Ge Avio S.r.l.

General Electric Company

Ge Aviation Czech S.r.o.

Miriam Manzoni

Andrea Piazza

Arthur William Sibbach

Bugra Han Ertas

Xiaohua Zhang

Flavia Turi

Brandon Wayne Miller

Vojtech Jirasek

Giuseppe Cervelli

Giuseppe Bellocchio

Pietro Molesini

Simone Castellani

Saypen Baraggia Au Yeung

Fabio De Bellis

Davide Lercara

Nicolò Balbo

Federico Leonardi

Gianni Bardone

Alessandro Anderlini

Marco Sandrucci

Rosa Addabbo

A variable pitch propeller assembly operatively coupled with an engine and methods for controlling the pitch of a plurality of propeller blades thereof is provided. In one example aspect, the variable pitch propeller assembly includes features for combining overspeed, feathering, and reverse functionality in a single secondary control valve. The secondary control valve is operable to selectively allow a controlled amount of hydraulic fluid to flow to or from a pitch actuation assembly such that the pitch of the propeller blades can be adjusted to operate the variable pitch propeller assembly in one of a constant speed mode, a feather mode, and a reverse mode.

Propeller assembly and pitch control unit

A turbine engine including a turbo-engine, a gearbox assembly, a propulsor, and a lubrication system. The turbo-engine includes a compressor section, a combustor, a turbine section, and an input shaft. The gearbox assembly includes a first gear, a plurality of second gears, and a third gear. The propulsor has an output shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft through the gear assembly. The lubrication system is characterized by a Gearbox Lubrication System Parameter (GLSP) between 0.2 and 140 when a mass flow rate of the lubricant is linear with a lubricant pump speed, where the GLSP is given by: The GLSP is between 0.2 and 70 when the mass flow rate of the lubricant is modulated, where the GLSP is given by:

Turbine engine having a lubrication system with a gearbox lubrication system parameter

A gearbox assembly includes a gearbox and a gutter for collecting a gearbox lubricant scavenge flow from the gearbox. The gutter is characterized by a lubricant extraction volume ratio between 0.01 and 0.3, inclusive of the endpoints. The lubricant extraction volume ratio is defined by Vis a gutter volume of the gutter and Vis a gearbox volume of the gearbox. A gas turbine engine includes the gearbox assembly and a lubrication system. The lubrication system includes a tank that stores a lubricant therein, one or more lubricant pumps for generating a flow of lubricant from the tank to the gearbox assembly, and a flow rate control valve. The flow rate control valve has a flow inlet and a flow outlet and defines a variable throughput from the flow inlet to the flow outlet for controlling a flowrate of the lubricant to the gearbox assembly.

Gearbox assembly with lubricant extraction volume ratio

A gearbox assembly includes a gearbox and a gutter for collecting a gearbox lubricant scavenge flow from the gearbox. The gutter is characterized by a lubricant extraction volume ratio between 0.01 and 0.3, and given by Vis a gutter volume of the gutter and Vis a gearbox volume. A gas turbine engine includes a combustion section and the gearbox assembly. A fuel delivery system includes a fuel supply line for delivering fuel to the combustion section. A lubrication system includes a lubricant supply line for delivering lubricant to the gearbox assembly. A thermal management system includes a fuel-lubricant heat exchanger for cooling the lubricant with the fuel. The thermal management system selectively directs the fuel through fuel bypass lines or the lubricant through lubricant bypass lines to bypass the fuel-lubricant heat exchanger based on a fuel temperature or a lubricant temperature.

A gas turbine engine includes a gearbox assembly that includes a gearbox and a gutter for collecting a gearbox lubricant scavenge flow from the gearbox. The gutter is characterized by a lubricant extraction volume ratio between 0.01 and 0.3, inclusive of the endpoints. The lubricant extraction volume ratio defined by: is a gutter volume of the gutter and Vis a gearbox volume. The gas turbine engine includes a lubricant flow control system that includes a variable flow lubricant pump that generates a pump variable flow of lubricant to the gearbox assembly. The gearbox assembly has a variable consumption demand for delivery of lubricant. A lubricant flow controller is configured to generate a pump control command for the variable flow lubricant pump to produce the pump variable flow of lubricant based on the variable consumption demand.

A gearbox assembly includes a gearbox having a gear assembly and a gutter for collecting a gearbox lubricant scavenge flow from the gearbox. The gutter is characterized by a lubricant extraction volume ratio between 0.01 and 0.3, inclusive of the endpoints. The lubricant extraction volume ratio is defined by is a gutter volume of the gutter and Vis a gearbox volume. A gas turbine engine includes the gearbox assembly and a lubrication system. The lubrication system includes a sump that is a primary reservoir having a first lubricant level and a secondary reservoir in the gearbox assembly. The secondary reservoir has a second lubricant level. The lubrication system fills the secondary reservoir with a lubricant between the first lubricant level and the second lubricant level. The gear assembly collects the lubricant in the secondary reservoir to supply the lubricant to the gear assembly.

An air/oil separator is provided. The air/oil separator includes an oil manifold having a first air/oil inlet and a second air/oil inlet; a first separation chamber in communication with the first air/oil inlet; and a second separation chamber separate from the first separation chamber, the second separation chamber in communication with the second air/oil inlet.

Air/oil separator apparatus and method

An oil delivery system includes a first oil delivery circuit having a first oil distribution line delivering oil to at least one first circuit component part, a first oil pump, and a first switch valve, and a second oil delivery circuit having a second oil distribution line delivering oil to at least one second circuit component part, a second oil pump, and a second switch valve. The first switch valve controls a flow of oil through the first oil delivery circuit based on a difference between a first oil pressure of the first oil delivery circuit and a second oil pressure of the second oil delivery circuit. The second switch valve controls a flow of oil through the second oil delivery circuit based on a difference between the second oil pressure of the second oil delivery circuit and the first oil pressure of the first oil delivery circuit.

Oil delivery system architecture

A gear assembly for an aeronautical engine includes a first gear disposed at a centerline axis of the gear assembly, a second gear coupled to the first gear in adjacent radial arrangement to form a first mesh between the first gear and the second gear, a static portion coupled to the second gear in adjacent circumferential arrangement, the static portion defining a pocket, and a spraybar disposed within the static portion such that a supply opening of the spraybar is directed at the first mesh between the first gear and the second gear. The supply opening provides a flow of lubricant to the first mesh between the first gear and the second gear and at least a portion of the flow of lubricant is collected by the pocket. The flow of lubricant is continuously released from the pocket to the gear system.

Gear assembly for aeronautical engine with lubricant storing pockets

A gear assembly of an aircraft including an engine is generally provided. The gear assembly includes a first gear meshed with a second gear to define a gear mesh, and a walled lubricant tank defining a lubricant reservoir and a reservoir inlet opening. The reservoir inlet opening is defined adjacent to an out-of-mesh side of the gear mesh. At least a portion of lubricant from the gear mesh enters the lubricant reservoir through the reservoir inlet opening.

Growing community of inventors

Rivalta di Torino, Italy

Miriam Manzoni