Secondary lubrication system with injectable additive

• US 8,602,166 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Mullen, Michael F., Cooper, Clark V., Sbabo, Thomas L., Glasser, Adam R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siconolfi, Robert A
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIAO, JAMES K
• Application Number:
  US11/610,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20070261922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.26, 184/6.12, 184/6.21, 184/6.22
• US Class Current: 184/6.26
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 9/02 having means for introducing additives to lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0442 for supply in case of failure, i.e. auxiliary supply
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/045 Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/046 Oil-mist or spray lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 39/00 Arrangements for conditioning of lubricants in the lubricating system cleaning of lubricating oil, lubricating compositions C10M

Abstract

A lubrication system includes an additive and a delivery system. During normal operational conditions, the lubricating oil circulating in the transmission system is collected and contained in a secondary oil reservoir to retain a quantity of the lubricating oil for use in an oil-out condition. When an oil-out condition is detected, the additive is injected and mixed with the collected lubricating oil in the secondary oil reservoir or dispersed directly into a power transmission gearbox housing to enhance the characteristics of the lubricating oil and increases the operational time period of the power transmission gearbox during an oil-out condition.

Claims

1. A lubrication system to lubricate moving components within a housing comprising:

an additive stored under normal operational conditions; and

a delivery system in communication with said additive for selective injection of said additive into the housing in response to an oil-out condition, wherein said delivery system includes a misting system.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an oil reservoir for storage of a quantity of collected lubricating oil for selective release into the housing to lubricate the moving components in response to the oil-out condition wherein said delivery system selectively injects said additive into said quantity of collected lubricating oil prior to release of the collected lubricating oil into the housing.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said delivery system pressurizes said additive.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said delivery system selective releases said additive in response to a manual initiator.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said delivery system selectively releases said additive in response to a sensor system which identifies said oil-out condition.

6. A method to prolong operation of moving components within a housing during an oil-out condition comprising:

storing an additive during normal operational conditions; and

selectively injecting the additive into the housing in response to an oil-out condition.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said selectively injecting further comprises:

collecting a quantity of collected lubricating oil from a primary lubricating oil reservoir during a normal operational condition;

selectively communicating the quantity of collected lubrication oil into the housing in response to an oil-out condition; and

selectively injecting the additive into the housing separate from the collected lubricating oil in response to the oil-out condition.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said selectively injecting further comprises:

collecting a quantity of collected lubricating oil from a primary lubricating oil reservoir during a normal operational condition;

selectively injecting the additive into the quantity of collected lubricating oil in response to an oil-out condition; and

selectively communicating the quantity of collected lubricating oil injected with the additive into the housing.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said selectively injecting further comprises selective injection into a rotary-wing aircraft transmission gearbox housing.