Heat-Shielded Conduit With Integral Truss Gap for Deposit Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conduits in gas turbine engines, such as fuel or oil lines, face issues with carbonaceous deposits forming due to heat exposure, leading to flow restrictions and operational failures, and existing heat shielding methods are costly and not always effective.
Innovation Solution
A heat-shielded conduit is created using a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process, integrating a truss structure with the tube and heat shield to maintain a gap, allowing for effective heat dissipation and reducing deposit buildup, with the truss structure and heat shield being formed as a single piece to simplify installation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If foil insulation is wrapped around the exterior of the conduit to shield the fluid from heat, then the fluid is protected from heat exposure, but the installation and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the conduit, heat shield, and support structures into a single integrally formed component through additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for separate foil insulation wrapping and reduces installation complexity, directly addressing the cost issue while maintaining heat protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical wrapping process of traditional foil insulation with an additive manufacturing process that directly forms the heat-shielded conduit as a single piece, reducing labor costs and installation time while improving structural integrity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional foil insulation is used to heat shield the conduit, then some heat protection is provided, but the heat shielding effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of the conduit, heat shield material, and support features integrally formed together. This composite design provides superior heat protection compared to simple foil wrapping, while the additive manufacturing process makes it cost-effective by eliminating assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional foil wrapping to a three-dimensional integrally formed heat shield structure with radial support features that extend into the gap between the conduit and heat shield, providing enhanced thermal protection through additional structural dimensionality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the heat shield is placed close to the conduit to maximize heat shielding, then heat protection is improved, but carbonaceous deposits still form on the conduit surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gap between the heat shield and conduit, filled with support features that act as intermediaries. This gap allows for thermal management that prevents excessive heat transfer to the conduit surface, thereby reducing carbonaceous deposit formation while the support features maintain the structural integrity of the shielding system.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used to create the heat-shielded conduit, then assembly flexibility is provided, but the device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components (conduit, heat shield, support structures) into a single integrally formed unit through additive manufacturing. This reduces device complexity and installation requirements while the design itself provides adaptability for various thermal protection applications in gas turbine engines.
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 solution provides more effective heat shielding, reducing or eliminating deposit accumulation and lowering installation and maintenance costs by allowing for a single-piece, integrally formed conduit that can operate under extreme heat conditions with reduced heat transfer to the fluid.
Implementation Method 1
a heat shield radially surrounding the tube to form a first gap between the heat shield and the tube
Implementation Method 2
integrally forming a truss structure together with both of the tube and the heat shield
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A heat-shielded conduit includes a tube, a heat shield, and a truss structure. The tube has a tube inner diameter and a tube outer diameter. The heat shield radially surrounds the tube. The heat shield has a shield inner diameter greater than the tube outer diameter to form a first gap between the heat shield and the tube. The truss structure is integrally formed together with both of the tube and the heat shield to space the shield inner diameter from the tube outer diameter and maintain the first gap.