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Old 4th Dec 2010, 06:41
  #86 (permalink)  
DERG
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Durham
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The photograph

I am familiar with material failures as any trained engineer should be and moreover I am a free agent so I can comment without prejudice to my financial income.

The insitu postion of the pipe stub is unknown to me but there are several prima facie characteristics that should be noted. The ATSB has already noted some facts and should be read carefully.

The ATSB state this is a feed line. In my view it could be the single scavenge line particular to the bearing case on the Trent. We will see in due course. RR has a patent on this design.

The most significant fact, in my view, is the fractured brown discoloured upper edge closest to the camera. This is an old fracture. Just how old I don't know. But certainly old enough to corrode.

Now this means that oil was leaking through this fracture and hot air was getting in. This would have added oil to the combustion process and cause a very slight delay to the energy transfer cycle viz. a vibration...micro second harmonic. This could be the cause of the spline wear.

What I do know for certain is the Rolls Royce are PARANOID about sharing technology. It is no surprise to me that they have been caught out with this. To be fair they try hard to get staff educated but obviously this simple component caught them out. Sad for UK engineering.
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