Segmented Fan Case Assembly for Gas Turbine Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of replacing a large fan case in a gas turbine aircraft engine is complicated by its size, which makes transportation and delivery impractical, especially in remote locations, and existing solutions do not adequately address the need for efficient assembly and strengthening of the fan case.
Innovation Solution
A fan case designed with multiple longitudinal segments that can be assembled to form the outer and inner walls, including strengthening ribs and outlet guide vanes, allowing for easier storage, transportation, and assembly, and a continuous support ring for added strength, enabling the formation of a large bypass duct for efficient engine operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the fan case is made as a single large component to ensure structural integrity, then the structural strength is improved, but the ease of transportation and delivery to remote locations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fan case is divided into multiple longitudinal segments that can be assembled together to form the complete circular structure. Each segment includes portions of the outer wall, inner wall, and strengthening ribs, allowing the large component to be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces for transportation while maintaining the overall structural integrity when assembled
2Ease of operation
If the fan case is divided into multiple longitudinal segments to improve ease of transportation and assembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fan case is segmented longitudinally into multiple sections, each containing corresponding portions of the outer wall, inner wall, and strengthening ribs. This segmentation allows for easier transportation and assembly while the design ensures that the segments can be joined using standardized connection mechanisms, thereby controlling the increase in complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Each longitudinal segment combines multiple functional elements (outer wall portion, inner wall portion, and strengthening rib portions) into a single integrated component. This merging reduces the total number of separate parts that need to be handled and assembled, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining ease of operation
3Strength
If strengthening ribs are added to the fan case to improve structural strength, then the strength is improved, but the weight of the fan case increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strengthening ribs are divided into multiple rib portions distributed across different longitudinal segments. This segmentation allows the ribs to be added in a modular fashion, providing the necessary structural strength while distributing the weight increase across multiple smaller components rather than adding a single large heavy element
Solution Approach 2:
Strengthening ribs are strategically positioned at specific locations where structural reinforcement is most needed, rather than uniformly distributing them throughout the entire fan case. This local quality approach ensures that strength is improved where required while minimizing unnecessary weight addition in areas where structural support is already sufficient
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4A
Figure 4B
AI summary
A fan case (42) for a gas turbine aircraft engine (10), the fan case (42) formed of a wall (50) extending in a loop around an axis (9') and along the axis (9'), and having a case length (54) along the axis (9'), and a case perimeter (58) around the axis (9'), wherein the fan case (42) comprises two or more longitudinal segments (78a,b,c) configured to be assembled to form the wall (50), wherein each longitudinal segment (78a,b,c) includes a portion (50a,b,c) of the wall (50) extending at least part of the length (54) of the fan case (42) and forming an incomplete portion of the perimeter (58) of the fan case (42) .