Methods and systems for preventing gas turbine engine lube oil leakage

• Main Authors: PRZYTULSKI, JAMES CHARLES, KHERA, AWTAR SINGH, HAASER, FREDERIC GARDNER, GRANITZ, CHARLES ROBERT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 06.11.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TONON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES ORJET-PROPULSION PLANTS; INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUSSUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04; LIGHTING; LUBRICATING; MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAMTURBINES; STEAM ENGINES; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A sump evacuation system (90) for a gas turbine facilitates reducing oil leakage from bearing assembly sumps in a cost-effective and reliable manner. The engine includes at least one bearing assembly housed within a sump pressurization cavity (80). The sump evacuation system includes a sump pressurization cavity, a sump oil cavity (44), an air/oil separator (92), and an air pump (94). The bearing assembly and the sump oil cavity are coupled in flow communication with the sump pressurization cavity, and the air/oil separator is coupled in flow communication with the sump oil cavity. Furthermore, the air pump is coupled in flow communication with the air/oil separator.