US-12624659-B2 - Air purging arrangement

US12624659B2US 12624659 B2US12624659 B2US 12624659B2US-12624659-B2

Abstract

An aircraft engine fluid system comprises an open fluid circuit connected to a tank for distributing a fluid to a plurality of components. A component of the plurality of components has an enclosure having an internal chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the fluid circuit. The outlet port is positioned at a bottom end of the internal chamber. An outlet port extension tube extends upwardly from the outlet port to a top end of the internal chamber. The outlet port extension tube has a top open end fluidly connecting the top end of the internal chamber to the outlet port.

Inventors

Hugues PELLERIN
Eric LANGEVIN

Assignees

PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240806

Claims (13)

1 . An aircraft engine comprising: a plurality of components; and an oil system for distributing oil to the plurality of components; a component of the plurality of components including: an enclosure including an internal chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the oil system, the outlet port provided at a first location on the enclosure, and an extension tube extending upwardly from the outlet port to a second location inside the internal chamber, the second location at a higher elevation than the first location when the aircraft engine is in a horizontal orientation, wherein the extension tube has an upstanding portion extending from the outlet port inside the internal chamber, a top portion extending in a transversal direction away from the upstanding portion, and an elbow between the upstanding portion and the top portion, the elbow provided at a junction of a sidewall and a top wall of the enclosure, the top portion of the extension tube extending parallel to the top wall.
2 . The aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the extension tube has an upwardly facing window-defined in the top portion of the extension tube and extending longitudinally along the top portion, and wherein the second location is at a top of the internal chamber.
3 . The aircraft engine of claim 2 , wherein the upwardly facing window in the top portion of the extension tube faces an inner surface of the top wall of the enclosure, the upwardly facing window laterally offset from the outlet port.
4 . The aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the extension tube is an internal pipe integrally formed with the enclosure.
5 . The aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the top portion of the extension tube has an inlet opening in a plane normal to an axis of the extension tube.
6 . The aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are located at a bottom of the internal chamber, and wherein the component of the plurality of components further includes another extension tube extending upwardly from the inlet port to a third location at a top of the internal chamber.
7 . The aircraft engine of claim 1 , wherein the component of the plurality of components is positioned above a centerline of the aircraft engine.
8 . The aircraft engine of claim 7 , wherein the oil system is an open-looped system which is open to ambient at engine shutdown.
9 . The aircraft engine of claim 8 , wherein the outlet port and the inlet port are both defined in a bottom wall of the enclosure in parallel to a gravity vector.
10 . The aircraft engine of claim 8 , wherein the component of the plurality of components is a heat exchanger.
11 . An aircraft engine comprising: an oil system fluidly connected to a plurality of components; a component of the plurality of components including: an enclosure including an internal chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the oil system, the outlet port positioned at a bottom end of the internal chamber, and an extension tube disposed inside the internal chamber and extending upwardly from the outlet port to a top end of the internal chamber, the extension tube fluidly connecting the internal chamber to the outlet port, wherein a top wall of the enclosure has an inner baseline surface, wherein a recess is defined in the inner baseline surface of the top wall to define a volume extension, and wherein the extension tube extends into the recess.
12 . The aircraft engine of claim 11 , wherein the extension tube has a n-shaped elbow with an inlet opening facing downwardly inside the recess.
13 . An aircraft engine fluid system comprising: an open-looped fluid circuit for distributing a fluid to a plurality of components, the open-loop fluid circuit including a fluid tank; and wherein a component of the plurality of components is disposed at a higher elevation than the fluid tank when the aircraft engine is in a horizontal orientation, the component including: an enclosure having an internal chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the open-looped fluid circuit, the outlet port positioned at a bottom end of the internal chamber, and an outlet port extension tube extending upwardly from the outlet port to a top end of the internal chamber, the outlet port extension tube having a top open end fluidly connecting the top end of the internal chamber to the outlet port, wherein the outlet port extension tube has an upstanding portion extending from the outlet port inside the internal chamber, a top portion extending in a transversal direction away from the upstanding portion, and an elbow between the upstanding portion and the top portion, the elbow provided at a junction of a sidewall and a top wall of the enclosure, the top portion of the outlet port extension tube extending parallel to the top wall.