Jet Engine Valve Device Minimizing Oil Atomization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Jet engine oil separators face challenges in achieving high separation performance due to the atomization of oil droplets into small sizes as they pass through valve devices, leading to high oil loads in exhaust air and increased oil loss, which can be misinterpreted as engine smoke and cause cabin pollution.
Innovation Solution
A valve device with a flow path that can be opened to at least 80% of its cross-sectional area, minimizing droplet size reduction and avoiding excessive acceleration of the air-oil mixture, ensuring a sufficient pressure for oil pump operation across varying altitudes without actuating the valve body at low pressures, and featuring a setting device that adjusts based on ambient pressure to maintain optimal separation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the valve device is opened to conduct air-oil volume flow from the oil tank to the oil separator, then the oil pump can operate with sufficient conveying capacity, but oil droplets are atomized into small sizes leading to reduced separation performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of flow path cross-sectional area to at least 80% of the inlet area, which reduces the velocity of the air-oil mixture and prevents excessive atomization of oil droplets while still allowing sufficient flow for oil pump operation
2Stress or pressure
If the valve body is actuated to open the flow path, then pressure is maintained for oil pump operation, but oil droplet size is reduced leading to high oil load in exhaust air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains pressure by keeping the valve in an opened state with a flow path cross-sectional area of at least 80% of the inlet area, which reduces velocity and prevents excessive atomization, thereby reducing oil load in exhaust air while maintaining sufficient pressure for oil pump operation
3Reliability
If the valve device is opened to maintain pressure during flight operation, then oil pump operation is ensured, but oil loss increases due to reduced separation performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the flow path cross-sectional area parameter to at least 80% of the inlet area, which reduces the velocity of the air-oil mixture and prevents excessive atomization, thereby improving separation performance and reducing oil loss while maintaining reliable oil pump operation
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 valve device effectively reduces oil mist exit from the jet engine, minimizes oil consumption and pollution, and ensures a high conveying capacity for the oil pump by maintaining large droplet sizes and preventing excessive atomization, thereby enhancing separation performance and reducing oil loss.
Implementation Method 1
a spring appliance (41) which applies a spring force to the valve body (34)
Implementation Method 2
an actuating force which acts on the valve body (34) as a function of the operational state and which results from a fluid pressure which is applied in the area of a front surface (36) of the valve body (34) that is facing towards the valve inlet (37)
Implementation Method 3
In the area of the oil separator that may for example be embodied as a centrifugal separator, oil and air are separated from each other again
Data Source
AI summary
A valve device of a jet engine includes a body, a seat and a flow path between an inlet and an outlet that can be closed and opened. Depending on an actuating force that results from a fluid pressure at a front surface of the body facing the inlet, as well as from a closing force applied to the body, the body can be transferred between open and closed states, and can be transferred into an operational state in which the flow path is opened by a setting device depending on an ambient pressure. The flow path can be opened via the setting device such that a flow cross-section of the flow path corresponds to at least 80% of the flow cross-section of the flow path in the area of the inlet across the entire extension of the flow path between the inlet and the outlet.