Hydraulically driven de-oiler for gas turbine engines

A de-oiler system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

• a lubrication system tank configured to contain lubricant, the lubricant fluidly coupled with at least one of the gas turbine engine, rotating hardware and bearings through a lubricant supply line;
• a de-oiler operatively coupled with the lubrication system tank;
• the de-oiler comprising:
• a lubricant pumping section operatively coupled with a fuel turbine impelling section, the lubricant pumping section and the fuel turbine impelling section being divided by a lubricant to fuel divider;
• a helical sinus formed within the lubricant pumping section, the helical sinus configured to pump at least one of the lubricant, and a lubricant mist from a de-oiler tank inlet fluidly coupled with the lubrication system tank to a de-oiler tank outlet fluidly coupled with the lubrication system tank and configured to pump the air to a de-oiler air vent outlet in the absence of lubricant;
• and
• the fuel turbine impelling section fluidly coupled with a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, the fuel turbine impelling section comprising impellers configured to receive a fluid flow of fuel and translate a flow energy from the fluid flow into a mechanical rotational energy and impart the mechanical rotational energy into the de-oiler;
• wherein the fuel turbine impelling section is located radially outboard from the lubricant pumping section relative to the axis of the de-oiler, the fuel turbine impelling section is located between an exterior wall and the lubricant to fuel divider of the de-oiler.

A process for separating lubricant with a de-oiler system for a gas turbine engine comprising:

• containing a lubricant within a lubrication system tank;
• fluidly coupling the lubricant with at least one of the gas turbine engine, rotating hardware and bearings through a lubricant supply line;
• operatively coupling a de-oiler with the lubrication system tank;
• operatively coupling a lubricant pumping section of the de-oiler with a fuel turbine impelling section of the de-oiler;
• separating the lubricant pumping section from the fuel turbine impelling section with a lubricant to fuel divider;
• forming a helical sinus within the lubricant pumping section;
• configuring the helical sinus to pump at least one of the lubricant, and a lubricant mist from a de-oiler tank inlet fluidly coupled with the lubrication system tank to a de-oiler tank outlet fluidly coupled with the lubrication system tank;
• configuring the helical sinus to pump the air to a de-oiler air vent outlet in the absence of lubricant;
• fluidly coupling the fuel turbine impelling section with a fuel inlet and a fuel outlet, the fuel turbine impelling section comprising impellers;
• configuring the impellers to receive a fluid flow of fuel and translate a flow energy from the fluid flow into a mechanical rotational energy and impart the mechanical rotational energy into the de-oiler;
• locating the fuel turbine impelling section radially outboard from the lubricant pumping section relative to the axis of the de-oiler;
• and
• locating the fuel turbine impelling section between an exterior wall and the lubricant to fuel divider of the de-oiler.