Gearbox Mounting Assembly With Controlled Flexibility Under Dynamic Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
The dynamic loading of gas turbine engines induces relative movements among gearbox components, leading to misalignments and increased stress, which can result in premature failure and wear of gearbox parts, particularly as engines increase in thrust and power.
Innovation Solution
A mounting assembly for the gearbox assembly, comprising flex mounts, flex couplings, and fan frames, is designed to manage lateral, bending, and torsional stiffness and damping to mitigate these movements, ensuring proper alignment and reducing stress on gearbox components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the gearbox assembly is rigidly mounted to the engine structure, then structural stability is improved, but relative movements and misalignments under dynamic loading increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mounting parameters from rigid fixed connections to flexible connections with controlled stiffness and damping characteristics. The flex mount and flex coupling are designed with specific impedance parameters that allow controlled movement while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between stability and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces flexible mounting members (flex mount, flex coupling) as intermediary elements between the gearbox assembly and the engine structure. These intermediaries absorb relative movements and misalignments through controlled deformation, protecting the gearbox components from stress while maintaining structural connection.
2Reliability
If flexible mounting members are used to reduce relative movements, then gearbox component wear is reduced, but the complexity of the mounting assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mounting system into separate functional components: a flex mount for lateral and bending movements, and a flex coupling for torsional movements. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to protect the gearbox assembly from multi-directional stresses.
3Stress or pressure
If the mounting assembly allows more movement to accommodate dynamic loading, then stress on gearbox components is reduced, but alignment precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the movement parameters through designed impedance characteristics of the flex mount and flex coupling. The stiffness and damping parameters are optimized to allow only beneficial movements that reduce stress while preventing excessive displacement that would cause misalignment. This creates an optimal balance between stress reduction and alignment maintenance.
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 mounting assembly improves the durability and extends the life of gearbox components by effectively managing the dynamic loads, preventing misalignments and reducing wear, thus enhancing the gearbox's operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a flex mount configured to mount a second gear of the gearbox assembly to an engine static structure, and a fan frame configured to mount a third gear of the gearbox assembly to the engine static structure. Each of the flex coupling and the flex mount is characterized by a lateral impedance parameter ratio, a bending impedance parameter ratio, and a torsional impedance parameter ratio
Implementation Method 2
designed to manage lateral, bending, and torsional stiffness and damping to mitigate these movements
Implementation Method 3
The dynamic loading of gas turbine engines induces relative movements among gearbox components, leading to misalignments and increased stress
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting assembly for a gearbox assembly of a gas turbine engine includes at least one mounting member configured to mount a gear of the gearbox assembly to a component of the gas turbine engine, the at least one mounting member characterized by a lateral impedance parameter, a bending impedance parameter, and a torsional impedance parameter. A gas turbine engine includes the mounting assembly. The at least one mounting member may be a flex mount, a fan frame, or a flex coupling. The gas turbine engine also includes a heat exchanger including an inner peripheral wall and an outer peripheral wall extending between an inlet and an outlet. The inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall define a flow channel therebetween. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of fins disposed in the flow channel and dividing the flow channel into a plurality of flow passages.