Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft power plants – Mounting
Patent
1982-03-26
1984-10-02
Blix, Trygve M.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft power plants
Mounting
244121, 60 39091, 60 3931, 415 9, 248554, B64D 2700, F01B 2516, F16M 1300
Patent
active
044743467
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a gas-turbine engine strut and cowl structure and in particular to a collapsible cowl safety support structure therefor.
One of the most recent safety improvements in gas-turbine engines has been the development of a fan case containment system, hereinafter called belt, made of strong flexible material surrounding the engine fan area. This flexible belt serves to restrain, contain and catch all flying debris which if ingested by the engine or originated from broken fan pieces which, when not restrained, could damage, cut or short out the engine fuel, oil, electrical and other supply lines causing engine fire and related disasters. The belt is made somewhat similar to the construction of a bullet proof vest, utilizing layers of tough, flexible Kevlar material or the like and capable of restraining or containing most of the free flying objects.
Since the vital supply lines to the engine are carried by the strut and are deployed adjacent the fan area, a revised, improved structural protection, which converts a portion of the hard or permanent conventional structure of the strut into a collapsible structure appeared advisable. Accordingly, the present invention provides for
(1) a system interface, which clears the maximum belt deflection envelope and
(2) a collapsible right and left fan cowl support hinge structure which is capable of moving outward, to at least clear the maximum belt deflection envelope, and thereby protect the strut structure from rupture or upset.
Because the present safety collapsible cowl hinge structure and arrangement has been designed for the first engine that employed the recent developed fan blade containment belt, there is no prior art that relates to a similar arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The airplane strut structure which supports the engine includes a cowl hinge structure. In general, the engine cowlings are hingedly attached to the right and to the left side of the cowl hinge structure. The present invention provides for a safety collapsible cowl hinge structure in the area of the engine fan so that upon fan belt deflection, due to fan blade failings or other debris, the deflection will not cause damage to structural areas carrying fuel and electrical conduits, but the deflection force is contained and absorbed in the nearest located cowl hinge structure due to its collapsible capability.
The cowl hinge structure is partly located within the maximum deflection envelope of the fan protection belt, which location approximately coincides with the forward strut-engine area. The cowl hinge structure includes a substantially horizontally positioned hinge beam which carries at each end a thereon mounted cowl hinge. The hinge beam is connected to the strut structure by a right and a left collapsible triangular structural arrangement, comprising a right and a left vertically extending beam-chord linkage between the hinge beam and the right and left strut chord. In the presently preferred configuration, each beam-chord is pivotally mounted to the hinge beam and solidly connected via a breakaway mechanical fuse arrangement to the right and left chord, respectively. The breakaway arrangement at the upper part of the linkages employs a bracket provided with a riveted, mounted locking clip, which rivets will shear and cause a disconnection at an upward force or load. In order to carry side loads to the cowling hinges during normal operation, a right and a left tension load linkage is substantially diagonally mounted between the linkage beam and the upper portion of the chord beam linkage thus forming the right and left triangular configuration. However, in order to obtain the collapsible features of the cowl hinge structure at belt deflection situations, due to debris forces as explained above, the tension linkage mountings at the hinge beam are slidably arranged while the connection to the upper portion of the beam-chord linkage is pivotally arranged. Accordingly, when a belt deflection occurs, the hinge beam will be dislocat
REFERENCES:
patent: 4037809 (1977-07-01), Legrand
patent: 4055041 (1977-10-01), Adamson et al.
patent: 4065077 (1977-12-01), Brooks
patent: 4361296 (1982-11-01), Hall et al.
Murphy Patrick
Roundy Bertan J.
Wood Stuart K.
Blix Trygve M.
DeVogel Nicolaas
Donahue B. A.
Shum Ivy M.
The Boeing Company
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