Segmented Insertion Tool With Selective Rigidization for Annular Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines with annular openings require specialized tools for maintenance and inspection, but existing tools are limited by their inability to navigate complex geometries and adapt to varying annular sizes, leading to inefficiencies and increased downtime.
Innovation Solution
An insertion tool comprising multiple segments with hinge members and a strength member, allowing for selective rigidization and flexibility to access confined spaces within the engine, featuring interfaces with powder gaps, multi-modal connections, compliance features, and displace-to-lock configurations to accommodate complex pathways.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated specialized insertion tool is used for each annular opening, then the tool can precisely fit the specific geometry, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion tool is designed with multiple segments that can be configured in different arrangements to accommodate various annular opening sizes and geometries. The same basic tool structure can adapt to different applications through segment reconfiguration, eliminating the need for multiple dedicated tools while maintaining precise fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion tool is divided into multiple separable segments that can be independently positioned and configured. This segmentation allows the tool to adapt to different annular opening geometries by arranging segments in appropriate patterns, providing both precision fit and versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the insertion tool includes complex geometries and features, then it can perform required maintenance operations, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Complex geometries are distributed across multiple segments rather than requiring a single complex component. Each segment can be manufactured separately with simpler features, then assembled to create the overall complex functionality required for maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Segments with complex features are designed to nest within or around each other, allowing the tool to achieve complex overall geometries while maintaining simpler individual component designs. This nesting approach reduces manufacturing difficulty while preserving operational capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An insertion tool for performing an operation on equipment, the insertion tool including: a plurality of segments, each segment of the plurality of segments including a body comprising: a first hinge; and a second hinge, the first hinge of a first segment being coupled to the second hinge of a second segment adjacent to the first segment through an interface, wherein the interface comprises a powder gap, a multi-modal interface, a compliance feature, a displace-to-lock configuration, an interference fit, or any combination thereof, wherein the insertion tool is configured to be selectively rigidizable using a strength member interfacing with the plurality of segments.