Textured Drum for Applying Riblets to Airfoil Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines do not effectively reduce drag coefficients on airfoils, which limits efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A drum with textured features, such as grooves, is used to apply riblets to the airfoil surface, mimicking the geometry of riblets to create a textured pattern that reduces drag.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If riblets are applied to airfoil surface, then drag coefficient is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a drum with grooves that copies the riblet geometry onto the airfoil surface. The drum's grooved peripheral surface acts as a template, transferring the riblet pattern to the airfoil through a simple rolling or pressing operation, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while achieving the desired drag reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies the groove dimensions (width, depth, spacing) on the drum peripheral surface to create different riblet configurations. By changing these geometric parameters on the drum, different riblet patterns can be applied to various airfoil sections to optimize drag reduction for specific flow conditions
2Productivity
If variable surface texture is applied to different airfoil sections, then aerodynamic performance is optimized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The airfoil surface is divided into multiple sections, with different drum segments or drum configurations applied to each section. Each drum segment can have grooves tailored to the specific aerodynamic requirements of that airfoil section, allowing optimized texture application without requiring ultra-precise positioning across the entire airfoil surface
Solution Approach 2:
The drum grooves are pre-configured with the exact riblet geometry needed for each airfoil section before application. This preliminary preparation of the drum texture ensures that when the drum is applied to the airfoil, the correct riblet pattern is transferred with adequate precision, reducing the need for high-precision real-time adjustment during manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
A drum is provided having a peripheral surface with texture features thereon. The texture features may be a plurality of grooves for applying riblets to an airfoil surface. Methods of using the drum are also provided.