IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,236,637
Granted Patent B2
US 11,236,637 · App. 16/230,711 · Granted Feb 1, 2022

Auxiliary lubrication system with flow management valve

Inventors: Francis Parnin (Suffield, CT); Anthony Spagnoletti (Newington, CT)
Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
F01D25/20F01M11/067F02C7/06F05D2260/98F05D2270/301
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,236,637
App. No.
16/230,711
Granted
Feb 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lubrication system is disclosed. In various embodiments, the lubrication system includes a storage tank configured to store a lubricant; a flow management valve configured to direct the lubricant to a starvation tolerant component and to a valve exit conduit; and a main pump configured to receive the lubricant from the storage tank and to pump the lubricant to the flow management valve and to a starvation intolerant component.

Claims (31)

1. A lubrication system, comprising:

a storage tank configured to store a lubricant;

a flow management valve configured to direct the lubricant to a starvation tolerant component and to a valve exit conduit; and

a main pump configured to receive the lubricant from the storage tank and to pump the lubricant to the flow management valve and to a starvation intolerant component,

wherein the flow management valve includes a two-way valve configured to direct the lubricant to the starvation tolerant component during a normal operation state and to the valve exit conduit during a non-normal operation state and

wherein the valve exit conduit is configured to direct the lubricant to the main pump during the non-normal operation state.

2. The lubrication system of claim 1 , further comprising a boost pump configured to receive the lubricant from the main pump and to pump the lubricant to the starvation intolerant component.

3. The lubrication system of claim 2 , further comprising a scavenge pump configured to receive the lubricant from the starvation intolerant component and the starvation tolerant component.

4. The lubrication system of claim 3 , wherein the scavenge pump is configured to pump the lubricant to the storage tank.

5. The lubrication system of claim 1 , further comprising a make-up reservoir in fluid communication with the storage tank.

6. The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the make-up reservoir includes a bias mechanism configured to adjust a volume of the lubricant within the make-up reservoir.

7. The lubrication system of claim 6 , wherein the bias mechanism is configured to be responsive to a fluid pressure within the lubrication system.

8. The lubrication system of claim 6 , wherein the bias mechanism is configured to be responsive to a fluid pressure in a scavenge pump exit conduit.

9. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the flow management valve is configured to be responsive to a pressure sensor configured to detect at least one of the normal operation state and the non-normal operation state.

10. The lubrication system of claim 9 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to detect a fluid pressure downstream of the main pump and upstream of the flow management valve.

11. A gas turbine engine, comprising:

one or more starvation tolerant components;

one or more starvation intolerant components; and

a lubrication system, including:

a storage tank configured to store a lubricant,

a flow management valve configured to selectively direct the lubricant to the one or more starvation tolerant components,

a main pump configured to receive the lubricant from the storage tank and to pump the lubricant to the flow management valve and to the one or more starvation intolerant components, and

a make-up reservoir configured to provide a make-up volume of the lubricant to the lubrication system during a negative gravity event, the make-up reservoir configured to adjust a volume of the lubricant within the make-up reservoir between a normal operation volume and a negative gravity event volume.

12. The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , further comprising a boost pump configured to receive the lubricant from the main pump and to pump the lubricant to the one or more starvation intolerant components and a scavenge pump configured to receive the lubricant from the one or more starvation intolerant components and the one or more starvation tolerant components.

13. The gas turbine engine of claim 11 , wherein the flow management valve includes a two-way valve configured to direct the lubricant to the one or more starvation tolerant components during a normal operation state and to the main pump during a negative gravity event.

14. The lubrication system of claim 13 , wherein the flow management valve is configured to be responsive to a pressure sensor configured to detect at least one of the normal operation state and the negative gravity event.

15. A method of selectively supplying a lubricant to a starvation tolerant component of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

operating a main pump configured to receive the lubricant from a storage tank and to pump the lubricant to a flow management valve and to a starvation intolerant component;

detecting a negative gravity event; and

causing the flow management valve to terminate delivery of the lubricant to the starvation tolerant component and to reroute the lubricant to supply the main pump.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating a make-up reservoir to provide a make-up volume of the lubricant to the main pump.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064714/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE AND REMOVE PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11886281 AND ADD PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 14846874. TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 054062 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055659/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 4, 2020
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054062/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2018
From: PARNIN, FRANCIS; SPAGNOLETTI, ANTHONY
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047846/0146 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200200043A1 · Jun 25, 2020
Cited By (8)
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