LED Light Ring Display for Aircraft Engine Fan Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display units for aircraft engines face challenges in effectively projecting visual signals without disturbing airflow and are difficult to implement optimally on engine air intakes and cowls.
Innovation Solution
A display unit comprising light rings of light-emitting diodes positioned inside the air intake of an aircraft engine pod, oriented to project light beams onto the fan blades, minimizing airflow disturbance and enhancing visibility while avoiding optical interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the laser source is arranged on the fuselage near the junction with the wing, then the display device can be implemented, but the laser beam is disturbed during its trajectory
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is extracted from the fuselage and relocated to the engine air intake, separating the display function from the fuselage structure. This extraction eliminates the beam disturbance problem by positioning the source closer to the display surface (fan blades) while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through integration with existing engine components.
2Reliability
If equipment for emitting visual signals is arranged on air intakes or cowls, then bird scaring display is improved, but the emission means becomes a disturbance to airflow entering through the air intake
Solution Approach 1:
The light-emitting diodes are nested within the existing air intake structure, specifically integrated into the acoustic panels or structural framework. This nesting approach allows the display equipment to be housed within the contours of the air intake without protruding into the airflow path, thereby maintaining aerodynamic performance while enabling effective visual signal emission onto the fan blades.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If light-emitting diodes are positioned inside the air intake upstream of the fan, then airflow disturbance is minimized, but the arrangement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air intake structure is designed to serve multiple functions: its primary aerodynamic function of guiding airflow to the fan, and a secondary function of housing the light-emitting diodes for the display system. By making the air intake structure multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate mounting structures or complex external arrangements, thereby minimizing airflow disturbance while controlling overall system complexity.
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 an effective and disturbance-free display on the fan blades, enabling applications such as bird scaring, information display, and defect detection without compromising airflow or optical clarity.
Implementation Method 1
the light ring including at least one row of light-emitting diodes and being configured to emit at least one light beam
Implementation Method 2
oriented such that the generated light beam illuminates the blades of the fan and is reflected by these blades to the front of the engine
Data Source
AI summary
An engine assembly comprising an engine and a pod surrounding the engine that is equipped, upstream according to the direction of entry of air into the engine, with a fan provided with blades, the pod having an upstream air intake. The engine assembly also comprises a display unit including at least one light ring arranged in the air intake upstream of the fan, the light ring including at least one row of light-emitting diodes and being configured to emit at least one light beam and to project it on the blades of the fan.