Turbine Rear Frame Strut Mount Geometry for Pressure Loss Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines for aircraft face challenges in maintaining axial flow direction and minimizing pressure losses to maximize thrust, particularly in the design of the turbine rear frame and strut mounts, which affect engine efficiency and specific fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
The design features an outer and inner ring configuration with strategically positioned struts and lug mounts, where the maximum radial distance of the recess is upstream of the strut's chord-wise center, optimizing the airfoil shape and mount geometry to reduce pressure losses and facilitate cleaner airflow, allowing for non-diverging annular flow passages and improved aerodynamic performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the strut is mounted with the recess maximum radial distance downstream of the strut's chord-wise center, then the mounting structure is simpler, but pressure losses increase and aerodynamic efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the radial distance of the recess maximum from the strut's chord-wise center. By positioning this parameter upstream rather than downstream, the design achieves reduced pressure losses and improved aerodynamic efficiency while maintaining acceptable geometric complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a non-uniform radial distance distribution in the recess geometry. The maximum radial distance is positioned upstream of the strut's chord-wise center, creating a localized optimization in the critical flow region to minimize pressure losses while allowing other areas to maintain simpler geometries.
2Loss of energy
If the annular flow passage is made non-diverging, then pressure losses are reduced, but the design control and aerodynamic performance optimization becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the radial distance parameter of the recess to achieve a non-diverging flow passage geometry. This parameter optimization enables the flow passage to maintain constant cross-sectional area, reducing pressure losses while managing the design complexity through systematic parameter selection.
3Loss of energy
If the strut airfoil shape is optimized with specific leading and trailing edge geometries, then aerodynamic efficiency improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing specific local features of the strut airfoil shape, including the leading and trailing edge geometries, while maintaining overall simplicity. The localized optimization at critical aerodynamic surfaces improves efficiency without requiring complex manufacturing of the entire strut assembly.
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
This configuration results in reduced pressure losses, lower specific fuel consumption, and enhanced aerodynamic efficiency, with potential for up to 10% lower overall pressure losses compared to conventional designs, while allowing for more design control and efficient airflow direction from swirling to axial.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one strut having an airfoil shape defining a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root located at the inner ring, and a tip located at the recess of the outer ring
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine rear frame for a gas turbine engine comprises a plurality of struts disposed between an outer ring and an inner ring. The struts can be mounted adjacent to one or more mount surfaces defined within the outer ring. The mount surface can comprise a recess in the outer ring having a maximum radial distance upstream of engine mounts inserted therein. The struts can further comprise a pitch angle offset from a centerline of the mount surface and a tangentially curved trailing edge at a tip to improve aerodynamic performance of the turbine rear frame.