Tiltable Raceway Roller Bearing for Edge Wear Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional roller bearings and gear mechanisms in gas turbine engines face challenges in minimizing tilting to prevent edge wear while maintaining structural integrity and reducing weight, leading to increased fuel consumption and complexity in assembly and load-bearing capacity.
Innovation Solution
A roller element device with tiltable raceways and flexible connecting portions allows for joint tilting of cylindrical rollers without edge wear, enabling a lightweight and durable design with adjustable radial bearing stiffness, suitable for use in gas turbine engines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If supporting structures are designed with reinforcement to withstand forces, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting portions are designed with controlled flexibility to allow dynamic tilting of the raceways relative to the roller elements. This dynamic adaptation enables the bearing to accommodate misalignment and tilting forces without requiring overly rigid (and heavy) supporting structures, thus reducing weight while maintaining load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffness of the connecting portions is specifically optimized to allow raceway tilting within a certain angular range. By adjusting the flexibility parameter of the connecting portions, the bearing can handle tilting loads without edge wear while using less material, thereby reducing weight compared to conventional rigid designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tilt-tolerant roller bearings are used, then tilting capability is improved, but assembly cost and radial load-bearing capacity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is divided into separate components: inner ring with outer raceway, outer ring with inner raceway, roller elements, and flexible connecting portions. This segmentation allows the tilting capability to be achieved through the flexible connection design rather than requiring complex tilted raceway geometries, simplifying manufacturing and assembly while maintaining tilting adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible connecting portions act as intermediaries between the fixed supporting structures and the roller elements. These connecting portions absorb and accommodate tilting movements, allowing the use of standard cylindrical roller elements and conventional assembly methods while still achieving tilt tolerance.
3Reliability
If massive construction is used for planetary gear mechanisms, then durability is improved, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting portions are designed with optimized stiffness parameters that allow controlled flexibility. This enables the bearing to accommodate operational tilting and misalignment in planetary gear mechanisms without requiring massive construction, thereby reducing weight and fuel consumption while maintaining durability through improved adaptability to actual operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible connecting portions provide dynamic adaptation to varying load conditions and misalignment in planetary gear mechanisms. This dynamic capability allows the use of lighter components that can withstand long-term operational stresses without the need for overly massive (and fuel-consuming) constructions.
4Ease of manufacture
If cylindrical rollers are used in roller bearings, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but edge wear occurs when tilting exceeds specific angle
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible connecting portions serve as intermediaries that accommodate tilting movements between the raceways and roller elements. This allows cylindrical rollers to be used without edge wear even when the bearing experiences tilting, because the connecting portions absorb the angular misalignment rather than transmitting it to the roller-element-raceway contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting portions provide dynamic compensation for tilting angles by allowing the raceways to tilt relative to the roller elements. This maintains optimal contact between cylindrical rollers and raceways throughout operation, preventing edge wear while keeping the simple cylindrical roller geometry that is easy to manufacture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a lightweight, robust, and reliable roller element device that reduces edge wear and maintains structural integrity, achieving improved radial bearing stiffness and reduced material usage while minimizing weight and assembly complexities.
Implementation Method 1
The connecting portions are configured such that the two raceways can be tilted jointly at least in portions (optionally each as a whole) relative to the rotation axis
Data Source
AI summary
A roller element device, in particular for a gas turbine engine, comprises an outer ring with an inner raceway, an inner ring with an outer raceway, and roller elements which are arranged between the raceways so as to roll thereon, wherein the outer ring and the inner ring are each connected via a connecting portion to a respective fixing portion for fixing to one of two components which are rotatable relative to each other about a rotation axis, and the connecting portions are formed such that the two raceways can be jointly tilted at least in portions relative to the rotation axis.