Gas Turbine Retention Assembly Captive Clearance Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Previous retention assemblies for gas turbine engines interfere with finger access to thread bolts due to limited clearance and can cause cracks in conduits, hindering effective fluid communication between the engine wing and fuel oil cooler.
Innovation Solution
A retention assembly design featuring a bolt, spacer, and conduit assembly with a captive clearance fit, including a fitting component with specific through-holes and bores, and a seal element to absorb stresses and prevent cracking, allowing for constrained translatable movement and secure fluid communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional retention assembly structure is used, then the conduit can be mounted to the fitting component, but finger access to thread bolts is blocked due to limited clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft of the bolt is divided into two portions: a first portion that extends through the fitting component and a second portion that protrudes beyond it. This segmentation allows the threading operation to be performed on the exposed second portion while maintaining structural integrity through the first portion, thereby enabling finger access without requiring large clearance space around the entire bolt.
Solution Approach 2:
A spacer component is introduced as an intermediary element between the bolt and the housing. The spacer provides the necessary clearance space for threading operations while maintaining the structural connection, effectively mediating between the need for accessibility and the constraint of limited space.
2Reliability
If a rigid retention assembly structure is used, then the conduit can be securely mounted, but cracks may develop in the conduits due to stress
Solution Approach 1:
The retention assembly incorporates a seal element that changes the mechanical parameters of the connection by providing compliance and stress absorption. This allows the rigid conduit to be securely mounted while preventing stress concentration that would lead to cracking, thereby maintaining both security and integrity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the bolt shaft is completely inserted through the housing, then structural stability is improved, but finger access for threading becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The bolt shaft is segmented into two functional portions: the first portion provides structural stability by extending through the fitting component and housing, while the second portion remains exposed for threading operations. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functions to different segments of the same component.
Data Source
AI summary
A retention assembly for a gas turbine engine is provided. The retention assembly may include a bolt, a spacer, a housing, a fitting component, and a conduit assembly. The housing may define at least one receiving aperture sized to receive a second portion of the shaft. The fitting component may define a first through-hole and a second through-hole sized for a first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft to extend therethrough. The conduit assembly may include a conduit for securing to the fitting component such that the first through-hole is open to the conduit. The bolt, the spacer, the fitting component, and the housing may be arranged with one another to define a captive clearance fit such that a first clearance space is defined between a first surface of the second through-hole and the first portion of the bolt.