RECONFIGURABLE LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE POWERTRAIN ORIENTATIONS
First Claim
1. A gas turbine engine assembly comprisingan engine core extending around a central axis, anda gearbox coupled to the engine core, the gearbox including a lubrication system havinga pump adapted to pressurize oil,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, anda 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 configuration plate configured to fluidly couple the pump line to one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line,wherein the engine core is configured to discharge pressurized gasses aftward along the central axis when the housing is arranged in each of the first and second orientations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gas turbine engine assembly and a method for assembling a gas turbine engine assembly are disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine assembly includes an engine core and a gearbox. The gearbox includes a lubrication system having a first sump and a second sump. The lubrication system is configurable to provide oil from either of the first and second sumps in various configurations of the gas turbine engine assembly.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A gas turbine engine assembly comprising
an engine core extending around a central axis, and a gearbox coupled to the engine core, the gearbox including a lubrication system having a pump adapted to pressurize oil, 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 configuration plate configured to fluidly couple the pump line to one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line, wherein the engine core is configured to discharge pressurized gasses aftward along the central axis when the housing is arranged in each of the first and second orientations.
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10. An aircraft comprising
a fuselage, a first gas turbine engine assembly coupled to one side of the fuselage, and a second gas turbine engine assembly coupled to another side of the fuselage opposite the one side, wherein (i) the first and second gas turbine engine assemblies each include a gearbox having a lubrication system, (ii) the lubrication system includes a pump, a first sump arranged within a housing and configured to collect oil moved by way of gravitational force when the corresponding first or second gas turbine engine assembly is in a first orientation, a second sump arranged within the housing and configured to collect oil moved by way of gravitational force when the corresponding first or second gas turbine engine assembly is 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, and (iii) the manifold includes a configuration plate configured to fluidly couple the pump line with one of the first-sump line and the second-sump line.
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19. A method of assembling a gas turbine engine assembly, the method comprising
coupling a gearbox to an engine core that is arranged entirely aft of the gearbox along a central axis, coupling a pump to a plenum by a pump line, coupling a first sump to the plenum by a first-sump line, coupling a second sump to the plenum by a second-sump line, and blocking fluid communication into the plenum from one of the first sump and the second sump by coupling a configuration plate to the plenum.
Specification