Annular Oil Distributor Layout for Aircraft Reduction Gear Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanical reduction gears in turbine engines face challenges in efficiently circulating and evacuating oil, leading to recirculation of oil and particles, which affects the performance and longevity of the engine components.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a baffle with cylindrical concave surfaces and protruding strips between planet gears, and a lubricating and cooling hub with coaxial plates, facilitates the circulation and distribution of oil, preventing recirculation and enhancing the structural rigidity and cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple reduction gear structure is used, then device complexity is reduced, but oil circulation and evacuation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reduction gear housing is segmented into multiple chambers separated by baffles with specific geometric features. The baffles divide the oil flow path into distinct zones, enabling separate circulation and evacuation pathways. This segmentation allows oil to be directed to specific areas (sun gear, planet gears, ring gear) while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure without requiring complex pumping systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional baffle design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but oil recirculation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The baffle design incorporates protruding strips that extend into the inter-propeller grooves of planet gears, adding a third-dimensional element to the baffle structure. These strips create additional flow restriction points and guide oil flow more effectively into the gear mesh zones. The concave cylindrical surfaces also add dimensional complexity to direct flow patterns, preventing recirculation while remaining manufacturable using standard machining operations.
3Temperature
If oil circulation is increased, then cooling efficiency is improved, but structural rigidity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The baffles feature concave cylindrical surfaces with specific bend radii that are optimized to guide oil flow while maintaining structural integrity. The curved surfaces distribute oil flow more uniformly across gear surfaces, improving cooling efficiency. The concave geometry also provides structural reinforcement to the baffle walls, allowing adequate oil circulation without compromising the rigidity of the reduction gear housing.
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 solution effectively prevents oil recirculation, improves oil distribution, and enhances the structural rigidity and cooling efficiency within the turbine engine, leading to better performance and reduced wear on components.
Implementation Method 1
a lubricating oil distributor having a general annular shape about an axis X and formed of one single part, this distributor comprising first and second independent oil circuits, the first oil circuit comprising a first oil inlet connected by a first annular chamber to several oil outlets distributed over a first circumference C1 about the axis X
Implementation Method 2
The lubricating oil distributor is configured to be supplied with oil from a source and to distribute this oil to at least six different locations of the reduction gear, thereby making it possible to improve the circulation and/or the evacuation of oil in the reduction gear
Data Source
AI summary
A lubricating oil distributor for a turbine engine mechanical reduction gear, for example of an aircraft, has an annular shape about an axis X and is formed of one single part. The distributor includes first and second independent oil circuits, the first oil circuit having a first oil inlet connected by a first annular chamber to several oil outlets distributed over a first circumference C1 about the axis X, and the second oil circuit having a second oil inlet connected by a second annular chamber to several oil outlets distributed over a second circumference C2 about the axis X, the first and second circumferences having different diameters.