Staged Impeller Oil Supply for Planetary Gear Lubrication Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current turbomachine reduction gears, particularly epicyclic and differential types, face challenges with oil lubrication systems that require rotary joints, leading to wear and maintenance issues, and existing solutions fail to modulate oil flow according to speed and differentiate lubricant properties effectively.
Innovation Solution
An oil supply device with staged, coaxial lubrication cups of different diameters, receiving oil from separate injection means, allowing for independent supply to distinct oil distribution circuits, with nozzles and injection manifolds configured to provide centripetal and axial oil jets, enabling flexible and efficient lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rotary joint systems are used to transfer oil from a fixed reservoir to rotating planet gears, then lubrication is achieved, but the system becomes cumbersome and subject to wear incompatible with aircraft engine lifetimes
Solution Approach 1:
The oil supply device is segmented into multiple independent lubrication stages, each with its own cup and injection means. This segmentation eliminates the need for rotary joints by allowing each stage to be independently supplied from the fixed mark, thereby improving reliability while reducing mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary oil injection system that bridges the fixed oil reservoir and the rotating lubrication points without requiring direct mechanical connection. The injection means acts as an intermediary, delivering oil through the rotating assembly without the wear-prone rotary joint mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single oil supply device is used for all lubrication points, then the structure is simple, but it cannot modulate oil flow according to speed or differentiate lubricant properties for different components
Solution Approach 1:
The oil supply device is divided into multiple independent stages, each capable of receiving oil from the fixed mark and distributing it to specific lubrication points. This segmentation enables independent control of oil flow to each stage, allowing modulation according to speed and differentiation of lubricant properties without requiring a single complex control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adaptability by allowing each lubrication stage to be independently supplied and controlled. The system can dynamically adjust oil flow distribution to match varying operational speeds and requirements of different components, transforming a static single-supply system into a dynamic multi-stage system.
3Ease of operation
If multiple nozzles are placed in proximity to supply different axial sections, then oil distribution is achieved, but reliability questions arise due to the multiplication and proximity of nozzles
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing multiple nozzles in close proximity, the patent segments the oil supply into multiple stages with spatially separated injection means. Each stage has its own dedicated injection point, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and mechanical interference, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving overall system reliability.
4Stress or pressure
If cups are placed at the same diameter to receive oil, then the structure is compact, but pressure drops occur in circuits placed on larger diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the pressure distribution issue by transitioning from a single-diameter planar arrangement to a multi-stage axial arrangement. Cups are positioned at different axial locations and diameters, allowing optimal pressure distribution to circuits at various radii without the volume penalty of a compact single-diameter design.
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 improves lubrication reliability and maintenance by allowing modulated oil flow distribution based on speed and lubricant properties, reducing pressure drops and simplifying assembly, while enabling the use of different lubricants for various components.
Implementation Method 1
configured to receive oil axially in a direction that is parallel to the axis (X) and facing the associated cup, or centripetally in a radial direction facing the axis (X)
Data Source
AI summary
An oil supply device intended to supply oil to an epicyclic reduction gear, the oil coming from at least one oil injector fixed with respect to the reduction gear, the oil supply device including at least one cup which is integral with a planet carrier of the reduction gear and substantially annular open radially with respect to an axis of the reduction gear and the walls of which delimit a cavity supplied by the at least one oil injector and which supplies at least one of the oil distribution circuits of the reduction gear. The oil supply device is staged and includes at least two independent stages provided with cups coaxial, of different diameters, each supplying an associated oil circuit and configured to receive the oil axially, centripetally, or tangentially, or according to an inclined direction combining two of the directions.