DEOILER SEAL

• US 20130319240A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Short, Keith E., Blewett, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,945,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/268
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/183 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/28 Arrangement of seals
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/55 Seals
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/609 Deoiling or demisting
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/514 Porosity

Abstract

An assembly includes a housing having a housing cavity, an inlet, and an outlet, a rotatable shaft positioned proximate the outlet, and a seal positioned at an interface of the rotatable shaft and the housing. The seal includes porous material adjacent the shaft and the housing and a shell substantially separating the porous material from the housing cavity. The shell includes an inlet that allows fluid flow from the housing cavity to the porous material and an outlet that allows fluid flow from the porous material to the housing interior. The inlet is positioned radially inward of the outlet.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a housing having a housing cavity, an inlet, and an outlet;

a rotatable shaft positioned proximate the outlet;

a seal positioned at an interface of the rotatable shaft and the housing, wherein the seal comprises;

porous material adjacent the shaft and the housing; and

a shell substantially separating the porous material from the housing cavity, the shell comprising;

an inlet that allows fluid flow from the housing cavity to the porous material; and

an outlet that allows fluid flow from the porous material to the housing interior, wherein the inlet is positioned radially inward of the outlet.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is a gearbox housing, and wherein the rotatable shaft is a deoiler shaft of a deoiler.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the deoiler further comprises:

a separator mounted on the shaft so as to rotate with the shaft and having separating media positioned inside a separator case.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the separating media and the porous material are substantially similar materials.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the porous material is a metal foam.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the porous material is substantially annular, having a first portion substantially axially aligned with respect to a centerline axis of the shaft and a second portion substantially radially aligned with respect to the centerline axis.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shell is substantially annular, having a radially inner edge abutting the shaft.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the shell further comprises:

a first radial surface extending substantially radially outward from the radially inner edge with respect to a centerline axis of the shaft, wherein the inlet is one of a plurality of holes extending through the first radial surface.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the shell further comprises:

a second radial surface extending substantially radially inward from a radially outer edge of the shell; and

an axial surface extending substantially axially from the first radial surface to the second radial surface.

10. The assembly of claim 1, and further comprising:

a first labyrinth seal positioned between the shaft and the outlet of the housing.

11. The assembly of claim 10, and further comprising:

a second labyrinth seal integrally formed with the housing and positioned adjacent but spaced from the porous material.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the porous material substantially fills the shell.

13. A method for operating an assembly, the method comprising:

rotating a shaft about a centerline axis, wherein the shaft is positioned proximate an outlet of a gearbox housing;

sealing an interface between the shaft and the gearbox housing via a seal mounted on the shaft;

flowing an air-oil mist through a seal inlet;

separating oil from the air-oil mist within the seal; and

flowing the oil out of the seal through a seal outlet positioned radially outward of the seal inlet.

14. The method of claim 13, and further comprising:

rotating a deoiler separator mounted on the shaft;

flowing an air-oil mist through an inlet of a deoiler separator;

separating oil from the air-oil mist within the deoiler separator;

flowing oil out of the deoiler separator through a separator oil outlet into a housing cavity of the gearbox housing; and

flowing air out of the deoiler separator through a separator gas outlet to an exterior of the gearbox housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein oil is separated from the air-oil mist within the seal via a first porous material and wherein oil is separated from the air-oil mist within the deoiler separator via a second porous material.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the seal is positioned proximate but spaced from the gearbox housing.

17. The method of claim 13, and further comprising:

limiting flow between the seal and the gearbox housing via a labyrinth seal.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the seal comprises a porous material and a shell, wherein flowing the air-oil mist through the seal inlet comprises flowing the air-oil mist through a hole in the shell into the porous material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein separating oil from the air-oil mist within the seal is performed via the porous material.

20. The method of claim 13, and further comprising:

flowing substantially deoiled air from the seal through the outlet of the gearbox housing.