Distributed lubrication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9109464-B2
Application number	US-201113222183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2011
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a spool, a gearbox having gearing driven by the spool, and a lubrication system. The lubrication system includes a first heat exchanger positioned in a first air flow path, a second heat exchanger positioned in a second air flow path, and a lubrication pump fluidically connected to both the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. A first air fan is driven by the gearbox for inducing air flow through the first air flow path. A second air fan is driven by an electric motor for inducing air flow through the second air flow path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a spool;
a gearbox having gearing driven by the spool;
a lubrication system comprising:
a first heat exchanger positioned in a first air flow path;
a second heat exchanger positioned in a second air flow path; and
a lubrication pump fluidically connected to both the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger;

a first air fan configured to be driven continuously by the gearbox during operation of the gas turbine engine for inducing air flow through the first air flow path, wherein the first air fan comprises a centrifugal impeller positioned substantially inside the gearbox; and
a second air fan configured to be driven by an electric motor at a modulated speed for inducing air flow through the second air flow path.

2. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first air fan is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger and the second air fan is positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger.

3. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox is an axial accessory gearbox.

4. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second heat exchangers are connected in series.

5. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first and second heat exchangers are connected in parallel.

6. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned inside a core cowling of the gas turbine engine and the second heat exchanger is positioned in an outer diameter (OD) fan case.

7. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the first air flow path extends from a fan bypass through the first heat exchanger and then back to the fan bypass.

8. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the second air flow path extends from free stream air outside of an outer diameter (OD) fan case through the second heat exchanger and then back to the free stream air.

9. The gas turbine engine of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a bypass valve for reducing flow from the lubrication pump to the second heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Suciu Gabriel L
• Glahn Jorn A
• Merry Brian D
• Dye Christopher M
• Snape Nathan
• Howlett Matthew J
• Dixon Matthew G
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Suciu Gabriel L
• Glahn Jorn A
• Merry Brian D
• Dye Christopher M
• Snape Nathan
• Howlett Matthew J
• Dixon Matthew G

Classifications

• F01D25/18

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

• Y02T50/675

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02C7/14

  of fluids in the plant {, e.g. lubricant or fuel (F02C7/185 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F05D2260/98

  Lubrication · CPC title

• F01D25/125

  of bearings · CPC title