US 12,320,418 B2
Gearbox assembly with lubricant extraction volume ratio
Bugra H. Ertas, Niskayuna, NY (US); Xiaohua Zhang, Glenville, NY (US); Miriam Manzoni, Rivalta di Torino (IT); Flavia Turi, Bari (IT); Andrea Piazza, Turin (IT); Arthur W. Sibbach, Boxford, MA (US); and Brandon W. Miller, Middletown, OH (US)
Assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, Evendale, OH (US); and GE AVIO S.R.L., Rivalta di Torino (IT)
Filed by General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US); and GE Avio S.r.l., Rivalta di Torino (IT)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/972,185.
Application 18/972,185 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/068,017, filed on Dec. 19, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 102022000013213 (IT), filed on Jun. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0102058 A1, Mar. 27, 2025
Int. Cl. F02C 7/06 (2006.01); F01D 15/12 (2006.01); F01D 25/20 (2006.01); F16H 57/04 (2010.01)
CPC F16H 57/045 (2013.01) [F01D 15/12 (2013.01); F01D 25/20 (2013.01); F16H 57/0408 (2013.01); F16H 57/0421 (2013.01); F16H 57/0427 (2013.01); F16H 57/0435 (2013.01); F16H 57/0436 (2013.01); F05D 2260/40311 (2013.01); F05D 2260/98 (2013.01); F16H 57/0486 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gearbox assembly comprising:
a gearbox including a gear assembly and having a gearbox volume defined by an outer diameter of the gearbox and a gearbox length of the gearbox; and
a gutter for collecting a gearbox lubricant scavenge flow from the gearbox, the gutter having a gutter volume defined by an inner surface of a gutter wall of the gutter and being characterized by a lubricant extraction volume ratio between 0.01 and 0.3, inclusive of the endpoints, the lubricant extraction volume ratio defined by:

OG Complex Work Unit Math
wherein VG is the gutter volume of the gutter and VGB is the gearbox volume; and
a lubrication system comprising:
a sump in fluid communication with the gearbox assembly, the sump being a primary reservoir having a first lubricant level; and
a secondary reservoir in the gearbox assembly, the secondary reservoir having a second lubricant level that is greater than the first lubricant level, wherein the lubrication system fills the secondary reservoir with a lubricant between the first lubricant level and the second lubricant level, and the gear assembly collects the lubricant in the secondary reservoir to supply the lubricant from the secondary reservoir to the gear assembly.