Toroidal Spinner Aft Flange for Gas Turbine Impact Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conical spinner flanges in gas turbine engines are prone to bending and interlaminar shear loads due to extreme loading conditions, such as impact events, which can lead to structural damage.
Innovation Solution
A spinner with a toroidal aft flange made of a laminar composite structure, featuring a multi-radial curve and a filler with an annular geometry, which distributes stress evenly and prevents delamination by shifting mechanical loads throughout the structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flat conical segment is used to join the spinner body to the fan hub, then the structure can be simple and easy to manufacture, but it experiences bending and interlaminar shear loads under extreme loading conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the flat conical segment with a toroidal (curved) segment that has a specific radius of curvature. This curvature allows the structure to better distribute and absorb impact loads, reducing bending moments and interlaminar shear stresses while maintaining manufacturability through composite layup techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a laminar composite structure with specific fiber orientations (including ±45 degree plies) in the toroidal segment to enhance strength and toughness. The composite construction provides superior resistance to bending and interlaminar shear loads compared to conventional monolithic materials, while still being manufacturable using automated fiber placement or similar processes.
2Strength
If a thicker flange structure is used to resist impact loads, then the strength and impact resistance improve, but the weight of the spinner increases
Solution Approach 1:
The laminar composite structure with optimized fiber orientations provides high strength-to-weight ratio. The ±45 degree plies specifically enhance shear resistance and impact tolerance, allowing a thinner overall structure to achieve the same load-bearing capacity as a much thicker conventional structure, thereby reducing weight while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The toroidal geometry with optimized radius of curvature distributes impact loads more evenly through the structure, reducing stress concentrations. This allows for a thinner flange design that can withstand extreme loading conditions without requiring excessive material thickness, thus reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A spinner (215) for a gas turbine engine (100) includes a substantially-flat inner surface (302) having frustoconical geometry. A flange (220) having semi-torroidal geometry extends from the spinner (215) with an inner curved surface (304) of the flange (220) being tangential to the inner surface (302). A mating portion (320) extends substantially tangentially from the inner curved surface (304) of the flange (220) and configured for fastening to a fan hub.