Interlocking Fuel Conduit Segments for Gas Turbine Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel conveying members in gas turbine engines, such as rigid internal manifolds, face limitations in manufacturing complexity and potential for leakage due to multiple sealing joints, which can lead to structural integrity issues and increased risk of joint failure.
Innovation Solution
A fuel conveying member comprising two interlocking member portions with complementary inner surfaces, machined to define sealed conduits, where the member portions are sealingly engaged along specific locations to minimize the number of sealing joints and optimize conduit shape and size, reducing the risk of leakage and enhancing structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple sealing joints are used in fuel conveying members, then the conduit can be sealed effectively, but the risk of leakage and joint failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sealing functions into a single sealing joint by configuring the first and second member portions to mate together with complementary sealing surfaces. This merging approach reduces the total number of sealing joints from multiple to one, thereby reducing the risk of leakage while maintaining effective sealing of the fuel conduit.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel conveying member is divided into two separate member portions (first and second member portions) that can be manufactured independently and then assembled. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for specific functions while reducing the overall complexity of sealing joints compared to manufacturing the entire component as a single piece with multiple internal seals.
2Reliability
If multiple sealing joints are used in fuel conveying members, then the conduit can be sealed effectively, but the structural integrity deteriorates due to increased joint failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple sealing functions into a single sealing joint between the first and second member portions, the patent reduces the number of potential failure points. This single sealing joint design maintains effective sealing while improving structural integrity by eliminating the weak links associated with multiple joints.
3Shape
If complex machining operations are used to create fuel conduits, then the conduit shape and size can be optimized, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fuel conveying member into two portions that can be manufactured using simpler machining operations. By dividing the component, each portion can be machined with less complex operations compared to creating the entire conduit system in a single piece, thereby optimizing conduit geometry while reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second member portions are pre-machined with complementary sealing surfaces and conduit features before assembly. This preliminary action allows for optimized conduit geometry to be established during the machining of individual portions, rather than requiring complex final assembly operations, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine fuel conveying member in fluid flow communication with at least one fuel nozzle, the fuel conveying member having at least first and second member portions sealingly engaged to one another, and means for conveying fuel defined at a junction between the first and second member portions. The means for conveying fuel is defined by at least part of two different walls of each of the first and second member portions.