Modular Fan Sliding Mount on Tie Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation and maintenance of gas turbine engine fans are cumbersome due to the need to individually bolt and access various components, requiring removal of surrounding parts for repair or maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A modular fan design with a frame and attachment member that allows for slidable installation and removal over a tie shaft, enabling the fan to be installed and maintained as a single unit, reducing complexity and increasing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fan components are installed individually and bolted to structural members, then the fan can be securely attached to the tie shaft, but the installation and maintenance process becomes complex and time-consuming requiring removal of surrounding components
Solution Approach 1:
The fan assembly is divided into a modular unit comprising the fan blades, hub, and attachment members that can be installed as a single integrated component. This segmentation allows the entire fan assembly to be mounted on the tie shaft in one operation rather than installing individual components separately, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining secure attachment through the modular design's integrated attachment members
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple fan components (blades, hub, and attachment members) are merged into a single modular fan assembly that functions as one integrated unit. This merging eliminates the need to handle and install each component separately, simplifying the installation process while ensuring reliable attachment through the combined structural integrity of the merged components
2Reliability
If individual fan components are bolted from an aft end, then each component can be securely fastened, but maintenance requires removal of all surrounding components
Solution Approach 1:
The fan assembly is segmented into a self-contained modular unit with integrated attachment members that can be independently removed from the tie shaft. This segmentation enables maintenance personnel to access and service the fan assembly as a complete unit without needing to disassemble or remove surrounding engine components, significantly improving maintenance accessibility while maintaining secure fastening through the modular attachment design
Solution Approach 2:
The entire fan assembly is extracted as a removable modular unit from the engine structure, allowing it to be completely detached from the tie shaft for maintenance purposes. This extraction capability enables the fan assembly to be taken out as a single unit for servicing without requiring the removal of surrounding components, thereby improving ease of repair while maintaining secure operation when installed
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple components are installed separately, then each component can be individually positioned, but the installation process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The fan system is segmented into a pre-assembled modular unit where all components (blades, hub, attachment members) are manufactured and pre-positioned as an integrated assembly. This segmentation allows the entire fan assembly to be installed in a single operation rather than installing multiple components separately, thereby improving installation speed and productivity while maintaining precise component positioning through the pre-integrated modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The fan components are pre-assembled and pre-positioned into a complete modular unit during manufacturing before installation. This preliminary action of pre-assembly ensures that all components are correctly positioned and secured within the modular unit prior to installation, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site positioning and assembly operations, thereby significantly improving installation speed without compromising component positioning accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine includes a core and a tie shaft. The tie shaft is rotatable about an axial direction of the gas turbine engine by the core of the gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine additionally includes a modular fan having a plurality of fan blades and a frame. The plurality fan blades are attached to the frame and the frame is slidably received on the tie shaft of the gas turbine engine. The modular fan additionally includes an attachment member removably attaching the frame to the tie shaft of the gas turbine engine to removably install the modular fan in the gas turbine engine.