Self-centering fluid fitting with alignment feature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engine fuel lines often experience misalignment during installation due to manufacturing limitations, leading to potential deformation and latent leaks, which can be difficult to detect, especially after thermal expansion or contraction.
Innovation Solution
A self-aligning fluid fitting assembly is introduced, featuring a fluid fitting with an alignment feature on its outer diameter and a retainer flange with different inner diameters to minimize the gap between the fluid fitting and retainer, ensuring concentric alignment and preventing misalignment during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manufacturing limitations result in a large gap between fluid fitting and retainer, then ease of manufacture is improved, but misalignment probability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment feature is pre-formed on the fluid fitting during manufacturing, and the retainer flange is pre-configured with specific inner diameter variations. These preliminary geometric features guide the components into proper alignment during assembly, eliminating the need for high-precision manufacturing of the entire assembly while ensuring accurate concentric positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment feature acts as an intermediary element between the fluid fitting and retainer flange. This intermediate geometric feature mediates the connection by providing a reference surface that ensures proper alignment, allowing the components to be manufactured with standard tolerances while achieving precise assembly alignment.
2Productivity
If misalignment occurs during installation, then installation speed is improved, but deformation and leak risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment feature and retainer flange configuration enable the assembly to self-align during installation. The geometric features automatically guide the fluid fitting into concentric positioning with the retainer as they are brought together, eliminating the need for external alignment tools or procedures while ensuring proper alignment and preventing deformation.
3Manufacturing precision
If gap between fluid fitting and retainer is reduced, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer flange is segmented into regions with different inner diameters, creating a stepped configuration. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain a larger overall gap for ease of manufacture while providing localized precision alignment surfaces where needed, reducing the need for complex manufacturing processes throughout the entire component.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid fitting assembly is disclosed according to various embodiments. The fluid fitting assembly may comprise a fluid fitting, a fluid fitting retainer, and an alignment feature. The fluid fitting may comprise a tube and a fluid fitting flange. The fluid fitting retainer may comprise a retainer flange, wherein an inner surface of fluid fitting retainer is configured to seat against a radially outer surface of the fluid fitting flange. The alignment feature may be disposed on an outer diameter of the fluid fitting, wherein the alignment feature is located adjacent to the fluid fitting flange.