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The application relates generally to aircraft engines and to fluid systems of such engines and, more particularly, to systems and methods for purging air from components of aircraft engine fluid systems. BACKGROUND OF THE ART Some components of aircraft engine require oil for lubricating and/or cooling such components. In some cases, the oil that has been used for lubricating and/or cooling is directed toward a tank to remove air from the oil. While suitable for their intended purposes, improvement of such systems is however sought, particularly with respect to their ability to remove air from components of the system. SUMMARY In one aspect, there is provided an aircraft engine comprising: a plurality of components; and an oil system for distributing oil to the plurality of components. A component of the plurality of components includes: an enclosure including an internal chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the oil system, the outlet port provided at a first location on the enclosure, and an extension tube extending upwardly from the outlet port to a second location inside the internal chamber, the second location at a higher elevation than the first location when the aircraft engine is in a horizontal orientation. In another aspect, there is provided an aircraft engine comprising an oil system fluidly connected to a plurality of components. A component of the plurality of components includes: an enclosure including an internal chamber having an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the oil system, the outlet port positioned at a bottom end of the internal chamber, and an extension tube disposed inside the internal chamber and extending upwardly from the outlet port to a top end of the internal chamber, the extension tube fluidly connecting the internal chamber to the outlet port. In a further aspect, there is provided an aircraft engine fluid system comprising: an open-looped fluid circuit for distributing a fluid to a plurality of components, the open-loop fluid circuit including a fluid tank. A component of the plurality of components is disposed at a higher elevation than the fluid tank when the aircraft engine is in a horizontal orientation. The component includes: an enclosure having an internal chamber with an inlet port and an outlet port fluidly connected to the open-looped fluid circuit, the outlet port positioned at a bottom end of the internal chamber, and an outlet port extension tube extending upwardly from the outlet port to a top end of the internal chamber, the outlet port extension tube having a top open end fluidly connecting the top end of the internal chamber to the outlet port. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of an aircraft engine including an oil system; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the oil system of the aircraft engine of FIG. 1 shown in an active/operating condition; FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the oil system with some element of the system omitted for clarity and shown in an engine shutdown condition; FIG. 4 is a 3D cross-section view of a component of the oil system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIGS. 5a and 5b are 3D cross-section views of the component in accordance with other embodiments of the disclosure; FIGS. 6a and 6b are 3D cross-section views of the component in accordance with further embodiments of the disclosure; and FIG. 7 is a 3D view of the component with the internal features thereof shown in dotted lines in accordance with a still further embodiment of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates an aircraft engine 10 generally comprising in serial flow communication a fan 12 through which ambient air is propelled, a compressor section 14 for pressurizing the air, a combustor 16 in which the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited for generating an annular stream of hot combustion gases, and a turbine section 18 for extracting energy from the combustion gases. The fan 12, the compressor section 14, and the turbine section 18 are rotatable about a centerline 11 of the engine 10. The fan 12 is drivingly interconnected to low pressure rotor(s) of the turbine section 18 through a low pressure shaft 23, and the high pressure rotor(s) of the compressor section 14 is/are drivingly connected to high pressure rotor(s) of the turbine section 18 through a high pressure shaft 24 concentrically surrounding the low pressure shaft 23. Although the depicted engine 10 is a turbofan, it is understood that the present disclosure may apply to other aircraft engines, such as turboprops, turboshafts, and auxiliary power units (APU). It is also understood that the present disclosure is not limited to gas turbine engines and could be applied to other types of aircraft engines, such as electric hybrid aircraft engines, and compounded aircraft engines including internal combustion e