Partial Hub Assembly with Clamped Root Seats for Propeller Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional propeller hub assemblies are complex in design and costly to manufacture and maintain, with integral or split hubs complicating assembly and repair processes.
Innovation Solution
A partial hub assembly featuring a backing plate with partial root seats and clamps that form a root seat when coupled, allowing for secure retention of propeller blades with a bearing assembly and retainer for rotation and easy replacement, reducing machining complexity and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional integral or split hub assemblies are used, then propeller blades can be retained securely, but the design becomes complex and machining costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hub assembly is divided into separate functional components: a hub body, individual blade retainers, and mounting structures. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with simpler machining operations, while still achieving secure blade retention through the coordinated assembly of these simpler parts.
2Reliability
If conventional integral or split hub assemblies are used, then propeller blades can be retained securely, but machining complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the hub assembly into standardizable components, each part can be manufactured using simpler, more cost-effective machining processes. The modular design allows for specialized tooling to be developed for each component rather than requiring complex custom machining for the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized components are designed to perform multiple functions and can be used across different propeller configurations. The hub body, retainers, and mounting structures are created as universal parts that can accommodate various blade types and sizes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.
3Strength
If conventional hub assemblies are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but assembly and repair processes become complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design allows individual components such as blade retainers and mounting structures to be independently accessed, removed, and replaced. This modularity significantly simplifies repair operations compared to conventional integral hubs where repairs require disassembly of the entire complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates movable or adjustable components that can be easily configured during assembly and maintenance. This dynamic approach allows technicians to quickly adapt the assembly to different repair scenarios without requiring complex disassembly procedures.
4Ease of manufacture
If standardized components are used, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the ability to retain operating loads must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly incorporates curved or spherical contact surfaces that distribute operating loads evenly across the standardized components. This geometric feature allows simple, standardized parts to effectively handle complex multidirectional forces including centrifugal and thrust loads during propeller operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design may utilize composite material constructions in the standardized components to enhance strength-to-weight ratios. This allows economically manufactured parts to achieve the necessary mechanical properties for withstanding operating loads while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
Hub assembly and propeller blade assemblies incorporating partial hub assembly having a backing plate with a set of partial root seats and a set of clamps selectively operably couplable to the backing plate with each clamp defining a second partial root seat and wherein when a clamp is coupled to the backing plate a root seat is formed, propeller blades having roots are received within the root seats.