# US 11,306,656 B2 · Oil drainback arrangement for gas turbine engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,656 B2 - Document ID: US11306656B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/662,148 - Filed: 2019-10-24 - Published: 2021-04-29 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-24 - Assignees: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Applicants: United Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Todd A. Davis; Reade W. James; Peter T. Schutte; Juan Jimenez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306656B2 ## CPC - F01D 25/18: Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M) - F02C 7/06: Arrangements of bearings (bearings F16C); Lubricating ({of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or} engines in general F01M) - F01D 9/065: {Fluid supply or removal conduits traversing the working fluid flow, e.g. for lubrication-, cooling-, or sealing fluids (see also F01D25/16, F01D25/24 and F01D25/26)} - F01D 25/16: Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings (bearings per se F16C) - F16C 33/10: Construction relative to lubrication {(lubrication in general F16N)} - F16C 33/102: {with grease as lubricant} - F16C 33/1025: {with liquid, e.g. oil, as lubricant} - F16C 33/66: Special parts or details in view of lubrication - F16C 33/6637: {with liquid lubricant} - F16C 33/6685: {Details of collecting or draining, e.g. returning the liquid to a sump} - F16H 57/042: {Guidance of lubricant} - F16H 57/0423: {Lubricant guiding means mounted or supported on the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes or pipes} - F16H 57/0471: {Bearing} - F05D 2220/32: in gas turbines - F05D 2240/50: Bearings - F05D 2260/4031: as in toothed gearing - F05D 2260/98: Lubrication - F16C 2360/23: Gas turbine engines - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - F16H: GEARING - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a passageway configured to permit fluid to drain back into a bearing compartment. The passageway has an inlet outside the bearing compartment and an outlet inside the bearing compartment. The outlet is spaced-apart from a central rotational axis of a towershaft gear. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gas turbine engine, comprising: a passageway configured to permit fluid to drain back into a bearing compartment, the passageway having an inlet outside the bearing compartment and an outlet inside the bearing compartment, wherein the outlet is spaced-apart from a central rotational axis of a towershaft gear; a seal configured to contain fluid within the bearing compartment, wherein the inlet is downstream of the seal; and a gutter arranged adjacent the seal, wherein the gutter is configured to direct fluid into the inlet, wherein the gutter is substantially U-shaped and the gutter is arranged such that the substantial U-shape is open facing toward a central longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, further comprising a fin adjacent the gutter and configured to direct fluid toward the gutter, wherein the fin is configured to rotate relative to the gutter during operation of the gas turbine engine, wherein the gutter is arranged such that substantial U-shape of the gutter is open in a direction facing toward the fin. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the passageway is defined at least in part by a conduit having a bore configured to direct fluid to the outlet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 3, wherein the conduit is attached to the gutter such that a longitudinal axis of the conduit extends, relative to a central longitudinal axis of the gas turbine engine, in both a radial direction and a direction normal to the radial direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4, wherein: the conduit includes at least one orifice spaced-apart from a free end of the conduit along the longitudinal axis of the conduit, and the at least one orifice defines the outlet of the passageway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one orifice is formed in an outer surface of the conduit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5, wherein the bore does not extend through the entirety of the conduit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 4, wherein the gutter includes an orifice, and the conduit is connected to the orifice by a fitting. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 8, wherein the fitting extends, relative to the engine central longitudinal axis, in a radial direction and is fluidly coupled to the bore of the conduit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2, wherein the outlet is spaced-apart from the central rotational axis by substantially half of a radius of the towershaft gear. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the towershaft gear is coupled to a towershaft, and the towershaft is configured to drive an external gearbox. ### Claim 12 An assembly configured to drain fluid back into a bearing compartment, comprising: a gutter arranged outside the bearing compartment and including an orifice leading to a passageway; and a conduit attached to the gutter and defining a portion of the passageway including an outlet of the passageway, wherein the conduit is arranged such that the outlet of the passageway is inside the bearing compartment and is spaced-apart from a central rotational axis of a towershaft gear, wherein the gutter is substantially U-shaped and the gutter is arranged such that the substantial U-shape is open facing away from the conduit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the conduit is mounted to the gutter such that a longitudinal axis of the gutter extends, relative to a central longitudinal axis of a gas turbine engine, in both a radial direction and a direction normal to the radial direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the conduit includes at least one orifice spaced-apart from a free end of the conduit along the longitudinal axis of the conduit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein a bore of the conduit does not extend through the entirety of the conduit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein: the gutter includes an orifice, the conduit is connected to the orifice by a fitting, the fitting extends, relative to the engine central longitudinal axis, in a radial direction, and the fitting is fluidly coupled to the conduit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the outlet is spaced-apart from the central rotational axis by substantially half of a radius of the towershaft gear. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the gutter is substantially U-shaped in cross-section. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1, wherein the gutter extends circumferentially about an entirety of the engine central longitudinal axis.