# US 12,601,281 B2 · Turbine engine having a plurality of lubricant struts, each defining a lubricant strut flowpath

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- Number: US 12,601,281 B2
- Document ID: US12601281B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/883,610
- Filed: 2024-09-12
- Published: 2026-03-12
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2024-09-12
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Brandon W. Miller; Andrew Hudecki; Ryan T. Roehm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12601281B2

## CPC

- F01D 25/20: using lubrication pumps
- F01D 25/18: Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M)
- F05D 2220/36: specially adapted for the fan of turbofan engines
- F05D 2260/4031: as in toothed gearing
- F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D)
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS

## Abstract

A turbine engine includes a turbo-engine, a fan, a frame, and a lubrication system. The turbo-engine includes a core air flowpath. The fan is drivingly coupled to the turbo-engine. The frame supports the core air flowpath and includes a plurality of lubricant struts that extend through the core air flowpath. The lubrication system includes a sump having a lubricant therein, a scavenge reservoir, and a lubricant strut flowpath disposed through each of the plurality of lubricant struts. The lubricant strut flowpath is in fluid communication with the sump and the scavenge reservoir. The lubricant strut flowpath of each of the plurality of lubricant struts directs the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A turbine engine comprising:
a turbo-engine having a core air flowpath;
an annular frame including a radially inner frame wall and a radially outer frame wall, the radially inner frame wall and the radially outer frame wall defining the core air flowpath of the turbo-engine therebetween; and
a lubrication system comprising:
a sump having a lubricant therein;
a scavenge reservoir extending at least partially circumferentially about the core air flowpath, the scavenge reservoir having a continuous volume extending radially outward of the core air flowpath; and
a plurality of lubricant struts that extends through the core air flowpath, each of the plurality of lubricant struts defining a lubricant strut flowpath therein, the lubricant strut flowpath having a lubricant strut flowpath inlet in fluid communication with the sump and a lubricant strut flowpath outlet in fluid communication with the scavenge reservoir, to direct the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the lubrication system further comprises a scavenge pump in fluid communication with the scavenge reservoir for pumping the lubricant from the scavenge reservoir.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the scavenge reservoir is positioned radially outward of the core air flowpath.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts extends from the radially inner frame wall to the radially outer frame wall.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The turbine engine of claim 4, wherein the scavenge reservoir is positioned radially outward of the radially outer frame wall.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts includes a first lubricant strut having a first lubricant strut flowpath that directs the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir when the turbine engine is at a first rotational position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The turbine engine of claim 6, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts includes a second lubricant strut having a second lubricant strut flowpath that directs the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir when the turbine engine is at a second rotational position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, wherein the sump includes a maximum lubricant level, the lubricant in the sump maintains contact with at least one of the plurality of lubricant struts when the turbine engine rotates such that the lubricant is maintained at or below the maximum lubricant level.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The turbine engine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts includes at least one lubricant strut circumferentially positioned to maintain contact with the lubricant in the sump when the turbine engine is at a maximum roll angle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The turbine engine of claim 1, further comprising a gearbox assembly including a plurality of gears, a fan being drivingly coupled to the turbo-engine through the gearbox assembly.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The turbine engine of claim 10, wherein the sump is defined radially outward of the plurality of gears.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The turbine engine of claim 10, wherein the lubrication system further comprises a tank for storing the lubricant therein, a lubricant pump, and a lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the tank and the gearbox assembly, the lubricant pump pumping the lubricant from the tank to the gearbox assembly through the lubricant supply line to lubricate the plurality of gears.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The turbine engine of claim 12, wherein the lubrication system further comprises a scavenge line in fluid communication with the scavenge reservoir and the tank, the scavenge line directing lubricant from the scavenge reservoir to the tank.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A method of operating the turbine engine of claim 1, the method comprising:
directing the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir through the lubricant strut flowpath of one or more of the plurality of lubricant struts based on a rotational position of the turbine engine.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the turbine engine includes a gearbox assembly including a plurality of gears, a fan being drivingly coupled to the turbo-engine through the gearbox assembly, the lubrication system further comprises a tank for storing the lubricant therein, a lubricant pump, and a lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the tank and the gearbox assembly, and the method further comprising pumping the lubricant with the lubricant pump from the tank to the gearbox assembly through the lubricant supply line to lubricate the plurality of gears.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the lubrication system further comprises a scavenge pump in fluid communication with the scavenge reservoir, the method further comprising pumping the lubricant from the scavenge reservoir with the scavenge pump.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts includes a first lubricant strut having a first lubricant strut flowpath, the method further comprising directing the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir with the first lubricant strut flowpath when the turbine engine is at a first rotational position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts includes a second lubricant strut having a second lubricant strut flowpath, the method further comprising directing the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir with the second lubricant strut flowpath when the turbine engine is at a second rotational position.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the sump includes a maximum lubricant level, the method further comprising maintaining the lubricant in the sump at or below the maximum lubricant level by maintaining contact of the lubricant with at least one of the plurality of lubricant struts when the turbine engine rotates.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of lubricant struts includes at least one lubricant strut circumferentially positioned to maintain contact with the lubricant in the sump when the turbine engine is at a maximum roll angle, the method further comprising directing the lubricant from the sump to the scavenge reservoir through the at least one lubricant strut when the turbine engine is at the maximum roll angle.