Interlocking Teeth Volute Joint for Turbocharger Burst Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbocharger compressor wheel bursts can cause significant damage due to high-velocity fragments, leading to volute assembly-bearing housing joint failure and potential injury, as existing connections lack sufficient axial tensile load strength to contain the impact energy.
Innovation Solution
A volute assembly and bearing housing joint system is designed with interlocking teeth and fasteners, where the volute assembly's first flange with radially extending teeth engages with the bearing housing's second flange, enhancing axial tensile load strength and containing compressor wheel fragments during a burst event.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the volute assembly and bearing housing are coupled only by fasteners, then the assembly is simple to manufacture, but the axial tensile load strength is insufficient to contain compressor wheel fragments during a burst event
Solution Approach 1:
The joint structure is segmented into multiple interlocking teeth distributed around the circumference of the flanges. This segmentation allows the load to be distributed across multiple discrete engagement points, significantly increasing the overall axial tensile load strength without requiring a single complex fastening mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The teeth of the volute assembly flange are nested between the teeth of the bearing housing flange, creating an interlocking configuration. This nesting arrangement provides mechanical interlocking that resists axial separation forces from compressor wheel fragments while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If the volute assembly-bearing housing joint is designed with higher strength to contain fragment impact energy, then the reliability during burst events improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The teeth are pre-formed as integral features of the flanges during the casting or machining process, rather than being added as separate components. This preliminary action ensures the interlocking structure is already in place before assembly, improving reliability while avoiding the complexity of additional manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlocking teeth automatically engage with each other during the assembly process through relative rotation, without requiring precise alignment or additional fastening operations. The structure is self-aligning and self-securing, which improves reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Strength
If the connectors engage through relative rotation, then the interlocking strength is maximized, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly process incorporates a dynamic relative rotation between the volute assembly and bearing housing to transform the tooth engagement from a static to a dynamic process. This rotation allows the teeth to progressively engage and lock into place, maximizing interlocking strength while the motion itself guides the alignment, reducing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Various methods and systems are provided for a system for a rotary machine, such as a compressor or turbocharger. In one example, the rotary machine includes a volute assembly and a bearing housing. The volute assembly has a first connector that is configured to interlock with a second connector of the bearing housing. The first and second connectors are configured to engage to a greater extent through relative rotation between the volute assembly and the bearing housing.