Aircraft De-Aerator Rotor Layout for High Oil Flow Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing de-aerators in aircraft power plants are inefficient in handling large oil flows and air separation, leading to flow rate restrictions and pressure drops, which affect the lubrication and cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A rear-driven de-aerator design with a rotor having blades and a central passage that expands axially and features openings between the inner and outer rims, allowing for increased flow rates and reduced pressure drop, enhancing air-oil separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing de-aerator design is used, then air-oil separation is achieved, but flow rate is restricted and pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The de-aerator is divided into multiple stages with separate functional zones: a first stage for initial air-oil separation and a second stage for final separation. The rotor is segmented with multiple blades creating multiple flow passages, allowing progressive separation and reducing overall pressure drop while maintaining high flow rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-stage axial flow design to a multi-stage design incorporating radial flow components. The rotor blades extend radially outward from the rotation axis, creating a three-dimensional flow pattern that enhances separation efficiency and reduces pressure drop compared to conventional single-stage axial designs.
2Productivity
If existing de-aerator design is used, then air removal is achieved, but separation efficiency decreases with large oil flows
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is designed to rotate at optimized speeds that dynamically adapt to varying oil flow conditions. The rotational motion creates centrifugal forces that enhance air-oil separation efficiency regardless of the volume of oil flow, maintaining high separation performance across different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The de-aerator utilizes hydraulic principles by designing the flow passages and rotor geometry to optimize fluid dynamics. The passages are shaped to create controlled turbulence and flow patterns that enhance separation efficiency, while the rotational hydraulic action of the rotor maintains effective separation even at large oil flow volumes.
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
The design improves air-oil separation efficiency, reduces pressure drop, and accommodates higher flow rates, optimizing lubrication and cooling systems in aircraft power plants.
Implementation Method 1
a rotor received within the housing and rotatable relative to the housing about a rotation axis... passages defined between the blades and communicating with the air-oil inlet
Implementation Method 2
one or more of: a cross-sectional area of the central passage taken on a plane transverse to the rotation axis increasing in an axial direction away from the air-oil inlet
Data Source
AI summary
A de-aerator has: a housing defining an air-oil inlet, an oil outlet, and an air outlet; a rotor within the housing and rotatable about a rotation axis and having: inner and outer rims and blades, passages between the blades and communicating with the air-oil inlet; a conduit extending around the rotation axis and defining a central passage extending axially and communicating with the air outlet, the conduit being radially spaced apart from the outer rim by radial passages communicating with the oil outlet; and openings located inwardly of the blades and communicating with the central passage, wherein one or more of: a cross-sectional area of the central passage taken on a plane transverse to the rotation axis increasing in an axial direction away from the air-oil inlet; and the openings located at least partially radially between an inner face of the conduit and an outer face of the inner rim.