Granted Patent B2

US 12,692,801 · App. 18/987,507 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Inventors: Cedric Chan Chuen (Laval, CA); Hugues Pellerin (Montreal, CA)

Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.

F01D25/183F05D2220/323F05D2260/609F05D2260/98

Abstract

Claims (53)

1 . A de-aerator for an oil system of an aircraft engine, comprising:

a de-aerator housing, including:

a fluid inlet through which a mixture of oil and air enters the de-aerator housing;

an air-oil outlet through which mixture of oil and air of lower oil concentration than the inlet mixture exits the de-aerator housing; and

an oil outlet through which a flow of oil exits the de-aerator housing;

an impeller disposed in the de-aerator housing and driven about an impeller axis to separate oil from the mixture of air and oil and direct the oil toward the oil outlet; and

a seal disposed in the de-aerator housing downstream of the impeller, the seal including:

a plurality of seal fins extending radially outwardly from an impeller hub of the impeller toward an inner housing surface of the de-aerator housing;

wherein the plurality of seal fins define a labyrinth seal with the inner housing surface to minimize an oil outlet oil flow from exiting the de-aerator housing via the air-oil outlet;

further comprising a finned sleeve including:

a sleeve body; and

the plurality of seal fins extending radially outwardly from the sleeve body;

wherein the finned sleeve is installed to an outer hub surface of the impeller hub.

2 . The de-aerator of claim 1 , further comprising a retaining ring configured to axially retain the finned sleeve to the impeller hub.

3 . The de-aerator of claim 1 , wherein the finned sleeve extends at least partially inside of the impeller hub.

4 . The de-aerator of claim 3 , wherein the finned sleeve is axially retained to the impeller hub via a retaining shaft extending through the seal sleeve and a nut installed onto the retaining shaft.

5 . The de-aerator of claim 1 , further comprising one or more clocking features to circumferentially locate and retain the finned sleeve relative to the impeller hub.

6 . An oil supply system for supplying oil to a lubricating cavity of a gas turbine engine, comprising:

one or more pumps configured to urge oil toward the lubricating cavity; and

a de-aerator hydraulically connected to the lubricating cavity via a scavenge line, the de-aerator including:

a de-aerator housing, including:

a fluid inlet through which a mixture of oil and air enters the de-aerator housing from the scavenge line;

an air-oil outlet through which mixture of oil and air of lower oil concentration than the inlet mixture exits the de-aerator housing; and

an oil outlet through which a flow of oil exits the de-aerator housing;

an impeller disposed in the de-aerator housing and driven about an impeller axis to separate oil from the mixture of air and oil and direct the oil toward the oil outlet; and

a seal disposed in the de-aerator housing downstream of the impeller, the seal including:

a plurality of seal fins extending radially outwardly from an impeller hub of the impeller toward an inner housing surface of the de-aerator housing;

wherein the plurality of seal fins define a labyrinth seal with the inner housing surface to minimize an oil outlet oil flow from exiting the de-aerator housing via the air-oil outlet;

further comprising a finned sleeve including:

a sleeve body; and

the plurality of seal fins extending radially outwardly from the sleeve body;

wherein the finned sleeve is installed to an outer hub surface of the impeller hub.

7 . The oil supply system of claim 6 , further comprising a retaining ring configured to axially retain the finned sleeve to the impeller hub.

8 . The oil supply system of claim 6 , wherein the finned sleeve extends at least partially inside of the impeller hub.

9 . The oil supply system of claim 8 , wherein the finned sleeve is axially retained to the impeller hub via a retaining shaft extending through the seal sleeve and a nut installed onto the retaining shaft.

10 . The oil supply system of claim 6 , further comprising one or more clocking features to circumferentially locate and retain the finned sleeve relative to the impeller hub.

11 . A gas turbine engine system, comprising:

a gas turbine engine; and

an oil supply system configured to supply oil to a lubricating cavity of the gas turbine engine;

wherein the oil supply system includes a de-aerator, including:

a de-aerator housing, including:

a fluid inlet through which a mixture of oil and air enters the de-aerator housing from the scavenge line;

an air-oil outlet through which mixture of oil and air of lower oil concentration than the inlet mixture exits the de-aerator housing; and

an oil outlet through which a flow of oil exits the de-aerator housing;

an impeller disposed in the de-aerator housing and driven about an impeller axis to separate oil from the mixture of air and oil and direct the oil toward the oil outlet; and

a seal disposed in the de-aerator housing downstream of the impeller, the seal including:

a plurality of seal fins extending radially outwardly from an impeller hub of the impeller toward an inner housing surface of the de-aerator housing;

wherein the plurality of seal fins define a labyrinth seal with the inner housing surface to minimize an oil outlet oil flow from exiting the de-aerator housing via the air-oil outlet;

further comprising a finned sleeve including:

 a sleeve body; and

 the plurality of seal fins extending radially outwardly from the sleeve body;

wherein the finned sleeve is installed to the impeller hub; and

further comprising one or more clocking features to circumferentially locate and retain the finned sleeve relative to the impeller hub.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (38)