Air / oil separator apparatus and method

Abstract

An air / oil separator (100) is provided. The air / oil separator (100) comprises an oil manifold (106), the oil manifold (106) having a first air / oil inlet (112) and a second air / oil inlet (114); a first separation chamber (102), the first separation chamber (102) being in communication with the first air / oil inlet (112); and a second separation chamber (104), the second separation chamber (104) being separated from the first separation chamber (102), and the second separation chamber (104) being in communication with the second air / oil inlet (114).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a jet engine, or more particularly to an air / oil separator for a jet engine. Background Art

[0002] A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with each other. In addition, the core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in a serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, air is provided from the fan to the inlet of the compressor section, wherein one or more axial flow compressors gradually compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned in the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are directed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gases through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then directed to, for example, the atmosphere through the exhaust section.

[0003] Mechanical and electromechanical systems, such as gas turbine engines or other engines, include gear assemblies to change the input or output speed between two or more shafts, thereby optimizing the efficiency and performance of the turbine engine. Gear assemblies are also used to move accessories and / or propellers or rotors. For example, gear assemblies are used to separate the turbine and fan shafts in turbofan engines, and to separate the gas turbine from the propeller in turboprop engines.

[0004] The lubricant system for such a gear assembly is designed to supply lubricant injected into the gear mesh. Such a lubrication system is able to lubricate the gear assembly and the turbomachinery shaft bearings or the engine shaft. Lubricant, such as oil, is purged from a sump or gearbox. This oil may contain a large amount of air due to the mixing process caused by the rotation of the gears and bearings. Before returning the oil to the tank, the air and oil must be separated from each other. Summary of the invention

[0005] Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes an oil circuit and an air / oil separator, the oil circuit is used to provide oil to the system of the gas turbine engine, and the air / oil separator is connected to the oil circuit. The air / oil separator includes an oil manifold, the oil manifold has a first air / oil inlet and a second air / oil inlet; a first separation chamber, the first separation chamber is connected to the first air / oil inlet; and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber is separated from the first separation chamber, and the second separation chamber is connected to the second air / oil inlet.

[0007] In certain exemplary embodiments, the air / oil separator includes an air manifold having an air outlet, a first separation chamber in communication with the air outlet, and a second separation chamber in communication with the air outlet.

[0008] In certain exemplary embodiments, the first air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the first separation chamber and is configured to receive the first air / oil mixture and induce a circumferential motion of the first air / oil mixture within the first separation chamber.

[0009] In certain exemplary embodiments, the first oil portion exits the first separation chamber at a bottom location and the first air portion exits the first separation chamber at a top location and flows toward an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0010] In certain exemplary embodiments, an oil circuit provides oil to at least one of a power gearbox, a pitch changing mechanism for a variable pitch fan, and a motor.

[0011] In certain exemplary embodiments, the second air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the second separation chamber and is configured to receive the second air / oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture within the second separation chamber.

[0012] In certain exemplary embodiments, the second oil portion exits the second separation chamber at a bottom location.

[0013] In certain exemplary embodiments, the second air portion exits the second separation chamber at a top location and flows toward an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0014] In certain exemplary embodiments, the air / oil separator includes a third separation chamber that is separate from the first separation chamber and the second separation chamber.

[0015] In certain exemplary embodiments, the oil manifold includes a third air / oil inlet, and the third separation chamber is in communication with the third air / oil inlet.

[0016] In certain exemplary embodiments, the third separation chamber is in communication with the air outlet.

[0017] In certain exemplary embodiments, the third air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the third separation chamber and is configured to receive the third air / oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the third air / oil mixture within the third separation chamber.

[0018] In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes an oil circuit and an air / oil separator, the oil circuit is used to provide oil to a system of the gas turbine engine, and the air / oil separator is connected to the oil circuit. The air / oil separator includes an air manifold, the air manifold has an air outlet, a first separation chamber, the first separation chamber is communicated with the air outlet; and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber is separated from the first separation chamber, and the second separation chamber is communicated with the air outlet.

[0019] In certain exemplary embodiments, the air / oil separator includes an oil manifold having a first air / oil inlet and a second air / oil inlet; a first separation chamber communicating with the first air / oil inlet; and a second separation chamber communicating with the second air / oil inlet.

[0020] In certain exemplary embodiments, the first air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the first separation chamber and is configured to receive the first air / oil mixture and induce a circumferential motion of the first air / oil mixture within the first separation chamber.

[0021] In certain exemplary embodiments, the first oil portion exits the first separation chamber at a bottom location, and wherein the first air portion exits the first separation chamber at a top location and flows toward an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0022] In certain exemplary embodiments, the second air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the second separation chamber and is configured to receive the second air / oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture within the second separation chamber, wherein the second oil portion exits the second separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the second air portion exits the second separation chamber at a top position and flows toward an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0023] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method for separating oil from air in a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing an air / oil separator having a first separation chamber and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber being separated from the first separation chamber; directing a first air / oil mixture to the first separation chamber; and simultaneously directing a second air / oil mixture to the second separation chamber.

[0024] In certain exemplary aspects, the first air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the first separation chamber and is configured to receive the first air / oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture within the first separation chamber, wherein the first oil portion exits the first separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the first air portion exits the first separation chamber at a top position.

[0025] In certain exemplary aspects, the second air / oil inlet is disposed tangentially along a wall of the second separation chamber and is configured to receive the second air / oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture within the second separation chamber, wherein the second oil portion exits the second separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the second air portion exits the second separation chamber at a top position.

