Fan drive gear system manifold radial tube filters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016273385-A1
Application number	US-201414414550-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 7, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lubrication system for gas turbine engine includes a main lubricant passage for providing lubricant from a lubricant supply to a lubricant manifold. The lubricant manifold includes first and second lubricant passages The lubricant manifold is configured to supply lubricant to first and second separate parts of a geared architecture at different first and second lubricant flow conditions. A first filter element is provided within a radial tube for supplying lubricant to the first passage of the lubricant manifold and a second filter element is provided within a second radial tube for supplying lubricant to the second lubricant passage of the lubricant manifold. The first filter element is different than the second filter element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fan drive gear system comprising;
a geared architecture including gears supported by bearing structures for providing a speed change between an input and output; a lubricant manifold defining a first lubricant passage and a second lubricant passage; a first filtering characteristic for filtering lubricant flow to the first lubricant passage; and a second filtering characteristic for filtering lubricant flow to the second lubricant passage, wherein the second filtering characteristic is different than the first filtering characteristic.

2 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first filtering characteristic includes a first filter element having a first porosity and the second filtering characteristic includes a second filter element having a second porosity different than the first porosity.

3 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first filter and the second filter comprise mesh screens.

4 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 2 , wherein mesh screens comprise metal mesh screens with a plurality of openings.

5 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first filter provides a first resistance to lubricant flow and the second filter provides a second resistance to lubricant flow that is less than the first resistance.

6 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , including a first screen disposed within the first lubricant passage of the lubricant manifold downstream of the first filter and a second screen disposed within the second lubricant passage downstream of the second filter.

7 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 1 , including a first supply tube for supplying lubricant to the first lubricant passage and a second supply tube for supplying lubricant to the second lubricant passage, wherein the first filter is disposed within the first supply tube and the second filter is disposed within the second supply tube.

8 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second filter elements is proximate a supply output end of the respective one of the first supply tube and the second supply tube.

9 . The fan drive gear system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the first and second filter elements is removably positioned with the respective one of the first supply tube and the second supply tube, wherein at least one of the first and second supply tubes is detachably connected to the geared architecture at the supply output and detaching the respective one of the first and second supply tube provides for removing and replacing the at least one of the first and second filter elements.

10 . A lubrication system for gas turbine engine comprising:
a main lubricant passage including a main filter; a lubricant manifold configured to receive lubricant from the main lubricant passage, the lubricant manifold defining a first lubricant passage and a second lubricant passage, a first filter element for filtering lubricant flow to the first lubricant passage; and a second filter element for filtering lubricant flow to the second lubricant passage, wherein the second filter is different than the first filter element.

11 . The lubrication system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first filter element is configured to provide lubricant flow at a first condition and the second filter element is configured to provide lubricant flow at a second condition different than the first condition.

12 . The lubrication system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the first condition comprises a first temperature range and the second condition comprises a second temperature range different than the first temperature range and the first filter is operable within the first temperature range and the second filter is operable within the second temperature range.

13 . The lubrication system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first filter comprises a first porosity and the second filter comprises a second porosity different than the first porosity.

14 . The lubrication system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first filter provides a first resistance to lubricant flow and the second filter provides a second resistance to lubricant flow that is less than the first resistance.

15 . The lubrication system as recited in claim 10 , including a first screen disposed within the first lubricant passage of the lubricant manifold downstream of the first filter and a second screen disposed within the second lubricant passage downstream of the second filter.

16 . The lubrication system as recited in claim 10 , including a first supply tube for supplying lubricant to the first lubricant passage and a second supply tube for supplying lubricant to the second lubricant passage, wherein the first filter is disposed within the first supply tube and the second filter is disposed within the second supply tube.

17 . A method of maintaining a fan drive gear system of a turbine engine comprising:
accessing a connection between a first supply tube and a lubricant manifold for supplying lubricant to a gear assembly of a fan drive gear system; removing a first filter mounted within the first supply tube; and visually checking the first filter for contaminants.

18 . The method as recited in claim 17 , including accessing a connection between a second supply tube and the lubricant manifold, removing a second filter and visually checking the second filter for contaminants.

19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein removing the first filter comprises disconnecting the first supply tube from the lubricant manifold and removing the second filter comprises disconnecting the second supply tube from the lubricant manifold.

20 . The method as recited in claim 17 , including replacing the first filter with a filter including a flow characteristic different than a flow characteristic of the first filter.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Otto John R
• Baker Stephanie M

Classifications

• F01D25/18 Primary

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

• F02C7/06

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

• B01D29/52

  in parallel connection · CPC title

• F01D15/12

  Combinations with mechanical gearing (driven by multiple engines F01D13/00) · CPC title

• F05D2260/40311

  of the epicyclical, planetary or differential type · CPC title