Fuel Injector Bolt Assembly for Gas Turbine Leak-Safe Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stationary structures in gas turbine engines lack efficient and adaptable methods for attaching and securing internal components, such as combustors and exhaust ducts, which can lead to inefficiencies and potential leaks.
Innovation Solution
The use of fuel injector bolts with a threaded interface to attach the exhaust structure to the core structure, featuring a fuel injector bolt with a nozzle to disperse fuel evenly into the combustion chamber, and a seal element to prevent leaks, allowing for modular assembly and improved fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional fastening methods are used to attach stationary structures, then structural integrity is maintained, but adaptability to different aircraft platforms is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel injector bolt is designed to serve dual functions: it acts as both a fastening component to attach the combustor to the exhaust duct and as a fuel injector to deliver fuel to the combustion chamber. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and enhances adaptability across different aircraft platforms while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the fastening function and fuel injection function into a single integrated component (the fuel injector bolt). By combining these two previously separate functions into one element, the system achieves greater versatility and reduces complexity, allowing the same component to be used across different platform configurations.
2Productivity
If fuel injectors are used to secure the exhaust duct to the combustor, then adaptability and fuel efficiency are improved, but the risk of carbon formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel injector bolt incorporates a specifically designed nozzle at its tip that provides localized fuel dispersion directly at the combustion chamber interface. This localized fuel delivery ensures efficient combustion in the critical attachment region, improving fuel burn efficiency while the precise control of fuel distribution helps prevent carbon formation by ensuring complete combustion.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle design on the fuel injector bolt allows for optimization of fuel spray parameters (such as spray pattern, droplet size distribution, and fuel-air mixing) to achieve efficient combustion. By controlling these parameters, the system maximizes fuel burn efficiency while minimizing incomplete combustion that leads to carbon formation.
3Ease of manufacture
If modular assembly is implemented with fuel injector bolts, then ease of manufacture and adaptability are enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stationary structure is divided into modular segments (combustor, exhaust duct, etc.) that can be manufactured separately and assembled using fuel injector bolts. This segmentation enables independent manufacturing of each module, improving ease of manufacture and adaptability, while the standardized threaded interfaces ensure consistent precision requirements that can be met through conventional manufacturing processes.
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
Enhances fuel burn efficiency and reduces the likelihood of carbon formation by ensuring secure attachment and even fuel dispersion, while facilitating adaptation to different aircraft platforms with common core structure configurations.
Implementation Method 1
The fuel injector bolt includes an injector head and an injector base. The injector base projects longitudinally along the centerline out from the injector head, through the fastener aperture and into the injector receptacle. The injector base is attached to the first powerplant structure through a threaded interface.
Implementation Method 2
a seal element to prevent leaks
Implementation Method 3
featuring a fuel injector bolt with a nozzle to disperse fuel evenly into the combustion chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly is provided for a powerplant. This powerplant assembly includes a first powerplant structure, a second powerplant structure and a fuel injector bolt that fastens the second powerplant structure to the first powerplant structure. The fuel injector bolt includes an injector head and an injector base. The injector head longitudinally engages the second powerplant structure. The injector base projects longitudinally along a centerline out from the injector head, through a fastener aperture of the second powerplant structure and into an injector receptacle of the first powerplant structure. The injector base is attached to the first powerplant structure through a threaded interface.