Modular oil monitor

• US 5,610,341 A
• Filed: 04/08/1996
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Tortora, Carmine G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oen, William L.
• Application Number:
  US08/629,153
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 73/700, 73/708, 73/714, 73/756, 290/52, 60/330, 60/347, 184/88.1, 340/450.3, 340/626
• US Class Current: 73/756
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 17/02 Arrangement of sensing elements
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2210/02 Turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 39/02 by cooling heat-exchangers in general F28
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 7/40 in a closed circulation system

Abstract

A modular oil monitor for a gas turbine engine includes a mounting pad having a seat with a plurality of oil inner ports disposed therein and joined in flow communication with an oil tank and an oil sump of the engine. A module having a base is removably fixedly joined to the seat, with the base having a plurality of oil outer ports disposed therein and joined in flow communication with respective ones of the inner ports. The module also includes a filter circuit disposed in flow communication between first and second ones of the outer ports, with the filter circuit including an oil filter removably joined to the module for filtering supply oil channeled therethrough. A first sensor is removably joined to the module for measuring the oil temperature or pressure. The module provides at one location various lubricating system components which may be individually inspected or replaced. Or, the entire module may be replaced in one operation.

Claims

1. A modular oil monitor for a gas turbine engine having a bearing supplied with oil from an oil tank and which discharges said supply oil into an oil sump as scavenge oil, comprising:

a mounting pad having a flat seat with a plurality of laterally spaced apart oil inner ports disposed therein and joined in flow communication with said tank and sump;

a service module having a flat base removably fixedly joined to said mounting seat, with said base having a plurality of laterally spaced apart oil outer ports disposed therein and joined in flow communication with respective ones of said inner ports; and

wherein

said module further includes a filter circuit disposed in flow communication between first and second ones of said outer ports, said filter circuit including an oil filter removably joined to said module for filtering said supply oil channeled therethrough, and a first sensor removably joined to said module for measuring oil temperature or pressure.

2. A monitor according to claim 1 wherein said module further comprises a relief circuit disposed in flow communication between said filter circuit and a third one of said outer ports, with a relief valve disposed therein for diverting a portion of said filtered oil from discharge through said second outer port to said third outer port.

3. A monitor according to claim 2 wherein said filter circuit further comprises a second sensor removably joined to said module, with said first and second sensors being effective for measuring oil temperature and pressure, respectively.

4. A monitor according to claim 3 wherein said module further comprises a detector circuit disposed in flow communication between fourth and fifth ones of said outer ports, and includes a magnetic chip detector removably joined to said module for detecting presence of magnetic chips in said scavenge oil.

5. A monitor according to claim 3 wherein said module further comprises a first bypass circuit disposed in flow communication with said filter circuit around said filter, and a bypass valve for bypassing said scavenge oil around said filter upon exceeding a preselected pressure resistance through said filter.

6. A monitor according to claim 5 wherein said module further comprises a second bypass circuit disposed in flow communication with said filter circuit around said filter, and a bypass sensor for sensing impending bypass of oil through said first bypass circuit.

7. A monitor according to claim 6 wherein said relief valve, bypass valve, and bypass sensor are removably joined to said module.

8. A monitor according to claim 3 further comprising means disposed between said pad seat and module base for removably sealingly joining together respective ones of said inner and outer ports.

9. A monitor according to claim 8 wherein said joining means include a plurality of inner O-rings disposed at the juncture of respective ones of said inner and outer ports, and an outer O-ring surrounding all said inner and outer ports.

10. A monitor according to claim 3 wherein said mounting pad is joined to said oil tank.