Patent Application
20210102619
Epicyclic gear systems include a sun gear that is centrally located on a central shaft. The sun gear is in meshed engagement with a plurality of planetary or planet gears, and the planet gears are in meshed engagement with an outer ring gear. The planet gears are rotatably mounted on a carrier that may rotate relative to the sun gear. A second shaft may be coupled to the carrier to receive torque from or supply torque to the epicyclic gear system. A speed and torque difference may be realized between the central shaft and the second shaft. An oil or lubricant may be circulated through one or more components or gears of the epicyclic gear system in order to reduce the operating temperature of the system and/or individual components of the system.
Various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are set out in the claims.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, an epicyclic gear system is provided. The epicyclic gear system includes a sun gear having an outer periphery and a fluid passage configured to discharge a fluid radially outwardly from the outer periphery, a plurality of planet gears disposed around the sun gear, a carrier connecting the plurality of planet gears and configured for rotation relative to the sun gear, and at least one directing member disposed radially outside of the sun gear and configured for movement relative to the outer periphery of the sun gear, the at least one directing member comprising an inner surface configured to receive the fluid discharged from the fluid passage and direct the fluid radially inwardly toward the sun gear.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a directing member for an epicyclic gear system having a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, and a carrier connecting the plurality of planet gears and rotating relative to the sun gear is provided. The directing member includes an inner surface having a receiving portion extending circumferentially, a directing portion extending radially inward, and a connecting portion being curved to join the receiving portion and the directing portion. The receiving portion is configured to receive fluid radially discharged from the sun gear. The directing portion is configured to direct the fluid from the receiving portion and the connecting portion radially inward toward an outer periphery of the sun gear.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of directing a fluid in an epicyclic gear system having a sun gear and a plurality of planet gears disposed around the sun gear is provided. The method includes conveying the fluid from the sun gear radially outwardly past an outer periphery of the sun gear, receiving the fluid on an inner surface of a directing member moving across the outer periphery of the sun gear, and directing the fluid with the inner surface of the directing member radially inwardly toward the outer periphery of the sun gear.
The above and other features will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.
The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanying figures in which:
Like reference numerals are used to indicate like elements throughout the several figures.
At least one example embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure is understood by referring to
Referring now to
The sun gear 12 further includes a fluid passage 26 configured to discharge a fluid 28 radially outwardly from or through the sun gear 12 and past or through the outer periphery 24 such that fluid 28 is radially outwardly discharged from or through the outer periphery 24. The fluid 28 in the illustrated embodiment is an oil or other lubricant, but the fluid 28 of additional embodiments may include any fluid capable of being utilized with the system 10. Central shaft 36 is provided upon which the sun gear 12 is mounted. The fluid 28 travels axially through shaft fluid passage 38 to the fluid passage 26 where the fluid 28 is conveyed radially outwardly by pressure applied to the fluid 28 upstream of the fluid passage 26. In one non-limiting example, the fluid 28 is pumped to the shaft fluid passage 38 by a fluid pump not shown in the illustrated embodiments. In additional embodiments, the fluid 28 is conveyed radially outwardly by centrifugal or other means. In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid passage 26 initially travels through a shaft radial passage 52 before reaching a distribution channel 50 and the fluid passage 26. The fluid passage 26 in the illustrated embodiment includes multiple fluid passages 26 connected to the distribution channel 50. In further embodiments, the fluid passage 26 may include any number of parts or segments, formed with any direction or angle, to convey the fluid 28 radially outwardly through the sun gear 12. In additional embodiments not illustrated, the fluid passage 26 includes passage(s) formed at one or both axial ends of the sun gear 12 such that the fluid 28 flows, leaks, or is otherwise conveyed radially outwardly past the sun gear 12.
The system 10 of the illustrated embodiments further includes one or more directing members 32 disposed radially outside of the sun gear 12. Each directing member 32 of the illustrated embodiment of
The directing member(s) 32 of an embodiment connects or is configured to connect a first side 72 of the carrier 30 to a second side 74 of the carrier 30, and the plurality of planet gears 14 is disposed between the first side 72 of the carrier 30 and the second side 74 of the carrier 30. In one embodiment, each directing member 32 is circumferentially aligned or is configured to be circumferentially aligned with the plurality of planet gears 14. Each directing member 32 of the illustrated embodiment is disposed or is configured to be disposed radially inward, at least partially, of an axis of rotation of each of the plurality of planet gears 14. In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, each directing member 32 is disposed or is configured to be disposed completely radially inward of the axis of rotation of each of the plurality of planet gears 14.
