Turbine Engine Gutter Vanes for Aerated Oil Scavenging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In gas turbine engines, the lubrication of fan drive gear systems faces challenges with highly aerated scavenged lubricating liquid leading to potential oil leakage, excess heat generation, and low oil quantity alarms, which existing systems attempt to address but often result in increased weight and space requirements due to the need for larger scavenge pumps.
Innovation Solution
A gutter system with vanes that deflect tangential flow without reversing it, combined with an auxiliary lubricant tank and a scavenge pump system that includes a bypass passage to deaerate the lubricating liquid, allowing efficient collection and recycling of lubricant while maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a larger scavenge pump is used to handle highly aerated lubricating liquid, then the scavenge capability is improved, but the weight and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A deaeration system is introduced as an intermediary component between the lubrication system and scavenge pump. This system removes aerated air from the lubricating liquid, allowing a smaller scavenge pump to handle the deaerated fluid effectively, thus resolving the contradiction between scavenge capability and pump size/weight
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the lubricating liquid is changed by removing aerated air bubbles through the deaeration system. This parameter change (from aerated to deaerated state) enables the lubricating liquid to be pumped more efficiently by a smaller pump, improving the contradiction resolution
2Reliability
If a larger scavenge pump is used to handle highly aerated lubricating liquid, then the scavenge capability is improved, but the space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A deaeration system is introduced as an intermediary component between the lubrication system and scavenge pump. This system removes aerated air from the lubricating liquid, allowing a smaller scavenge pump to handle the deaerated fluid effectively, thus resolving the contradiction between scavenge capability and pump size/weight
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the lubricating liquid is changed by removing aerated air bubbles through the deaeration system. This parameter change (from aerated to deaerated state) enables the lubricating liquid to be pumped more efficiently by a smaller pump, improving the contradiction resolution
3Weight of moving object
If the scavenged lubricating liquid is highly aerated, then a smaller scavenge pump may be used, but oil leakage and heat generation occur
Solution Approach 1:
A deaeration system is introduced as an intermediary component between the lubrication system and scavenge pump. This system removes aerated air from the lubricating liquid, allowing a smaller scavenge pump to handle the deaerated fluid effectively, thus resolving the contradiction between scavenge capability and pump size/weight
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the lubricating liquid is changed by removing aerated air bubbles through the deaeration system. This parameter change (from aerated to deaerated state) enables the lubricating liquid to be pumped more efficiently by a smaller pump, improving the contradiction resolution
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 solution effectively manages lubricant flow and deaeration, preventing oil leakage and heat generation, while maintaining a lightweight and space-efficient system by ensuring continuous lubrication and efficient scavenging of lubricating liquid, thus enhancing the operational reliability of gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one vane may be oriented to inwardly deflect a tangential flow passing along a leading face without tangentially reversing the flow
Implementation Method 2
one or more scavenge pumps typically scavenge the lubricating liquid from the fan drive gear system. If the scavenged lubricating liquid is highly aerated, a small scavenge pump may not be suitable to scavenge the lubricating liquid
Data Source
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AI summary
A turbine engine case defines a centerline and a gaspath within the engine case. A fan is coupled to a fan shaft. A transmission couples the shaft to the fan shaft to drive the fan and comprises a gear system. A gutter system (200) is positioned to capture lubricating fluid slung from the gear system (36). The gutter system includes a gutter (56) extending partially circumferentially about the centerline having a first circumferential end edge (330). An inlet channel (250) has an inlet at the gutter first circumferential end edge and locally radially outboard of the gutter. At least one vane (280, 282) is spaced apart from the gutter first circumferential end edge.