[0026] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various aspects of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an air / oil separator for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 3 is a top view of an air / oil separator of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 4A is a perspective view of an oil outlet portion of an air / oil separator of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 4B is a perspective view of an oil outlet portion of an air / oil separator of a gas turbine engine according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an air / oil separator for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 6 is a top view of an air / oil separator for a gas turbine engine according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 7 is a top view of an air / oil separator for a gas turbine engine according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.The examples set out herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, and such examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Similar or similar reference numerals in the drawings and the specification are used to refer to similar or similar parts of the present invention.

[0038] The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the described embodiments to practice the present invention. However, various modifications, equivalents, variations and substitutions will still be apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all of these modifications, variations, equivalents and substitutions are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0039] For the purposes of the following description, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "lateral", "longitudinal" and their derivatives shall relate to the present invention as it is oriented in the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the present invention may assume various alternative variations, unless expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices shown in the drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.

[0040] As used herein, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to indicate the position or importance of a single component.

[0041] The terms "fore" and "aft" refer to relative positions within a gas turbine engine, with fore referring to a position closer to the engine inlet and aft referring to a position closer to the engine nozzle or exhaust.

[0042] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to relative directions relative to the flow of a fluid in a fluid path. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid is flowing, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid is flowing.

[0043] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0044] In addition, unless otherwise stated, the terms "low", "high" or their respective comparative degrees (e.g., lower, higher, where applicable) refer to relative speeds within the engine. For example, a "low-pressure turbine" operates at a pressure that is generally lower than a "high-pressure turbine". Alternatively, unless otherwise stated, the above terms may be understood in their superlative form. For example, a "low-pressure turbine" may refer to the lowest maximum pressure turbine within a turbine section, while a "high-pressure turbine" may refer to the highest maximum pressure turbine within a turbine section.

[0045] Approximate language used in this specification and claims is used to modify any quantitative representation that can be permitted to vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is associated. Therefore, values ​​modified by one or more terms, such as "approximately," "approximately," and "substantially," are not limited to the precise values ​​specified. In at least some instances, approximate language may correspond to the accuracy of an instrument used to measure a value, or the accuracy of a method or machine used to construct or manufacture a component and / or system. For example, approximate language may refer to within a margin of 10%. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, and unless the context or language indicates otherwise, such ranges are identified and include all subranges contained therein.

[0046] Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, and unless context or language indicates otherwise, such ranges are identified and include all sub-ranges contained therein. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other.

[0047] The air / oil separator of the present disclosure includes multiple separation chambers that allow for increased separation capacity as the volume of the air / oil separator is reduced. For example, the air / oil separator of the present disclosure provides improved air / oil separation due to a reduced separation chamber radius relative to a conventional separator including a single larger chamber. As the separation chamber radius in the air / oil separator of the present disclosure is reduced, the centrifugal force within each respective separation chamber of the present disclosure is increased. In this manner, the air / oil separator of the present disclosure results in improved air and oil quality and reduced oil consumption.

[0048] It is contemplated that the air / oil separator of the present disclosure may include any number of multiple separation chambers for the desired application corresponding to a particular type of engine. For example, different types of engines have different sizes, which may provide less space for the air / oil separator. Thus, the air / oil separator of the present disclosure allows for a design that can be adapted to any different engine size by adjusting the number of separation chambers within the air / oil separator. The number of separation chambers within the air / oil separator may also be adjusted based on the amount of air / oil mixture for a particular engine.

[0049] The air / oil separator of the present disclosure is compatible with lubricant systems that can lubricate gear assemblies and turbomachinery shaft bearings or engine shafts. For example, the air / oil separator of the present disclosure is compatible with gear assembly lubrication systems and turbine engine lubrication systems.

[0050] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like elements throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the gas turbine engine is a high bypass turbofan jet engine 10, referred to herein as a "turbofan engine 10". Figure 1 A turbofan configuration is shown, but the gear assembly of the present disclosure is compatible with other configurations, such as a turboprop engine or other configurations as described below. Figure 1 As shown, the turbofan engine 10 defines an axial direction A (extending parallel to the longitudinal centerline 12 provided as a reference) and a radial direction R. Generally speaking, the turbofan 10 includes a fan section 14 and a turbine 16, which is disposed downstream of the fan section 14. In the exemplary embodiment, the engine 10 includes a gear assembly or power gearbox 46 having a plurality of gears for separating the gas turbine shaft from the fan shaft. The location of the power gearbox 46 is not limited to the location shown in the exemplary embodiment of the turbofan 10. For example, the location of the power gearbox 46 can vary along the axial direction A.

[0051] In other exemplary embodiments, the gear assembly of the present disclosure may be included in a turboprop configuration, where a gearbox decouples the gas turbine from the propeller.

[0052] It is also contemplated that the gear assemblies of the present disclosure can be utilized in any mechanical or electromechanical system, such as a gas turbine engine, a piston engine, a turbofan engine, a turboprop engine, other gear drive systems, and / or a rotor drive system.

