Drainage path for a bearing sump in a vertically oriented turbine engine
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorChadd D. Engel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine in a shutdown mode comprises one or more rotatable shafts, a first oil sump, a second oil sump, and an oil drainage conduit fluidically connecting the first oil sump and the second oil sump. The one or more rotatable shafts are oriented with an axis of rotation less than 90 degrees from vertical. The first oil sump has a selected critical vertical level. The second oil sump is positioned at an elevation lower than the elevation of the first oil sump. The oil drainage conduit effects oil drainage by gravity from the first oil sump to the second oil sump to prevent the level of oil collected in the first oil sump from exceeding the selected critical vertical level.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine in a shutdown mode, said engine comprising:
- one or more rotatable shafts oriented with an axis of rotation less than 90 degrees from vertical;
- a first oil sump at a first axial position relative to said one or more rotatable shafts, said first oil sump having a selected critical vertical level;
- a second oil sump at a second axial position relative to said one or more rotatable shafts such that said second oil sump is positioned at an elevation lower than the elevation of said first oil sump;
- and
- an oil drainage conduit fluidically connecting said first oil sump and said second oil sump, said oil drainage conduit having an inlet positioned in said first oil sump at a vertical level below the selected critical vertical level to thereby effect oil drainage by gravity from said first oil sump to said second oil sump to prevent the level of oil collected in said first oil sump from exceeding the selected critical vertical level.
A gas turbine engine in a shutdown mode, said engine comprising:
- one or more rotatable shafts oriented with an axis of rotation less than 90 degrees from vertical;
- a first oil sump at a first axial position relative to said one or more rotatable shafts;
- a second oil sump at a second axial position relative to said one or more rotatable shafts such that said second oil sump is positioned at an elevation lower than the elevation of said first oil sump;
- a seal positioned proximate said first oil sump such that said seal will be exposed to oil if the level of oil collected in said first oil sump exceeds a selected critical vertical level;
- and
- an oil drainage conduit fluidically connecting said first oil sump and said second oil sump, said oil drainage conduit having an inlet positioned in said first oil sump at a vertical level below the selected critical vertical level to thereby effect oil drainage by gravity from said first oil sump to said second oil sump to prevent the level of oil collected in said first oil sump from exceeding the selected critical vertical level.
In gas turbine engine in a shutdown mode having one or more rotatable shafts oriented with an axis of rotation less than 90 degrees from vertical, the engine having first oil sump with a selected critical vertical level and a second oil sump positioned at a lower elevation than the elevation of the first oil sump, a method of preventing a level of oil collected in said first oil sump from exceeding the selected critical vertical level, the method comprising:
- providing an oil drainage conduit between the first oil sump and the second oil sump, said oil drainage conduit having an inlet positioned in said first oil sump at a vertical level below the selected critical vertical level to thereby effect oil drainage by gravity from said first oil sump to said second oil sump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.