Gearbox heat recovery system
AssigneeTextron Innovations Inc.
InventorsCharles Jared Ott, Brad Ekstrom, Alan Wayne Falls
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for warming lubricant of a gearbox includes a heat exchanger connected to the gearbox, the gearbox configured to send the lubricant to the heat exchanger and the heat exchanger configured to receive the lubricant from the gearbox, warm the received lubricant using bleed air from an engine located proximate the heat exchanger, and return the warmed lubricant to the gearbox.
Claims19
A system for warming lubricant of a gearbox, the system comprising a heat exchanger connected to the gearbox, the gearbox configured to send the lubricant to the heat exchanger and the heat exchanger configured to receive the lubricant from the gearbox, warm the received lubricant using bleed air from an engine located proximate the heat exchanger, and return the warmed lubricant to the gearbox.
A system for warming lubricant of a gearbox, the system comprising:
- a heat exchanger connected to the gearbox, the gearbox configured to send the lubricant to the heat exchanger and the heat exchanger configured to receive the lubricant from the gearbox, warm the received lubricant using fluid from a hydraulic system proximate the heat exchanger, and return the warmed lubricant to the gearbox;
- and
- a thermostat connected between the gearbox and the heat exchanger, wherein the lubricant from the gearbox is prevented from being received by the heat exchanger unless a temperature of the lubricant is less than a minimum threshold temperature.
An aircraft comprising:
- a gearbox comprising lubricant;
- a heat exchanger connected to the gearbox;
- at least one engine;
- and
- a hydraulic system,
- wherein the gearbox is configured to send the lubricant to the heat exchanger, and
- wherein the heat exchanger configured to receive the lubricant from the gearbox, warm the received lubricant using at least one of fluid of the hydraulic system and bleed air from the at least one engine, and return the warmed lubricant to the gearbox.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.