scrap, and ensures proper alignment during welding, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process with improved performance by minimizing misalignment and material distortion.
Implementation Method 1
A pair of diverter plates have a face for deflecting air from the second inlet port in the inward direction
Data Source
AI summary
A tap off for use in a mixer comprises a pair of cylindrical portions, with a first cylindrical portion extending in a direction that will be inward toward a mixer when the tap off is mounted on a mixer. The first cylindrical portion defines a first port inlet and communicates into a second cylindrical portion. The second cylindrical portion defines a second inlet port and an outlet port for combining air from both the first inlet and the second inlet port. The first and second cylindrical portions are fixed together. A pair of diverter plates have a face for deflecting air from the second inlet port in the inward direction, and further have a leg extending from the face into the first cylindrical portion. Tabs on the face and legs of both diverter plates extend into slots in the second cylindrical portion. The tabs extends into slots in the first cylindrical portion. A mixer, and an ECS pack are also disclosed.