Deoiler for a lubrication system
First Claim
1. A deoiler capable of communicating with a source of air contaminated with oil, comprising:
- at least one separator for separating the oil from the air; and
a source of suction for reducing pressure at the source of the contaminated air.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A deoiler 26 for separating oil from air contaminated with the oil has at least one separator for separating the oil from the air and also has a source of suction for reducing air pressure at the source of the air. In an exemplary embodiment, the deoiler 26 creates the suction at a first operating condition, but acts as a restrictor at a second operating condition. A deoiling method according to the invention creates suction at a first operating condition to reduce the air pressure at the source of the oil-contaminated air, establishes a flow restriction at a second operating condition to pressurize the air source, and encourages oil to separate from the air at both operating conditions. When used as a component of a turbine engine lubrication system 22, the source of contaminated air may be a buffered bearing compartment 16. The inventive deoiler ensures a positive pressure difference across the bearing compartment seals 20 at the engine'"'"'s idle power setting without requiring the idle setting to be undesirably high, and without requiring the use of buffer air whose pressure at higher engine power is high enough to be detrimental. In an exemplary embodiment, the deoiler pressurizes the bearing compartment at higher power settings to resist excessive buffer air infiltration into the bearing compartment.
29 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A deoiler capable of communicating with a source of air contaminated with oil, comprising:
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at least one separator for separating the oil from the air; and
a source of suction for reducing pressure at the source of the contaminated air. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A deoiler for receiving contaminated air from a compartment segregated from its surroundings by an imperfect seal and for separating the oil therefrom;
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the deoiler being operable at a first operating condition in which it suctions the contaminated air from the compartment thereby establishing a positive pressure difference across the imperfect seal; and
the deoiler also being operable at a second operating condition in which it acts as a restriction, thereby pressurizing the compartment. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A deoiler for separating oil from air contaminated with the oil, comprising:
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an intake for admitting the air to the deoiler;
a first separator comprising a paddlewheel and a deoiler outlet;
a compressor for receiving the air from the first separator, the compressor comprising a compressor inlet, a stage of blades and a compressor outlet;
a second separator comprising an array of teeth and an oil recovery passage at the compressor inlet;
a plenum for receiving air discharged from the compressor outlet, the plenum bounded in part by a plenum seal;
a third separator comprising an oil collection surface and an oil recovery passage that extends past the plenum seal; and
a stator stage downstream of the plenum for receiving decontaminated air from the plenum, the stator stage comprising an array of stator vanes separated by intervane passages each having an inlet, an outlet and a meanline, each meanline forming a nonzero angle with respect to a radial line that intersects the meanline at the passage inlet, and each passage increasing in area from its inlet to its outlet.
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18. A method of separating oil from a stream of air contaminated with the oil, the stream of air originating at a replenishable air source, comprising:
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creating suction at a first operating condition thereby suctioning the stream of air from the air source and reducing air pressure at the source;
establishing a flow restriction at a second operating condition thereby pressurizing the air source while maintaining a flow of air from the source; and
encouraging the oil to separate from the air at both operating conditions.
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Specification