[0053] The exemplary turbine 16 shown generally includes a substantially tubular casing 18 that defines an annular inlet 20. The casing 18 surrounds a compressor section in a series flow relationship, the compressor section including a supercharger or low pressure (LP) compressor 22 and a high pressure (HP) compressor 24; a combustion section 26; a turbine section, the turbine section including a high pressure (HP) turbine 28 and a low pressure (LP) turbine 30; and an ejection exhaust nozzle section 32. A high pressure (HP) shaft or spool 34 drivingly connects the HP turbine 28 to the HP compressor 24. A low pressure (LP) shaft or spool 36 drivingly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22. Other embodiments may have different turbine configurations. For example, an LP turbine that is not directly connected to the LP compressor, for example, in a separate gearbox configuration. In addition, the compressor section, the combustion section 26, and the turbine section together at least partially define a core gas flow path 37 extending therethrough.

[0054] The gear assembly of the present disclosure is compatible with standard fans, variable pitch fans or other configurations. For the illustrated embodiment, the fan section 14 may include the variable pitch fan 38, which has a plurality of fan blades 40, and a plurality of fan blades 40 are connected to the disk 42 in a spaced manner. As shown, the fan blades 40 generally extend outward from the disk 42 in a radial direction R. Since the fan blades 40 are operably connected to a suitable actuating member 44, each fan blade 40 can rotate around the pitch axis P relative to the disk 42, and the actuating member 44 is configured to uniformly change the pitch of the fan blade 40 together. The fan blades 40, the disk 42, and the actuating member 44 rotate together around the longitudinal axis 12 through the LP shaft 36 through the gear assembly or the power gear box 46. The gear assembly 46 may be capable of changing the speed between a first shaft (e.g., the LP shaft 36) and a second shaft (e.g., the LP compressor shaft and / or the fan shaft). For example, in one embodiment, the gear assembly 46 may be arranged between the first shaft and the second shaft, thereby reducing the output speed from one shaft to another shaft.

[0055] More generally, the gear assembly 46 may be positioned anywhere along the axial direction A to separate the speeds of the two shafts whenever it is convenient to do so from a component efficiency standpoint, e.g., a faster LP turbine and a slower fan and LP compressor or a faster LP turbine and LP compressor and a slower fan, or whenever it is required due to technical limitations, e.g., the propeller tip speed in a turboprop engine requiring a much lower speed relative to the gas turbine shaft speed.

[0056] Still see Figure 1In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the disk 42 is covered by a rotatable forward nacelle 48 having an aerodynamic profile to facilitate airflow through the plurality of fan blades 40. In addition, the exemplary fan section 14 includes an annular fan case or outer nacelle 50 that circumferentially surrounds the fan 38 and / or at least a portion of the turbine 16. For the depicted embodiment, the nacelle 50 is supported relative to the turbine 16 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet guide vanes 52. In addition, a downstream section 54 of the nacelle 50 extends over an outer portion of the turbine 16 to define a bypass airflow duct 56 therebetween.

[0057] During operation of the turbofan engine 10, a volume of air 58 enters the turbofan 10 through the nacelle 50 and / or the associated inlet 60 of the fan section 14. As the volume of air 58 passes through the fan blades 40, a first portion of the air 58, as indicated by arrow 62, is directed or directed into the bypass airflow duct 56, and a second portion of the air 58, as indicated by arrow 64, is directed or directed into the LP compressor 22. The ratio between the first portion of air 62 and the second portion of air 64 is generally referred to as the bypass ratio. The pressure of the second portion of air 64 is then increased as the second portion of air 64 is directed through the HP compressor 24 and enters the combustion section 26, where the second portion of air 64 is mixed with fuel and combusted to provide combustion gases 66.

[0058] The combustion gases 66 are directed through the HP turbine 28, wherein a portion of the thermal and / or kinetic energy from the combustion gases 66 is extracted via sequential stages of HP turbine stator blades 68 coupled to the casing 18 and HP turbine rotor blades 70 coupled to the HP shaft or spool 34, thereby causing the HP shaft or spool 34 to rotate, thereby supporting operation of the HP compressor 24. The combustion gases 66 are then directed through the LP turbine 30, wherein a second portion of the thermal and kinetic energy is extracted from the combustion gases 66 via sequential stages of LP turbine stator blades 72 coupled to the casing 18 and the LP turbine rotor coupled to the LP shaft or spool 36, thereby causing the LP shaft or spool 36 to rotate, thereby supporting operation of the LP compressor 22 and / or rotation of the fan 38.

[0059] The combustion gases 66 are then directed through the jet discharge nozzle section 32 of the turbine 16 to provide propulsive thrust. At the same time, the pressure of the first portion of air 62 is substantially increased as the first portion of air 62 is directed through the bypass airflow duct 56 before it is discharged from the fan nozzle exhaust section 76 of the turbofan 10, also providing propulsive thrust. The HP turbine 28, the LP turbine 30, and the jet discharge nozzle section 32 at least partially define a hot gas path 78 for directing the combustion gases 66 through the turbine 16.

[0060] However, it should be understood that Figure 1The exemplary turbofan engine 10 shown in is only an example, and in other exemplary embodiments, the turbofan engine 10 may have any other suitable configuration. For example, in other exemplary embodiments, the engine of the present disclosure may be part of an aircraft engine or a helicopter engine. In other exemplary embodiments, any other suitable engine may be used with the gear assembly of the present disclosure. For example, in other embodiments, the engine may be any other suitable gas turbine engine, such as a turbofan engine, a turboprop engine, a turbojet engine, any other suitable turboshaft engine, etc. In this way, it will be further understood that in other embodiments, the gas turbine engine may have any other suitable configuration, such as any other suitable number or arrangement of shafts, compressors, turbines, fans, etc. Further, although not depicted herein, in other embodiments, the gas turbine engine may be any other suitable type of gas turbine engine, such as an industrial gas turbine engine, a marine gas turbine engine, etc. incorporated into a power generation system. In addition, still in alternative embodiments, aspects of the present disclosure may be incorporated or otherwise used with any other type of internal combustion engine, such as a reciprocating engine.

