Lubrication system with anti-priming feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11719128-B2
Application number	US-202117368356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2021
Priority date	Jul 6, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A lubrication system is provided for a turbine engine. This lubrication system includes a lubricant source, a pump, a first turbine engine component, a bypass circuit and a second turbine engine component. The lubricant source includes a source outlet. The pump includes a pump inlet and a pump outlet. The pump inlet is fluidly coupled with the source outlet. The first turbine engine component includes a first volume. The first volume is fluidly coupled with the pump outlet. The bypass circuit includes a bypass inlet and a bypass outlet. The bypass inlet is fluidly coupled with the pump outlet upstream of the first volume. The bypass outlet is fluidly coupled with the pump inlet downstream of the source outlet. The second turbine engine component includes a second volume. The second volume is fluidly coupled with the pump inlet downstream of the bypass outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lubrication system for a turbine engine, comprising:
a lubricant source including a source outlet;
a pump including a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the pump inlet fluidly coupled with the source outlet;
a first turbine engine component including a first volume, the first volume fluidly coupled with the pump outlet;
a bypass circuit including a bypass inlet and a bypass outlet, the bypass inlet fluidly coupled with the pump outlet upstream of the first volume, and the bypass outlet fluidly coupled with the pump inlet downstream of the source outlet; and
a second turbine engine component including a second volume, the second volume fluidly coupled with the pump inlet downstream of the bypass outlet.

2. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the second volume is operable to provide a source of air or an air/lubricant mixture to the pump to increase fluid pressure at the pump inlet and decrease fluid pressure at the pump outlet during cold start operation of the turbine engine.

3. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the second volume is directly fluidly coupled with the pump inlet through one or more lubricant passages.

4. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein
the second turbine engine component is configured to direct air or an air/lubricant mixture from the second volume to the pump inlet during a first mode of operation; and
the lubricant source is configured to direct lubricant from the source outlet to the second volume during a second mode of operation.

5. The lubrication system of claim 4 , wherein the first mode of operation is a cold start mode of operation.

6. The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the second mode of operation is a post-cold start mode of operation.

7. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the pump is configured as a boost pump.

8. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass circuit further includes a flow regulator fluidly coupled inline between the bypass inlet and the bypass outlet.

9. The lubrication system of claim 8 , wherein the flow regulator comprises a fixed valve.

10. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein
the pump comprises a first pump;
the lubricant source comprises a second pump and a lubricant reservoir; and
the second pump is fluidly coupled with and between the first pump and the lubricant reservoir.

11. The lubrication system of claim 1 , further comprising a flow restrictor fluidly coupled with and between the lubricant source and the pump inlet, the flow restrictor upstream of the bypass outlet.

12. The lubrication system of claim 1 , further comprising a third turbine engine component including a third volume, the third volume fluidly coupled with the source outlet in parallel with the pump inlet.

13. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the second volume comprises a lubricant scavenge cavity.

14. The lubrication system of claim 1 , further comprising a one-way valve fluidly coupled between the second volume and a fluid passage that fluidly couples the source outlet with the pump inlet, the one-way valve configured to permit air flow or an air/lubricant mixture flow from the second volume to the pump inlet.

15. A lubrication system for a turbine engine, comprising:
a lubricant source including a source outlet;
a pump including a pump inlet and a pump outlet, the pump inlet fluidly coupled with and downstream of the source outlet;
a first turbine engine component including a first volume, the first volume fluidly coupled with and downstream of the pump outlet; and
a second turbine engine component including a second volume, the second volume fluidly coupled with and between the source outlet and the pump inlet;
wherein the lubrication system is configured to direct air or an air/lubricant mixture from the second volume to the pump inlet during a first mode of operation, and the lubrication system is configured to direct lubricant from the source outlet into the second volume during a second mode of operation.

16. The lubrication system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a bypass circuit including a bypass inlet and a bypass outlet;
the bypass inlet fluidly coupled with and downstream of the pump outlet, upstream of the first volume; and
the bypass outlet fluidly coupled with and upstream of the pump inlet, downstream of the source outlet.

17. A method for operating a lubrication system, comprising:
during a first mode of operation, directing lubricant from a lubricant source and air or an air/lubricant mixture from an internal volume to a pump; and
during a second mode of operation, directing the lubricant from the lubricant source to the pump without any of the air from the internal volume;
wherein control of the air from the internal volume to the pump during the second mode of operation is performed without use of a flow regulator between the internal volume and the pump.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising directing the lubricant from the lubricant source into the internal volume during the second mode of operation.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising directing the lubricant and the air or an air/lubricant mixture to a turbine engine component from the pump during the first mode of operation.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising preventing the lubricant from flowing into the internal volume during the second mode of operation.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Gauthier Felix

Classifications

• F01D25/20 Primary

  using lubrication pumps · CPC title

• F01M5/025

  by prelubricating, e.g. using an accumulator · CPC title

• F02C7/06

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

• F01M2005/028

  with a reservoir under pressure · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title