Reduced parasitic lube system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12163449-B2
Application number	US-202318212657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2023
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a lubrication system comprising: a pump having an inlet in fluid communication with a lubricant source and an outlet; a cooler having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump and an outlet; a lubrication filter having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the cooler and an outlet; a first delivery path in fluid communication with the outlet of the lubrication filter, the first delivery path being configured to deliver cooled, filtered lubricant to a bearing system of an engine; and a second delivery path in fluid communication with the outlet of the pump, the second delivery path being configured to deliver uncooled, unfiltered lubricant to piston cooling nozzles of the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing lubricant to a bearing system of an engine and piston cooling nozzles of the engine, comprising:
pumping lubricant from a lubricant source to a pump outlet;
routing the pumped lubricant from the pump outlet to an inlet of a cooler and an inlet of a filter, the cooler having an outlet;
routing a first portion of the pumped lubricant from the outlet of the cooler to the piston cooling nozzles without routing the first portion of the pumped lubricant to the inlet of the filter; and
routing a second portion of the pumped lubricant from the outlet of the cooler to the inlet of the filter and from an outlet of the filter to the bearing system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising routing lubricant from the bearing system and the piston cooling nozzles through a return path to the lubricant source.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein routing the first portion of the pumped lubricant from the cooler includes passing the first portion of the pumped lubricant through a screen to inhibit passage of large particles to the piston cooling nozzles.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the screen is a 300 micron screen.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the screen is disposed between the cooler and the piston cooling nozzles.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
pumping the lubricant by a variable flow pump, and
regulating flow through the piston cooling nozzles.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the regulating flow through the piston cooling nozzles is based on thermal load.

Assignees

• Cummins Inc

Inventors

• Hassall Nathaniel P
• Purcell Iii John Jerl
• Cofer Jr Stephen D
• Barnes David M
• Quinton Aaron S
• Irish Reid M

Classifications

• F01M1/00 Primary

  Pressure lubrication · CPC title

• F01M2011/026

  for lubricating crankshaft bearings · CPC title

• F01M2001/1007

  characterised by the purification means combined with other functions · CPC title

• F01M11/0004

  Oilsumps · CPC title

• F01M5/002

  Cooling · CPC title