Integral Impeller Rotor Assembly for Shaftless Rotary Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotary machines with shafts are large and heavy, requiring extensive containment housing, which is undesirable in aircraft due to space and weight constraints, and existing manufacturing methods do not efficiently integrate impellers and motor rotors for reduced weight and increased efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves additively manufacturing an impeller with a shroud and a motor rotor on its radially outer surface, designing the magnetic geometry using computer modeling, and magnetizing the rotor, allowing for a monolithic and integral impeller-motor assembly that eliminates the need for a shaft, reducing weight and increasing efficiency by integrating the components into a compact, lightweight design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional shaft-connected impeller and motor design is used, then structural integrity is maintained, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the impeller and motor rotor into a single integrated component, eliminating the shaft connection. The motor rotor is additively manufactured directly onto the radially outer surface of the impeller shroud, creating a unified impeller-motor assembly that reduces weight and structural complexity while maintaining functional integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The radially outer surface of the impeller shroud serves multiple functions: it acts as the impeller's structural boundary and simultaneously serves as the substrate for the motor rotor. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate shaft and mounting structures, reducing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If shaft and motor containment housing are added for safety, then reliability is improved, but weight and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor rotor is integrated directly onto the impeller, eliminating the shaft and reducing the space required for motor containment. This integration allows for a more compact overall design that requires less extensive containment housing, thereby reducing the weight of stationary components while maintaining safety.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for impeller and motor, then manufacturing precision is achieved, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The impeller and motor rotor are manufactured as a single integrated component using additive manufacturing technology. This eliminates multiple manufacturing steps, assembly operations, and quality checks that would be required for traditional separate manufacturing methods, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining precision through computer-controlled additive processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs additive manufacturing, which fundamentally changes the manufacturing approach from subtractive or formative methods. This parameter change in manufacturing technology enables complex geometries to be created directly with high precision while reducing overall manufacturing time and complexity compared to traditional methods.
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 results in a shaftless rotary machine that is lighter, more efficient, and meets aircraft safety standards by reducing containment requirements and maintaining high structural integrity, while also decreasing manufacturing costs through reduced assembly complexity.
Implementation Method 1
additively manufacturing a motor rotor onto the radially outer surface of the shroud such that the motor rotor has a magnetic field with a geometry designed by computer modeling
Implementation Method 2
magnetizing the rotor
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an integral impeller and motor rotor. The method includes manufacturing an impeller with a shroud, modifying a radially outer surface of the shroud to prepare the radially outer surface for additive manufacturing, additively manufacturing a motor rotor onto the radially outer surface of the shroud such that the motor rotor has a magnetic field with a geometry designed by computer modeling, and magnetizing the rotor.