Integrated Front Engine Mount for Low-Clearance Aircraft Nacelles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing size of engine fans necessitates a reduction in the distance between the nacelle and the ground, requiring a new arrangement to lower the front engine mount and bring the nacelle closer to the wing, while maintaining structural integrity and safety.
Innovation Solution
A forward engine attachment system is integrated into the reactor mast, with a main axis positioned in front of the vertical axis, incorporating a main and secondary ball joint system, and includes lateral stops and connecting rods for fail-safe force transmission, reducing the overall height and ensuring robust attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the fan size is increased to improve engine performance, then engine performance is improved, but the distance between the nacelle and the ground is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The front engine attachment system is integrated into the reactor mast structure, merging two previously separate components (front engine attachment and reactor mast) into a unified structure. This integration eliminates the need for a separate front engine attachment component, thereby reducing the overall height from the nacelle to the ground while maintaining engine performance with larger fans
2Length of stationary object
If the front engine mount height is reduced to bring the nacelle closer to the wing, then the vertical footprint is reduced, but the structural integrity and safety must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the front engine attachment with the reactor mast, the load paths are optimized and distributed more efficiently through the integrated structure. The reactor mast is designed to handle both its original functions and the additional front engine attachment loads, maintaining structural integrity while reducing overall height
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system incorporates ball joints with rotational freedom that allow dynamic adaptation to load variations and thermal expansion. The main ball joint and secondary ball joint provide controlled degrees of freedom, enabling the structure to maintain integrity under varying operational conditions while keeping the compact form factor
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 system effectively reduces the vertical footprint of the engine mount, maintains structural integrity, and provides fail-safe mechanisms for force transmission, ensuring safety and reliability in case of failures.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a main and secondary ball joint system
Implementation Method 2
the second end of the outer cylinder is mounted movably through the annular linear link around the vertical axis relative to the front casing
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a front engine attachment system (150) for an engine (102) comprising a reactor mast (104) with a nose (110) having a main female clevis (111) and a cylindrical housing, a main connecting rod (162) fixed to the engine (102) by a secondary ball joint around a secondary axis (12), a main shaft (165) making a main ball joint of the main connecting rod (162) in the main female clevis (111) around a main axis (10), where the main axis (10) and the secondary axis (12) are in the same vertical plane, a hollow outer cylinder with a vertical axis, the first end of which is fixed in the cylindrical housing and the second end of which is mounted movably through an annular linear connection relative to the front casing (103) and an inner cylinder threaded and fixed in the outer cylinder.Such a forward engine attachment system has a reduced vertical footprint because the forward engine attachment is integrated into the reactor mast.