Lubrication system for a reconfigurable gas turbine engine

• US 10,260,420 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Ross, John W., Carter, Christine E., Yamashita, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Sutherland, Steven
• Application Number:
  US15/094,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20160341124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/20 using lubrication pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/067 inverted, e.g. for inverted flight
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/06 Arrangements of bearings bearings F16C; Lubricating of turbo machines F01D25/18; of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 41/02 having reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/98 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/074 with flat sealing faces

Abstract

According to the present disclosure, a gas turbine assembly includes a gas turbine engine and a gearbox. The gearbox includes a lubrication system including a first sump and a second sump. The lubrication system is configurable to use either of the first and second sumps to correspond to various configurations of the gas turbine assembly.

Claims

1. A lubrication system for a gas turbine assembly, the lubrication system comprising

a pump adapted to pressurize oil distributed from the lubrication system,

a first sump located within a housing and configured to collect oil moved into the first sump by way of gravitational force when the housing is arranged in a first orientation,

a second sump located within the housing and configured to collect oil moved into the second sump by way of gravitational force when the housing is arranged in a second orientation, and

a manifold fluidly coupled to the pump by a pump line, to the first sump by a first-sump line, and to the second sump by a second-sump line, the manifold including a lubrication system configuration plate configured to fluidly couple the pump line to one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line.

2. The lubrication system of claim 1, wherein the lubrication system configuration plate is further configured to block fluid communication between the pump line and one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line.

3. The lubrication system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the first-sump line and the second sump line are integrally formed in the housing.

4. The lubrication system of claim 2, wherein the manifold includes a plenum formed to include a pump aperture opening into the pump line, a first-sump aperture opening into the first-sump line, and a second-sump aperture opening into the second-sump line.

5. The lubrication system of claim 4, wherein the plenum is integrally formed in the housing.

6. The lubrication system of claim 4, wherein the lubrication system configuration plate includes a cap configured to cover the plenum and a plug extending from the cap into the plenum to block fluid communication into the plenum from one of the first-sump aperture and the second-sump aperture.

7. The lubrication system of claim 6, wherein the housing includes an accessory-attachment pad and the lubrication system configuration plate includes a tab that extends from the cap over at least a portion of the accessory-attachment pad to block the installation of an accessory onto the accessory-attachment pad.

8. The lubrication system of claim 1, wherein the first orientation is offset from the second orientation by about 180 degrees.

9. A reconfigurable gas turbine assembly comprising

a turbine engine including an air inlet, an engine core, and an exhaust, and

a lubrication system including a pump, a first sump arranged within a housing, a second sump arranged within the housing, and a manifold fluidly coupled to the pump by a pump line, to the first sump by a first-sump line, and to the second sump by a second-sump line,

wherein the first sump is arranged to collect oil moved by way of gravitational force the when the exhaust of the reconfigurable gas turbine assembly is oriented upwardly, the second sump is arranged to collect oil moved by way of gravitational force the when the exhaust of the turbine engine is oriented downwardly, and the manifold includes a lubrication system configuration plate configured to fluidly couple the pump line with one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line.

10. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing supports a gear set in fluid communication with the lubrication system.

11. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein the lubrication system configuration plate is further configured to block fluid communication between the pump line and one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line.

12. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the first-sump line and the second sump line are integrally formed in the housing.

13. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein the manifold includes a plenum formed to include a pump aperture opening into the pump line, a first-sump aperture opening into the first-sump line, and a second-sump aperture opening into the second-sump line.

14. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 13, wherein the plenum is integrally formed in the housing.

15. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 13, wherein the lubrication system configuration plate includes a cap configured to cover the plenum and a plug extending from the cap into the plenum to block fluid communication into the plenum from one of the first-sump aperture and the second-sump aperture.

16. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing includes an accessory-attachment pad and the lubrication system configuration plate includes a tab that extends from the cap over at least a portion of the accessory-attachment pad to block the installation of an accessory onto the accessory-attachment pad.

17. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein the first sump is arranged below the second sump when the exhaust of the reconfigurable gas turbine assembly is oriented upwardly and the second sump is arranged below the first sump when the exhaust of the reconfigurable gas turbine assembly is oriented downwardly.

18. The reconfigurable gas turbine assembly of claim 9, wherein the second sump is arranged generally between the exhaust of the reconfigurable gas turbine assembly and the first sump.

19. A method of assembling a lubrication system for a reconfigurable gas turbine assembly, the method comprising

fluidly coupling a pump to a plenum via a pump line,

fluidly coupling a first sump to the plenum via a first-sump line,

fluidly coupling a second sump to the plenum via a second-sump line, and

blocking fluid communication into plenum from one of the first sump and the second sump by coupling a lubrication system configuration plate to the plenum, the lubrication system configuration plate including a cap configured to cover the plenum and a plug extending from the cap through the plenum and into one of the first-sump line or the second-sump line to block fluid communication into the plenum from one of the first sump and the second sump.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first sump and the second sump are arranged in a housing and the housing is formed to include at least a portion of the first-sump line and the second-sump line.