Modular Scalable Pump Assembly for Gas Turbine Oil Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bespoke oil pump assemblies for gas turbine engines are costly and time-consuming to design, as they are specific to each engine model, making it difficult to adapt to varying oil flow needs and operating conditions across different gas turbine engines.
Innovation Solution
A scalable pump assembly comprising modular pumps and an adapter plate, allowing for customizable configurations and interchangeable components, including different types of pumps and orientations, driven by a gearbox to meet the oil flow requirements of various gas turbine engines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a bespoke oil pump assembly specific to one gas turbine engine is designed, then the oil flow requirements for that specific engine are met, but the design cost and design time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oil pump assembly is divided into modular components including pump modules, adapter plates, and drive modules that can be independently selected and combined. This segmentation allows different configurations to be assembled for different engine types without redesigning the entire system, thus reducing design time while maintaining adaptability to specific oil flow requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular pump assembly uses universal adapter plates and standardized coupling mechanisms that can accommodate multiple engine types. The same basic modules can be configured for different gas turbine engines by simply changing the arrangement and number of pump modules, eliminating the need for bespoke designs for each engine model.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a bespoke oil pump assembly specific to one gas turbine engine is designed, then the oil flow requirements for that specific engine are met, but the design cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the pump assembly into standardized modules, the manufacturing process becomes more efficient. Modules can be mass-produced using the same processes and then assembled in different configurations, reducing per-unit costs compared to custom-built bespoke assemblies for each engine type.
Solution Approach 2:
Universal adapter plates and standardized coupling mechanisms enable a single set of modular components to serve multiple engine types. This universality reduces the variety of unique parts that need to be designed and manufactured, thereby reducing overall design and manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to meet specific oil flow requirements.
3Loss of time
If modular pumps are used in a scalable pump assembly, then design time and costs are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
While segmentation into modules does increase structural complexity, it simplifies the design process by allowing engineers to work with standardized building blocks rather than designing entire assemblies from scratch. The modular architecture with defined interfaces and coupling mechanisms provides a systematic approach that reduces design time despite the increased number of discrete components.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine includes a fan and an engine core configured to provide rotational power during operation of the gas turbine engine. The engine core includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. An oil sump is located in the engine core and is configured to collect oil from the engine core. The gas turbine engine further includes a gearbox configured to be driven by the engine core during operation of the gas turbine engine and an oil pump assembly configured to move the oil from the oil sump to an oil tank and/or to the engine core.