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US 2020/0040982 A1Published application
Fluid supply over range of gravitational conditions
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorJinQuan Xu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a system comprising: a tank that stores a fluid, and a conduit that includes a first end and a second end, where the conduit is configured to convey at least a portion of the fluid stored in the tank from the second end of the conduit to the first end of the conduit, where a first end region of the conduit coinciding with the second end of the conduit has a first end region density and the fluid has a fluid density, where the first end region density is greater than or equal to the fluid density such that the first end region of the conduit remains immersed in the fluid stored in the tank when the fluid in the tank is under negative gravity conditions.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a tank configured to store a fluid in a volume defined between a top and a bottom of the tank and a perimeter wall extending between the top and the bottom of the tank;
- a conduit extending through an outlet in the perimeter wall, the conduit including a first end disposed outside the tank and a second end disposed inside the tank;
- and
- a fan drive gear system fluidly coupled to the first end of the conduit, the fan drive gear system configured to receive the fluid conveyed by the conduit, wherein the fan drive gear system returns at least a portion of the fluid conveyed by the conduit to a tank inlet of the tank,
- wherein the conduit is configured to convey at least a portion of the fluid stored in the tank from the second end of the conduit to the first end of the conduit,
- wherein a first end region of the conduit coinciding with the second end of the conduit has a first end region density and the fluid has a fluid density, and
- wherein the first end region density is greater than or equal to the fluid density such that the first end region of the conduit is configured to remain in a first portion of the volume containing the fluid with the first portion spaced from the top by a second portion of the volume which is devoid of the fluid, when the fluid in the tank is in a positive gravity condition and spaced from the bottom by the second portion when the fluid in the tank is in a negative gravity condition.
4 more elements
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a turbine;
- a fan drive gear system;
- a shaft rotatably coupling the turbine to the fan drive gear system;
- a fan rotatably coupled to the fan drive gear system;
- and
- a lubrication system comprising:
- a tank configured to store a fluid in a volume defined between a top and a bottom of the tank and a perimeter wall extending between the top and the bottom of the tank;
- and
- a conduit extending through an outlet in the perimeter wall, the conduit including a first end disposed outside the tank and a second end disposed inside the tank, the first end of the conduit fluidly coupled to the fan drive gear system, the fan drive gear system configured to receive the fluid conveyed by the conduit, wherein the fan drive gear system returns at least a portion of the fluid conveyed by the conduit to a tank inlet of the tank;
- wherein the conduit is configured to convey at least a portion of the fluid stored in the tank from the second end of the conduit to the first end of the conduit,
- wherein a first end region of the conduit coinciding with the second end of the conduit has a first end region density and the fluid has a fluid density, and
- wherein the first end region density is greater than or equal to the fluid density such that the first end region of the conduit is configured to remain in a first portion of the volume containing the fluid with the first portion spaced from the top by a second portion of the volume which is devoid of the fluid, when the fluid in the tank is in a positive gravity condition and spaced from the bottom by the second portion when the fluid in the tank is in a negative gravity condition.
9 more elements
A method for lubricating a fan drive gear system, the method comprising:
- storing a fluid in a volume of a tank, the volume defined between a top and a bottom of the tank and a perimeter wall extending between the top and the bottom of the tank;
- conveying the fluid from the tank to a fan drive gear system with a conduit extending through an outlet in the perimeter wall, the conduit including a first end disposed outside the tank and fluidly coupled to the fan drive gear system and a second end disposed inside the tank;
- and
- returning, with the fan drive gear system, at least a portion of the fluid conveyed by the conduit to a tank inlet of the tank,
- wherein a first end region of the conduit coinciding with the second end of the conduit has a first end region density and the fluid has a fluid density, and
- wherein the first end region density is greater than or equal to the fluid density such that the first end region of the conduit is configured to remain in a first portion of the volume containing the fluid with the first portion spaced from the top by a second portion of the volume which is devoid of the fluid, when the fluid in the tank is in a positive gravity condition and spaced from the bottom by the second portion when the fluid in the tank is in a negative gravity condition.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.