Self Cleaning Debris Filter for Fan Drive Gear System
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsWilliam G. Sheridan, Alan J. Goetschius
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pump system for a gas turbine engine has at least one pump. At least one valve has an outlet and at least one inlet is fluidly connected to the at least one pump. A geared architecture is positioned within a bearing compartment. The geared architecture is configured to receive lubricating fluid from the outlet of the at least one valve, a self-cleaning filter is positioned downstream of the at least one valve and upstream of the geared architecture. A gas turbine engine and a method are also disclosed.
Claims20
A pump system for a gas turbine engine comprising:
- at least one pump;
- at least one valve having an outlet and at least one inlet fluidly connected to the at least one pump;
- a geared architecture positioned within a bearing compartment, wherein the geared architecture is configured to receive lubricating fluid from the outlet of the at least one valve;
- and
- a self-cleaning filter positioned downstream of the at least one valve and upstream of the geared architecture.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a fan section including a fan shaft;
- a first spool including a first shaft that connects the fan section and a first compressor section to a first turbine section;
- a second spool including a second shaft that connects a second compressor section to a second turbine section, the first and second shafts rotating a different speeds;
- a geared architecture coupling the first shaft to the fan shaft;
- and
- a lubrication system including
- at least one pump,
- at least one valve having at least one inlet fluidly connected to the at least one pump and an outlet,
- a bearing compartment for the geared architecture such that the geared architecture is configured to receive lubricating fluid from the outlet of the at least one valve, and
- a self-cleaning filter positioned downstream of the at least one valve and upstream of the geared architecture.
A method of cleaning a filter in a pump system for a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
- providing a self-cleaning filter having an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet;
- fluidly connecting the inlet to a fluid supply associated with at least one of a main reservoir and an auxiliary reservoir;
- fluidly connecting the first outlet to lubricate bearings of a geared architecture that couples an engine shaft to a fan shaft;
- and
- fluidly connecting the second outlet to return collected debris to a bearing compartment that receives the geared architecture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.