IP Library › Granted Patent US 12680475

Granted Patent B2

US 12680475 · App. 19/003,597 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Turbine engine having a lubrication system

Inventors: Miriam Manzoni (Rivalta di Turin, IT); Michele Gravina (Milan, IT); Federico Leonardi (Vinovo, IT); Alessandro Anderlini (Poggibonsi, IT); Ravindra Shankar Ganiger (Bengaluru, IN); Matthew D. Brothers (Cincinnati, OH)

Assignees: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY; GE AVIO S.R.L.

F01D25/20 F02C7/06 F02C7/36 F05D2220/76 F05D2260/4031 F05D2260/40311 F05D2260/98

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12680475
App. No.: 19/003,597
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A turbine engine including a turbo-engine, a gearbox assembly, a propulsor, and a lubrication system. The lubrication system includes a lubricant tank that stores lubricant therein, one or more primary gearbox lubricant supply lines in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the gearbox assembly, one or more secondary gearbox lubricant supply lines in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the gearbox assembly, and a lubricant pump for supplying the lubricant to the gearbox assembly from the lubricant tank through the one or more primary gearbox lubricant supply lines and the one or more secondary gearbox lubricant supply lines. The lubrication system modulates a mass flow rate of the lubricant to the gearbox assembly through at least one of the one or more primary gearbox lubricant supply lines or the one or more secondary gearbox lubricant supply lines.

Claims (47)

1 . A turbine engine comprising:

a turbo-engine including a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section, the turbo-engine having an input shaft that couples the compressor section to the turbine section;

a gearbox assembly including a gear assembly having a plurality of gears;

a propulsor having an output shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft through the gear assembly; and

a lubrication system comprising:

a lubricant tank that stores lubricant therein;

a primary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and a component of the gearbox assembly;

a secondary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the component of the gearbox assembly in parallel with the primary gearbox lubricant supply line;

a primary valve disposed in the primary gearbox lubricant supply line, wherein the primary valve is a proportional modulating valve that includes a primary valve member that moves between a fully opened position and a fully closed position;

a lubricant pump for supplying the lubricant to the component of the gearbox assembly from the lubricant tank through the primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line in parallel; and

a controller having one or more processors and a memory, and the controller configured to control the primary valve member between the fully opened position and the fully closed position to modulate a mass flow rate of the lubricant to the component of the gearbox assembly through the primary gearbox lubricant supply line.

2 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising an electric machine drivingly coupled to the input shaft, wherein the lubrication system further comprises:

a primary electric machine lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the electric machine; and

a secondary electric machine lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the electric machine, wherein the lubricant pump supplies the lubricant to the electric machine from the lubricant tank through the primary electric machine lubricant supply line and the secondary electric machine lubricant supply line, the lubrication system modulating a mass flow rate of the lubricant to the electric machine through at least one of the primary electric machine lubricant supply line or the secondary electric machine lubricant supply line.

3 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising one or more shaft bearings that support rotation of the input shaft, wherein the lubrication system further comprises:

a primary turbine engine lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the one or more shaft bearings; and

a secondary turbine engine lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the one or more shaft bearings, wherein the lubricant pump supplies the lubricant to the one or more shaft bearings from the lubricant tank through the primary turbine engine lubricant supply line and the secondary turbine engine lubricant supply line in parallel, the lubrication system modulating a mass flow rate of the lubricant to the turbine engine through at least one of the primary turbine engine lubricant supply line or the secondary turbine engine lubricant supply line.

4 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gears meshes with each other at a mesh, the component of the gearbox assembly being the mesh such that the primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the one or more secondary gearbox lubricant supply line direct the lubricant to the mesh in parallel.

5 . The turbine engine of claim 4 , wherein the primary gearbox lubricant supply line is a first primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the lubrication system further comprises a second primary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with one or more bearings of the plurality of gears.

6 . The turbine engine of claim 5 , wherein the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line is a first secondary gearbox lubricant supply line and the lubrication system further comprises a second secondary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the one or more bearings.

7 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the gear assembly includes one or more bearings, the component of the gearbox assembly being the one or more bearings such that the primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line direct the lubricant to the one or more bearings in parallel.

8 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a secondary valve disposed in the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line for modulating the mass flow rate of the lubricant to the component of the gearbox assembly through the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line.

9 . The turbine engine of claim 8 , wherein the secondary valve is a shut-off valve that includes a valve member that moves between an opened position and a closed position to turn on or to turn off the lubricant through the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line.

10 . The turbine engine of claim 8 , further comprising a return line in fluid communication with the secondary valve and the lubricant tank, the return line directing the lubricant to the lubricant tank from the secondary valve when the secondary valve is in a closed position.

11 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , wherein the lubrication system includes one or more lubricant supply lines in fluid communication with the lubricant pump, wherein the primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line branch from the one or more lubricant supply lines to the component of the gearbox assembly in parallel.

12 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a return line in fluid communication with the primary valve and the lubricant tank, the return line directing a portion of the lubricant to the lubricant tank from the primary valve when the primary valve is in the fully closed position or in a partially opened position.

13 . A turbine engine comprising:

a turbo-engine including a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section, the turbo-engine having an input shaft that couples the compressor section to the turbine section;

a gearbox assembly including a gear assembly having a plurality of gears that mesh with each other at a mesh;

a propulsor having an output shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft through the gear assembly; and

a lubrication system comprising:

a lubricant tank that stores lubricant therein;

a primary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the gearbox assembly, wherein the primary gearbox lubricant supply line directs the lubricant to the mesh;

a secondary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the gearbox assembly, wherein the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line directs the lubricant to the mesh in parallel with the primary gearbox lubricant supply line;

one or more valves disposed in at least one of the primary gearbox lubricant supply line or the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line; and

a lubricant pump for supplying the lubricant to the mesh from the lubricant tank through the primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line in parallel, the lubrication system controlling the one or more valves to modulate a mass flow rate of the lubricant to the mesh through the at least one of the primary gearbox lubricant supply line or the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line.

14 . The turbine engine of claim 13 , further comprising an electric machine drivingly coupled to the input shaft, wherein the lubrication system further comprises:

a primary electric machine lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the electric machine; and

15 . The turbine engine of claim 13 , further comprising one or more shaft bearings that support rotation of the input shaft, wherein the lubrication system further comprises:

a primary turbine engine lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the lubricant tank and the one or more shaft bearings; and

16 . The turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the gear assembly includes one or more bearings, the primary gearbox lubricant supply line being a first primary gearbox lubricant supply line and the lubrication system further comprising a second primary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the one or more bearings for directing the lubricant to the one or more bearings.

17 . The turbine engine of claim 16 , wherein the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line is a first secondary gearbox lubricant supply line and the lubrication system further comprises a second secondary gearbox lubricant supply line in fluid communication with the one or more bearings for directing the lubricant to the one or more bearings.

18 . The turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the one or more valves include a primary valve disposed in the primary gearbox lubricant supply line for modulating the mass flow rate of the lubricant to the mesh through the primary gearbox lubricant supply line.

19 . The turbine engine of claim 13 , wherein the one or more valves include a valve disposed in the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line for modulating the mass flow rate of the lubricant to the mesh through the secondary gearbox lubricant supply line.

20 . The turbine engine of claim 13 , further comprising a return line in fluid communication with the one or more valves and the lubricant tank, the return line directing a portion of the lubricant to the lubricant tank from the one or more valves when the one or more valves are in a fully closed position or in a partially opened position.