Integrated Lead Pulling Adapter for Tight Engine Wire Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Installing wired sensors in gas turbine engines is challenging due to the pressure differential between concentric cases, leading to difficulties in maneuvering lead wires through inaccessible areas without damaging them, and existing methods like pull wires increase lead diameter and hinder maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
An adapter with a lead connector and pull connector, where the lead connector integrates with the lead wire and has a diameter equal to or less than the wire's, allowing connection with a pull cable to facilitate easy maneuvering through tight spaces, minimizing damage and snagging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a pull wire is attached to the lead wire to enable pulling through inaccessible areas, then the lead wire can be maneuvered through tight spaces, but the diameter of the lead increases and the ability to maneuver tight corners decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate components: a thin lead wire for sensing and a separate pull wire for installation. The lead wire connector allows the pull wire to be attached temporarily during installation, then removed after the lead wire is positioned. This segmentation enables the lead wire to be pulled through inaccessible areas without permanently increasing its diameter or reducing its maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead wire connector acts as an intermediary component that temporarily couples the pull wire to the lead wire during the installation process. This intermediary allows the pulling force to be transmitted to the lead wire without the pull wire becoming a permanent part of the lead wire assembly, thus avoiding increased diameter and reduced maneuverability.
2Ease of operation
If a pull wire is attached to the lead wire to enable pulling through inaccessible areas, then the lead wire can be installed in blind pathways, but the risk of lead wire damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pull wire is threaded through the inaccessible pathway before the lead wire is attached. This preliminary action allows the pathway to be prepared and the pull wire to be positioned in advance, reducing the risk of damage during the actual lead wire installation. The lead wire connector is then used to attach the pull wire to the lead wire in a controlled manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead wire connector provides a protective interface between the pull wire and the lead wire, cushioning against potential damage during the pulling process. The connector distributes the pulling forces and protects the fragile lead wire from sharp bends or excessive tension that could cause damage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the lead wire path snakes around and through various case walls to reach internal areas, then data can be gathered from internal sensor locations, but the lead wire installation becomes increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pull wire serves as an intermediary that can be threaded through complex pathways more easily than the lead wire itself. Once the pull wire navigates the snaking path through case walls to the internal sensor location, it provides a retrieval mechanism to pull the lead wire through the same pathway, making the installation process significantly easier.
Solution Approach 2:
The pull wire is threaded through the complex pathway of case walls and internal areas in advance, before the lead wire installation. This preliminary action maps out the feasible path and creates a retrieval mechanism, reducing the difficulty of subsequently installing the lead wire through the same inaccessible areas.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An adapter (202) for pulling a lead wire through an engine assembly comprises a lead connector (206) configured to connect with a lead wire connector (204) associated with a lead wire (114). A width of the lead connector (206) is equal to or less than a width of the lead wire connector (204). A pull connector (210) is configured to connect with a pull cable (208) threaded through the engine assembly to enable a pulling force to be applied to the adapter (202). The pull connector (210) is integrated with the lead connector (206).