Aircraft Engine Oil De-Aerator Nozzle for Foam Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft engine oil systems struggle with effectively separating air from oil mixtures, leading to increased foam formation and oil volume requirements due to inefficient de-aeration methods.
Innovation Solution
A passive de-aerator system with a nozzle and deflector design that separates air from oil without moving parts, utilizing a decreasing flow passage and a tangentially curving deflector to minimize velocity and promote air expulsion, ensuring efficient air-oil separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing de-aerators are used to extract air from air-oil mixture, then air separation function is provided, but foam formation increases and oil volume requirements increase due to inefficient de-aeration
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector incorporates a curved surface that redirects the oil flow at an angle, creating a swirling motion that enhances air separation. The curvature of the deflector surface is specifically designed to optimize the redirection of oil and air mixture, improving de-aeration efficiency while reducing foam formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow passage cross-sectional area decreases along the length of the de-aerator, creating a converging flow path. This geometric parameter change increases flow velocity and enhances the separation of air from oil through controlled turbulence and pressure gradients, thereby improving de-aeration performance.
2Reliability
If existing de-aerators are used to extract air from air-oil mixture, then air separation function is provided, but foam formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The curved deflector surface redirects oil flow to create a controlled swirling pattern that promotes coalescence of air bubbles and reduces foam stability. The specific curvature geometry optimizes the separation process while minimizing foam generation in the reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The de-aerator design extracts air from the oil mixture through a dedicated flow passage before the oil returns to the reservoir. By removing air early in the return path, the system prevents air from mixing with oil in the reservoir, thereby reducing foam formation at the source.
3Reliability
If a nozzle with decreasing flow passage area is used, then air separation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow passage cross-sectional area is gradually reduced along the length of the nozzle, creating a converging geometry that accelerates flow and enhances air-oil separation. This continuous parameter change achieves improved separation efficiency through a simple geometric progression rather than complex mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The de-aerator utilizes the kinetic energy and flow characteristics of the incoming oil-air mixture to achieve separation, without requiring external power sources or moving parts. The decreasing flow passage area naturally creates the conditions for separation through fluid dynamics principles, making the device self-regulating and simple in structure.
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 system effectively reduces air content in the oil, minimizing foam formation and optimizing oil volume, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency and performance of aircraft engines.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle extending from a nozzle inlet to a nozzle outlet along a flow passage delimited by a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall extending around a central axis of the nozzle, a flow circulating area of the flow passage decreasing from the nozzle inlet to the nozzle outlet
Implementation Method 2
a deflector projecting from the peripheral wall of the nozzle at the nozzle outlet, the deflector having a curved section extending between a proximal end at the nozzle outlet and a distal end, the deflector intersected by the central axis of the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft engine, has: an oil circuit fluidly connecting an oil reservoir to components of the aircraft engine; and a de-aerator fluidly connected to the oil circuit and located downstream of the components relative to a flow of the oil through the oil circuit, the de-aerator feeding the flow of the oil into the reservoir, the de-aerator having: a nozzle extending from a nozzle inlet to a nozzle outlet along a flow passage delimited by a peripheral wall, the peripheral wall extending around a central axis of the nozzle, a flow circulating area of the flow passage decreasing from the nozzle inlet to the nozzle outlet; and a deflector projecting from the peripheral wall of the nozzle at the nozzle outlet, the deflector having a curved section extending between a proximal end at the nozzle outlet and a distal end, the deflector intersected by the central axis of the nozzle.