Segmented Aircraft Engine Casing with Interconnection Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft engine casing structures hinder easy access to equipment for maintenance due to their design, which disrupts aerodynamic continuity and increases assembly/disassembly time, while also failing to ensure effective fire protection and service passage.
Innovation Solution
A casing structure featuring a shroud with sectorized sectors and radial arms, secured by connecting wedges with parallel holes for screws, allowing independent dismantling of sectors for maintenance access while maintaining aerodynamic sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the casing structure uses a segmented ferrule design, then maintenance access to equipment is improved, but assembly complexity increases due to multiple sectors and connection components
Solution Approach 1:
The ferrule is divided into multiple sectors that can be independently removed. Each sector can be detached by loosening specific fastening means, allowing maintenance personnel to access equipment beneath only the required sector without dismantling the entire casing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Connecting wedges serve as intermediary components between adjacent ferrule sectors. These wedges with parallel screw series provide a standardized interface that simplifies the assembly and disassembly process, allowing sectors to be quickly connected or separated without complex fastening mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the casing structure uses a narrow segmented cylindrical frame, then accessibility to equipment is improved, but aerodynamic flow continuity is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The casing structure incorporates sealing elements such as gaskets or flexible seals at the joints between ferrule sectors and radial arms. These sealing components maintain aerodynamic continuity by preventing flow leakage at the segmentation interfaces, while still allowing the sectors to be removed for maintenance access.
3Reliability
If the casing structure includes multiple fastening components, then structural reliability is improved, but assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting wedges serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural connection between sectors, incorporate sealing surfaces for aerodynamic continuity, and include alignment features for precise assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and streamlines the assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The parallel series of holes and corresponding screws are pre-configured in the connecting wedges and ferrule sectors. This preliminary arrangement of fastening elements allows maintenance personnel to quickly identify and access the correct fastening points, reducing assembly and disassembly time compared to searching for scattered fasteners.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
Case structure interposed between the engine and the nacelle of an aircraft, comprising: a shell ring surrounding the engine and comprising a plurality of sectors (12A, 12B), at least one radial arm (14) for connecting to the nacelle, a plurality of fastening means for securing this plurality of shell ring sectors together or to the at least one radial arm, the plurality of fastening means comprising a plurality of connecting tabs (20) that are each provided with two parallel series of holes that are intended to respectively receive two series of cap screws that pass, in the case of a first series, through a corresponding set of orifices in a shell ring sector and, in the case of a second series, through a corresponding set of orifices in an adjacent shell ring sector or in an adjacent radial arm.