Drive pinion of an air-oil separator of a turbomachine accessory gearbox

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11433336-B2
Application number	US-202016834932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A drive pinion of an air/oil separator of an accessory gearbox of a turbomachine, the air/oil separator being configured to be supplied at the input by an air flow to de-oil and to supply at the output, on the one hand, a de-oiled air flow and, on the other hand, an oil flow by centrifugation, the pinion being configured to drive the separator rotationally along an axis of rotation, the pinion being mounted facing a passage opening of the separator, the pinion comprising at least one guiding opening traversing the web plate defining at least one guiding surface inclined with respect to the axis of rotation in such a way as to guide along the axis an air flow to de-oil into the separator or a de-oiled air flow out of the separator via the guiding opening of the pinion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a drive pinion and an air/oil separator of an accessory gearbox of a turbomachine, the air/oil separator being configured to be supplied at an input by an air flow to de-oil and to supply at an output a de-oiled air flow and an oil flow by centrifugation, the drive pinion being configured to drive the air/oil separator rotationally along an axis of rotation, the drive pinion being mounted facing a passage opening of the air/oil separator and configured to enable passage of the air flow to de-oil or the de-oiled air flow, the drive pinion comprising a central axis extending along the axis of rotation, a toothed peripheral part, and a web plate extending between the central axis and the toothed peripheral part, wherein at least one guiding opening traversing the web plate, said at least one guiding opening having at least two guiding surfaces that are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation in such a way as to guide, parallel to the axis of rotation, the air flow to de-oil into the air/oil separator or the de-oiled air flow out of the air/oil separator via the first guiding opening of the pinion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two the guiding surfaces is inclined with respect to the axis of rotation by an angle comprised between 5° and 75°.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two guiding surfaces extend radially to the axis of rotation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two guiding surfaces form two of four sides of the at least one guiding opening.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two guiding surfaces have identical dimensions.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one guiding opening is a first guiding opening and further comprising a plurality of guiding openings, each of the plurality of guiding openings comprising a plurality of sides and wherein at least one of the sides is inclined with respect to the axis of rotation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of guiding openings are distributed radially around the axis of rotation.

8. An accessory gearbox comprising an air/oil separator for a turbomachine, the accessory gearbox further comprising:
a pinion configured to rotationally drive the air/oil separator about an axis of rotation, said pinion comprising a circular body, said circular body comprising:
a first hollow shaft at a center of the pinion and rotatable around the axis of rotation;
a plurality of gear teeth located along a periphery of the circular body;
a web plate formed between the first hollow shaft and the plurality of gear teeth, said web plate having a plurality of guiding openings that are arranged in spaced apart relations with each of the plurality of guiding openings having a plurality of interconnected sides including a first side having a first guiding surface and a second side having a second guiding surface, the first and second guiding surfaces are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation and opposed one another to guide an airflow parallel to the axis of rotation;

the air/oil separator comprising:
a cylindrical body having a proximal end with a flow input, a distal end, and a cavity between the proximal end and the distal end; and
a second hollow shaft located internally and arranged coaxially with an axis of the cylindrical body, the second hollow shaft adjoins and aligns with the first hollow shaft about the axis of rotation; and

wherein the proximal end of the air/oil separator adjoins the pinion.

9. The accessory gearbox of claim 8 , wherein the air/oil separator further comprises a peripheral wall extending between the proximal and distal end, and the oil from the oiled airflow is configured to transfer radially outwards towards the peripheral wall.

10. The accessory gearbox of claim 9 , wherein the second hollow shaft comprises one or more openings fluidly connecting the cavity of the cylindrical body to an inner cavity of the second hollow shaft to create a flow output for a de-oiled air.

11. The accessory gearbox of claim 8 , wherein the pinion is a first pinion configured to be rotationally driven by a second pinion.

12. The accessory gearbox of claim 11 , wherein the second pinion is configured to be rotationally driven by the turbomachine.

13. The accessory gearbox of claim 8 , wherein the pinion is driven by the turbomachine.

14. The accessory gearbox of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of guiding openings is polygonal shaped and symmetrically spaced apart from each other.

15. The accessory gearbox of claim 14 , wherein the first and second guiding surfaces of each of the plurality of guiding openings have identical dimensions.

16. An accessory gearbox comprising an air/oil separator for a turbomachine, the accessory gearbox further comprising:
a pinion configured to rotationally drive the air/oil separator about an axis of rotation, the pinion comprising a circular body, said circular body comprising:
a first hollow shaft at a center of the pinion and rotatable about the axis of rotation;
a plurality of gear teeth located along a periphery of the circular body;
a web plate formed between the first hollow shaft and the plurality of gear teeth, said web plate having a plurality of guiding openings, wherein each of the plurality of guiding openings having at least two guiding surfaces that are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation to guide an airflow parallel to the axis of rotation;

the air/oil separator comprising:
a cylindrical body having a proximal end with a flow input, a distal end, and a cavity between the proximal end and the distal end; and
a second hollow shaft located internally and arranged coaxially with an axis of the cylindrical body, said second hollow shaft adjoins and aligns with the first hollow shaft about the axis of rotation, and the second hollow shaft having one or more openings fluidly connecting the cavity of the cylindrical body to an inner cavity of the second hollow shaft to create a flow output for a de-oiled air; and

wherein the proximal end of the air/oil separator adjoins the first pinion so that airflow traverses through the flow input.

17. The accessory gearbox of claim 16 , wherein the at least two guiding surfaces of each guiding opening opposed one another.

18. The accessory gearbox of claim 16 , wherein the air/oil separator further comprises a peripheral wall for the oil from the oiled airflow to exit the air/oil separator through the peripheral wall.

19. The accessory gearbox of claim 16 , wherein the pinion is a first pinion and a second pinion contacting the first pinion on the plurality of gear teeth is configured to rotationally drive the first pinion.

20. The accessory gearbox of claim 19 , wherein the second pinion is driven by the turbomachine.

Assignees

• Safran Aircraft Engines

Inventors

• Pereira Alexis
• Kohn Thierry

Classifications

• F16H55/17

  Toothed wheels (worm wheels F16H55/22; chain wheels F16H55/30) · CPC title

• F05D2260/4031

  as in toothed gearing · CPC title

• Y10T428/218

  Aperture containing · CPC title

• F02C7/32 Primary

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F05D2250/411

  in rotation · CPC title