Passive planetary emergency lubrication system
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorDouglas Robert Mueller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example of an emergency lubrication system for an aircraft includes a lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft, a tube coupled between the lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube, a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox, and a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox.
Claims17
An emergency lubrication system for an aircraft, the emergency lubrication system comprising:
- a lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
- a tube coupled between the lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube;
- a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox;
- and
- a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox;
- wherein the tube is oriented so that the check ball moves to a first end of the tube to block a flow of the lubricant to the first lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a first configuration and so that the check ball moves to a second end of the tube to block the flow of the lubricant to the second lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a second configuration.
A lubrication system for an aircraft, the lubrication system comprising:
- a primary lubrication system for a gearbox of the aircraft, the primary lubrication system comprising a first lubricant tank;
- an emergency lubrication system for the gearbox, the emergency lubrication system comprising:
- a second lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
- a tube coupled between the second lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube;
- a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox;
- and
- a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox;
- wherein the tube is oriented so that the check ball moves to a first end of the tube to block a flow of the lubricant to the first lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a first configuration and so that the check ball moves to a second end of the tube to block the flow of the lubricant to the second lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a second configuration.
A method of providing emergency lubrication for an aircraft, the method comprising:
- determining if a loss of lubrication event has occurred;
- responsive to a determination that the loss of lubrication event has occurred, opening a valve of an emergency lubrication system to provide lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
- wherein the emergency lubrication system comprises:
- a lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
- a tube coupled between the lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube;
- a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox;
- and
- a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox;
- wherein:
- the check ball is positioned to block a flow of the lubricant to the first lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a first orientation;
- and the check ball is positioned to block the flow of the lubricant to the second lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a second orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.