Figure 1 Assembled Commercial Turbofan Aircraft Engine -Trimetric View Figure 2 Assembled Commercial Turbofan Aircraft Engine Trimetric View - Partial Cutaway 1
1. Fan 2. Low Pressure Compressor (Booster) 3. High Pressure Compressor 4. Combustor* 5. High Pressure Turbine* 6. Low Pressure Turbine Engine modules in focus for this Innovation Challenge Figure 3 Assembled Commercial Turbofan Aircraft Engine - Trimetric View - Partial Cutaway With Airflow and Major Modules Identified Figure 4 Assembled Commercial Turbofan Aircraft Engine - Trimetric View - Partial Cutaway View from Rear 2
See Figure 6 1. Fan 2. Low Pressure Compressor (Booster) 3. High Pressure Compressor 4. Combustor* 5. High Pressure Turbine* 6. Low Pressure Turbine Engine modules in focus for this Innovation Challenge Figure 5 Assembled Commercial Turbofan Aircraft Engine Cross Section View - Cutaway With Airflow 3
Figure 6 Assembled Combustor and High Pressure Turbine Section Cutaway View Focus Area for Challenge 4
View A Notes: 1. Currently, the stationary combustion chamber and high pressure turbine stage 1 nozzles is typically inspected by inserting a borescope probe through multiple access ports to view the full circumference and axial length of the chamber and front side of the nozzles 2. Currently, the stages 1 and 2 high pressure turbine blades are inspected utilizing hand rotation of the rotor via the engine gearbox. Each blade is rotated within view of the borescope which is inserted through an access port allows the probe to enter the flow path, between two HPT nozzle airfoils through the outer band of a nozzle segment. 3. Currently, the stationary HPT stages 1 and 2 nozzles and shrouds require extending a flexible borescope around the engine circumference to evaluate all nozzles. This inspection can be difficult to do because of the difficult access and the effects of gravity on the flexible probe. Key Access Port Dimension Assumptions: External combustor case: 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) threaded Combustor outer liner 0.34 in (8.6 mm) External HPT case: 0.75 in. (19 mm) threaded HPT nozzle outer band: 0.325 in. (8.3 mm) 1 Multiple access ports at various circumferential locations (See Figure 7, View A) for access of the combustion chamber and forward side of stage 1 HPT nozzles 2 One port at bottom of the engine primarily for inspection of forward side of stage 1 HPT blades 3 One port at bottom of the engine primarily for inspection of back side of stage 1 HPT blades and forward side of stage 2 blades Figure 7 Inspection Access Port Locations 5
View A Note: Various engine models have different numbers and location of inspection access ports. For this challenge, the assumption for access ports is 2 plus secondary access from the ignitor plug ports. Ideally, only the inspection ports will be needed to perform a full 360 inspection of the combustor inner and outer liners, combustor dome including fuel nozzle cups and the forward side of the HPT stage 1 nozzle segments. Figure 8 Combustion Chamber Inspection Access Port Locations 6