Emergency lubrication mist system

• US 5,097,926 A
• Filed: 10/13/1989
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Michigan Inc (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Duello, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US07/421,065
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.26, 184/6.28, 184/55.1, 184/6.3, 184/6.4, 184/6.11, 60/39.08, 60/39.091
• US Class Current: 184/6.4
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/40 Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/066 with an inner liquid outlet surrounded by at least one annular gas outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/02 for influencing the supply of lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 7/32 Mist lubrication splash lubrication F16N7/26

Abstract

An embergency lubrication mist system is operable in response to a drop in oil pressure in a primary lubrication system for components inside a casing. An emergency oil reservoir provides a head of oil for discharge through an air activated misting nozzle sized to dispense an oil in a mist for fogging the inside of the casing and coating the components inside. The misting nozzle has an air passageway normally closed to a source of air and opening to operate the emergency system in response to a drop of pressure in the primary lubricating system.

Claims

1. An emergency mist lubrication system for lubricating moving components housed within a casing, upon a drop in oil pressure in a primary lubrication system for lubricating the moving components, comprising:

an oil reservoir for holding a supply of lubricating oil;

means for filling said oil reservoir from the primary lubrication system;

means for metering the flow of oil from the primary lubrication system to said oil reservoir such that the primary lubrication system does not experience pressure drop during start-up; and

an oil mist nozzle having an oil passageway formed therethrough for receiving oil from said oil reservoir at one end and discharging an oil mist at an orifice formed at the other end, said nozzle having an air passageway open at one end located at said other end of said nozzle and having at the other end a normally closed connection to a source of air, such that when said nozzle is activated by opening said air passageway connection to the source of air, an oil mist is dispersed from said nozzle creating an oil rich atmosphere to lubricate the moving components in the casing.

2. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 1 wherein said source of air is aircraft engine bleed air.

3. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 1 wherein the said source of air is an auxiliary air compressor on board an aircraft.

4. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 1 wherein said air passageway at the other end of said nozzle is an annulus surrounding said orifice of said nozzle.

5. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 4 wherein said air annulus is sized to permit an air flow of 0.05 pounds per minute.

6. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 4 wherein said orifice of said nozzle is sized with said annulus to provide a 25 inch³ /hour oil flow.

7. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second oil reservoir for holding a supply of lubricating oil; and

a second oil mist nozzle having an oil passageway formed therethrough for receiving oil from said second oil reservoir at one end and discharging an oil mist at an orifice formed at the opposite end, said nozzle having an air passageway open at one end located at said opposite end of said nozzle and having at the other end a normally closed connection to a source of air, such that when said nozzle is activated by opening said air passageway connection to said source of air, an oil mist is dispersed from said nozzle creating an oil rich atmosphere to lubricate the moving components in the casing.

8. An emergency mist lubrication system to backup a primary lubrication system for lubricating moving components housed within a casing in an aircraft comprising:

an oil reservoir for holding a supply of lubricating oil;

means for filling said reservoir from the primary lubrication system during start-up;

a restrictor for metering the flow of oil from the primary lubrication system to said oil reservoir such that the primary lubrication system does not experience pressure drop during start-up; and

an oil mist nozzle located at the bottom of said reservoir and having an oil passageway fed by the oil draining from the oil reservoir and an air passageway activated by a source of air upon a pressure drop on the primary lubrication system to disperse an oil mist creating an oil rich atmosphere to lubricate the moving components in the casing.

9. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 8 wherein said source of air is aircraft engine bleed.

10. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 8 wherein the said source of air is an auxiliary air compressor.

11. An emergency mist lubrication system for lubricating moving components housed within a casing, upon the drop of oil pressure in the primary lubrication system in an aircraft comprising:

at least one oil reservoir for holding a supply of lubricating oil;

a means for filling the reservoir from the primary lubrication system;

a restrictor for metering the flow of oil from the primary lubrication system such that the primary lubrication system does not experience pressure drop during start-up; and

at least one oil mist nozzle located at the bottom of said reservoir, having an oil passageway formed therethrough for receiving oil draining form said reservoir at one end of said nozzle and for discharging an oil mist at an orifice at the other end of said nozzle, said nozzle having an air passageway open at one end located at said other end of said nozzle and forming an air annulus, and having at the other end a normally closed connection to a source of air, such that when said nozzle is activated by opening said air passageway to the source of air, an oil mist is dispersed from said nozzle creating an oil rich atmosphere to lubricate the moving components in the casing.

12. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 11 wherein said air annulus is sized to permit an air flow of 0.05 pounds per minute.

13. The emergency mist lubrication system of claim 11 wherein said orifice at the other end of said nozzle is sized with said air annulus to provide a 25 inch³ /hour oil flow.