[0061] Figure 2-7 An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Now referring to Figure 2-3 , an air / oil separator 100 for a gas turbine engine 10 is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the gas turbine engine 10 includes an oil circuit for providing oil to a system of the gas turbine engine 10, and the air / oil separator 100 is coupled to the oil circuit. In an exemplary embodiment, the oil circuit of the gas turbine engine 10 provides oil to at least one of a power gearbox, a variable pitch mechanism of a variable pitch fan, an electric motor, or other systems of the gas turbine engine 10. In an exemplary embodiment, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure is used for a gear assembly 46, or for an engine lubrication system of an engine 10, for an aircraft engine, such as a gas turbine engine. In at least some exemplary embodiments, Figure 2-3 The exemplary air / oil separator 100 depicted in FIG. 1 may be incorporated into, for example, the air / oil separator 100 described above with reference to FIG. Figure 1 The exemplary engine 10 shown (eg, may be incorporated into Figure 1 and described above, or in other locations along the axial direction A depending on the turbofan engine architecture, or other configurations, such as a turboprop engine or other gear drive system).

[0062] The air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure is compatible with lubricant systems capable of lubricating gear assemblies and turbomachinery shaft bearings or engine shafts. For example, the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure is compatible with gear assembly lubrication systems and turbine engine lubrication systems.

[0063] refer to Figure 2-3 In an exemplary embodiment, the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure generally includes a first separation chamber 102, a second separation chamber 104, an oil manifold 106, and an air manifold 108. The air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure has a plurality of separation chambers 102, 104, allowing the volume of the air / oil separator 100 to be reduced while increasing the separation capacity.

[0064] It is contemplated that the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure may include any number of multiple separation chambers corresponding to the desired application of a particular type of engine. For example, different types of engines have different sizes, which may provide less occupied space for the air / oil separator 100. Therefore, the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure allows for the design to be adapted to any different engine size by adjusting the number of separation chambers within the air / oil separator 100. The number of separation chambers within the air / oil separator 100 may also be adjusted based on the amount of air / oil mixture for a particular engine.

[0065] The air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure provides improved air / oil separation due to the reduced separation chamber radius relative to conventional separators including a single larger chamber. As the separation chamber radius is reduced in the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure, the centrifugal force within each respective separation chamber of the present disclosure is increased. In this manner, the air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure results in improved air and oil quality and reduced oil consumption.

[0066] refer to Figure 2-3 In an exemplary embodiment, the air / oil separator 100 includes a first separation chamber 102, a second separation chamber 104, a third separation chamber 180, a fourth separation chamber 182, and a fifth separation chamber 184. Each of these separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 is separate and isolated from each other.

[0067] See also Figure 6 In another exemplary embodiment, the air / oil separator 100 includes a first separation chamber 102 and a second separation chamber 104 .

[0068] See also Figure 7 In another exemplary embodiment, the air / oil separator 100 includes a first separation chamber 102 , a second separation chamber 104 , and a third separation chamber 180 .

[0069] It is contemplated that the separation chambers 102 , 104 , 180 , 182 , 184 of the present disclosure may have a conical shape, a cylindrical shape, or any other geometric shape to facilitate the air and oil separation described herein.

[0070] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure includes a number of air / oil inlets 112 corresponding to the number of separation chambers within the air / oil separator 100. The oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure is capable of supplying an air / oil mixture 120 to be delivered to each of the plurality of separation chambers of the air / oil separator 100. In this manner, each separation chamber within the air / oil separator 100 has a direct inlet to receive the air / oil mixture 120 from the oil manifold 106. In addition, this configuration allows each separation chamber within the air / oil separator 100 to simultaneously receive the air / oil mixture 120 from the oil manifold 106.

[0071] refer to Figure 2-3 In an exemplary embodiment, the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure includes a first air / oil inlet 112, a second air / oil inlet 114, a third air / oil inlet 115, a fourth air / oil inlet 116, and a fifth air / oil inlet 118. In this manner, Figure 3 As shown, the first separation chamber 102 is in communication with the first air / oil inlet 112, the second separation chamber 104 is in communication with the second air / oil inlet 114, the third separation chamber 180 is in communication with the third air / oil inlet 115, the fourth separation chamber 182 is in communication with the fourth air / oil inlet 116, and the fifth separation chamber 184 is in communication with the fifth air / oil inlet 118.

[0072] In one exemplary embodiment, the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure is formed using precision casting, advanced machining, or other conventional manufacturing machines or methods. In one exemplary embodiment, the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure is formed using an additive manufacturing machine or method. As described in detail below, an exemplary embodiment of forming the oil manifold 106 involves the use of an additive manufacturing machine or method. As used herein, the term "additive manufacturing" or "additive manufacturing technology or process" generally refers to a manufacturing process in which successive layers of material are superimposed on each other to "build," layer by layer, a three-dimensional component. Successive layers are generally fused together to form a one-piece component that may have a variety of integral subcomponents.

