Windage Shield With Displaceable Closure Flap
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing windage shields for gas turbine engines obstruct access to fasteners or are complex and unsuitable for nuts, leading to inefficiencies in cooling air temperature management due to turbulence caused by fasteners in annular ducts.
Innovation Solution
A windage shield with an annular channel and a resilient closure flap that can be displaced to provide access to fasteners, made from high-temperature fluoroelastomer materials, which minimizes turbulence and heating by enclosing fasteners within the channel while allowing easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a windage shield is used to cover fasteners, then turbulence and heating of cooling air are reduced, but access to the fasteners is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The closure flap is made displaceable rather than fixed, allowing it to move between a closed position that reduces turbulence and heating, and an open position that provides access to fasteners. This dynamic element resolves the contradiction by enabling both protection during operation and access when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The windage shield is segmented into a fixed channel structure and a movable closure flap. This segmentation allows the majority of the shield to remain in place for continuous turbulence reduction, while the flap can be independently displaced to provide access without removing the entire shield assembly.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is used to secure the shield, then the shield remains in position, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure flap utilizes the elastic properties of the fluoroelastomer material itself to provide both sealing and positioning functions. The material's natural elasticity creates a self-latching effect against the abutment wall, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms while maintaining reliable positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameter of the closure flap from rigid to elastomeric, allowing it to deform and latch onto the abutment wall. This parameter change enables the flap to secure itself without mechanical locks, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the closure flap is made from resilient material, then easy access is provided, but the material must withstand high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies using fluoroelastomer, a composite material that combines the elastic properties needed for easy flap displacement with high-temperature resistance. This material selection resolves the contradiction by providing both resilience for operation and thermal stability for the high-temperature environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter from ordinary resilient material to high-temperature fluoroelastomer, maintaining the elastic properties needed for flap displacement while adding thermal resistance to withstand the high-temperature environment of gas turbine engines.
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
The solution effectively reduces friction losses and heat transfer to surrounding areas, maintaining cooling air effectiveness and allowing for easy access to fasteners without obstructing the airflow or requiring complex unlocking mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
The closure flap may be mounted on one of the side walls which comprises a supporting side wall and is resiliently biased towards the other side wall which comprises an abutment side wall. The flap may comprise a flexible resilient material, the resilience of the material providing the bias.
Implementation Method 2
It is known that air turbulence and drag increase the temperature of the cooling air as the cooling air travels through the ducts. Known sources of turbulence are fasteners, such as nuts and bolts, which fasten adjacent sections of the engine together.
Implementation Method 3
It is known that air turbulence and drag increase the temperature of the cooling air as the cooling air travels through the ducts.
Implementation Method 4
The closure flap may be secured to an outer surface of the supporting side wall. The closure flap may be bonded to the supporting side wall.
Data Source
AI summary
A windage shield 2 for an array of fasteners 34, the shield 2 comprising a channel 4 for accommodating portions of the fasteners 34 extending into a fluid flow path. The windage shield 2 also comprises a closure flap 12 which extends between opposite side walls 8, 10 of the channel 4 to enclose the interior of the channel 4. The closure flap 12 is displaceable away from at least one of the side walls 8, 10 to provide access to at least one of the fastener portions 34.