Integrated lubrication cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458967-B2
Application number	US-201314145638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2013
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A system including a lubrication system, including a block with a first cooler interface, a second cooler interface, and at least one lubrication passage extending through the block, wherein the at least one lubrication passage fluidly couples to the first cooler interface and to the second cooler interface, a first cooler including a first mating cooler interface coupled to the first cooler interface, and a second cooler including a mating second cooler interface coupled to the second cooler interface, and a first valve within the block, wherein the first valve is configured to control a flow of a lubricant through the at least one lubrication passage relative to the first cooler and/or the second cooler.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a lubrication system, comprising;
a block, comprising:
a first cooler interface structured to couple with a first cooler having a first mating cooler interface;
a second cooler interface structured to couple with a second cooler having a second mating cooler interface; and
at least one lubrication passage extending through the block, wherein the at least one lubrication passage fluidly coupled to the first cooler interface and to the second cooler interface;
wherein the at least one lubrication passage includes:
a first lubrication inlet formed in the block;
a first lubrication passageway connected to the first lubrication inlet;
a second lubrication inlet formed in the block;
a second lubrication passageway connected to the second lubrication inlet; and
a third lubrication passageway formed within the block fluidly coupled to each of the first and second lubrication passageways;

and
at least one valve within the block, configured to control a flow of a lubricant through the at least one lubrication passage relative to the first cooler and/or the second cooler, and including an electronically controlled actuator structured to move the at least one valve from a first configuration where a lubricant flow path through the lubrication system to and from both of the first cooler interface and the second cooler interface, to a second configuration where the fluid flow path extends to and from only one of the first cooler interface and the second cooler interface.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a coolant passage extending through the block, wherein the coolant passage is fluidly coupled to the first cooler interface and the second cooler interface.

3. The system of claim 2 , comprising first and second coolant check valves in the coolant passage, wherein the first coolant check valve is configured to block reverse flow of the coolant through the first cooler and the second coolant check valve is configured to block reverse flow of the coolant through the second cooler.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve includes a second valve within the block, wherein the second valve is configured to control a coolant flow through the coolant passage relative to the first cooler and/or the second cooler.

5. The system of claim 4 , comprising a third valve within the block, wherein the third valve is configured to control a lubricant flow relative to a first lubricant filter and/or a second lubricant filter.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising the first cooler and the second cooler, and first and second coolant valves, wherein the first coolant valve is fluidly coupled to the first cooler and the second coolant valve is fluidly coupled to the second cooler, and where the first and second coolant valves are configured to drain coolant out of the respective first and second coolers.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising first and second lubricant valves, wherein the first lubricant valve is fluidly coupled to the first cooler interface and the second lubricant valve is fluidly coupled to the second cooler interface, and where the first and second lubricant valves are configured to drain lubricant out of the respective first and second coolers.

8. The system of claim 1 , comprising first and second lubrication check valves in the lubrication passage, wherein the first lubrication check valve is configured to block reverse flow of the lubricant through the first cooler and the second lubrication check valve is configured to block reverse flow of the lubricant through the second cooler.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the block comprises first and second lubrication filter cavities in fluid communication with the lubrication passage, wherein the first lubrication filter cavity is configured to receive a first lubrication filter, and the second lubrication filter cavity is configured to receive a second lubrication filter.

10. The system of claim 9 , comprising first and second lubrication filter check valves, wherein the first lubrication filter check valve is configured to block reverse flow of lubricant through the first lubrication filter, and the second lubrication filter check valve is configured to block reverse flow of lubricant through the second lubrication filter.

11. A system, comprising:
a lubrication system, comprising:
a block, comprising:
a first coolant inlet;
a first coolant outlet;
a first cooler interface;
a first coolant passage fluidly coupled to the first cooler interface;
a second coolant passage fluidly coupled to the second cooler interface;
a first lubricant inlet;
a first lubricant outlet;
a first lubricant passage fluidly coupled to the first cooler interface; and
a second lubricant passage fluidly coupled to the second cooler interface;

a first cooler comprising a first mating cooler interface coupled to the first cooler interface; and
a second cooler comprising a mating second cooler interface coupled to the second cooler interface;
a first valve passage within the block, wherein the first and second lubricant passages fluidly couple to the first valve passage, wherein the first valve passage is configured to support a first valve;
a third lubricant passage fluidly coupled to the first and second lubricant passages and to the lubricant outlet; and
a fourth lubricant passage fluidly coupled to a second lubricant inlet and the first valve passage.

12. The system of claim 11 , comprising a second valve passage within the block, wherein the second valve passage is fluidly coupled to the first and second lubricant passages, wherein the second valve passage is configured to support a second valve.

13. The system of claim 11 , comprising a third valve passage within the block, wherein the third valve passage is fluidly coupled to the first and second coolant passages.

14. The system of claim 11 , comprising a first lubricant filter aperture and a second lubricant filter aperture within the block.

15. A system, comprising:
a lubrication system, comprising:
a block, comprising:
a first cooler interface;
a second cooler interface;
a first filter aperture configured to receive a first lubrication filter within the block;
a second filter aperture configured to receive a second lubrication filter within the block; and
at least one lubrication passage extending through the block, wherein the at least one lubrication passage fluidly couples to the first cooler interface, the second cooler interface, the first filter aperture, and the second filter aperture;
a first cooler comprising a first mating cooler interface coupled to the first cooler interface; and
a second cooler comprising a second mating cooler interface coupled to the second cooler interface; and
at least one valve within the block, and being movable, to control a flow of lubricant or coolant through the lubrication system, from a first configuration where a fluid flow path through the lubrication system extends through both of the first cooler and the second cooler, to a second configuration where the fluid flow path extends through only one of the first cooler and the second cooler; and
a coolant passage extending, through the block, wherein the coolant passage is, fluidly coupled to the first cooler interface and the second cooler interface and wherein the coolant passage further comprises:
a first coolant inlet formed in the block;
a first coolant passageway connected to the first coolant inlet;
a second coolant inlet formed in the block:
a second coolant passageway connected to the second coolant inlet; and
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Assignees

• Ingersoll-Rand Company

Inventors

• Leising Paul A
• Gerber Thomas

Classifications

• F16N39/02 Primary

  by cooling (heat-exchangers in general F28) · CPC title

• F04D29/06

  Lubrication {(F04D13/0606, F04D13/0646, F04D13/0653 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F04D29/58

  Cooling (of machines or engines in general F01P); Heating; Diminishing heat transfer {(for the motor of air-pump units F04D25/082; cooling of shafts or bearings F04D29/04)} · CPC title

• F16N39/06

  by filtration (filters in general B01D; magnetic separators B03C1/00; {centrifugal separators or filters B04B5/005}) · CPC title

• F01M5/002 Primary

  Cooling · CPC title