Geartrain Seal Assembly for Misaligned Aircraft Rotating Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seal assemblies for gas turbine engines face challenges in effectively sealing annular gaps between rotating structures, particularly when there is misalignment between axes, leading to inefficiencies and potential leakage.
Innovation Solution
A seal assembly featuring a flexible arm with a seal element and a seal land, designed to accommodate misalignment between rotating structures, includes a flexible member connecting the seal element to the second rotating structure, and is configured to provide a compliant seal interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rigid seal assembly is used between rotating structures, then manufacturing precision can be improved, but adaptability to misalignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seal assembly incorporates a flexible arm that can dynamically adjust its position and orientation to accommodate misalignment between rotating structures. The flexibility allows the seal to adapt to varying alignment conditions while maintaining sealing effectiveness, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible arm structure that acts as a compliant element between the seal land and the rotating structure. This flexible component can bend and deform to compensate for misalignment, enabling the rigid seal land to maintain precise sealing contact while adapting to axis misalignment through the flexible intermediary.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible seal assembly is used to accommodate misalignment, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arm provides dynamic adaptation to misalignment while the rigid seal land maintains precise sealing geometry. The system achieves both adaptability through flexibility and manufacturing precision through the rigid sealing surface, resolving the apparent contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: a flexible arm for adaptation and a rigid seal land for precise sealing. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its respective function - the flexible arm handles misalignment accommodation while the rigid seal land ensures precise sealing contact.
3Device complexity
If conventional seal assemblies are used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability under misalignment conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arm introduces dynamic adaptability to the seal assembly, allowing it to automatically compensate for misalignment conditions. This simple yet effective mechanism significantly improves reliability under misalignment without requiring complex adjustment systems or multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible arm structure provides a straightforward solution to misalignment problems, improving sealing reliability through its ability to deform and adapt to axis misalignment. The simplicity of the flexible element design maintains low device complexity while dramatically enhancing performance under misalignment conditions.
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 seal assembly effectively seals annular gaps between rotating structures, accommodating misalignment and reducing fluid leakage, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the gas turbine engine.
Implementation Method 1
The arm is cantilevered from and extends axially along the second rotating structure
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly is provided for an aircraft. This assembly includes a first rotating structure, a second rotating structure and a seal assembly. The seal assembly is configured to seal an annular gap radially between the first rotating structure and the second rotating structure. The seal assembly includes an arm, a seal element and a seal land. The arm is cantilevered from and extends axially along the second rotating structure. The seal element is connected to the arm and forms a seal interface with the seal land. The seal land is connected to the first rotating structure.