[0073] Although additive manufacturing techniques are described herein as manufacturing complex objects by building objects point by point, layer by layer, generally in a vertical direction, other manufacturing methods are possible and within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, although the discussion herein relates to adding materials to form successive layers, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the methods and structures disclosed herein can be practiced with any additive manufacturing technique or manufacturing technology. For example, embodiments of the present invention can use an additive layer process, a subtractive layer process, or a hybrid process.

[0074] Suitable additive manufacturing techniques according to the present disclosure include, for example, fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), 3D printing such as by inkjet and laser jetting, stereolithography (SLA), direct selective laser sintering (DSLS), electron beam sintering (EBS), electron beam melting (EBM), laser engineered net shaping (LENS), laser net shape manufacturing (LNSM), direct metal deposition (DMD), digital light processing (DLP), direct selective laser melting (DSLM), selective laser melting (SLM), direct metal laser melting (DMLM), and other known processes.

[0075] In addition to using a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) or direct metal laser melting (DMLM) process, in which an energy source is used to selectively sinter or melt portions of a powder layer, it should be understood that, according to an alternative embodiment, the additive manufacturing process can be a "binder jetting" process. In this regard, binder jetting involves continuously depositing layers of additive powder in a manner similar to that described above. However, rather than using an energy source to produce an energy beam to selectively melt or fuse the additive powder, binder jetting involves selectively depositing a liquid binder onto each layer of powder. The liquid binder can, for example, be a photocurable polymer or another liquid binder. Other suitable additive methods and variations are intended to be within the scope of the present subject matter.

[0076] The additive manufacturing processes described herein may be used to form the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure using any suitable material. For example, the material may be a plastic, a metal, a concrete, a ceramic, a polymer, an epoxy resin, a photopolymer resin, or any other suitable material form that may be a solid, a liquid, a powder, a sheet, a wire, or any other suitable form. More specifically, according to exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter, the additively manufactured parts described herein may be partially, fully, or in a form that includes, but is not limited to, pure metals, nickel alloys, chromium alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, iron, iron alloys, stainless steel, and nickel or cobalt-based superalloys (e.g., available from Special Metals Corporation under the designation SUPERALLOYS®). These materials are examples of materials suitable for the additive manufacturing processes described herein and may generally be referred to as “additive materials”.

[0077] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of materials and methods for combining these materials can be used, and these materials are expected to be within the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, reference to "melting" may refer to any suitable process for producing a bonding layer of any of the above materials. For example, if the object is made of a polymer, melting may refer to forming a thermosetting bond between the polymer materials. If the object is an epoxy resin, the bond may be formed through a cross-linking process. If the material is a ceramic, the bond may be formed through a sintering process. If the material is a powdered metal, the bond may be formed through a melting or sintering process. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other methods of fusing materials to manufacture parts through additive manufacturing are also possible, and the subject matter currently disclosed can be practiced with those methods.

[0078] In addition, the additive manufacturing process disclosed herein allows a single integral oil manifold 106 to be formed from a variety of materials. Therefore, the components described herein may be formed from any suitable mixture of the above materials. For example, a component may include multiple layers, segments, or components formed using different materials, processes, and / or on different additive manufacturing machines. In this way, components with different materials and material properties can be constructed to meet the needs of any particular application. In addition, although the components described herein may be entirely composed of additive manufacturing processes, it should be understood that in alternative embodiments, all or a portion of these components may be formed by casting, machining, and / or any other suitable manufacturing process. In fact, any combination of suitable materials and manufacturing methods may be used to form these components.

[0079] An exemplary additive manufacturing process will now be described. The additive manufacturing process uses three-dimensional (3D) information to manufacture a component, such as a three-dimensional computer model of the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure. Thus, a three-dimensional design model of the component can be defined prior to manufacturing. In this regard, a model or prototype of the component can be scanned to determine the three-dimensional information of the component. As another example, a model of the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure can be constructed using a suitable computer-aided design (CAD) program to define a three-dimensional design model of the component.

[0080] The design model can include 3D digital coordinates of the entire configuration of the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure, including the outer and inner surfaces of the component. For example, the design model can define the body, surfaces and / or internal passages, such as openings, support structures, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the three-dimensional design model is converted into multiple slices or segments, for example, along the central (e.g., vertical) axis of the component or any other suitable axis. Each slice can define a thin cross-section of the component for a predetermined height of the slice. Multiple consecutive cross-sectional slices together form a 3D component. The component is then "built" slice by slice or layer by layer until it is completed.

[0081] In this manner, the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure described herein can be manufactured using an additive process, or more specifically, successively forming each layer, such as by melting or polymerizing plastic using laser energy or heat or by sintering or melting metal powder. For example, a particular type of additive manufacturing process can use an energy beam, such as an electron beam or electromagnetic radiation, such as a laser beam, to sinter or melt powdered materials. Any suitable laser and laser parameters can be used, including considerations with respect to power, laser beam spot size, and scanning speed. The build material can be formed of any suitable powder or material, which is selected for enhanced strength, durability, and service life, especially at high temperatures.

[0082] Each successive layer may be, for example, between about 10 μm and 200 μm, but the thickness may be selected based on any number of parameters and may be any suitable size according to alternative embodiments. Thus, using the above-described additive forming methods, the components described herein may have a cross-section as thin as the thickness (e.g., 10 μm) of the associated powder layer used in the additive forming process.

