Engine sump with air separation features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10563580-B2
Application number	US-201715596239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2017
Priority date	May 16, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A sump assembly for use in a gas turbine engine includes a housing and a shaft assembly. The housing is arranged about a central axis of the sump assembly to define a cavity configured to house oil and high-pressure gasses. The shaft assembly is mounted to rotate about the central axis and to direct the high-pressure gasses into the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sump assembly for use in a gas turbine engine, the sump assembly comprising
a sump housing arranged circumferentially around a central axis of the sump assembly to define a sump cavity adapted to collect oil and high-pressure gasses, the sump housing formed to include a vent passageway that extends through the sump housing and opens into the sump cavity to direct the high-pressure gasses out of the sump cavity,
a shaft assembly located in the sump cavity and configured to direct the high-pressure gasses into the sump cavity, the shaft assembly including an inner shaft unit configured to rotate about the central axis in a first direction and an outer shaft unit configured to rotate about the central axis in a second direction, the outer shaft unit arranged circumferentially around at least a portion of the inner shaft unit to define a seal gap located between the outer shaft unit and the inner shaft unit, and the shaft assembly configured to conduct the high-pressure gasses through an outlet of the seal gap radially outward away from the shaft assembly toward the sump housing, and
an annular windage-suppressor shroud located in the sump cavity and arranged circumferentially around the shaft assembly to direct the high-pressure gasses from the outlet of the seal gap to the vent passageway formed in the sump housing such that oil located in the sump cavity is blocked from being entrained with the high-pressure gasses, the annular windage-suppressor shroud formed to include a guide passageway that includes a radially-inwardly opening annular guide inlet aligned axially with the outlet of the seal gap to collect the high-pressure gasses and a guide outlet aligned with the vent passageway formed in the sump housing to direct the high-pressure gasses into the vent passageway.

2. The sump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the annular windage-suppressor shroud includes a shroud body having an inner wall and an outer wall that extend around the central axis to define the guide passageway, the inner wall includes an axially extending inner band and an inner-inlet lip that extends radially inwardly away from the inner band, the outer wall includes an axially extending outer band and an outer-inlet lip that extends radially inwardly away from the outer band, the outer band is spaced apart radially from the inner band to locate the inner band radially between the outer band and the central axis, and the inner-inlet lip is spaced apart axially from the outer-inlet lip to define the guide inlet.

3. The sump assembly of claim 2 , wherein the annular windage-suppressor shroud further includes a plurality of guide vanes located in the guide passageway and the plurality of guide vanes extend radially between the inner wall and the outer wall to direct the high-pressure gasses from the guide inlet toward the guide outlet.

4. The sump assembly of claim 3 , wherein the inner wall further includes an aft sidewall spaced apart axially from the inner-inlet lip, the aft sidewall extends radially between the inner band and the outer band, each guide vane includes a fore end located toward the guide inlet and an aft end spaced apart axially from the fore end and the aft sidewall to locate the aft end of the guide vane between the fore end and the aft sidewall.

5. The sump assembly of claim 4 , wherein the annular windage-suppressor shroud includes a top end and a bottom end located about 180 degrees apart from the top end, the guide outlet is formed toward the top end, and the aft end of each of the plurality of guide vanes is spaced apart circumferentially from the fore end toward the top end of the annular windage-suppressor shroud to direct the high-pressure gasses away from the bottom end and toward the top end.

6. The sump assembly of claim 2 , wherein the inner wall of the shroud body is formed to include a guide ramp that extends radially outward away from the central axis to direct the high-pressure gasses located in the guide passageway radially outward and the guide outlet is aligned circumferentially with the guide ramp.

7. The sump assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shroud body further includes an oil deflector that extends radially inward from the inner wall of the shroud body toward the central axis to direct oil rotating along the inner wall away from the annular windage-suppressor shroud.

8. The sump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the annular windage-suppressor shroud includes a shroud body formed to define the guide passageway and a locator system including a plurality of axial locators, the plurality of axial locators extend axially outward away from the shroud body, and the plurality of axial locators are spaced apart circumferentially from one another about the central axis.

9. The sump assembly of claim 1 , wherein the annular windage-suppressor shroud includes a shroud body formed to define the guide passageway and a locator system including a plurality of radial locators, the plurality of radial locators extend radially outward away from the shroud body, and the plurality of radial locators are spaced apart circumferentially from one another about the central axis.

10. A sump assembly for use in a gas turbine engine, the sump assembly comprising
a housing arranged around a central axis of the sump assembly to define a sump cavity, the housing formed to include a vent passageway that extends through the housing and opens into the sump cavity,
a shaft assembly located in the sump cavity and formed to define a seal gap configured to direct high-pressure gasses radially outward away from the shaft assembly and into the sump cavity, and
a windage-suppressor shroud located in the sump cavity and arranged around the shaft assembly to direct the high-pressure gasses from the seal gap to the vent passageway formed in the housing, the windage-suppressor shroud formed to include a guide passageway that includes a guide inlet aligned axially with the seal gap and a guide outlet aligned with the vent passageway formed in the housing.

11. The sump assembly of claim 10 , wherein the windage-suppressor shroud includes a shroud body having an inner wall and an outer wall that extend around the central axis to define the guide passageway, the inner wall includes an axially extending inner band and an inner-inlet lip that extends radially inwardly away from the inner band, the outer wall includes an axially extending outer band and an outer-inlet lip that extends radially inwardly away from the outer band, the outer band is spaced apart radially from the inner band to locate the inner band radially between the outer band and the central axis, and the inner-inlet lip is spaced apart axially from the outer-inlet lip to define the guide inlet.

12. The sump assembly of claim 11 , wherein the inner wall of the shroud body is formed to include a guide ramp that extends radially outward away from the central axis and the guide outlet is aligned circumferentially with the guide ramp.

13. The sump assembly of claim 11 , wherein the shroud body further includes an oil deflector that extends radially inward from the inner wall of the shroud body toward the central axis to direct oil rotating along the inner wall away from the windage-suppressor shroud.

14. The sump assembly of claim 11 , wherein the inner band is spaced apart radially from the shaft assembly.

15. The sump assembly of claim 10 , wherein the windage-suppressor shroud includes a shroud body and a plurality of guide vanes, the shroud body is formed to define the guide passageway, the plurality of guide vanes are located in the guide passageway and extend radially and axially relative to

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Harral Jacob W
• Mitchell Derek
• Burnside Phillip

Classifications

• F02C7/06 Primary

  Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• F16N2210/02

  Turbines · CPC title

• F02C3/04

  having a turbine driving a compressor (power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16) · CPC title

• F05D2220/32

  in gas turbines · CPC title

• F16N39/002

  by deaeration (degasification of liquids B01D19/00) · CPC title