Tie Rod-Locking Nut Assembly for Gas Turbine Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbines lack a mechanism to prevent the tie rod-locking nut from loosening due to vibrations during operation, which can compromise the operational stability of the turbine.
Innovation Solution
A tie rod-locking nut assembly is introduced, comprising a tie rod-locking nut, a jack bolt-locking nut, an anti-loosening washer, and a locking plate. The anti-loosening washer engages the outer circumferential surface of the jack bolt-locking nut to prevent its loosening, while the locking plate covers the washer and engages with the tie rod.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional tie rod-locking nut is used without additional anti-loosening mechanisms, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability deteriorates due to loosening from vibrations during gas turbine operation
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-loosening mechanism is divided into multiple functional components: anti-loosening washers (first and second) that engage with the locking nut, a locking plate that secures the washers, and a sealing ring. Each component performs a specific function in preventing loosening, allowing the system to achieve high reliability through modular segmentation rather than a single complex mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-loosening components are nested within each other: the first anti-loosening washer is positioned between the locking nut and locking plate, the second anti-loosening washer is nested within the locking plate, and the sealing ring is positioned within the locking plate. This nested arrangement achieves comprehensive anti-loosening protection while maintaining a compact structure that does not significantly increase overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple anti-loosening components are added to prevent loosening, then the reliability improves, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to increased assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-loosening washers are pre-positioned in specific locations before final assembly: the first anti-loosening washer is placed between the locking nut and locking plate, and the second anti-loosening washer is placed within the locking plate. This preliminary positioning ensures that the components are already in their correct anti-loosening orientations, simplifying the final assembly process and maintaining ease of manufacture despite the multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking plate serves as an intermediary component that integrates multiple functions: it secures the first anti-loosening washer, contains the second anti-loosening washer, provides a sealing surface with the sealing ring, and attaches to the tie rod. By consolidating these functions into a single intermediary component, the design reduces the number of separate assembly operations needed, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving high fastening stability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A tie rod-locking nut assembly (2000) includes a tie rod-locking nut (2100) threaded onto a jack bolt (1610), a jack bolt-locking nut (2200) inserted between the tie rod-locking nut (2100) and the jack bolt (1610), an anti-loosening washer (2300) formed to wrap around an outer circumferential surface of the jack bolt-locking nut (2200) to prevent loosening of the jack bolt-locking nut (2200), and a locking plate (2400) formed to cover the anti-loosening washer (2300) and engaging with an outer circumferential surface of the tie rod (1600).