[0083] In addition, using additive processes, the surface finish and characteristics of the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure can be varied as needed for the application. For example, the surface finish can be adjusted (e.g., made smoother or rougher) during the additive process by selecting appropriate laser scanning parameters (e.g., laser power, scanning speed, laser focal spot size, etc.), especially at the edges of the cross-sectional layers corresponding to the surface of the part. For example, a rougher surface finish can be obtained by increasing the laser scanning speed or reducing the size of the formed molten pool, and a smoother surface finish can be obtained by reducing the laser scanning speed or increasing the size of the formed molten pool. The scanning pattern and / or laser power can also be changed to change the surface finish of selected areas.

[0084] After completing the manufacture of the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure, various post-processing steps may be applied to the component. For example, the post-processing steps may include removing excess powder by, for example, blowing or vacuuming. Other post-processing steps may include stress relief treatments. In addition, thermal, mechanical, and / or chemical post-processing steps may be used to finish the part to achieve the desired strength, surface finish, and other component properties or features.

[0085] While the present disclosure is generally not limited to the use of additive manufacturing to form the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure, additive manufacturing does provide a variety of manufacturing advantages, including ease of manufacturing, reduced costs, greater precision, and the like.

[0086] Furthermore, the additive manufacturing method described above is capable of forming more intricate shapes and contours of the oil manifold 106 described herein with very high precision. For example, such a component may include thin additive manufacturing layers, cross-sectional features, and component contours. Furthermore, the additive manufacturing process is capable of manufacturing a single integral oil manifold 106 with different materials, so that different portions of the component may exhibit different performance characteristics. The continuous, additive nature of the manufacturing process enables the construction of these novel features. As a result, the oil manifold 106 of the present disclosure formed using the methods described herein may exhibit improved performance and reliability.

[0087] refer to Figure 2 and 3 , the air manifold 108 of the present disclosure includes an air outlet 130. The air manifold 108 communicates with each separation chamber within the air / oil separator 100. In this manner, Figure 3 As shown, the first separation chamber 102 is communicated with the air outlet 130 via the first air passage 132, the second separation chamber 104 is communicated with the air outlet 130 via the second air passage 134, the third separation chamber 180 is communicated with the air outlet 130 via the third air passage 135, the fourth separation chamber 182 is communicated with the air outlet 130 via the fourth air passage 136, and the fifth separation chamber 184 is communicated with the air outlet 130 via the fifth air passage 138. In this way, the air manifold 108 of the present disclosure is capable of collecting the air exhausted from each separation chamber and exhausting the collected air from each separation chamber from the air outlet 130. The air manifold 108 of the present disclosure improves the quality of the air 124, which can be discharged into a storage tank containing a rotary separator or a breather. In this way, the air manifold 108 of the present disclosure improves the quality of the oil, for example, a small amount of air is entrained into the lubricating oil.

[0088] Each separation chamber of the present disclosure provides a chamber for separating the oil portion of the air / oil mixture from the air portion. For example, each of the air / oil inlets 112, 114, 115, 116, 118 of the oil manifold 106 is arranged tangentially along the wall of the respective separation chamber 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 and is configured to receive a portion of the air / oil mixture 120 and induce a circular motion of the air / oil mixture 120 within each of the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184. In this manner, centrifugal force is provided in each of the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184, and the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 are configured to cause rotation of the air / oil mixture 120 to direct the heavier oil 122 toward the oil outlet 140 and direct the lighter air toward the air outlet, such as the respective air passages 132, 134, 135, 136, 138 of each of the respective separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184. The air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure provides a separation chamber that can quickly and effectively remove and separate a majority of the oil 122 and air 124 from the air / oil mixture 120.

[0089] As described above, the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 are configured to induce rotation of the air / oil mixture 120 to direct the heavier oil 122 toward the oil outlet 140. For example, the respective oil portions 122 exit the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 to the respective oil outlet 140 and to the oil tank 142. For example, referring to Figure 5 Each of the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 is connected to the oil tank 142 via a corresponding oil outlet passage 140. The separated oil 122 returns to the oil tank 142 with high oil quality and can be delivered back to the main system via a delivery pump. The air / oil separator 100 of the present disclosure can improve the quality of the oil returned to the oil tank 142, which can have a positive impact on the performance of the delivery pump.

[0090] It is considered that the respective oil portions 122 may leave the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 in different ways. For example, in the first exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 4A The separated oil 122 can leave the separation chamber 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 through the bottom outlet hole 144 at the bottom position of the separation chamber 102, 104, 180, 182, 184. The bottom outlet hole 144 of each of the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 is in fluid communication with each of the corresponding oil outlets 140 and the oil tank 142.

[0091] In the second exemplary embodiment, see Figure 4B The separated oil 122 can leave the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 through the lateral outlet holes 146 at the lateral surfaces of the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184. The lateral outlet holes 146 of each of the separation chambers 102, 104, 104, 184, 180, 182, 184 are in fluid communication with each of the corresponding oil outlets 140 and the oil tank 142.

[0092] As described above, the separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 are configured to cause rotation of the air / oil mixture 120 to direct the lighter air toward an air outlet, such as a respective air passage 132, 134, 135, 136, 138 of each of the respective separation chambers 102, 104, 180, 182, 184. For example, the respective air portion 124 exits the separation chamber 102, 104, 180, 182, 184 to the respective air passage 132, 134, 135, 136, 138 and to the air outlet 130 of the air manifold 108.

