Gas turbine engine oil tank with integrated packaging configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945252-B2
Application number	US-201213541935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2012
Priority date	Jul 5, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A gas turbine engine includes a fan case radially outwardly of a core compartment. A compressor section is located within an engine core compartment and includes a front mount flange and an aft mount flange. An oil tank is mounted to at least one of the fan case or the front and aft mount flanges. The oil tank has a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine core compartment;
a fan case radially outwardly of the engine core compartment;
a compressor section located within the engine core compartment, the compressor section including a front mount flange and an aft mount flange;
an oil tank mounted to at least one of the fan case or the front and aft mount flanges, the oil tank having a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources.

2. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of air sources comprises at least fan air.

3. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of air sources comprises at least core engine bleed air.

4. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of air sources comprises at least compartment ventilation air.

5. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of air sources comprises at least free stream air.

6. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of air sources comprises fan air, core ventilation air, free stream air, and core bleed air.

7. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the oil tank is mounted to a firewall at the aft flange mount.

8. The gas turbine engine according to claim 7 wherein a portion of the oil tank extends aft of the firewall.

9. The gas turbine engine according to claim 8 wherein the portion of the oil tank comprises a main oil fill compartment.

10. The gas turbine engine according to claim 9 wherein the portion includes a sight glass to view oil levels in the oil tank.

11. The gas turbine engine according to claim 9 including a service fill connection extending through a fan exit guide vane to a fan case structure.

12. The gas turbine engine according to claim 9 including a service fill connection extending through a strut to a fan case structure.

13. The gas turbine engine according to claim 8 including a nacelle door interface incorporated into the outer surface of the oil tank.

14. The gas turbine engine according to claim 13 wherein the nacelle door interface comprises one of a seal land or an inner v groove incorporated into the outer surface of the oil tank.

15. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the cooling structure comprises an oil cooler integrally formed in an outer surface of the oil tank.

16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 13 wherein the cooling structure integrated into the outer surface of the oil tank provides an integrated tank and cooler surface, and including a de-aerator feature that distributes oil along the integrated tank and cooler surface on a return path back to a main oil fill compartment in the oil tank.

17. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1 wherein the oil tank comprises a main oil fill compartment that provides a main supply of lubrication for engine components, and wherein the cooling structure comprises an oil cooler that is integrally formed in the outer surface of the oil tank.

18. The gas turbine engine according to claim 17 wherein the engine core compartment is defined radially between a core nacelle and an engine static structure, and wherein the oil tank and integrally formed oil cooler are enclosed within the engine core compartment.

19. The gas turbine engine according to claim 18 , including an accessory gearbox mounted on the engine static structure and configured to provide rotational drive to accessory drive components, and wherein the accessory gearbox is arranged within the core compartment with the oil tank and integrally formed oil cooler being enclosed within the core compartment in a position axially forward of the accessory gearbox.

20. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine static structure;
a fan case supported relative to the engine static structure by a radial structure;
a compressor section and a turbine section housed within the engine static structure, and a combustor section arranged axially between the compressor section and the turbine section;
a core nacelle enclosing the engine static structure to provide a core compartment; and
an oil tank mounted within the core compartment between a compressor mount flange and a firewall, the oil tank having a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface of the oil tank such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources, and wherein the compressor mount flange comprises a front compressor mount flange and wherein the compressor includes an aft compressor mount flange wherein the oil tank is mounted to the aft compressor mount flange at the firewall.

21. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine static structure;
a fan case supported relative to the engine static structure by a radial structure;
a compressor section and a turbine section housed within the engine static structure, and a combustor section arranged axially between the compressor section and the turbine section;
a core nacelle enclosing the engine static structure to provide a core compartment; and

an oil tank mounted within the core compartment between a compressor mount flange and a firewall, the oil tank having a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface of the oil tank such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources, and wherein the plurality of air sources comprise at least fan air, core ventilation air, free stream air, and core bleed air.

22. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine static structure;
a fan case supported relative to the engine static structure by a radial structure;
a compressor section and a turbine section housed within the engine static structure, and a combustor section arranged axially between the compressor section and the turbine section;
a core nacelle enclosing the engine static structure to provide a core compartment;

an oil tank mounted within the core compartment between a compressor mount flange and a firewall, the oil tank having a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface of the oil tank such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources;
wherein the cooling structure comprises an oil cooler integrally formed in the outer surface of the oil tank, the oil cooler including a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from the outer surface; and
wherein the cooling structure integrated into the outer surface of the oil tank provides an integrated tank and cooler surface, and including a de-aerator feature that distributes oil along the integrated tank and cooler surface on a return path back to a main oil fill compartment in the oil tank.

23. A gas turbine engine comprising:
an engine static structure;
a fan case supported relative to the engine static structure by a radial structure;
a compressor section and a turbine section housed within the engine static structure, and a combustor section arranged axially between the compressor section and the turbine section;
a core nacelle enclosing the engine static structure to provide a core compartment;

an oil tank mounted within the core compartment between a compressor mount flange and a firewall, the oil tank having a cooling structure integrated into an outer surface of the oil tank such that the oil tank is subjected to cooling air flow from a plurality of air sources;
wherein the oil tank comprises a m

Assignees

• Snape Nathan
• Suciu Gabriel L
• Pickford Simon
• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Snape Nathan
• Suciu Gabriel L
• Pickford Simon

Classifications

• F02C7/06

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

• F01D25/18 Primary

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

• F01M5/002

  Cooling · CPC title

• F16N19/00

  Lubricant containers for use in lubricators or lubrication systems · CPC title

• B64D29/08

  Inspection panels for power plants · CPC title