Gas Turbine Adapter for Borescope Inspection Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing borescope inspection ports in gas turbine engines disrupt airflow and lead to leakage due to their larger size and imperfect sealing, causing inefficiencies and performance issues, especially when they penetrate multiple components and stator segments.
Innovation Solution
An adapter with a cylindrical body and flange design that couples compressor stator segments to the outer casing, providing a smaller, more precise borescope access port that minimizes leakage and reduces the number of machined components, allowing for improved alignment and reduced variations in port location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a borescope access hole is provided in the engine casing, then visual inspection capability is improved, but airflow disruption and leakage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly is nested within the engine casing structure, with the adapter body fitting into a recess or mounting area. The borescope port is nested within the adapter, allowing the inspection device to access the engine interior through the adapter rather than requiring a direct hole in the casing. This nested arrangement eliminates the need for a through-hole while maintaining inspection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter acts as an intermediary component between the engine casing and the borescope inspection device. Instead of creating a direct opening in the casing, the adapter provides an interface that allows borescope access while maintaining the integrity of the casing structure. The adapter includes a sealed port that connects to the engine interior and a外部 interface for the borescope, serving as a mediator that resolves the conflict between inspection access and airflow integrity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the borescope port is made larger to accommodate variations in component locations, then adaptability is improved, but airflow disruption and leakage worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly segments the borescope access function from the engine casing structure. The adapter body is a separate component that can be positioned at the optimal location regardless of component variations. The anti-rotation lugs and mounting features are segmented into distinct elements that can accommodate positional variations while maintaining a consistent, sealed port opening. This segmentation allows the port size to remain small and sealed while adapting to different component locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter design changes the parameters of the mounting system to accommodate variations. The anti-rotation lugs can engage at different positions, and the adapter body can be positioned to maintain the port at the required location. By changing the mounting parameters rather than the port size, the system achieves adaptability without increasing leakage. The sealed port dimensions remain constant while the adapter's position and orientation can vary to accommodate component tolerances.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An adapter (40) to permit borescope access inside a gas turbine engine including a compressor stator having a plurality of compressor stator segments (52a, 52b) comprises a body portion (42) defining a bore (44) extending longitudinally therethrough from a first end (46) to be disposed adjacent to outside surfaces of adjacent compressor stator segments (52a, 52b) to a second end (48) to be disposed adjacent to inside surfaces of adjacent compressor stator segments (52a, 52b). The bore (44) permits a borescope to enter therethrough. The adapter (40) further comprises an attachment portion (50) for circumferentially coupling at least one compressor stator segment (52a, 52b) to an outer casing (51) of the gas turbine engine.