Aero Engine Oil Tank Device with Counter-Flow Droplet Coalescence

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current jet engine tank devices release an undesirably high share of oil into the environment due to the limited separation of small oil droplets, which contributes to high oil consumption, as these droplets are not effectively separated by the centrifugal oil separators.

Innovation Solution

A tank device with an appliance that introduces oil against the flow direction in the conduit area, causing oil droplets to combine and form larger droplets, which are then redirected by centrifugal and gravitational forces to separate effectively, reducing the number of small oil droplets and their release into the environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a centrifugal oil separator is used to separate oil droplets from the volume flow, then larger oil particles are effectively separated, but small oil droplets are not sufficiently separated and are released into the environment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil release into environmentVSAvoidseparation precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces oil against the flow direction in the conduit area before the volume flow reaches the outlet appliance. This preliminary action causes oil droplets to combine and form larger droplets that can then be effectively separated by the centrifugal force in the oil separator, solving the problem of insufficient separation of small oil droplets

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the size parameter of oil droplets by introducing oil that causes coalescence. Small oil droplets combine to form larger droplets, transforming them from a state that cannot be effectively separated by the centrifugal separator to a state where they can be separated, thereby reducing oil release into the environment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stress or pressure

If the valve appliance operates with dynamic opening and closing procedures, then pressure control is achieved, but large oil droplets are split into small oil droplets increasing oil loading

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure controlVSAvoidoil droplet quantity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by introducing oil and forming larger droplets before the volume flow reaches the dynamically operating valve appliance. This ensures that even when the valve splits droplets during dynamic operation, the resulting droplets are still larger and more easily separable compared to the original small droplets

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by counteracting the droplet-splitting effect of the dynamic valve through the introduction of oil that promotes droplet coalescence. The preliminary formation of larger droplets compensates for the subsequent splitting action, maintaining a lower overall number of small droplets in the discharged volume flow

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If oil droplets are introduced against the flow direction in the conduit area, then droplet combination and separation are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil droplet separation efficiencyVSAvoidtank device complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies multi-functionality by using the introduced oil to serve multiple purposes: it acts as a coalescing agent to combine small droplets, provides centrifugal separation enhancement, and reduces oil loading in the discharged volume flow. This eliminates the need for additional complex separation devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies self-service by using the oil itself as the separating agent. The introduced oil performs the separation function by causing other oil droplets to combine with it, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for additional complex external separation mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach significantly reduces the number of small oil droplets in the volume flow discharged from the tank device, lowering oil loading and consumption, while maintaining performance characteristics without compromising the tank device or valve appliance.

Implementation Method 1

During a collision of the oil droplets of the air-oil volume flow with the oil introduced via the appliance for introducing oil in the area of the conduit area, the introduced oil and the oil droplets of the air-oil volume flow combine to form larger oil droplets

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCoalescence: Coagulation

Implementation Method 2

these enlarged oil droplets are redirected by substantially 180° by the oil droplets introduced via the appliance with regard to the movement direction of the air-oil volume flow, and preferably depose at a wall area of the tank device due to the effect of centrifugal forces and the influence of gravity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 3

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Implementation Method 4

a cyclone is provided in the area of the oil tank that is aligned substantially vertically in the mounted state of the tank device and is confined by a wall area, and to which the air-oil mixture is supplied in an upper area tangentially to the wall area. Due to centrifugal forces, the air-oil mixture passes through the cyclone in the form of a spiral from the top down. Here, mainly larger oil droplets of the air-oil mixture are separated by the occurring centrifugal forces at the wall area of the cyclone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCyclone separation: Cyclone Separation

Implementation Method 5

The volume flow discharged from the tank device is supplied to an oil separator or a so-called breather, which may be embodied as a centrifugal oil separator, in order to separate in its area oil droplets from the volume flow that are discharged from the tank device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 6

Oil particles with smaller diameters are caught by a metal foam that is arranged inside the oil separator and are also filtered from the air in this manner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS9957838B2Tank device of an aero engine with an appliance for introducing oil

Publication Date: 2018.05.01 ROLLS ROYCE DEUT LTD & CO KG

AI summary

A tank device of an aero engine, which has an inlet appliance for the supply of an air-oil volume flow into a tank space of the tank device, a separation appliance for the separation of oil from the air-oil volume flow that is supplied to the tank space, a conduit area which is confined by at least one wall and in which an air-oil volume flow can be guided in the area of the tank space at least in certain areas, and an outlet appliance, in the area of which a volume flow can be discharged via a valve appliance from the tank space of the tank device. At least one appliance for introducing oil is provided, by means of which oil can be supplied into the area of the conduit area substantially against a flow direction of the air-oil volume flow which is forming during operation in the conduit area.