US 12,326,115 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. 18/972,172.
Application 18/972,172 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 2025/0101916 A1, Mar. 27, 2025
Int. Cl. F16H 57/04 (2010.01); F02C 7/06 (2006.01); F16N 7/38 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 7/06 (2013.01) [F16H 57/0434 (2013.01); F16N 7/38 (2013.01); F05D 2260/98 (2013.01); F16N 2210/02 (2013.01); F16N 2250/40 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a gearbox assembly comprising:
a gearbox 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 lubricant flow control system comprising:
a variable flow lubricant pump that generates a pump variable flow of lubricant to the gearbox assembly during operation of the gas turbine engine, the gearbox assembly having a variable consumption demand for delivery of lubricant; and
a lubricant flow controller 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 of the gearbox assembly.