Turbine engine transmission gutter
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsFred NguyenLoc, San Quach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A turbine engine case defines a centerline and a gaspath within the engine case. A fan is coupled to a fan shaft. A transmission couples the shaft to the fan shaft to drive the fan and comprises a gear system. A gutter system is positioned to capture lubricating fluid slung from the gear system. The gutter system includes a gutter extending partially circumferentially about the centerline having a first circumferential end edge. An inlet channel has an inlet at the gutter first circumferential end edge and locally radially outboard of the gutter. At least one vane is spaced apart from the gutter first circumferential end edge.
Claims15
A gutter system for capturing lubricating fluid slung from a gear system comprising:
- a gutter extending partially circumferentially about a centerline and having a gutter first circumferential end edge;
- an inlet channel having an inlet at the gutter first circumferential end edge and locally radially outboard of the gutter;
- and
- at least two vanes spaced apart from the gutter first circumferential end edge, wherein:
- and
- the at least two vanes are positioned with a leading vane and a trailing vane, the leading vane having an outboard edge and the trailing vane having an outboard edge radially recessed relative to the leading vane outboard edge.
A method for operating a gutter system for capturing lubricating fluid slung from a gear system, the gutter system comprising:
- a gutter extending partially circumferentially about a centerline and having a gutter first circumferential end edge;
- an inlet channel having an inlet at the gutter first circumferential end edge and locally radially outboard of the gutter;
- and
- at least two vanes spaced apart from the gutter first circumferential end edge, the method comprising:
- the lubricating fluid being flung with a tangential/circumferential velocity component in a first direction;
- a portion of the flung lubricating fluid flowing in the first direction along an inboard surface of the gutter;
- and
- a portion of the lubricating fluid flowing along the gutter inboard surface passing into the inlet of the inlet channel, as the portion of the lubricating fluid flowing along the gutter inboard surface passes into the inlet of the inlet channel a first of the at least one vane diverting a relatively air-rich portion away from the inlet and then a second of the at least one vane diverting a relatively air-rich portion of the remainder away from the inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.