Accessory Gearbox Casing Central Support Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing housing designs for gas turbine accessory relay boxes are complex, costly, and time-consuming to manufacture due to their multi-functional nature, which complicates assembly and requires unnecessary material usage.
Innovation Solution
A housing design where each shaft is guided by one or more bearings carried by a single support inserted between the front and rear faces, allowing for a cantilever arrangement of toothed wheels and simplifying assembly and machining by dissociating support functions from other functions, with a central support taking up meshing and structural forces, and optionally featuring a perforated lattice structure for reduced mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If bearings are supported by separate brackets at each end of shafts, then shaft guidance is achieved, but device complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bearing supports that were previously distributed as separate brackets at each end of shafts are merged into a single central support structure. This consolidation reduces the number of parts and simplifies assembly operations while maintaining the shaft guidance function.
Solution Approach 2:
The single central support structure serves multiple functions: it supports all bearing housings, provides a centralized lubrication system, and acts as a structural element for the entire gearbox assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
2Reliability
If multiple bearing housings are distributed on both sides of gears, then shaft support is provided, but manufacturing and machining complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple bearing housings are consolidated into a single integrated support structure rather than being distributed as separate components. This merging simplifies machining operations by reducing the number of separate parts that need to be manufactured and assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is designed with modular bearing housings that can be independently manufactured and then assembled into the central support, allowing for simplified machining of each segment while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Strength
If front and rear faces perform multiple functions including bearing support, then structural integrity is maintained, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gearbox is divided into functional modules: the central support handles bearing support functions, while the front and rear faces are dedicated to sealing and structural functions. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized and manufactured independently, reducing overall manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing support function is extracted from the front and rear faces and consolidated into a dedicated central support structure. This extraction allows the front and rear faces to be simplified for manufacturing while the central support is专门 designed for bearing accommodation.
4Ease of operation
If a single central support is used for all bearing housings, then assembly is simplified, but support for multiple shafts must be achieved from one location
Solution Approach 1:
The single central support structure extends in multiple spatial dimensions to accommodate bearing housings for multiple shafts. By utilizing three-dimensional space efficiently, one support structure can provide guidance for multiple shafts without requiring multiple separate supports.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple bearing housings are nested within or attached to the central support structure in a hierarchical arrangement, allowing all bearings to be supported from a single location while maintaining easy access for assembly and maintenance.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to an accessory gearbox casing (10, 110, 210) for a turbomachine with a lateral front face (16, 116, 216) and a lateral rear face (18, 118, 218) opposite the front face, laterally defining the accessory gearbox in which at least one gear train made of several toothed wheels (14) that engage with one another is mounted, each toothed wheel (14) being supported by a central shaft (28), characterized in that the shafts (28) are guided in rotation by bearings (30) with roller bearings all supported by a same support (12, 112, 212) inserted laterally between the front face (16, 116, 216) and the rear face (18, 118, 218).