Spherical Slipper Retainer for Hydraulic Unit Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing designs of integrated drive generators face challenges in maintaining efficient operation of hydraulic units due to varying rotational speeds from aircraft engines, which can lead to misalignment and potential damage of components like slipper retainers.
Innovation Solution
A slipper retainer with a circular body and central aperture, featuring a curved surface defined by a sphere and multiple slipper apertures, is designed to securely engage with retainer balls and pistons, ensuring precise contact and alignment, even with varying engine speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional slipper retainer design is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the component alignment and contact precision deteriorate under varying rotational speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer body incorporates a curved surface defined by a sphere centered at a point located a distance of about 0.209 inches from the back surface of the body. This spherical curvature enables the retainer to maintain proper contact and alignment with the wobbler and piston across varying rotational speeds, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and structural complexity by using a geometrically simple yet functionally effective curved surface.
2Productivity
If the slipper retainer components are designed to mate and fit together precisely, then operational efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slipper retainer is designed with a circular body configuration that serves multiple functions: it provides the curved surface for wobbler contact, defines the central aperture for piston passage, and creates the slipper apertures for slipper retention. This multi-functional design achieves precise component alignment and improved operational efficiency while avoiding the need for additional separate components, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture and assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the rotational speed varies during engine operation, then the system adapts to different flight conditions, but the alignment and contact of hydraulic components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The curved surface defined by a sphere allows the retainer body to maintain consistent contact and alignment with the wobbler regardless of rotational speed variations. The spherical geometry provides a constant radius of curvature that ensures proper mechanical coupling between components during engine operation across different flight conditions, thereby maintaining reliability while adapting to speed changes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A slipper retainer 400 of a hydraulic unit having a circular body 401 having a back surface and an outer edge, the circular body defining a diameter of about 2.240 inches (5.629 cm), a central aperture 402 through a center of the circular body, the circular body having a curved surface defining an edge of the central aperture, wherein the curved surface is defined by a sphere that is centered at a point located a distance of about 0.209 inches (0.531 cm) from the back surface of the body, and a plurality of slipper apertures 404 located between the curved surface of the circular body and the outer edge of the circular body, wherein each slipper aperture of the plurality of slipper apertures has a diameter of about 0.464 inches (1.179 cm).