System for reducing oil consumption in gas turbine engines
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCHARLES GRANITZ, MARK ZENTGRAF
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for reducing oil usage from a sump in a gas turbine engine. Two sources of oil usage, which usage includes leakage and consumption, have been identified: (1) during idle, leakage of oil from an oil sump through seals and (2) during high-power operation, consumption of oil entrained in vent air exiting from the sump. At idle, the invention reduces pressure in the sump, to thereby increase airflow across the seals into the sump, to inhibit the oil leakage across the seals. At high power operation, the pressure reduction is terminated, but flow exiting the vent is artificially restricted.
Claims16
1-4. (canceled)
Method, comprising:
- a) ascertaining amount of airflow across seals which seal a lubrication sump;
- and
- b) b) maintaining said airflow above a predetermined minimum.
Method, comprising:
- a) in a gas turbine engine, maintaining an eductor in fluid communication with a vent of a lubrication sump;
- and
- b) using the eductor to maintain fluid flow through the vent above a predetermined minimum.
Method of operating a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a) maintaining an eductor, having a flow restrictor therein, in fluid communication with a vent of a lubrication sump;
- b) when engine speed is below a floor, injecting a jet of air into the eductor, to increase flow through the vent, to decrease pressure in the sump;
- and
- c) when engine speed is above a threshold,
- i) terminating the jet of air, and
- ii) utilizing the flow restrictor to limit flow through the vent.
Apparatus, comprising:
- a) a gas turbine engine;
- b) a lubrication sump in the engine which vents air to an exit;
- and
- b) first means for increasing flow through the vent above normal during idle operation.
Apparatus, comprising:
- a) a gas turbine engine;
- b) a lubrication sump in the engine having a vent;
- c) a pressurization chamber for pressurizing the sump;
- d) an eductor in fluid communication with the vent;
- e) means for tapping pressurized air from a compressor in the engine and delivering the pressurized air to the eductor;
- f) valve means for activating and de-activating delivery of pressurized air to the eductor;
- and
- g) a pressure sensor for ascertaining whether pressure in the pressurization chamber falls below that in the sump by a predetermined amount and, if so, causing the valve means to deliver pressurized air to the eductor, to thereby reduce pressure in the sump.
A method of operating an oil sump having a vent in a gas turbine aircraft engine, comprising:
- a) artificially reducing pressure in the sump during idle operation;
- and
- b) artificially reducing flow through the vent during cruise operation.
Apparatus for operating an oil sump having a vent in a gas turbine aircraft engine, comprising:
- a) means for artificially reducing pressure in the sump during idle operation;
- and
- b) means for artificially reducing flow through the vent during cruise operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.