Turbocharger Nozzle Ring Assembly for Adjustable Fixed Vane Angles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for constructing fixed-vane rings for turbocharger turbines require dedicated mold tooling for each design variation, making modifications costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a nozzle ring with an annular groove and bores for vane shaft insertion, allowing vane shafts to be affixed at desired angles without protruding, enabling rapid configuration changes using the same nozzle ring and vanes, potentially with different materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a monolithic casting method is used to construct the fixed-vane ring, then the structural integrity and simplicity of manufacturing are improved, but the adaptability and cost-effectiveness of design modifications deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed-vane ring is divided into separate components: the annular nozzle ring and individual vanes with shafts. The vanes are inserted into bores formed in the nozzle ring and then rigidly affixed through welding or brazing. This segmentation allows the nozzle ring to be reused across different designs while only the vanes need to be modified, significantly improving adaptability without sacrificing manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle ring is designed as a universal component that can accommodate multiple vane configurations. By forming bores in the nozzle ring and inserting different vane assemblies, the same nozzle ring can be used across multiple turbocharger designs, reducing the need for dedicated mold tooling for each design variation.
2Manufacturing precision
If dedicated mold tooling is created for each vane ring configuration, then the manufacturing precision and quality control are improved, but the productivity and cost-efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bores are pre-formed in the nozzle ring at precise locations and orientations before vane insertion. This preliminary action ensures that when vanes are inserted and affixed, they achieve the desired setting angles and configurations with high precision, eliminating the need for complex dedicated mold tooling while maintaining manufacturing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the physical mold tooling for each design, the invention changes the parameters of the vanes (such as setting angles, lengths, and configurations) while keeping the nozzle ring and its bores constant. This allows rapid production of different vane ring configurations by simply adjusting vane parameters rather than redesigning entire mold tooling systems.
3Ease of operation
If the vane shafts protrude outside the annular groove, then the ease of assembly and alignment are improved, but the structural compactness and aesthetic finish deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The vane shafts are inserted into bores within the nozzle ring, and the annular groove is formed to accommodate the shafts such that they do not protrude outside the groove when affixed. This nesting approach allows the vanes to be securely mounted while maintaining a compact, flush surface finish on the nozzle ring.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular groove acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the need for secure vane shaft attachment and the requirement for a smooth surface finish. The groove provides space for the shafts to be rigidly affixed (through welding or brazing) while preventing protrusion, thus satisfying both assembly requirements and aesthetic/structural finish requirements.
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
Facilitates quick and cost-effective production of multiple vane ring configurations with adjustable angles, reducing the need for new mold tooling and CNC control changes.
Implementation Method 1
welding or brazing the vane shafts to the nozzle ring
Implementation Method 2
welding or brazing the vane shafts to the nozzle ring
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A method for constructing a nozzle ring 40 for a turbocharger turbine nozzle 28 includes the steps of: providing a nozzle ring 42 in the form of an annular flat disk, the nozzle ring having a first face and an opposite second face; forming a plurality of circumferentially spaced circular bores 43 extending through the nozzle ring 42 from the first face to the second face; providing a plurality of vanes 44, each vane having a circular vane shaft 46 extending from one end of the vane; inserting the vane shafts 46 respectively into the bores 43 in the nozzle ring from said first face thereof and orienting each vane 44 to achieve a desired setting angle for the vane; and rigidly affixing the vane shafts 46 to the nozzle ring 42 to fix the vanes at the desired setting angles.