Planetary Gear Lubrication Wheel Assembly for Sun Gear Oil Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current planetary gear speed reducers for turbine engines face challenges in lubrication, particularly due to the centrifugal effect which makes it difficult for oil to reach the sun gear effectively, and complex mounting processes.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant nozzle with a boss structure that extends radially and has a trapezoidal shape to optimize oil projection closer to the gearings, combined with a planetary carrier design that allows for easier mounting of nozzles on a lubrication wheel before assembly, ensuring effective lubrication and simplified assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the nozzle is positioned closer to the sun gear to overcome centrifugal effect, then lubrication effectiveness is improved, but the mounting complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is divided into a body portion and a separate boss portion that can be assembled together. The boss is designed with a specific shape (angular extent ≤ 360°) that allows it to be inserted through notches in the planetary carrier, enabling modular assembly and reducing overall mounting complexity while maintaining the ability to position the nozzle close to the sun gear.
Solution Approach 2:
The boss acts as an intermediary element between the nozzle body and the planetary carrier. It provides a standardized interface (with notches that fit into corresponding features on the carrier) that simplifies the mounting process while enabling precise positioning of the nozzle close to the sun gear for effective lubrication despite centrifugal forces.
2Length of moving object
If the orifices are formed in a boss structure with radial extension, then oil projection distance is increased, but the nozzle manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The boss is pre-formed with the required radial extension and angular dimensions (≤ 360°) during manufacturing, and the orifices are subsequently formed in the boss. This preliminary structuring of the boss allows for standardized manufacturing processes and simplifies the overall production by separating the formation of the radial structure from the orifice creation.
Solution Approach 2:
The boss is designed with specific local geometric properties (angular extent ≤ 360°, radial protrusion) only where needed for oil projection, while the rest of the nozzle body maintains a simpler structure. This localized complexity approach allows the orifices to be positioned at optimal radial distances for lubrication without unnecessarily complicating the entire nozzle manufacturing process.
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 solution enhances lubrication efficiency by guiding oil closer to the gearings and simplifies the mounting process, reducing production costs and imbalance issues while improving the alignment and stability of the gearings.
Implementation Method 1
At high speed, it is difficult to reach the sun gear with the oil, due to the centrifugal effect
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly comprising a lubricating wheel and lubricant nozzles for a planetary gear speed reducer of a turbomachine, the wheel having a lubricator configured to supply lubricant to the nozzles and the bearings of the planetary carriers of the reducer, the wheel being intended to be mounted coaxially on an annular wall of an axis of rotation X of a planetary carrier of the reducer, the wheel having a bearing and attachment surface on the annular wall of the planetary carrier, the lubricant nozzles being distributed around the axis and each having a generally elongated shape, the nozzles having first longitudinal ends for fluidly connecting to the lubricator of the wheel, wherein the first ends of the nozzles being configured to be attached to the wheel before mounting the wheel on the annular wall of the planetary carrier.