Reduction Gear Lubrication Pipe Layout for Compact Turbine Engines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines with reduction gears face challenges in reducing radial volume and preventing lubricant leaks, while maintaining easy and reliable mounting.
Innovation Solution
The lubrication pipe is integrated within the enclosure, passing through an orifice and opening in the shell and downstream branch, allowing for reduced radial volume and leak prevention, with features like annular flanges, mistake-proofing elements, and pre-mounted pipe sections for easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the pipe is installed outside the enclosure along the support, then the mounting is easy and reliable, but the radial volume of the turbine engine increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe is merged with the enclosure structure by integrating it into the shell, eliminating the need for separate external installation along the support. This combining of previously separate components (pipe and enclosure) achieves volume reduction while maintaining mounting reliability through the unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe is nested within the enclosure space, specifically passing through the shell's orifice rather than occupying external space. This nesting approach allows the lubrication system to be contained within the existing structural boundaries, reducing radial volume without compromising assembly ease.
2Reliability
If the pipe is installed outside the enclosure, then the mounting is easy and reliable, but lubricant leaks may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe is merged with the enclosure structure by integrating it into the shell, eliminating the need for separate external installation along the support. This combining of previously separate components (pipe and enclosure) achieves volume reduction while maintaining mounting reliability through the unified structure.
3Volume of moving object
If the radial volume is reduced by integrating the pipe, then the engine performance is enhanced, but the mounting complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shell is segmented with an orifice that accommodates the pipe, allowing the pipe to pass through the shell wall. This segmentation creates a dedicated pathway that simplifies the integration process by providing a pre-defined interface between the pipe and enclosure, reducing the overall complexity of mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The orifice is preliminarily created in the shell during manufacturing, preparing the pathway for the pipe before final assembly. This preliminary action simplifies the mounting process by eliminating the need for complex field modifications or adjustments during installation.
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine engine includes a fan. The fan includes a first shaft driven in rotation via a reduction gear, the first shaft being guided in rotation with respect to a support of a fixed structure via an upstream bearing and a downstream bearing, the downstream bearing guiding in rotation the first shaft with respect to a downstream branch of the support, the first shaft and the support together defining an enclosure. The reduction gear includes a ring gear fixed to the structure via a shell. The turbine engine also includes a lubricator composed of at least one pipe for conveying a liquid lubricant, wherein the pipe is located in the enclosure, the pipe passing through an orifice made in the shell and an opening made in the downstream branch.