Heat shield for engine control system components mounted to engine case of gas turbine engines
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsAndrew Solomon, Alden Winn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and associated methods relate to a heat shield for Engine Control System (ECS) components mounted to the engine case of gas turbine engines. The heat shield is formed by additive manufacturing, which permits a plurality of structural trusses to be formed between first and second mounting plates separated by a thin elongated cavity. The first mounting plate is configured to mount to the engine case of the gas turbine engine. The second mounting case is configured to mount to the ECS component. The truss structure is configured to add rigidity to the heat shield without providing significant thermal conductivity between the first and second mounting plates.
Claims20
A heat shield for Engine Control System (ECS) components mounted to an engine case of a gas turbine engine, the heat shield comprising:
- a first mounting plate configured to mount to the engine case;
- a second mounting plate configured to mount to an ECS component;
- a substantially uniform gap separating the first and the second mounting plates;
- a sidewall circumscribing and connecting the first and second mounting plate, thereby laterally encapsulating a cavity having a lateral dimension defined by an inside surface of the sidewall and having a thickness of the substantially uniform gap;
- a plurality of structural trusses distributed substantially uniformly throughout the cavity, each of the plurality of structural trusses spanning the substantially uniform gap between the first and second mounting plates;
- and
- a plurality of mounting apertures substantially perpendicular to and providing a straight path through both the first and second mounting plates, thereby providing access to the cavity.
A method for manufacturing a heat shield for Engine Control System (ECS) components mounted to an engine case of gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- providing a granular bed of unfused material;
- fusing a layer of the granular bed to form a first mounting plate configured to mount to the engine case via a first plurality of mounting apertures in the first mounting plate;
- fusing portions of the granular bed immediately above the first mounting plate to form a sidewall circumscribing the first mounting plate and a plurality of structural trusses distributed substantially uniformly throughout first mounting plate, the sidewall and each of the plurality of structural trusses extending a gap thickness above the first mounting plate, the sidewall forming thin elongated cavity having a lateral dimension defined by an inside surface of the sidewall;
- fusing a layer of the granular bed immediately above the sidewall and the plurality of structural trusses to form a second mounting plate configured to mount to an ECS component via a second plurality of mounting apertures in the second mounting plate, each of the second plurality of mounting apertures aligned with a corresponding one of the first plurality of mounting apertures in the first mounting plate, the second mounting plate enclosing the thin elongated cavity defined by a gap thickness between the first and second mounting plates;
- and
- removing non-fused granular material via at least one of the first and/or second pluralities of mounting apertures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.