Lubricant Filter Cartridge Locking for Contamination-Free Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubricant filter assemblies for gas turbine engines in aircraft propulsion systems face challenges in effectively preventing the introduction of contaminants during filter cartridge installation and removal, leading to potential contamination of the lubrication system.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant filter assembly design featuring a filter cartridge with locking tabs and a filter cover that engage to axially fix the cartridge relative to the housing, combined with clocking features to prevent rotation and ensure proper alignment, reducing the risk of contaminants entering the system during filter changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a filter cartridge is designed for easy installation and removal, then maintenance operations become simpler, but the risk of contaminant introduction during installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter cartridge is pre-assembled with the filter cover and sealing elements before installation. The locking tabs are pre-positioned on the cartridge body, and the seal is pre-installed in the groove, ensuring that all components are ready for immediate installation without exposure to contaminants during assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealed interface system acts as an intermediary barrier between the external environment and the lubrication system interior. The seal element in the groove and the engagement between locking tabs and tab recesses create a hermetic barrier that prevents contaminant ingress during the installation and removal process.
2Reliability
If locking tabs are used to secure the filter cover, then the seal effectiveness improves, but the complexity of the filter assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is segmented into distinct functional components: the filter cartridge body, the filter cover, locking tabs, tab recesses, and sealing elements. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system reliability through precise engagement between parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking tabs and tab recesses provide localized mechanical engagement at specific points around the filter cover perimeter, concentrating the sealing function at these critical locations rather than requiring a complex continuous sealing structure throughout the entire assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If clocking features are added to prevent rotation, then proper alignment during installation is ensured, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Clocking features such as asymmetric positioning of locking tabs relative to tab recesses, or the presence of a single clocking pin aperture instead of multiple symmetric apertures, create an asymmetric geometry that prevents rotation during installation. This asymmetric design ensures proper alignment while maintaining manufacturability through simple geometric features.
Data Source
AI summary
A lubricant filter assembly includes a filter cartridge including a cylindrical filter medium and a top cap. The cylindrical filter medium extends circumferentially about a longitudinal axis of the filter assembly. The cylindrical filter medium extends between and to a first filter end and a second filter end along the longitudinal axis. The cylindrical filter medium forms a filter passage extending from the first filter end to the second filter end. The top cap is disposed on the cylindrical filter medium at the first filter end. The top cap includes an inner diameter ring, an outer diameter ring, and an interior packing. The inner diameter ring forms a first filter outlet passage coincident with the filter passage. The inner diameter ring includes a first set of locking tabs. The outer diameter ring radially circumscribes the cylindrical filter medium.