Turbomachine starter oil filtration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657586-B2
Application number	US-201414260790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2014
Priority date	Apr 24, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A starter configured for use with a turbomachine includes a housing defining a cavity, a transmission operative to convert an airflow into rotational motion for starting an engine, wherein the cavity is configured to hold a quantity of starter oil for lubricating at least a portion of the transmission, and an oil filter disposed in fluid communication with the starter oil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A starter configured for use with a turbomachine, comprising:
a housing defining a cavity;
a turbine and a transmission operative to convert an airflow into rotational motion for starting an engine, wherein the cavity is configured to hold a quantity of starter oil for lubricating at least a portion of the transmission; and
an oil filter disposed in fluid communication with the starter oil, wherein the transmission includes a gear having gear teeth that are configured to pressurize or move the starter oil, and wherein the gear is a ring gear and the gear teeth are disposed on the outer diameter of the ring gear, and wherein a scoop is disposed within the housing to skim oil from the ring gear as it rotates to pass the oil to the filter.

2. The starter of claim 1 , further comprising an oil pressurization system configured to create a pressurized flow of the starter oil or otherwise move the oil to the filter.

3. The starter of claim 1 , wherein the gear teeth include an airfoil shape.

4. The starter of claim 1 , wherein the oil filter is gravity fed.

5. The starter of claim 1 , wherein the oil filter includes an external accessible oil filter configured to be removably attached to the housing from outside the housing.

6. The starter of claim 5 , wherein the oil filter is a spin-on oil filter.

7. The starter of claim 1 , wherein the gear teeth are optimized to maximize oil flow and minimize rotational energy draw from the starter.

8. A method for filtering oil in a starter, comprising:
introducing starter oil from a cavity defined within the starter to flow into an oil filter disposed in fluid communication with the starter oil;
filtering the starter oil through the oil filter; and
outputting the filtered starter oil back into the cavity, wherein introducing starter oil includes using gear teeth of a gear to carry the starter oil to an oil filter location, wherein the gear teeth are on an outer diameter of a ring gear, and wherein introducing starter oil to flow into the oil filter includes moving the starter oil to a scoop in fluid communication with an oil filter location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein introducing starter oil includes pressurizing the oil to flow through the oil filter.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein introducing starter oil includes using gear teeth of a gear disposed within the starter to pressurize the oil.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Pech John T
• Makulec Jeffrey M

Classifications

• F05D2260/85

  Starting · CPC title

• F01D19/00 Primary

  Starting of machines or engines; Regulating, controlling, or safety means in connection therewith (warming-up before starting F01D25/10; turning or inching gear F01D25/34) · CPC title

• B23P15/14

  gear parts, e.g. gear wheels · CPC title

• F01D25/18

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

• F05D2220/50

  for auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title