Inlet-Mounted Electronic Engine Control for Fan Blade Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern gas turbine engines face challenges in protecting the Electronic Engine Control (EEC) from damage during catastrophic fan blade failures, as conventional mounting locations aft of the fan containment zone are vulnerable to deformation and potential damage, while also facing restrictive cable routing and vibration issues.
Innovation Solution
The EEC is mounted within the inlet portion of the nacelle, positioned between the forward and aft keep out zones, which allows for reduced vibration exposure and improved cable routing using straight connectors, potentially reducing damage risk and enhancing maintenance accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the EEC is mounted aft of the fan containment zone, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but the EEC is vulnerable to damage from fan blade failures and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The EEC is extracted from the conventional mounting location aft of the fan containment zone and relocated to the inlet portion of the nacelle. This extraction removes the EEC from the hazardous zone where it would be vulnerable to fan blade failure and deformation, while the inlet location provides both protection and improved accessibility for maintenance operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If the EEC is mounted in the conventional location, then installation is simplified, but cable routing is restrictive and vibration exposure is high
Solution Approach 1:
The EEC mounting location is changed from the conventional aft position to the inlet portion of the nacelle, representing a dimensional relocation in the nacelle volume. This spatial reconfiguration provides unobstructed cable routing paths and reduces vibration exposure, transforming the cable management from a constrained two-dimensional routing problem to a more open three-dimensional space utilization.
3Ease of operation
If the EEC is mounted aft of the fan containment zone, then access panel access is improved, but the EEC is exposed to catastrophic failure damage
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet portion of the nacelle serves as an intermediary location that provides both protection from fan blade failures and maintained accessibility for maintenance operations. This intermediate position acts as a buffer zone that separates the EEC from the hazardous fan containment zone while still allowing access panel access, thus mediating between safety and operability requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus (100) having an inlet-mounted engine control component (130) is provided. A representative system includes: a forward keep out zone defined by converging inner (114) and outer (118) walls of a nacelle (102); an aft keep out zone defined by a containment zone (110); and an engine control component (130), at least a portion of which is located between the forward keep out zone and the aft keep out zone, and between the inner and outer walls of the nacelle.