Planet Gear Deflector Tabs for Oil Recirculation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mechanical reduction gears in turbine engines face challenges with oil recirculation and heat energy management, leading to inefficiencies and structural rigidity issues.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a deflector with concave cylindrical surfaces and protruding tabs to prevent oil recirculation, combined with a lubrication and cooling core for efficient oil circulation and heat management, enhances the mechanical reduction gear's performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a mechanical reduction gear operates with traditional oil circulation, then lubrication is provided to gear teeth, but oil recirculates between front and rear helixes causing heat accumulation and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The gear teeth are divided into front and rear helixes separated by an inter-helical groove. Deflector tabs are inserted into these grooves to segment the oil flow paths, preventing oil from recirculating between the front and rear helixes. This segmentation allows oil to be directed specifically to where it is needed for lubrication while preventing harmful recirculation that generates heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful recirculation path is extracted and removed from the system by using deflector tabs that block the inter-helical grooves. This extraction eliminates the oil circulation loop between front and rear helixes, preventing the accumulation of heat energy and improving overall system efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the reduction gear structure is made more rigid to reduce vibration, then structural stability improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire reduction gear structure more complex and rigid, the solution segments the problem by adding only the necessary deflector tabs with integrated lubrication nozzles. These localized components provide the required structural stability to prevent vibration while maintaining simplicity in the overall gear design.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflector tabs serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural rigidity to reduce vibration, guide oil flow to prevent recirculation, and integrate lubrication nozzles for targeted oil delivery. This multi-functionality achieves structural stability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Force
If oil is circulated to lubricate gear teeth, then friction is reduced, but oil recirculation causes heat accumulation and lubrication inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lubrication system is segmented into dedicated paths for the front and rear helixes using deflector tabs. This segmentation ensures that oil is delivered where needed for friction reduction while preventing the oil from circulating back into hot zones, thereby reducing heat accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inter-helical grooves that could potentially cause harmful oil recirculation are converted into beneficial features by inserting deflector tabs that use these grooves to guide oil flow in the correct direction. The tabs transform the potential harm of recirculation into a benefit by channeling oil effectively for lubrication while preventing heat-generating recirculation loops.
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
This solution effectively prevents oil recirculation, improves heat energy removal, and stiffens the structure, while being compatible with various gear types and planet carriers, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced vibration.
Implementation Method 1
a lubrication and cooling core for efficient oil circulation and heat management
Implementation Method 2
improves heat energy removal
Data Source
AI summary
A deflector for a mechanical reduction gear of a turbine engine, for example of an aircraft, is configured to be inserted between two adjacent planets of the reduction gear. The deflector includes a block having a first lateral surface that is cylindrical and concave and has a radius of curvature R1 measured from an axis G1. The block also has a second lateral surface, opposite the first lateral surface, that is cylindrical and concave and that has a radius of curvature R1 measured from an axis G2 that is parallel to G1. Each of the first and second surfaces has at least one protruding tab having a generally elongate shape about the respective axis G1, G2 of the surface considered and having an internal periphery that is concavely curved and a has radius of curvature R2 measured from the respective axis G1, G2, R2 being less than R1.