Turbine Engine Cradle With Offset Axes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cradle designs for turboprop aircraft propulsion assemblies are inefficient in cooling and accessing electronic components due to their location in high-temperature regions and difficulty in maintenance, as they are typically positioned above the gas turbine engine, which obstructs airflow and complicates access.
Innovation Solution
The cradle design offsets the propeller and gas turbine engine axes horizontally within the cradle, creating a lateral space for installing components away from the heat flow, allowing for better cooling and easier access, with the propeller axis parallel to the longitudinal direction and the gas turbine engine axis closer to one lateral side, thus freeing up space for accessories and reducing the need for multiple oil pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If electronic components are positioned above the gas turbine engine for space efficiency, then the cradle structure is simplified, but the components are exposed to high-temperature regions which reduces their reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical stacking (above the engine) to horizontal offset (lateral positioning) of the electronic components relative to the gas turbine engine. This dimensional change allows components to be positioned in a cooler region while maintaining compact overall structure, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and component reliability.
2Volume of moving object
If electronic components are positioned above the gas turbine engine, then space utilization is optimized, but maintenance access becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions electronic components from a vertically stacked arrangement to a laterally offset arrangement. This dimensional change provides clearance zones that facilitate maintenance access while preserving efficient space utilization within the cradle structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cradle is designed with minimal space around the turbine engine to reduce aerodynamic obstruction, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but space for housing components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the space conflict by positioning electronic components laterally offset from the gas turbine engine rather than vertically above it. This dimensional reconfiguration accommodates components within the limited cradle volume while preserving the streamlined outer contours necessary for aerodynamic performance.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an aircraft propulsion assembly comprising a cradle receiving a turbine engine comprising at least one propeller having a longitudinal axis of rotation, a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal axis of rotation offset from the axis, and a reduction gear by means of which said propeller receives drive power from said engine, wherein the propeller and the gas turbine engine are designed such that axes and are offset from one another within said cradle at least by a given value in a transverse direction, the axis of the gas turbine engine being transversely closer to a proximal lateral side of the cradle than to an opposite distal lateral side of the cradle in order to create a lateral space between said engine and said distal lateral side of the cradle, thereby forming at least one region for installing equipments, components or accessories of said turbine engine.