Lubricant scoop
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorJohn Munson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lubricant scoop is disclosed herein. The lubricant scoop comprises an annular body encircling a central axis. The annular body is operable to rotate about the central axis in a first direction. The lubricant scoop also comprises a plurality of lubricant passageways defined in the annular body. Each of the plurality of passageways extends radially inward toward the central axis from respective entry ports to respective exit ports. The lubricant scoop also comprises an entry plenum defined in the annular body. The entry plenum is upstream of and fluidly communicates with each of the plurality of passageways. The entry plenum has an upstream opening operable to receive lubricant from a lubricant spray nozzle.
Claims18
A lubricant scoop comprising:
- an annular body encircling a central axis and operable to rotate about said central axis in a first direction;
- and
- a plurality of lubricant passageways defined in said annular body and extending radially inward toward said central axis from respective entry ports to respective exit ports;
- and
- an entry plenum defined in said annular body upstream of and fluidly communicating with each of said plurality of passageways, said entry plenum having an upstream opening operable to receive lubricant directly from a lubricant spray nozzle, wherein said scoop is operative to capture said lubricant over an arc of 360 degrees about the central axis.
A method for distributing lubricant in a sump housing comprising the steps of:
- spraying lubricant in a first direction across an open space between a lubricant nozzle and a lubricant scoop rotating about an axis of rotation;
- and
- orienting the lubricant nozzle such that the first direction across the open space is at least partially along the axis of rotation, wherein said scoop is operative to capture said lubricant over an arc of 360 degrees about the central axis.
A turbine engine comprising:
- a shaft operable to rotate about an axis in a first angular direction;
- a component mounted to rotate with said shaft;
- a lubricant scoop mounted to rotate with said shaft and adjacent to said component, said lubricant scoop including at least one vane being airfoil-shaped in radial cross-section with a leading edge and a trailing edge and a concave surface facing said first angular direction;
- and
- a lubricant nozzle oriented to direct lubricant in a first rectilinear direction, wherein said first rectilinear direction is intermittently tangent to said concave surface at said leading edge as said lubricant scoop rotates about said axis of rotation, wherein said scoop is operative to capture said lubricant over an arc of 360 degrees about the central axis.
A lubricant scoop, comprising:
- an annular body disposed about a central axis and operable to rotate about said central axis;
- a entry plenum defined in said annular body, said entry plenum being circumferentially continuous and having an opening operable to receive into said entry plenum lubricant from a lubricant discharge nozzle;
- a plurality of vanes disposed within said annular body and configured to form therebetween a plurality of lubricant passageways, wherein said lubricant passageways are positioned to receive lubricant from said entry plenum;
- wherein said lubricant passageways extend from said entry plenum to respective exit ports;
- and wherein said exit ports are operable to discharge from said lubricant scoop lubricant received from said entry plenum via said plurality of lubricant passageways, wherein said scoop is operative to capture said lubricant over an arc of 360 degrees about the central axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.