[0093] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method for separating oil from air in a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing an air / oil separator having a first separation chamber and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber being separated from the first separation chamber; directing a first air / oil mixture to the first separation chamber; and simultaneously directing a second air / oil mixture to the second separation chamber.

[0094] Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0095] 1. A gas turbine engine, comprising: an oil circuit for providing oil to a system of the gas turbine engine; and an air / oil separator, the air / oil separator being connected to the oil circuit, the air / oil separator comprising: an oil manifold having a first air / oil inlet and a second air / oil inlet; a first separation chamber, the first separation chamber being communicated with the first air / oil inlet; and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber being separated from the first separation chamber, the second separation chamber being communicated with the second air / oil inlet.

[0096] 2. A gas turbine engine according to any one of the preceding clauses, further comprising: an air manifold having an air outlet, wherein the first separation chamber is in communication with the air outlet, and wherein the second separation chamber is in communication with the air outlet.

[0097] 3. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the first separation chamber and is configured to receive a first air / oil mixture and to induce a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture in the first separation chamber.

[0098] 4. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein a first oil portion leaves the first separation chamber at a bottom position; and a first air portion leaves the first separation chamber at a top position and flows towards an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0099] 5. A gas turbine engine according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the oil circuit provides oil to at least one of a power gearbox, a variable pitch mechanism for a variable pitch fan and an electric motor.

[0100] 6. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the second separation chamber and is configured to receive a second air / oil mixture and to induce a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture in the second separation chamber.

[0101] 7. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second oil portion leaves the second separation chamber at a bottom position.

[0102] 8. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second air portion leaves the second separation chamber at a top position and flows towards an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0103] 9. The gas turbine engine according to any one of the preceding clauses, further comprising: a third separation chamber separated from the first separation chamber and the second separation chamber.

[0104] 10. A gas turbine engine according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the oil manifold comprises a third air / oil inlet, the third separation chamber being in communication with the third air / oil inlet.

[0105] 11. A gas turbine engine according to any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the third separation chamber is in communication with the air outlet.

[0106] 12. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the third air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the third separation chamber and is configured to receive a third air / oil mixture and to induce a circular motion of the third air / oil mixture in the third separation chamber.

[0107] 13. A gas turbine engine, comprising: an air manifold having an air outlet; a first separation chamber, the first separation chamber being connected to the air outlet; and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber being separated from the first separation chamber, the second separation chamber being connected to the air outlet.

[0108] 14. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, further comprising: an oil manifold having a first air / oil inlet and a second air / oil inlet, wherein the first separation chamber is in communication with the first air / oil inlet, and wherein the second separation chamber is in communication with the second air / oil inlet.

[0109] 15. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the first separation chamber and is configured to receive a first air / oil mixture and to induce a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture within the first separation chamber.

[0110] 16. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first oil portion leaves the first separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the first air portion leaves the first separation chamber at a top position and flows towards an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0111] 17. A gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the second separation chamber and is configured to receive a second air / oil mixture and induce a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture in the second separation chamber; wherein the second oil portion leaves the second separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the second air portion leaves the second separation chamber at a top position and flows to an air outlet of the air manifold.

[0112] 18. A method for separating oil from air in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising: providing an air / oil separator, the air / oil separator having a first separation chamber and a second separation chamber, the second separation chamber being separated from the first separation chamber; directing a first air / oil mixture to the first separation chamber; and simultaneously directing a second air / oil mixture to the second separation chamber.

[0113] 19. A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the first separation chamber and is configured to receive the first air / oil mixture and cause a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture in the first separation chamber; wherein the first oil portion leaves the first separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the first gas portion leaves the first separation chamber at a top position.

[0114] 20. A method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the second air / oil inlet is arranged tangentially along the wall of the second separation chamber and is configured to receive a second air / oil mixture and cause a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture in the second separation chamber; wherein the second oil portion leaves the second separation chamber at a bottom position, and wherein the second gas portion leaves the second separation chamber at a top position.

[0115] This written description uses examples to disclose aspects of the disclosure, including the best mode, and also enables those skilled in the art to practice aspects of the disclosure, including making and using any device or system and performing any combined methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that do not differ significantly from the literal language of the claims.

[0116] Although the present disclosure has been described as having an exemplary design, the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present application is intended to use its general principles to cover any changes, uses or adaptations of the present disclosure. In addition, the present application is intended to cover deviations from the present disclosure within the known or customary practices in the field to which the present disclosure belongs and within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air / oil separator (100), characterized in that: include: an air manifold (108) having an air outlet (130) and an air manifold central axis; an oil manifold (106) having a first air / oil inlet (112) and a second air / oil inlet (114), the oil manifold (106) extending circumferentially around the air manifold central axis and the entirety of the oil manifold (106) extending radially outwardly toward the air manifold (108); a first separation chamber (102), the first separation chamber (102) being defined by a first body, the first separation chamber (102) having a first separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144) and a first separation chamber oil outlet passage (140) being fluidly coupled to the first separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144), the first separation chamber (102) being in communication with the first air / oil inlet (112) and the air outlet (130); and The first body is configured to cause rotation of the air / oil mixture in the first separation chamber (102) to separate air in the air / oil mixture from oil in the air / oil mixture and direct the air toward an air outlet and the oil (122) toward a first separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144); and a second separation chamber (104), the second separation chamber (104) being defined by a second body, the second separation chamber (104) having a second separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144) and the oil outlet passage (140) being fluidly coupled to the second separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144), the second separation chamber (104) being separated from the first separation chamber (102) and being in communication with the second air / oil inlet (114) and the air outlet (130), the second body being configured to cause rotation of the air / oil mixture in the second separation chamber (104) to separate air in the air / oil mixture from oil in the air / oil mixture and to direct the air toward the air outlet and the oil (122) toward the second separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144); wherein the central axis of the air manifold is parallel to the central axis of the first separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144) or the central axis of the second separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144); and The first separation chamber oil outlet passage (140) and the second separation chamber oil outlet passage (140) are separated and each of the two is fluidly connected between its corresponding bottom outlet hole (144) and the oil tank (142).

2. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first air / oil inlet (112) is disposed tangentially along a wall of the first separation chamber (102) and is configured to receive a first air / oil mixture (120) and induce a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture (120) within the first separation chamber (102).

3. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first oil portion (122) leaves the first separation chamber (102) through the first separation chamber bottom outlet hole (144), through the first separation chamber oil outlet channel (140), and reaches the oil tank (142).

4. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first air portion (124) exits the first separation chamber (102) at a top location and flows toward the air outlet (130) of the air manifold (108).

5. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second air / oil inlet (114) is disposed tangentially along a wall of the second separation chamber (104) and is configured to receive a second air / oil mixture (120) and induce a circular motion of the second air / oil mixture (120) within the second separation chamber (104).

6. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that: A portion of the second oil (122) leaves the second separation chamber (104) through the second separation chamber bottom outlet hole, through the second separation chamber oil outlet channel, and reaches the oil tank (142).

7. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second air (124) portion exits the second separation chamber (104) at a top location and flows toward the air outlet (130) of the air manifold (108).

8. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: Further including: A third separation chamber (180), wherein the third separation chamber (180) is separated from the first separation chamber (102) and the second separation chamber (104).

9. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that: The oil manifold (106) includes a third air / oil inlet (115), and the third separation chamber (180) is in communication with the third air / oil inlet (115).

10. An air / oil separator (100), characterized in that: include: an air manifold (108), the air manifold (108) having an air outlet (130) and an air manifold central axis, an oil manifold (106) having a first air / oil inlet and a second air / oil inlet, the oil manifold (106) extending circumferentially about the air manifold central axis and the central axis and the entirety of the oil manifold (106) extending radially outwardly toward the air manifold (108); a first separation chamber (102) defined by a first body and in communication with the air outlet (130) and the first air / oil inlet (112); the first body being configured to cause rotation of the air / oil mixture in the first separation chamber (102) to separate air in the air / oil mixture from oil (122) in the air / oil mixture and to direct the air toward the air outlet and A second separation chamber (104), the second separation chamber (104) being separated from the first separation chamber (102), the second separation chamber (104) being defined by a second body and being in communication with the air outlet (130) and the first air / oil inlet (112), the second body being configured to cause rotation of the air / oil mixture in the second separation chamber (104) to separate air in the air / oil mixture from oil in the air / oil mixture and to guide the air toward the air outlet.

11. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that The first air / oil inlet (112) is disposed tangentially along a wall of the first separation chamber (102) and is configured to receive a first air / oil mixture (120) and induce a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture (120) within the first separation chamber (102).

12. The air / oil separator (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that wherein the first separation chamber (102) has a first separation chamber central axis and a first separation chamber air channel (132) and the second separation chamber (104) has a second separation chamber central axis and a second separation chamber air channel (134), wherein the first separation chamber central axis and the second separation chamber central axis are parallel to the air manifold central axis and are radially located outside the air manifold central axis, and The first separation chamber air passage (132) extends radially inward from the first separation chamber central axis toward the air manifold central axis and the second separation chamber air passage (134) extends radially inward from the second separation chamber central axis toward the air manifold central axis.

13. A method for separating air from oil, characterized in that: The method comprises Provide an air / oil separator (100) as claimed in claim 10 directing a first air / oil separator to the first separation chamber (102); and Simultaneously, a second air / oil mixture is introduced into the second separation chamber (104).

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that wherein the first air / oil inlet (112) is arranged tangentially along the wall of the first separation chamber (102) and is configured to receive a first air / oil mixture (120) and induce a circular motion of the first air / oil mixture (120) within the first separation chamber (102), wherein a first oil portion escapes the first separation chamber (102) at a bottom position, and wherein a first air portion escapes the first separation chamber (102) at a top position.

15. A gas turbine engine, characterized in that: include a compressor section configured to compress air flowing therethrough to provide a compressed air flow; and a combustion section configured to combust the mixed fuel and the compressed air flow to produce combustion products; a turbine section having at least one turbine driven by the combustion products; and The air / oil separator of claim 1.

16. The gas turbine engine according to claim 15, characterized in that Further including: an oil circuit coupled to the air / oil separator; and At least one of a power gear box, a pitch changing mechanism for a variable pitch fan, and a motor is coupled to the oil circuit.

17. A gas turbine engine, characterized in that: include a compressor section configured to compress air flowing therethrough to provide a compressed air flow; and a combustion section configured to combust the mixed fuel and the compressed air flow to produce combustion products; a turbine section having at least one turbine driven by the products of combustion; and The air / oil separator of claim 10.

18. The gas turbine engine according to claim 17, characterized in that Further including: an oil circuit coupled to the air / oil separator; and At least one of a power gear box, a pitch changing mechanism for a variable pitch fan, and a motor is coupled to the oil circuit.

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