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US 7,867,310 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for separating air and oil
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRobert Allen Baten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and devices for separating oil from a mixture of oil and air are provided. In various embodiments, an air/oil separator includes a cylindrical housing that creates a circular flow path of the air and oil. Further, the air/oil separator may include various flow guides that improve the air/oil separation properties of the separator. Other embodiments include a turbine engine with a lubrication system that includes the improved air/oil separator.
Claims22
A system, comprising:
- a centrifugal air/oil separator, comprising:
- a cylindrical housing comprising an air collection compartment, an oil collection compartment, and a separation compartment between the air and oil collection compartments;
- one or more air/oil inlets disposed tangentially along a wall of the cylindrical housing and configured to receive an air/oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the air/oil mixture within the separation compartment;
- and
- a helical flow guide disposed along the wall of the cylindrical housing, wherein the helical flow guide blocks the air/oil mixture from flowing directly along the wall from the separation compartment toward the air collection compartment;
- wherein the air collection compartment and the separation compartment are separated by an annular ring that blocks the air/oil mixture from flowing directly along the wall from the separation compartment toward the air collection compartment.
3 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a turbine engine;
- and
- a lubrication system fluidly coupled to the turbine engine, comprising:
- an oil reservoir;
- a first air/oil separator, wherein the first air/oil separator comprises a centrifugal air/oil separator comprising a cylindrical housing having a wall about a central axis, an air inlet generally tangential to the cylindrical housing through the wall, and an air outlet disposed through the top of the centrifugal air/oil separator, and the centrifugal air/oil separator comprises a helical flow guide disposed along the wall between the air inlet and the air outlet, wherein the helical flow guide blocks air from flowing directly along the wall toward the air outlet and the helical flow guide spirals helically around the central axis for at least half of a length of a middle chamber of the centrifugal air/oil separator;
- and
- a second air/oil separator fluidly coupled to the first air/oil separator, wherein the first and second air/oil separators are configured to separate air and oil from an air/oil mixture obtained from the engine and direct at least some of the separated oil to the oil reservoir, wherein the first and second air/oil separators are structurally different from one another.
4 more elements
A method of separating oil from air, comprising:
- receiving an air/oil mixture into a chamber;
- guiding the air/oil mixture into a rotational path along a wall of the chamber to separate an oil-heavy air/oil mixture from an oil-light air/oil mixture;
- guiding the oil-heavy air/oil mixture along the wall in a spiraling flow path away from an air outlet;
- routing the oil-light air/oil mixture toward the air outlet while blocking the oil-light air/oil mixture from flowing directly along the wall via an annular ring directly abutting the wall between the air outlet and the oil outlet;
- precipitating oil from the oil-heavy air/oil mixture through perforated plate toward an oil outlet.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.