Titanium Clevis Rib for Sync Ring Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sync ring assemblies in gas turbine engines experience significant deflections during surge conditions, requiring increased stiffness to maintain structural integrity and efficiency, while also seeking to reduce weight for improved performance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a rib into the clevises of the sync ring assembly, manufactured from titanium, which provides enhanced stiffness without increasing weight, by strategically locating the rib on the interior diameter of the clevis and including a wall at the second end to ensure correct assembly orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the clevis is made with conventional design, then the manufacturing is simple, but the stiffness is insufficient during surge conditions
Solution Approach 1:
A rib is added to the clevis structure at a specific location (proximate the stand-offs) to locally enhance stiffness where it is most needed to counter deflections during surge conditions, rather than uniformly increasing the complexity of the entire clevis structure
Solution Approach 2:
The rib extends in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the clevis, adding a dimensional element that increases moment of inertia and stiffness without significantly increasing the overall volume or complexity of the clevis
2Strength
If the clevis wall thickness is increased to improve stiffness, then the structural integrity is improved, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing wall thickness throughout the clevis, a rib is added only at the critical location proximate the stand-offs where stiffness is most needed, providing local reinforcement without adding excessive weight to the entire component
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement is segmented into a discrete rib feature rather than a uniform wall thickness increase, allowing stiffness enhancement only where required while maintaining lighter weight in other areas of the clevis
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a sync ring assembly (300) associated with an engine (10), comprising a sync ring (304a), and a clevis (312a) coupled to the sync ring (304a), where the clevis (312a) includes a rib (362) that resists a deflection of the sync ring assembly (300) when the engine (10) is operated, and where the clevis (312a) is made of titanium.