Passive planetary emergency lubrication system
An example of an emergency lubrication system for an aircraft includes a lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft, a tube coupled between the lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube, a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox, and a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox.
1. An emergency lubrication system for an aircraft, the emergency lubrication system comprising:
a lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
a tube coupled between the lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube;
a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox; and
a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox;
wherein the tube is oriented so that the check ball moves to a first end of the tube to block a flow of the lubricant to the first lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a first configuration and so that the check ball moves to a second end of the tube to block the flow of the lubricant to the second lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a second configuration.
2. The emergency lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant is provided to the gearbox at a first location when the gearbox is oriented in the first configuration and the lubricant is provided to the gearbox at a second location when the gearbox is oriented in the second configuration.
3. The emergency lubrication system of claim 2 , wherein the first location is a first side of an interface of a planetary gear and a ring gear of the gearbox and wherein the second location is a second side of an interface of the planetary gear and the ring gear.
4. The emergency lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein:
the lubricant tank comprises an outlet; and
the outlet is positioned at a height above the first and second inlets to allow a gravity feed of the lubricant from the lubricant tank to the gearbox.
5. The emergency lubrication system of claim 1 , comprising a pump disposed within the lubricant tank and configured to supply the lubricant to the gearbox.
6. The emergency lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the first lubricant line comprises a first jet configured to inject the lubricant at a first location within the gearbox and the second lubricant line comprises a second jet configured to inject the lubricant at a second location within the gearbox.
7. A lubrication system for an aircraft, the lubrication system comprising:
a primary lubrication system for a gearbox of the aircraft, the primary lubrication system comprising a first lubricant tank;
an emergency lubrication system for the gearbox, the emergency lubrication system comprising:
a second lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
a tube coupled between the second lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube;
a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox; and
a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox;
wherein the tube is oriented so that the check ball moves to a first end of the tube to block a flow of the lubricant to the first lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a first configuration and so that the check ball moves to a second end of the tube to block the flow of the lubricant to the second lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a second configuration.
8. The lubrication system of claim 7 , wherein the lubricant is provided to the gearbox at a first location when the gearbox is oriented in the first configuration and the lubricant is provided to the gearbox at a second location when the gearbox is oriented in the second configuration.
9. The lubrication system of claim 8 , wherein the first location is a first side of an interface of a planetary gear and a ring gear of the gearbox and wherein the second location is a second side of an interface of the planetary gear and the ring gear.
10. The lubrication system of claim 7 , wherein:
the second lubricant tank comprises an outlet; and
the outlet is positioned at a height above the first and second inlets to allow a gravity feed of the lubricant from the second lubricant tank to the gearbox.
11. The lubrication system of claim 7 , comprising a pump disposed within the second lubricant tank and configured to supply the lubricant to the gearbox.
12. The lubrication system of claim 7 , wherein the first lubricant line comprises a first jet configured to inject the lubricant at a first location within the gearbox and the second lubricant line comprises a second jet configured to inject the lubricant at a second location within the gearbox.
13. A method of providing emergency lubrication for an aircraft, the method comprising:
determining if a loss of lubrication event has occurred;
responsive to a determination that the loss of lubrication event has occurred, opening a valve of an emergency lubrication system to provide lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
wherein the emergency lubrication system comprises:
a lubricant tank configured to supply a lubricant to a gearbox of the aircraft;
a tube coupled between the lubricant tank and the gearbox and comprising a check ball disposed within the tube;
a first lubricant line coupled to the tube and a first inlet of the gearbox; and
a second lubricant line coupled to the tube and a second inlet of the gearbox;
wherein: the check ball is positioned to block a flow of the lubricant to the first lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a first orientation;
and the check ball is positioned to block the flow of the lubricant to the second lubricant line when the gearbox is oriented in a second orientation.
14. The method of claim 13 , comprising
providing the lubricant from the lubricant tank to the gearbox via the first lubricant line when the gearbox is in the first orientation; and
providing the lubricant from the lubricant tank to the gearbox via the second lubricant line when the gearbox is in the second orientation.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the lubricant tank comprises an outlet; and
the outlet is positioned at a height above the first and second inlets to allow a gravity feed of the lubricant from the lubricant tank to the gearbox.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the emergency lubrication system comprises a pump disposed within the lubricant tank and configured to supply the lubricant to the gearbox.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first lubricant line comprises a first jet configured to inject the lubricant at a first location within the gearbox and the second lubricant line comprises a second jet configured to inject the lubricant at a second location within the gearbox.