Turbofan Outlet Guide Vane Segmentation for Compact Engine Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in maintaining a compact design while allowing for efficient disassembly and shipping, as the larger fan case assembly increases weight and drag due to its diameter being larger than the core engine assembly.
Innovation Solution
The turbofan engine assembly incorporates an outlet guide vane assembly with radially inner and outer flanges that allow the core gas turbine engine to be decoupled and shifted radially before axial removal, reducing the fan case assembly's outer diameter and enabling efficient disassembly and shipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the fan case assembly is sized to fit over the core engine assembly, then the core engine assembly can be easily removed, but the diameter of the fan case assembly increases, thereby increasing overall engine weight and drag
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet guide vane assembly is divided into multiple segments that can be independently removed. This segmentation allows the core engine assembly to be extracted without requiring the entire fan case assembly to be disassembled, facilitating easy removal while maintaining a compact overall structure that reduces weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The core engine assembly is extracted from within the fan case assembly through the outlet guide vane assembly. By designing the outlet guide vane assembly as a separate, removable component, the core engine can be taken out for maintenance or replacement without removing the entire fan case assembly, thus maintaining weight efficiency while enabling easy operation.
2Ease of operation
If the fan case assembly is sized to fit over the core engine assembly, then the core engine assembly can be easily removed, but the diameter of the fan case assembly increases, thereby increasing drag
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet guide vane assembly is segmented into removable sections that allow the core engine to be extracted without requiring a large diameter fan case assembly. This segmentation enables a more compact overall design that reduces the fan case diameter, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag while maintaining ease of removal for maintenance purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes radial and axial dimensional relationships to enable removal. The outlet guide vane assembly is positioned radially outward from the core engine, allowing the core engine to be shifted axially and removed radially. This dimensional arrangement enables compact packaging that reduces drag while facilitating easy removal.
3Device complexity
If the outlet guide vane assembly has a large radially inner diameter, then the fan case assembly can be sized to fit over the core engine assembly, but the overall engine weight and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet guide vane assembly is segmented into multiple sections with varying radial dimensions. The segments are designed with smaller radially inner diameters that allow the fan case assembly to be compact, reducing overall engine weight while maintaining structural simplicity through modular design that facilitates assembly and disassembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A turbofan engine assembly includes a core gas turbine engine with a booster compressor having a radially outer diameter, a fan case assembly, and an outlet guide vane assembly. The outlet guide vane assembly includes a plurality of outlet guide vane segments spaced circumferentially about the core gas turbine engine. Each outlet guide vane segment of the plurality of outlet guide vane segments includes a radially inner fan hub frame flange configured to couple to the core gas turbine engine, a radially outer fan case flange configured to couple to the fan case assembly, and a plurality of outlet guide vanes extending therebetween. The radially inner diameter of the outlet guide vane assembly is smaller than the radially outer diameter of the booster compressor.