Gearbox Deoiler Pre-Pressuring Component
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gearbox deoilers face challenges in achieving a low pressure drop across the separating unit while effectively separating oil from air, often requiring an increase in size and weight to achieve desired air-oil separation, which can lead to increased pressure in the gearbox and potential oil leakage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pre-pressuring component coupled to the shaft that increases the pressure of the air-oil mixture before it enters the separator unit, synchronizing the rotational speed of the mixture with the separator unit to minimize pressure drop and avoid size and weight increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the separator unit size is increased to achieve desired air-oil separation, then separation effectiveness is improved, but device weight and envelope size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-pressuring component performs preliminary pressurization of the air-oil mixture before it enters the separator unit. By pre-pressurizing the mixture to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, the system reduces the pressure drop across the separator unit, allowing for a smaller and lighter separator unit design while maintaining effective air-oil separation performance.
2Reliability
If the separator unit size is increased to achieve desired air-oil separation, then separation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and envelope size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-pressuring component performs preliminary pressurization of the air-oil mixture before it enters the separator unit. By pre-pressurizing the mixture to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, the system reduces the pressure drop across the separator unit, allowing for a smaller and lighter separator unit design while maintaining effective air-oil separation performance.
3Productivity
If pressure in the gearbox is increased to drive air through the separator unit, then air flow is improved, but oil leakage from bearing compartments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-pressuring component performs preliminary pressurization of the air-oil mixture before it enters the separator unit. By pre-pressurizing the mixture to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, the system reduces the pressure drop across the separator unit, allowing for a smaller and lighter separator unit design while maintaining effective air-oil separation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-pressuring component acts as an intermediary device between the gearbox interior and the separator unit inlet. It provides a pressure buffer by pre-pressurizing the air-oil mixture, thereby reducing the pressure differential across the separator unit and preventing excessive pressure buildup in the gearbox that would cause oil leakage from bearing compartments.
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 reduces the overall system pressure drop and maintains effective air-oil separation without enlarging the separator unit or increasing internal pressure, thereby balancing pressure forces and preventing oil leakage.
Implementation Method 1
a pre-pressuring component coupled to the shaft that increases the pressure of the mixture of oil and air to form a pressurized mixture
Implementation Method 2
a separator unit that utilizes centrifugal forces to separate the heavier oil from the lighter air
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A gearbox (12) includes an inlet (52) configured to receive a mixture of air and oil from an external source and a deoiler (40). The deoiler includes a shaft (41) including an inlet passage (97) and an outlet passage (42), both formed on an inner portion of the shaft and separated from one another, a separator unit (58) coupled to and surrounding a portion of the shaft and including an inlet (56) and an outlet, and a pre-pressuring component (90) coupled to the shaft that increases the pressure of the mixture of oil and air to form a pressurized mixture and provides the pressurized mixture to the inlet (56) of the separator unit.