Insulated Flowpath Assembly With Low-Conduction Concentric Conduits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing of flowpath assemblies with concentric conduits faces challenges in sealing the annular void for enhanced thermal insulation, requiring multiple parts and increasing complexity and cost, while existing solutions do not effectively reduce thermal conduction paths.
Innovation Solution
The flowpath assembly is additive manufactured as a unitary piece with a loosely packed insulating material in the annular void between the conduits, under negative atmospheric pressure, and supported by minimal mass pylons to reduce thermal conduction and simplify assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the annular void is sealed to enhance thermal insulation, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to requiring multiple parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the inner conduit, outer conduit, and annular void sealing into a single unitary structure manufactured by additive manufacturing. This merging eliminates the need for separate sealing components and assembly steps, achieving complete encapsulation of the annular void while reducing the number of parts and simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing method from traditional subtractive or assembly-based processes to additive manufacturing. This parameter change enables the creation of complex unitary structures with integrated sealing features that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with conventional manufacturing methods.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for concentric conduits, then manufacturing process is simpler, but thermal conduction paths between inner and outer conduits increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a unitary structure with strategically designed minimal mass connections between the inner and outer conduits. The additive manufacturing process enables precise control of material distribution, providing thermal insulation at critical interfaces while maintaining structural integrity where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The unitary structure manufactured by additive manufacturing effectively creates a composite structure where the inner and outer conduits are connected only through minimal mass material, combining thermal insulation properties with structural strength. This approach reduces thermal conduction paths while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single additive printing process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple parts are used for conduit assemblies, then assembly flexibility is improved, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple conduit components into a single unitary structure manufactured by additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for separate assembly operations, reducing manufacturing time and costs while maintaining the functional flexibility of concentric conduit designs through integrated feature placement.
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
This approach reduces the number of parts, enhances thermal insulation, minimizes thermal conduction, and simplifies the assembly process, leading to more robust and cost-effective designs for high-temperature applications like gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
a first conduit (56) co-extending with and surrounded by a second conduit (58) thereby defining a substantially annular void (60), therebetween. The void (60) is filled with a loosely packed material (61) that has insulating properties
Implementation Method 2
the void (60) is under a negative atmospheric pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A flowpath assembly (20) has a first conduit (56) defining a flowpath radially inward, and a second conduit (58) spaced radially outward from the first conduit (56). A void (60) defined between the first and second conduits (56, 58) contains an insulating material (61) that may have a greater porosity than the first and second conduits (56, 58). The assembly (20) may be additive manufactured generally as one unitary piece with the raw material of the conduits (56, 58) being melted and solidified on a slice-by-slice basis and the insulating material (61) being selectively bypassed by an energy gun (108) of an additive manufacturing system (100).