Aircraft lubrication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10816085-B2
Application number	US-201815874054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2018
Priority date	Jan 18, 2018
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A system is provided in one example embodiment and may include a first reservoir for a lubricant; a second reservoir for the lubricant, wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir are interconnected; a first pumping element to pump the lubricant from the first reservoir at a first flow rate; a second pumping element to pump the lubricant at a second flow rate, wherein the first flow rate and the second flow rate are different; and a gearbox coupled to the first pumping element and the second pumping element. The first reservoir may have a larger volume than the second reservoir and the first flow rate may be higher than the second flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first reservoir for a lubricant;
a second reservoir for the lubricant, wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir are interconnected;
a first pumping element to pump the lubricant from the first reservoir at a first flow rate;
a second pumping element to pump the lubricant at a second flow rate, wherein the first flow rate and the second flow rate are different; and
a gearbox coupled to the first pumping element and the second pumping element;
wherein the first reservoir is a first reservoir portion of a common reservoir and the second reservoir is a second reservoir portion of the common reservoir with at least one internal partition placed between the first and the second reservoir portions; and
wherein the common reservoir comprises a supply port for supplying the lubricant to both the first reservoir and the second reservoir.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox is further coupled to the first reservoir.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox is further coupled to the common reservoir.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reservoir has a larger volume than the second reservoir.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first flow rate is higher than the second flow rate.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first flow rate is at least ten times greater than the second flow rate.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first pumping element is to pump the lubricant to the gearbox for a first period of time and the second pumping element is to pump the lubricant to the gearbox for a second period of time.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the first period of time and a portion of the second period of time overlap, and least a portion of the first period of time and a portion of the second period of time do not overlap.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured within a wing of a tiltrotor aircraft and the gearbox is associated with a nacelle of the tiltrotor aircraft.

10. An aircraft comprising:
a lubrication system, the lubrication system comprising:
a first reservoir for a lubricant;
a second reservoir for the lubricant, wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir are interconnected;
a first pumping element to pump the lubricant from the first reservoir at a first flow rate; and
a second pumping element to pump the lubricant at a second flow rate, wherein the first flow rate and the second flow rate are different;

wherein the first reservoir is a first reservoir portion of a common reservoir with at least one internal partition placed between the first and the second reservoir portions; and
wherein the common reservoir comprises a supply port for supplying the lubricant to both the first reservoir and the second reservoir.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , further comprising:
a gearbox for a rotor system of the aircraft, wherein the gearbox is coupled to the first pumping element, the second pumping element, and the first reservoir.

12. The aircraft of claim 10 , further comprising:
a gearbox for a rotor system of the aircraft, wherein the gearbox is coupled to the first pumping element, the second pumping element, and the common reservoir.

13. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the first flow rate is higher than the second flow rate.

14. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the first pumping element is to pump the lubricant for a first period of time and the second pumping element is to pump the lubricant for a second period of time, and at least a first portion of the first period of time and the second period of time overlaps and at least a second portion of the first period of time and the second period of time does not overlap.

15. A method comprising:
providing lubricant to a gearbox from a first pumping element at a first flow rate, wherein the lubricant is provided to the gearbox from a first a reservoir; and
providing the lubricant to the gearbox from a second pumping element at a second flow rate, wherein the lubricant is provided to the gearbox from a second reservoir that is interconnected with the first reservoir, and the gearbox is associated with a rotor system of an aircraft;
wherein the first reservoir is a first reservoir portion of a common reservoir with at least one internal partition placed between the first and the second reservoir portions; and
wherein the common reservoir comprises a supply port for supplying the lubricant to both the first reservoir and the second reservoir.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the lubricant to the gearbox from the first pumping element further comprises providing the lubricant to the gearbox for a first period of time, and providing the lubricant to the gearbox from the second pumping element further comprises providing the lubricant to the gearbox for a second period of time.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least a first portion of the first period of time and the second period of time overlaps and at least a second portion of the first period of time and the second period of time does not overlap.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Olson Eric S
• Bockmiller David R

Classifications

• F16H57/0449

  Sensors or indicators for controlling the fluid level · CPC title

• B64C27/04

  Helicopters · CPC title

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• F16H57/0441

  Arrangements of pumps · CPC title

• F16H57/045

  Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case · CPC title