Snake-Arm Deployment of Engine Servicing Tools in Confined Passages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing robotic arms, such as snake-like robotic arms, face challenges in precisely positioning servicing devices within complex environments like aircraft engines due to their rigidity or flexibility limitations, requiring multiple devices for various tasks and lacking reusability.

Innovation Solution

A snake-arm robot is used to mechanically couple with a servicing device, allowing it to be deployed to desired locations within an engine, then decoupled, enabling precise placement and reuse of flexible or rigidizable guide tubes and tools like borescopes, cameras, and other engine servicing apparatuses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If snake-like robotic arms are used to service engine components, then the ability to reach cluttered and confined areas is improved, but the precision of positioning the servicing device is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to reach cluttered and confined areasVSAvoidprecision of positioning servicing device

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The robotic system is divided into two separate components: a snake-like robotic arm for navigation and a servicing device for precise work. The robotic arm navigates to the target location while the servicing device is positioned and secured independently, allowing each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The servicing device is extracted from the robotic arm and left behind at the target location. This separation allows the robotic arm to focus on navigation and positioning, while the servicing device can be precisely positioned and secured using dedicated positioning mechanisms, thereby resolving the contradiction between reachability and positioning precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple servicing devices are used for different tasks, then the versatility of servicing operations is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveversatility of servicing operationsVSAvoidnumber of servicing devices required

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single servicing device is designed to perform multiple functions including inspection, cleaning, and repair operations. The device can be equipped with different tools or attachments and can be repositioned to different locations within the engine, eliminating the need for multiple specialized devices while maintaining operational versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The servicing device is deployed to different locations within the engine by the robotic arm, performed its function, and then the robotic arm retrieves it for redeployment to another location. This recoverable approach replaces multiple permanent devices with a single reusable device, reducing system complexity while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS12569947B2Method and apparatus for servicing engines

Publication Date: 2026.03.10 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO

AI summary

A snake-arm robot and a servicing device are mechanically coupled. The mechanical coupling is accomplished by a longitudinal insertion of the snake-arm robot into the servicing device or the servicing device into the snake-arm robot. An actuator moves the snake-arm robot through a passage within an engine until the snake-arm robot reaches a desired location. The movement of the snake-arm robot concurrently moves the servicing device through the passage. Subsequently, the snake-arm robot is de-coupled from the servicing device and the snake-arm robot is removed from the engine while leaving the servicing device in place within the engine.