Turbo inlet cowl plug with concealed attachment for aerodynamic continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotating inlet cowl designs for turbomachines face challenges in aerodynamic disturbance and difficulty in attaching/detaching the cone to the shell due to screws, which disrupt airflow and are cumbersome to fix.
Innovation Solution
A rotating inlet cowl design featuring a plug with an aerodynamic external surface that forms a continuous profile with the cone and shell, equipped with an internal support wall and attachment device, allowing the plug to be fixed to the cone and shell simultaneously while minimizing aerodynamic disturbances, using a screw that passes through the support wall, internal wall, and shell to secure the assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If attachment screws are used to fix the cone to the shell, then the cone is securely fixed to the shell, but the screws disturb the air flow along the inlet cowl
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful attachment screws are extracted from the external view by being hidden inside the plug. The plug acts as a container that encloses the screws, removing the aerodynamic disturbance source from the external airflow path while maintaining the fixing function internally.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug serves as an intermediary element between the cone and shell. Instead of exposing screws directly to the airflow, the plug mediates the connection by providing an aerodynamic outer surface that interfaces with the airflow, while internally accommodating the attachment mechanism.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If plugs are added to hold the attachment screws, then the aerodynamics are improved, but the plugs are difficult to fix to the cone and make it difficult to attach or detach the cone to the shell
Solution Approach 1:
The plug merges multiple functions into a single component: it provides the aerodynamic surface, contains the attachment screws, and interfaces with both the cone and shell. This integration eliminates the need for separate fixing operations and simplifies the attachment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is pre-configured with the attachment screws and bearing surfaces before installation. The internal structure including the bearing surface and screw positioning is prepared in advance, allowing for quick and easy attachment by simply securing the plug to the shell.
3Shape
If the plug closes off the cavity between the cone and shell, then the aerodynamic profile is continuous, but the attachment device must pass through multiple walls making fixation complex
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment screws are nested within the plug structure, which itself is nested within the cavity formed by the cone and shell. The screw passes through the support wall (internal structure of plug), internal wall, and shell in a nested sequence, organizing the attachment path within the existing structural hierarchy.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating inlet cowl for a turbomachine, comprises a cone, a shell and a plug. The plug comprises an external wall with an external surface that will form an aerodynamic profile in continuity with an external surface of an external wall of the cone, when the external wall closes off a cavity that is formed between the external wall of the cone and the shell. The plug comprises an internal wall of the support and an attachment device. The attachment device is configured to pass through the support and to rigidly fix the support wall to an internal wall of the cone and the internal wall of the cone to the shell simultaneously, through an orifice in the external wall.