Lubrication system
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorNeil J. Davies
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine, the system comprising: a gearbox, the gearbox comprising a sump; an oil tank; a primary gearbox lubrication system configured to pump oil from the oil tank to lubricate the gearbox with a gearbox primary feed; a secondary gearbox lubrication system, configured to lubricate the gearbox with oil from the sump when the oil level in the sump reaches a predetermined level; wherein the system is configured to increase the oil level in the sump to at least the predetermined level in response to a failure of the primary gearbox lubrication system.
Claims19
A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
- a planetary gearbox, the planetary gearbox comprising
- a carrier,
- an oil channel, and
- a sump;
- an oil tank;
- a primary gearbox lubrication system including a primary oil jet in fluid communication with the oil channel of the planetary gearbox via a first opening, the primary gearbox lubrication system configured to pump oil from the oil tank to lubricate the gearbox with a gearbox primary feed;
- a secondary gearbox lubrication system including a secondary oil channel disposed inside of the carrier, the secondary oil channel in fluid communication with the oil channel of the planetary gearbox via a second opening at a first end of the secondary oil channel, configured to lubricate the gearbox with oil from the sump when the oil level in the sump reaches a predetermined level;
- a crossover flow valve upstream of the gearbox;
- and
- a scoop attached to the secondary oil channel at a second end of the secondary oil channel, the scoop attached to a rotating part of the gearbox,
- wherein the crossover flow valve is configured to increase the oil level in the sump to at least the predetermined level in response to a failure of the primary gearbox lubrication system.
A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising:
- an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor;
- a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades;
- a lubrication system according to any preceding claim, wherein the gearbox receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft.
A method of lubricating a planetary gearbox of a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
- lubricating a journal bearing of the planetary gearbox with oil from a primary gearbox oil feed via an oil channel, wherein the primary gearbox oil feed is provided to the oil channel by a primary oil jet, the oil channel in fluid communication with the primary oil jet via a first opening;
- in response to failure of the primary gearbox oil feed, causing an oil level in a sump of the planetary gearbox to increase;
- and
- lubricating the journal bearing of the planetary gearbox with oil from the sump when the level has reached or exceeded a predetermined level, the oil from the sump fed to the journal bearing via a secondary oil channel in fluid communication with the oil channel by a second opening, the secondary oil channel disposed in a carrier of the planetary gearbox, wherein a scoop in direct fluid communication with the secondary oil channel feeds the oil from the sump to the secondary oil channel, wherein the scoop is attached to a rotating part of the gearbox and collects the oil from the sump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.