Mechanical Fuse Mounting for Gas Turbine Auxiliary Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mounting systems for auxiliary components in gas turbine engines are unable to withstand high shock loads from events like fan blade outages, leading to potential separation or damage due to inadequate design to handle rotor imbalance loads.
Innovation Solution
A mounting assembly with a mechanical fuse that shears during an overload event, specifically designed to absorb lateral loads by incorporating a center portion with fuse members and wall members configured to fracture in the circumferential direction, maintaining component positioning and absorbing energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mounting systems are designed to withstand high shock loads from fan blade out events, then the auxiliary components are protected from separation and damage, but the mounting system becomes overly robust and transfers excessive loads to the auxiliary components during normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system incorporates energy absorption elements (such as elastomeric materials or spring mechanisms) that are pre-configured to cushion and absorb shock loads during fan blade out events. These elements are designed to deform or activate specifically under extreme overload conditions, protecting the auxiliary components from separation while remaining compliant during normal operation to minimize load transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system utilizes materials or mechanisms whose mechanical properties (such as stiffness or damping characteristics) change based on the applied load. During normal operation, the system maintains a compliant state that reduces load transfer to auxiliary components. During fan blade out events, the system transitions to a high-strength state that prevents component separation, effectively changing parameters dynamically to resolve the contradiction.
2Reliability
If the mounting system is designed to be robust enough to withstand fan blade out loads, then auxiliary components remain securely mounted, but the system complexity and weight increase due to over-design
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system is divided into distinct functional segments: rigid mounting structures for normal operation and specialized energy absorption elements for overload protection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the rigid portions provide secure mounting while the dedicated energy absorption segments handle extreme loads, avoiding the need to over-design the entire mounting system and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system introduces intermediary elements (such as elastomeric bushings, spring dampers, or friction-based couplings) that act as mediators between the rigid mounting structure and the auxiliary components. These intermediaries selectively engage during overload events to provide protection without requiring the entire mounting system to be designed for maximum load capacity, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Weight of moving object
If light-weight materials are used in gearbox hardware to reduce aircraft weight, then aircraft performance improves, but the gearbox becomes more vulnerable to damage from rotor imbalance loads during fan blade out events
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system incorporates energy absorption elements (such as elastomeric materials or spring mechanisms) that are pre-configured to cushion and absorb shock loads during fan blade out events. These elements are designed to deform or activate specifically under extreme overload conditions, protecting the auxiliary components from separation while remaining compliant during normal operation to minimize load transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system introduces intermediary elements (such as elastomeric bushings, spring dampers, or friction-based couplings) that act as mediators between the rigid mounting structure and the auxiliary components. These intermediaries selectively engage during overload events to provide protection without requiring the entire mounting system to be designed for maximum load capacity, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining reliability.
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 mechanical fuse effectively absorbs and dissipates overload energy, maintaining the auxiliary component's position and reducing the risk of damage during high-shock events like fan blade outages, while simplifying construction and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a mechanical fuse disposed between the first flange and the second flange and configured to shear during an overload event
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A mounting assembly (122; 222; 322) for mounting an auxiliary component (120) to an engine case (110) of a gas turbine engine (100) includes a first flange (230; 330) configured for attaching the mounting assembly (122; 222; 322) to the engine case (100); a second flange (234; 334) configured for attaching the mounting assembly (122; 222; 322) to the auxiliary component (120); and a mechanical fuse (124; 224; 324) disposed between the first flange (230; 330) and the second flange (234; 324) and configured to shear during an overload event.