Rotating Ring Gear Gutter for Turbomachine Oil Overflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubrication systems in turbomachines face issues with lubricant overflow and inefficient evacuation, leading to premature wear and reduced efficiency due to insufficient lubrication, which can increase the mass and dimensions of the turbomachine.
Innovation Solution
A turbomachine assembly with a speed reduction gear and a rotating gutter around the external ring gear that secures the gutter to the ring gear, featuring an evacuation device connected to the stator, ensuring lubricant is collected and evacuated without overflow, maintaining driving force and minimizing mass impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a recovering gutter is placed around the ring gear to recover lubricant by centrifugal force, then lubricant recovery efficiency is improved, but the gutter may overflow causing incomplete recovery and increased system mass
Solution Approach 1:
The gutter is made rotatable with the ring gear instead of being stationary, allowing it to dynamically adapt to the rotating motion and maintain optimal position for lubricant collection without overflow
Solution Approach 2:
The gutter is divided into multiple segments that can rotate independently with the ring gear, allowing flexible adaptation to centrifugal forces and preventing overflow while maintaining recovery efficiency
2Reliability
If the gutter is made larger to accommodate greater lubricant quantity, then overflow risk is reduced, but the overall mass and dimensions of the turbomachine increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable gutter adapts its effective capacity through rotation rather than requiring a permanently larger structure, reducing mass while maintaining overflow prevention capability
Solution Approach 2:
The gutter utilizes the existing centrifugal force from ring gear rotation to self-regulate lubricant collection, eliminating the need for additional mass to prevent overflow
3Ease of operation
If the lubricant circulation path is made obstacle-free for easy circulation, then recovery control is improved, but the system becomes more complex to ensure proper flow management
Solution Approach 1:
The gutter rotation is merged with the ring gear rotation, eliminating separate drive mechanisms and reducing system complexity while maintaining ease of lubricant circulation
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 effectively prevents lubricant overflow while maintaining efficient lubrication, reducing the overall mass and dimensions of the turbomachine, and enhancing its performance by ensuring consistent lubricant evacuation.
Implementation Method 1
a recovering gutter for recovering a lubricant ejected by centrifugal effect from the speed reduction gear during operation
Implementation Method 2
the assembly comprising a device for evacuating the lubricant towards the outside of the collection area
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a turbomachine assembly (1) extending around a longitudinal axis and comprising a speed reduction gear (16) having an external ring gear (23) and a gutter (41) for recovering a lubricant ejected by centrifugal effect, the gutter (41) being arranged around the external ring gear and comprising an area (43) for collecting the lubricant received by ejection.According to the invention, the gutter (41) is secured in terms of rotation to the external ring gear and in that the assembly comprises a device (50) for evacuating the lubricant to the outside of the collection area (43), the evacuation device being intended to be connected to a stator of the turbomachine and extending at least partly into the collection area, the evacuation device being configured so as to evacuate the lubricant located in the collection area to an oil evacuation area located outside the gutter.