Jet Engine Cleaning Device Fan Blade Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning devices for jet engine core engines often result in non-defined and eccentric positioning during cleaning, leading to unbalance and high wear on rotary couplings due to contact with the spinner, rather than fan blades, which impairs the cleaning efficiency and surface quality of the engine components.
Innovation Solution
A device with first contact faces configured to bear axially on fan blades for defined positioning, combined with a rotationally fixed connection to the fan shaft and tensioning ropes with individual fastening means, ensuring concentric alignment and secure fastening without tools, allowing for effective cleaning of the core engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cleaning device contacts the spinner for positioning, then the device can be positioned during cleaning operation, but the positioning becomes non-defined and eccentric leading to unbalance and high wear on rotary couplings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element (the fan blade leading edge) between the cleaning device and the spinner. Instead of the cleaning device contacting the spinner directly, it contacts the fan blade which is attached to the spinner. This intermediary provides a stable, defined contact point that ensures precise and repeatable positioning while avoiding the problems of direct spinner contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning device is designed to contact the fan blade leading edge before the cleaning operation begins. This preliminary contact establishes the correct positioning and alignment of the cleaning device relative to the core engine inlet, ensuring that the cleaning medium is introduced at the correct location and angle from the outset.
2Productivity
If the cleaning device is connected to the fan shaft for rotation, then the device rotates with the fan during cleaning, but without defined positioning the rotary coupling suffers from unbalance and high wear
Solution Approach 1:
The fan blade serves as an intermediary that transmits the rotational motion of the fan shaft to the cleaning device while maintaining precise positioning. The cleaning device is positioned relative to the fan blade, which itself is rotationally fixed to the fan shaft. This intermediary connection ensures balanced rotation and reduces wear on the rotary coupling.
3Device complexity
If the nozzle installation is positioned without defined contact points, then the device structure can be simpler, but the cleaning efficiency and surface quality of engine components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fan blade leading edge serves as a self-positioning reference for the cleaning device. As the fan rotates, the leading edge automatically presents itself to the cleaning device, ensuring correct positioning without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms. The cleaning device simply needs to be designed to contact this self-presenting feature.
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 solution provides a stable and precise cleaning mechanism that maintains concentric alignment, reduces wear, and enhances the cleaning efficiency by ensuring defined axial and radial positioning, thus improving the thermodynamic efficiency and surface quality of the jet engine components.
Implementation Method 1
a line connection configured to supply the cleaning medium, the line connection being connected to the nozzle installation by a rotary coupling
Implementation Method 2
a nozzle installation configured to introduce a cleaning medium into the core engine
Data Source
AI summary
A device cleans a core engine of a jet engine. The device has: a nozzle installation configured to introduce a cleaning medium into the core engine; a connector configured to connect the device in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft of a fan of the jet engine; and a line connection configured to supply the cleaning medium, the line connection being connected to the nozzle installation by a rotary coupling. The nozzle installation has first contact faces configured to bear axially on fan blades of the fan, the first contact faces being configured for defined positioning of the nozzle installation relative to the jet engine.