Gas Turbine Guide Vane Truss Structure Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current structural guide vanes in gas turbine engines are heavy due to their solid construction, leading to increased fuel consumption to offset the loss in thrust, necessitating a reduction in weight while maintaining structural performance.
Innovation Solution
The structural guide vane is designed with a truss structure made from materials like metals, metal alloys, and composite materials, featuring a void to minimize weight, and an overmold made from less dense polymers to form an airfoil, which redirects airflow and supports the fan casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If solid structural guide vanes are used to support the fan casing, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide vane is divided into multiple discrete struts rather than being a solid continuous structure. Each strut is an individual load-bearing element that can be optimized independently, allowing the structure to achieve necessary strength while minimizing material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide vane incorporates a core structure with porous or cellular geometry (such as truss or lattice configurations) instead of solid material. This porous architecture provides adequate structural strength and stiffness while dramatically reducing the overall weight of the component.
2Use of energy by moving object
If guide vane weight is reduced to decrease fuel consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but structural strength may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guide vane employs composite construction combining different materials with complementary properties. The core structure uses lightweight porous materials optimized for strength-to-weight ratio, while surface coatings or skin layers provide additional structural integrity and environmental protection, achieving both weight reduction and maintained strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural strength is enhanced through three-dimensional geometric configurations (such as truss arrangements, lattice structures, or space frames) rather than relying solely on increasing material thickness. This dimensional approach to structural design provides high strength-to-weight ratios by efficiently distributing loads through geometric stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A structural guide vane (68) is disclosed. The structural guide vane (68) may include a first root (70), a second root (72) positioned radially outward from the first root (70) and a truss (74) extending between the first root (70) and second root (72). The truss (74) may be made of a first material. The guide vane (68) may further include an overmold (78) made of a second material that surrounds the truss (74) to form an airfoil. Corresponding guide vane assembly and gas turbine engine comprising such structural guide vanes (68).