Engine assembly with cover member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11346283-B2
Application number	US-202016787614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Feb 15, 2019
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

The proposed solution concerns in particular an engine assembly witha casing part extending along a central axis,at least one cover part which at least partially covers an outside of the casing part, and for this, in relation to the central axis, extends along a circumferential direction which points along a circular path around the central axis, andat least one connecting element via which the at least one cover part is fixed relative to the casing part and which compensates for different thermal expansions of the casing part and the at least one cover part.It is proposed amongst others that the connecting element is part of a connecting assembly which comprises, in addition to the at least one connecting element, at least one separate supporting element which has thicker walls than the at least one connecting element and supports the first and second flange portions of the at least one connecting element against each other, and extends between the first and second flange portions with a flexibly formed expansion portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine assembly, with
a casing part extending along a central axis,
at least one cover part which at least partially covers an outside of the casing part, and
at least one connecting element via which the at least one cover part is fixed relative to the casing part and which compensates for different thermal expansions of the casing part and the at least one cover part,
wherein the at least one connecting element:
comprises first and second flange portions for connecting the cover part to the casing part or to a further engine component connected to the casing part, of which the first flange portion is connected to the cover part and the second flange portion is connected to the casing part or to the further engine component, and
is part of a connecting assembly which comprises, in addition to the at least one connecting element, at least one separate supporting element which has thicker walls than the at least one connecting element and supports the first and second flange portions against each other, and extends between the first and second flange portions with a flexibly formed expansion portion.

2. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion portion comprises a corrugated region.

3. The engine assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the corrugated region is S-shaped in cross-section.

4. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein in cross-section, the expansion portion forms a convex curve and two concave curve connecting regions, between which the convex curve is positioned.

5. The engine assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the convex curve has a radius of curvature r 7 a for which, in relation to a mean wall thickness t 7 of the supporting element: r 7 a /t 7 ≥5.

6. The engine assembly according to claim 4 , wherein each concave curve has a radius of curvature r 7 b for which, in relation to a mean wall thickness t 7 of the supporting element: r 7 b /t 7 ≥3.

7. The engine assembly according to claim 4 , wherein a radius of curvature of the convex curve is in each case greater than a radius of curvature of one of the concave curves.

8. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion portion forms a convex curve which defines a depression of U-shaped cross-section on the expansion portion.

9. The engine assembly according to claim 8 , wherein for a maximal height h 7 of the depression of U-shaped cross-section, in relation to a mean wall thickness t 7 of the supporting element: h 7 /t 7 ≥9.

10. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein in relation to a mounting state of the engine assembly in which an engine comprising the engine assembly is not in operation, the at least one connecting element is configured with an L-shaped or a V-shaped cross-section.

11. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting element has a mean wall thickness t 6 for which, in relation to a mean wall thickness t 7 of the supporting element: t 7 /t 6 ≥3.

12. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting element extends in a circumferential direction with a width which is multiple times greater than a width with which the supporting element extends in the circumferential direction.

13. The engine assembly according to claim 12 , wherein for a width b 6 of the at least one connecting element in relation to a width b 7 of the supporting element: b 6 /b 7 ≥10.

14. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second flange portions has a reinforcing element via which a wall thickness of the at least one connecting element is locally increased in a region of the first or second flange portion on which the supporting element lies and/or at which at least one fixing element is provided for fixing the cover part to the casing part or to the further engine component connected to the casing part.

15. The engine assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the reinforcing element has a mean wall thickness t 9 for which, in relation to a mean wall thickness t 6 of the at least one connecting element: (t 6 +t 9 )/t 6 ≥3.

16. The engine assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one connecting element is a component configured for fire protection.

17. An engine assembly, comprising:
a casing part of a core engine of the engine assembly, circumferentially surrounding the core engine, with respect to a central axis of the core engine, and extending axially along the central axis,
at least one cover part which at least partially covers an outside of the casing part, and extends circumferentially around the casing part, and
at least one connecting element via which the at least one cover part is fixed relative to the casing part and which compensates for different thermal expansions of the casing part and the at least one cover part,
the at least one connecting element including an expansion portion configured for compensating for the different thermal expansions, the expansion portion including a channel depression extending in a circumferential direction and being U-shaped in cross-section, pointing radially inward or outward relative to the central axis.

18. The engine assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one cover part delimits a bypass duct of the engine assembly.

19. An engine assembly, with
a casing part extending along a central axis,
at least one cover part which at least partially covers an outside of the casing part, and for this, in relation to the central axis, extends along a circumferential direction which points along a circular path around the central axis, and
at least one first connecting element and at least one second connecting element, wherein the at least one cover part is fixed in relation to the casing part via the at least one first connecting element at a first end of the cover part relative to the central axis, and via the at least one second connecting element at a second end of the cover part facing away from the first end relative to the central axis, and the at least one first and second connecting elements compensate for different thermal expansions of the casing part and the at least one cover part,
wherein:
a) the at least one first connecting element has an expansion portion for compensating for the different thermal expansions, which forms a depression extending in the circumferential direction and is U-shaped in cross-section, pointing radially inward or outward relative to the central axis, and
b) the at least one second connecting element
comprises first and second flange portions for connecting the cover part to the casing part or to a further engine component connected to the casing part, of which the first flange portion is connected to the cover part and the second flange portion is connected to the casing part or to the further engine component, and
is part of a connecting assembly which comprises, in addition to the at least one second connecting element, at least one separate supporting element which has thicker walls than the at least one second connecting element and supports the first and second flange portions against each other, and extends between the first and second flange portions with a flexibly formed expansion portion.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co Kg

Inventors

• Dickert Uwe
• Fuchs Carsten
• Thies Robert

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• F02C7/25 Primary

  Fire protection or prevention (in general A62) · CPC title

• F05D2260/941

  particularly aimed at mechanical or thermal stress reduction · CPC title