Gear-Driven Gas Turbine Mount Eliminates Thrust Link Distortion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engine mounting configurations experience distortion due to 'punch loads' from thrust links, leading to increased clearances between static and rotating components, which negatively affect engine performance and fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine engine design featuring a gear train along the engine centerline axis, a low spool driving the fan section, and a mount system that eliminates thrust links by directly reacting engine thrust to the aircraft pylon, minimizing distortion and optimizing engine performance through a compact and efficient mount system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional thrust links are used to transmit engine thrust to the pylon, then thrust transmission is achieved, but engine case distortion increases and clearance between static cases and rotating blade tips increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the thrust links from the engine mounting system entirely. Instead of using intermediate thrust links to transmit thrust from the engine to the pylon, the design directly couples the engine case to the pylon structure, eliminating the source of distortion caused by thrust link connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the thrust transmission function directly into the engine case-pylon connection structure. By integrating the thrust bearing and mounting structure into a unified direct connection system, the patent eliminates the separate thrust link components that caused case distortion while maintaining effective thrust transmission.
2Force
If thrust links are used to couple thrust to the pylon, then load transmission is achieved, but intermediate case and low pressure compressor cases become distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the thrust link components that cause case distortion. By eliminating these intermediate coupling elements, the design allows thrust and loads to be transmitted directly through a rigid pylon connection without inducing bending or distortion forces on the engine cases.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using flexible thrust links to accommodate movement, the patent inverts the approach by using a rigid direct connection that prevents movement-induced distortion. The connection structure is designed to maintain fixed geometric relationships, preventing the case distortion that would otherwise occur with link-based flexible connections.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional mounting configuration with thrust links is used, then engine mounting is achieved, but fuel burn increases due to negative effect on engine performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the thrust link components from the mounting system, eliminating the source of case distortion that leads to increased blade tip clearances. By extracting these harmful intermediate components, the engine maintains optimal aerodynamic efficiency and fuel consumption while still achieving secure mounting to the pylon.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the mounting system from a link-based flexible connection to a rigid direct connection. This parameter change eliminates the distortion mechanism that degrades engine performance and increases fuel burn, while the mounting configuration remains manufacturable through standard aerospace fabrication processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine includes a fan section and a low spool that includes a low pressure compressor section. The low pressure compressor section includes eight (8) or less stages. A high spool includes a high pressure compressor section that has between eight to fifteen (8-15) stages. An overall compressor pressure ratio is provided by the combination of the low pressure compressor section and the high pressure compressor. A gear train is defined along an engine centerline axis. The low spool is operable to drive the fan section through the gear train.