Referring now to
The receiving portion 40 of the illustrated embodiments extends circumferentially or at least generally circumferentially. The directing portion(s) 42 of the illustrated embodiment extends radially inwardly or at least generally radially inwardly. It will be appreciated that, in at least some embodiments, the receiving portion 40 of an embodiment extends circumferentially relative to the directing portion(s) 42 and/or the directing portion(s) 42 extends radially inwardly relative to the receiving portion 40.
In
As illustrated in
The system 10 of the embodiments illustrated in
It will be appreciated that, in the illustrated embodiments, the connecting portion(s) 44 is generally identified as the transitional region having any particular length between the circumferentially extending receiving portion 40 an the radially inwardly extending directing portion(s) 42. Further, the receiving portion 40, the directing portion(s) 42, and/or the connecting portion(s) 44 may be designed or configured, in particular embodiments, based on the velocity of the directing member(s) 32 relative to the sun gear 12. In a non-limiting example, the directing portion(s) 42 of the directing member 32 traveling at a relatively low speed relative to the sun gear 12 of one embodiment may have a smaller radius and/or may extend further in a radially inward direction compared to the directing portion(s) 42 of the directing member 32 of another embodiment that is configured to travel at a higher speed relative to the sun gear 12.
In the illustrated embodiments, the receiving portion 40, the directing portion(s) 42, and the connecting portion(s) 44 cooperate to form a continuously curved surface 48. The continuously curved surface 48 is or includes a decreasing radius curved surface in the illustrated embodiment. The radius of the continuously curved surface 48 is configured to decrease in a direction of flow of the fluid 28 across, along, or against the directing member 32. In one or more embodiments, the receiving portion 40, the directing portion(s) 42, and/or the connecting portion(s) 44 include(s), individually or in combination, any configuration of constant, increasing, and/or decreasing radius curved surface.
Referring now to
In one or more additional embodiments, the method 100 further includes rotating the carrier 30 connected to the directing member 32 in the first direction 68 or the second direction 70 relative to the sun gear 12. Directing the fluid 28 with the inner surface 34 of the directing member 32 includes, in an embodiment, directing the fluid 28 with the first directing portion 62 when rotating the carrier 30 in the first direction 68 and directing the fluid 28 with the second directing portion 66 when rotating the carrier 30 in the second direction 70. In an embodiment, receiving the fluid 28 on the inner surface 34 of the directing member 32 and directing the fluid 28 with the inner surface 34 of the directing member 32 includes receiving the fluid 28 on the inner surface 34 of each of the directing members 32 and directing the fluid 28 with the inner surface 34 of each of the directing members 32.
Further embodiments of the system 10 and the method 100 of the present disclosure include one or more directing members 32 disposed outside of any other type of gear different from the sun gear 12. In one non-limiting example, an inner fluid-emitting member such as any gear having gear teeth, emits or is configured to emit the fluid 28 radially outwardly toward a rotating or moving member, housing, or other structure. The rotating or moving member, housing, or other structure includes one or more features or functions of the directing member 32 described herein to direct, redirect or return the fluid 28 to the inner fluid-emitting member or gear.
Without in any way limiting the scope, interpretation, or application of the claims appearing below, it will be appreciated that the embodiments of the present disclosure provide the system 10 and the method 100 to supply the fluid 28, such as an oil, to the sun gear 12 to increase oil circulation at and/or around the sun gear 12 for improved lubrication and cooling of the sun gear 12 and the system 10. Further, the system 10 and the method 100 utilizes the rotation or motion of the carrier 30 to recirculate, direct, redirect, or return the fluid 28 to the sun gear 12 without the need for an additional pump, fluid passage or other structure or means. Even further, the system 10 and the method provide structure and means to recirculate, direct, redirect, or return the fluid 28 to the sun gear 12 regardless of a direction of rotation or motion of the carrier 30 relative to the sun gear 12.
As used herein, “e.g.” is utilized to non-exhaustively list examples and carries the same meaning as alternative illustrative phrases such as “including,” “including, but not limited to,” and “including without limitation.” As used herein, unless otherwise limited or modified, lists with elements that are separated by conjunctive terms (e.g., “and”) and that are also preceded by the phrase “one or more of,” “at least one of,” “at least,” or a like phrase, indicate configurations or arrangements that potentially include individual elements of the list, or any combination thereof. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” and “one or more of A, B, and C” each indicate the possibility of only A, only B, only C, or any combination of two or more of A, B, and C (A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C). As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, “comprises,” “includes,” and like phrases are intended to specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description is not restrictive in character, it being understood that illustrative embodiment(s) have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the present disclosure are desired to be protected. Alternative embodiments of the present disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may devise their own implementations that incorporate one or more of the features of the present disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
