IP Library Granted Patent US 10,167,731
Granted Patent B2
US 10,167,731 · App. 14/922,647 · Granted Jan 1, 2019

Turbomachine comprising an electric current generator allowing oil injection from the inside of a rotor shaft

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,167,731
App. No.
14/922,647
Granted
Jan 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A turbomachine for an aircraft, comprising a rotor shaft, a turbomachine case, a lubricated bearing chamber, at least one bearing supporting the rotor shaft and being located in the bearing chamber, a lubrication device comprising oil injection means to inject oil into the bearing chamber, and oil supply means to supply oil to said oil injection means, and an electric current generator, comprising an armature driven by the rotor shaft and a field coil fixed to the turbomachine case. The generator has an orifice, which passes longitudinally through the generator from one end to the other, and the oil injection means pass through the orifice so that oil can circulate in the axial direction through the generator.

Claims (23)

1. A turbomachine for an aircraft, comprising:

a rotor shaft;

a turbomachine case;

a lubricated bearing chamber;

at least one bearing supporting the rotor shaft, said bearing being located in the bearing chamber;

a lubrication device comprising oil injection means to inject oil into the bearing chamber, and oil supply means to supply oil to said oil injection means; and

a generator, comprising an armature driven by the rotor shaft and a field coil fixed to the turbomachine case, to generate an electric current;

wherein the generator has an orifice, that passes longitudinally through the generator from one end to the other, and

wherein the oil injection means pass through the generator orifice so that oil can circulate in the axial direction through the generator.

2. The turbomachine according to claim 1 , in which the oil injection means are configured so that oil circulates from a location downstream from the generator up to a location upstream from the generator.

3. The turbomachine according to claim 2 , in which the turbomachine case is an exhaust case, the rotor shaft is a turbine shaft, and the bearing is inserted between the turbine shaft and the exhaust case.

4. The turbomachine according to claim 1 , in which the oil injection means comprise at least one oil ejection orifice offset axially from the generator in a first direction, and at least part of the oil supply means is offset axially from the generator in a second direction opposite the first direction.

5. The turbomachine according to claim 1 , in which the oil injection means comprise a tube extending along the longitudinal direction and in which oil ejection orifices are formed upstream from the generator.

6. The turbomachine according to claim 5 , in which the oil supply means comprise a pipe connected to said tube, downstream from the bearing chamber.

7. The turbomachine according to claim 1 , in which the generator comprises a generator casing delimiting a tubular chamber in which the armature and the field coil of the generator are located.

8. The turbomachine according to claim 7 , in which the lubrication device comprises evacuation means to evacuate oily air originating from the bearing chamber, and a plate fixed to the generator casing so as to close the generator orifice, said plate comprising:

at least one oil supply orifice that connects the oil injection means to said oil supply means,

at least one evacuation orifice connected to said evacuation means and opening up in the bearing chamber.

9. The turbomachine according to claim 7 , in which said oil injection means comprise a collar with a radially outer annular surface applied onto a radially inner annular surface of the generator casing, said collar comprising at least one air passage orifice.

10. The turbomachine according to claim 7 , comprising a deformable sealing shell fixed to one of the generator casing and a wall fixed to the turbomachine case and delimiting the bearing chamber, the sealing shell having a free end connected to the other one of the generator casing and the wall, such that the sealing shell closes the bearing chamber.

11. The turbomachine according to claim 7 , comprising an attachment shell connecting the generator casing to the turbomachine case.

12. The turbomachine according to claim 1 , also comprising a step-up gearing connecting the rotor shaft to the generator armature such that the armature rotation speed is higher than the rotor shaft rotation speed.

13. The turbomachine according to claim 3 , comprising several turbines installed along the upstream to downstream direction, wherein said rotor shaft is driven by a rotor of the turbine installed furthest downstream.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE COVER SHEET TO REMOVE APPLICATION NOS. 10250419, 10786507, 10786409, 12416418, 12531115, 12996294, 12094637 12416422 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 046479 FRAME 0807. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Aug 24, 2018
From: SNECMA
To: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
Reel/Frame 046939/0336 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 23, 2018
From: SNECMA
To: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
Reel/Frame 046479/0807 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2016
From: CURLIER, AUGUSTIN MARC MICHEL; AUSSEDAT, NICOLAS MAURICE HERVE; LE PACHE, GWENOLE YANN
To: SNECMA
Reel/Frame 038080/0957 →