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US 9,995,177 B2Granted
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.
Claims22
A method of cleaning a filter in a pump system for a gas turbine engine comprising steps of:
- providing a self-cleaning filter comprising a filter screen held fixed within a filter housing 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.
2 more elements
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, wherein the self-cleaning filter comprises a filter screen held fixed within a filter housing, and wherein the filter housing has a filter inlet, a first outlet fluidly connected to the geared architecture, and a second outlet fluidly connected to the bearing compartment, and including a restrictor downstream of the second outlet to set a specified flow rate difference between the filter inlet and the first outlet.
2 more elements
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;
- a self-cleaning filter positioned downstream of the at least one valve and upstream of the geared architecture, wherein the self-cleaning filter comprises a filter screen held fixed within a filter housing;
- and
- wherein the filter screen is fixed to the filter housing with at least one retainer, and wherein the filter housing has a filter inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the at least one valve, a first outlet fluidly connected to the geared architecture, and a second outlet fluidly connected to the bearing compartment.
3 more elements
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, wherein the self-cleaning filter comprises a filter screen held fixed within a filter housing, and wherein the filter housing has a filter inlet, a first outlet fluidly connected to the geared architecture, and a second outlet fluidly connected to the bearing compartment, and including a restrictor downstream of the second outlet to set a specified flow rate difference between the filter inlet and the first outlet.
7 more elements
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, and wherein the self-cleaning filter comprises a filter screen positioned within a filter housing, and wherein the filter housing has a filter inlet fluidly connected to the outlet of the at least one valve, a first outlet fluidly connected to the geared architecture, and a second outlet fluidly connected to the bearing compartment, and wherein the lubricating fluid flows into the filter inlet at a first flow rate and flows out of the first outlet at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, and wherein the lubricating fluid flows out of the second outlet at a third flow rate that is less than the second flow rate.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.