Integral centrifugal degasser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11952925-B2
Application number	US-201917257212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2019
Priority date	Jul 5, 2018
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A centrifugal degasser of an air-oil mixture of a turbine engine includes a hollow shaft extending along an X axis and a pinion for rotating the hollow shaft, and an annular chamber for centrifugal separation of the mixture. The chamber is arranged around the hollow shaft and forms a fluid passage area, an inlet of which is oriented axially for feeding the chamber with the mixture, and a first outlet of which is oriented radially inwards for the outlet of the de-oiled air separated from said mixture. The chamber also includes at least one second oil outlet oriented radially outwards and configured for discharging the oil separated from said mixture to the outside of the degasser. The chamber and the pinion form a single piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A centrifugal degasser of an air/oil mixture of a turbomachine, comprising:
a hollow shaft extending along an axis X and defining an internal air circulation cavity;
a pinion configured for rotating the hollow shaft; and
an annular chamber configured for centrifugal separation of said air/oil mixture, the annular chamber being arranged around the hollow shaft and forming a fluid passage vein, the fluid passage vein comprising an inlet oriented axially for feeding the annular chamber with said air/oil mixture, and a first outlet oriented radially inwards for the exit of a de-oiled air portion separated from said air/oil mixture, the first outlet being in fluid communication with said internal air circulation cavity for discharging the de-oiled air portion to an outside of the centrifugal degasser, the annular chamber further comprising a second oil outlet oriented radially outwards and configured for discharging an oil portion separated from said air/oil mixture to the outside of the centrifugal degasser,
wherein the annular chamber and the pinion form a single piece.

2. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 1 , wherein the degasser has an additively manufactured construction.

3. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 1 , wherein the annular chamber forms a bend and comprises a first annular part substantially parallel to the axis X and a second annular part extending radially towards the axis X.

4. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 3 , further comprising an additively manufactured honeycomb structure housed in the annular chamber.

5. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 4 , wherein the additively manufactured honeycomb structure has an evolving shape having a variance of at least one of a texture or a porosity of the honeycomb structure, wherein the variance extends at least one of radially or axially.

6. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 4 , wherein the additively manufactured honeycomb structure is part of the single piece which includes the annular chamber and the pinion.

7. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 3 , wherein the annular chamber comprises an inner annular wall and an outer annular wall, defining therebetween said fluid passage vein and which are connected together by an annular row of radial partitions which define therebetween degassing compartments, each of the inner and outer annular walls being U-shaped in cross-section and at least one of the inner or outer annular walls being connected to the radial partitions by an annular web having an annular row of notches each notch of the annular row of notches extending between two adjacent radial partitions of the annular row of radial partitions and being shaped so that ends thereof are connected to the two adjacent radial partitions and a concave portion thereof is located opposite the inner or outer annular wall and defines a fluid passage therewith.

8. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 1 , wherein the first outlet is in fluid communication with the internal cavity by a vortex inhibitor formed as part of the single piece which includes the annular chamber and the pinion.

9. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 8 , wherein the pinion is arranged axially along a wall of the annular chamber and comprises an axial opening configured for passage of the air/oil mixture and which is in fluid communication with said inlet.

10. The centrifugal degasser according to claim 8 , wherein the pinion is arranged at the inlet of the annular chamber and comprises an axial opening configured for passage of the air/oil mixture and which is in fluid communication with said inlet.

11. A method of producing a degasser of an air/oil mixture of a turbomachine, the degasser comprising: a hollow shaft extending along an axis X and defining an internal air circulation cavity, a pinion configured for rotating the hollow shaft, and an annular chamber configured for centrifugal separation of said air/oil mixture, the annular chamber being arranged around the hollow shaft and forming a fluid passage vein comprising an inlet oriented axially for feeding the annular chamber with said air/oil mixture, and a first outlet oriented radially inwards for exiting a de-oiled air portion separated from said air/oil mixture, the first outlet being in fluid communication with said internal air circulation cavity for discharging the de-oiled air portion to an outside of the degasser, the annular chamber further comprising a second oil outlet oriented radially outwards and configured for discharging an oil portion separated from said air/oil mixture to the outside of the degasser, the method comprising:
simultaneously additively manufacturing the pinion and the chamber.

Assignees

• Safran Helicopter Engines

Inventors

• Nifenecker Arnaud
• Bonnet Frédéric
• Gaymu Pierre
• Lanquetin Rémi
• Fulleringer Benjamin

Classifications

• F01M11/08 Primary

  Separating lubricant from air or fuel-air mixture before entry into cylinder (separating in general B01D) · CPC title

• B01D45/14

  generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes · CPC title

• B04B7/18

  formed or coated with sieving or filtering elements (filters in general B01D; sieves in general B07B) · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• F01D25/18

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