Friction-Fit Seal Assembly for Gas Turbine Wall Pass-Throughs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seal assemblies for wall-conduit pass-throughs in aircraft gas turbine engines often misalign, leading to fluid and heat leakage, and introduce complexities with mechanical fasteners, which can result in foreign object debris damage and compromise fire or thermal protection.
Innovation Solution
A seal assembly featuring a retaining portion and a locking portion with a sloped interface, secured via a friction fit, that surrounds a member extended through a wall assembly, eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners and ensuring near-zero-gap fire seal alignment, thereby preventing fluid and heat transfer between zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional seal assemblies with mechanical fasteners are used, then the seal assembly can be assembled together, but misalignment occurs leading to material losses and increased opening between wall and seal assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical fasteners (screws, bolts, clips) with a friction-fit mechanical interface between the locking portion and wall assembly, and between the retaining portion and member. This substitution eliminates the alignment issues and material losses associated with traditional mechanical fastening systems while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a resilient member as an intermediary element between the retaining portion and the wall assembly. This resilient member absorbs misalignment errors and ensures consistent contact between the seal assembly and wall, preventing fluid leakage and maintaining fire protection reliability.
2Ease of operation
If mechanical fasteners are used in seal assemblies, then the components can be secured, but complexities in design and assembly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates mechanical fasteners (screws, bolts, nuts, washers, clips) from the seal assembly design. By removing these complex fastening components, the patent simplifies both the design and assembly processes while reducing the risk of foreign object debris damage from loose fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of multiple separate components (fasteners, seals, retainers) into an integrated seal assembly where the locking portion, retaining portion, and seal work together as a unified friction-fit system. This merging reduces assembly steps and eliminates the need for separate fastening operations.
3Reliability
If mechanical fasteners are used, then components can be attached, but risk of foreign object debris damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fastening systems with a friction-fit interface that eliminates loose fasteners. By substituting screws, bolts, and clips with a direct friction-based mechanical connection between the locking portion and wall assembly, the patent removes the source of foreign object debris while maintaining secure attachment and firewall integrity.
4Reliability
If seal assemblies are designed with traditional fastening methods, then components can be joined, but fluid and heat leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a resilient member as an intermediary that compensates for misalignment and ensures consistent contact between the seal assembly and wall. This intermediary element prevents gaps that would otherwise allow fluid and heat leakage, thereby maintaining fire protection effectiveness while reducing thermal energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible seal element that conforms to the wall assembly surface and maintains sealing contact. This flexible sealing mechanism adapts to minor surface irregularities and misalignments, preventing fluid leakage and heat transfer while preserving the integrity of the fire barrier.
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 seal assembly effectively mitigates leakage and reduces the risk of foreign object debris damage, providing improved fire and thermal protection by ensuring precise alignment and secure attachment without mechanical fasteners, thus enhancing the reliability of aircraft propulsion systems.
Implementation Method 1
A friction fit secures the locking portion to the wall assembly and the retaining portion to the member
Implementation Method 2
a resilient member coupled to the retaining portion and the wall assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine including a wall assembly, a seal assembly, and a member extended through the wall assembly is provided. The wall assembly defines an opening through which the member is extended, and the wall assembly defines a first side and a second side opposite of the first side along a direction of extension of the member through the wall assembly. The seal assembly includes a retaining portion extended at least partially co-directional to the member. The retaining portion is configured to couple around the member and extend through the opening. The seal assembly further includes a locking portion configured to sealingly attach to the wall assembly and the retaining portion at an interface between the locking portion and the retaining portion.