Liquid-capturing shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113429-B2
Application number	US-201514819799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Sep 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

There is provided a liquid-capturing shaft (30). The shaft is hollow, arranged for rotation about its longitudinal axis (31), and has a cylindrical wall (32) defining an inner surface (33) and an outer surface (34) of the shaft and through which are formed a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart inlet openings (35). Each inlet opening (35) has a respective inwardly and axially facing capture surface (40) which extends from the outer surface (34) of the shaft to the inner surface (33) of the shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid-capturing shaft, the shaft being hollow, arranged for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the shaft, comprising:
a wall defining an innermost surface and an outermost surface of the shaft and through which are formed a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart inlet openings; and
each inlet opening having a respective capture surface which extends from the outermost surface of the shaft and through the innermost surface of the shaft, such that the capture surface extends through the wall along a plane that extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis.

2. A shaft according to claim 1 , wherein each said capture surface is arranged at a compound angle to a transverse plane through the shaft.

3. A shaft according to claim 1 wherein each capture surface is substantially planar.

4. A shaft according to claim 1 , wherein each capture surface is arranged at a first acute angle (A) to the longitudinal direction of the shaft.

5. A shaft according to claim 4 , wherein at least some of said capture surfaces are arranged to make respective first acute angles to the longitudinal direction of the shaft which are different to one another.

6. A shaft according to claim 4 , wherein each of the first acute angle is between 15 and 60 degrees.

7. A shaft according to claim 1 , wherein each capture surface is arranged at a second acute angle to a plane tangential to the shaft.

8. A shaft according to claim 7 , wherein said second acute angle is between 20 and 60 degrees.

9. A shaft according to claim 1 , wherein each said inlet opening is formed as a slot having a side edge from which extends a respective said capture surface.

10. A shaft according to claim 1 , wherein said inlet openings and their respective capture surfaces are all provided in axial alignment with one another so as to be provided in an annular array around the shaft.

11. A shaft according to claim 10 , further including a plurality of recesses formed in its innermost surface, each said recess being located between a respective pair of said openings.

12. A shaft according to claim 10 , further including:
a plurality of recesses formed in its innermost surface, each said recess being located between a respective pair of said openings and
wherein:
said innermost surface of the shaft has an annular step provided at a position located axially adjacent to the annular array of inlet openings, the step defining a transition from a relatively small diameter region of the innermost surface around which the openings are provided, to a relatively large diameter region of the innermost surface, and
said step presents a surface which faces axially in the same direction as said capture surfaces.

13. A shaft according to claim 12 , wherein said recesses are formed in said relatively small diameter region of the innermost surface, and are each configured to be open to said relatively large diameter region of the innermost surface through the annular step.

14. A shaft according to claim 1 , having a plurality of recessed channels formed in its innermost surface, the channels being circumferentially spaced apart from one another and extending along a length of the shaft, away from the inlet openings.

15. A shaft according to claim 14 , wherein each said channel has a concave profile in radial cross-section.

16. A shaft according to claim 14 , wherein said channels extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

17. A shaft according to claim 14 , further including:
a plurality of recesses formed in its innermost surface, each said recess being located between a respective pair of said openings, and
wherein:
said innermost surface of the shaft has an annular step provided at a position located axially adjacent to the annular array of inlet openings, the step defining a transition from a relatively small diameter region of the innermost surface around which the openings are provided, to a relatively large diameter region of the innermost surface,
said step presents a surface which faces axially in the same direction as said capture surfaces, and
said channels are provided in a region of the innermost surface which has a diameter which is larger than said relatively small diameter region.

18. A shaft according to claim 17 , wherein an annular groove is formed around the innermost surface of the shaft, on the opposite side of said step to the inlet openings, and wherein each said channel is open to said groove at one end.

19. A shaft according to claim 14 , wherein the number of said channels is equal to the number of said inlet openings.

20. A shaft according to claim 14 , wherein the number of said channels is greater than the number of said inlet openings.

21. A shaft according to claim 1 , the shaft being arranged within a machine to capture liquid directed towards the shaft from one or more external jets during rotation of the shaft, through the inlet openings, and to direct the liquid along the innermost surface.

22. A shaft according to claim 20 , the shaft being arranged to direct the liquid along said channels to a plurality of discrete sites within the machine, said sites being arranged along the axial length of the shaft and each being provided in fluid communication with one or more of said channels.

23. A shaft according to claim 21 , wherein said machine is a gas turbine engine, said liquid is a lubricating and/or cooling oil, and said sites are bearings within the gas turbine engine.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Mcdonagh Stephen Terence

Classifications

• F05D2260/609

  Deoiling or demisting · CPC title

• F16N7/363

  Centrifugal lubrication · CPC title

• F01D5/085 Primary

  cooling fluid circulating inside the rotor · CPC title

• F01D25/18 Primary

  Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F01M2013/0422

  Separating oil and gas with a centrifuge device · CPC title