LUBRICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090218170A1
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Leveille, Didier, Miller, Matthew Michael, Vetters, Dan, Hoffmann, Timothy Andrew, Burnside, Phillip Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 184/6.220
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2300/22 High-speed rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/60 divided or split, e.g. comprising two juxtaposed rings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6659 Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles

Abstract

A lubrication system for a component is disclosed herein. The disclosed lubrication system can be applied relatively high temperature operating environments, relatively low temperature operating environments, or both. The lubrication system includes a tank operable to contain lubricant and having at least one tank outlet. The lubrication system also includes a tube extending between first and second ends. The first end of the tube is in fluid communication with at least one tank outlet. The lubrication system also includes an atomizer in fluid communication with the second end of the tube to receive lubricant from the tank. The atomizer is operable to dispense atomized lubricant on the component. The tank, the tube, and the atomizer are all adjacent to the component. A method for practicing the invention is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a component to be lubricated;

a tank operable to contain lubricant and having at least one tank outlet;

a tube extending between first and second ends wherein said first end is in fluid communication with said at least one tank outlet; and

an atomizer in fluid communication with said second end of said tube to receive lubricant from said tank and operable to dispense atomized lubricant on said component, wherein said tank, said tube, and said atomizer are all adjacent to said component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a heater operably positioned to heat lubricant disposed in said tank.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an insulating layer at least partially covering said tank.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a sump housing at least partially enclosing said tank and said component together.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one conduit internal to said tank and having a conduit inlet positioned at a bottom of said tank and a conduit outlet in fluid communication with said tank outlet, wherein said at least one conduit extends from said conduit inlet substantially to a top of said tank and further extends away from said top towards a bottom of said tank to said conduit outlet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of conduits internal to said tank for directing lubricant out of said tank, wherein one of said conduits is substantially shorter than the remaining conduits.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of conduits internal to said tank for directing lubricant out of said tank, wherein each of said conduits includes a conduit inlet; and

a baffle disposed in said tank and extending above said conduit inlets.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first end of said tube is slidably received in a counter-bore defined at said tank outlet.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said tank, said tube, and said atomizer are further defined as substantially surrounding said component.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an interior surface of said tube defines a stepped bore with a first portion of greater diameter adjacent to said first end and a second portion of lesser diameter adjacent to said second end.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a face seal operably positioned between said tube and said atomizer at said second end.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said atomizer further comprises:

a mixing chamber in fluid communication with said second end of said tube and extending along a first axis transverse to a centerline axis of said tube such that a flow of fluid through said mixing chambers produces a venturi effect and draws lubricant out of said tube.

13. A method for delivering lubricant to a component comprising the steps of:

sequentially delivering lubricant to a component in the form of liquid film and in the form of solid film with a single lubrication system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of sequentially delivering lubricant is further defined as:

passively delivering the lubricant to the component.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the lubrication system is of the type including a lubricant tank communicating lubricant to an atomizer and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

generating a stream of fluid in the atomizer from a source of pressurized fluid; and

placing the source of pressurized fluid in communication with an interior of the lubricant tank.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

drawing lubricant out of the lubricant tank and into the atomizer at least in part by venturi effect.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

delivering lubricant to the component in particles sized from about five thousandths in diameter to about ten thousandths in diameter.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein further comprising the step of:

disposing a lubricant tank on a first side of the component;

disposing an atomizer on a second side of the component opposite the first side; and

directing lubricant from the lubricant tank to the atomizer through a tube extending across a third side of the component between the first and second sides.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

maintaining the tube and the lubricant tank at substantially the same temperature; and

at least partially insulating the tube from the atomizer.

20. A turbine engine comprising:

a bearing disposed for rotation about a centerline axis;

a sump housing at least partially enclosing said bearing;

a lubricant tank positioned in said sump housing adjacent to said bearing and having at least one tank outlet;

a tube extending at least partially around said bearing between a first end in fluid communication with said tank outlet and a second end spaced from said first end;

an atomizer positioned adjacent to said bearing opposite said lubricant tank and communicating with said second end of said tube to receive lubricant from said tank, said atomizer operable to direct atomized lubricant to said bearing;

a compressor section;

a first conduit communicating the pressurized fluid to said tank; and

a second conduit extending between said compressor section and said atomizer to communicate pressurized fluid to said atomizer, wherein said atomizer directs a stream of the pressurized fluid across said second end to produce a venturi effect drawing lubricant out of said tube.