# US 12,000,342 B2 · Air turbine starter with lubrication recirculation circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,342 B2 - Document ID: US12000342B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/946,238 - Filed: 2022-09-16 - Published: 2024-01-18 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-16 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Narendra Dev Mahadevaiah; Sharad Pundlik Patil; Subrata Nayak; Milind Chandrakant Dhabade; Shiloh Montegomery Meyers; David Allan Dranschak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000342B2 ## CPC - F02C 7/277: the starter being a {separate} turbine - 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) - F02C 7/32: Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries - F16H 57/02: Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein - F16H 57/04: Features relating to lubrication or cooling {or heating} (control of lubrication or cooling in hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4165) - F05D 2260/85: Starting - F16H 2057/02017: {characterised by special features related to the manufacturing of the gear case, e.g. special adaptations for casting} - 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) - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F16H: GEARING - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract An air turbine starter (ATS) for a gas turbine engine having an accessory gear box (AGB) with a lubricant reservoir, the air turbine starter comprising a housing at least partially defining a working air flow path; a turbine section comprising a turbine having an output shaft and a plurality of blades circumferential spaced about the output shaft and at least partially extending into the working air flow path; a drive section having a drive shaft operably coupled to the output shaft to engage the AGB; and a lubrication recirculation circuit fluidly coupled to the lubricant reservoir. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air turbine starter (ATS) for a gas turbine engine having an accessory gear box (AGB) with a lubricant reservoir, the air turbine starter comprising: a housing at least partially defining a working air flow path; a turbine section comprising a turbine having a turbine shaft and a plurality of blades circumferentially spaced about the turbine shaft, the plurality of blades at least partially extending into the working air flow path; a drive section having at least one lubricated component, a drive shaft operably coupling the turbine shaft to the AGB; a lubrication recirculation circuit having a supply line fluidly coupling the lubricant reservoir to the at least one lubricated component, and a return line fluidly coupling the at least one lubricated component to the lubricant reservoir; a distribution chamber located within an interior of the housing fluidly coupled to the supply line, the return line and the at least one lubricated component; and a bypass line, located within the interior of the housing, fluidly coupled to the distribution chamber, fluidly coupling the supply line to the return line, via the distribution chamber, for bypassing the at least one lubricated component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air turbine starter of claim 1 wherein the bypass line comprises at least one return outlet fluidly coupling the supply line to the return line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The air turbine starter of claim 2 further comprising a valve for controlling a flow of lubricant through the lubrication recirculation circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The air turbine starter of claim 3 wherein the valve is a pressure valve, which is responsive to a lubricant pressure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The air turbine starter of claim 4 wherein the at least one return outlet includes a first return outlet opened by the pressure valve when the lubricant pressure is between a low lubricant pressure value and a threshold pressure value to define a drive supply position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The air turbine starter of claim 5 wherein the supply line is fluidly coupled to the drive section in the drive supply position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The air turbine starter of claim 4 wherein the at least one return outlet includes a second return outlet opened by the pressure valve when the lubricant pressure is above a threshold pressure value to define a bypass position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The air turbine starter of claim 7 wherein the supply line is fluidly blocked from the drive section and the turbine section in the bypass position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The air turbine starter of claim 4 wherein the supply line is fluidly coupled to the turbine section by the pressure valve when the lubricant pressure is between a minimum pressure requirement and a high lubricant pressure value to define a turbine supply position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The air turbine starter of claim 1 further comprising a pressure valve for controlling a flow of lubricant between the supply line and the at least one lubricated component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The air turbine starter of claim 10 wherein the pressure valve is a multiplex control valve which, when a pressure difference between the ATS and the AGB is indicative of a housing breach, the supply line is closed and the bypass line is open, and, when a pressure in the pressure difference is indicative of normal operation of the ATS, the supply line is open. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The air turbine starter of claim 1 further comprising a pressure valve, which, when a pressure difference between the ATS and the AGB is indicative of a housing breach, the supply line is closed, and, when the pressure difference is indicative of normal operation of the ATS, the supply line is open. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The air turbine starter of claim 12, further comprising a first spring and a second spring with a different stiffness value than the first spring, the first spring transposing the pressure valve between a first position and a second position and the second spring transposing the pressure valve between a fourth position and a fifth position. ### Claim 14 A lubrication recirculation circuit comprising: a lubricant reservoir located in an accessory gear box (AGB); a housing for an air turbine starter (ATS), the housing defining an interior with at least one lubricated component, a turbine section with a turbine shaft, and a drive section with a drive shaft operably coupled to the turbine shaft located within, an output shaft at least partially disposed within the housing and operably coupling the drive shaft to the AGB; a supply line fluidly coupling the lubricant reservoir to the at least one lubricated component, and a return line fluidly coupling the at least one lubricated component to the lubricant reservoir; a distribution chamber located within the interior of the housing fluidly coupled to the supply line, the return line and the at least one lubricated component; and a bypass line, located within the interior of the housing, fluidly coupled to the distribution chamber, fluidly coupling the supply line to the return line, via the distribution chamber, for bypassing the at least one lubricated component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The lubrication recirculation circuit of claim 5 wherein the supply line comprises a set of distribution conduits including a turbine conduit fluidly coupled to the turbine section and a drive conduit fluidly coupled to the drive section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The lubrication recirculation circuit of claim 15, further comprising a valve for selectively opening and closing the bypass line, the turbine conduit, and the drive conduit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The lubrication recirculation circuit of claim 16, further comprising a first spring and a second spring with a different stiffness value than the first spring, the first spring transposing the valve between a turbine supply position and a drive supply position and the second spring transposing the valve into a bypass position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The lubrication recirculation circuit of claim 16, further comprising a set of outlets located in the housing and a diverter for moving a flow of lubricant from a rotary motion to an axial direction with the diverter fluidly coupled to the set of outlets.