Turbine Engine Lubrication System and its Primary Components
The aircraft turbine engine is a robust apparatus, capable of providing enough propulsive force to permit heavier-than-air flight. With the amount of heat produced from the combustion chamber and a great number of moving objects present in the turbine engine, lubrication is crucial for the health and integrity of assemblies. With the use of the oil tank, pumps, valves, and other various components, the engine assembly can be protected from heat and friction through lubrication. To best understand how turbine engine lubrication systems function, one should first familiarize themselves with the basic components that make them up.
Oil Tank
The oil tank is one of the primary components of the lubrication system, and it contains most of the oil supply for all parts outside of sumps. With its connection to the oil pump, inlet strainers, return connection parts, pressure outlet ports, oil filters, and other such components, the device functions to provide the aircraft turbine engine with a steady supply of oil during all operations and flight conditions.
As oil moves through the system and absorbs heat from bearing and gear components, expansion may occur. By providing enough room for the expanding oil, the system can be better protected. In some oil tanks, deaerators may be present to separate air from the oil. A certain amount of pressure buildup is beneficial, however, as it will help maintain the positive flow of oil to the oil pump inlet. By running the vent line through an adjustable check relief valve, pressure buildup is ensured. Check valves are often set to relieve at a value of 4 psi, maintaining a positive pressure for the oil pump inlet.
Oil Pump
The oil pump is specifically designed to provide pressurized oil to any section of the turbine engine that needs lubrication. The pumps also are charged with directing oil through oil coolers as needed before returning it to the oil tank to remove heat. Depending on the system and whether it has a dry or wet sump configuration, the number and types of pumps within the oil system will vary.
Breather Systems (Vents)
As stated before, removing air from the system or oil may be important for the efficiency and safety of the system, and such processes are carried out with the use of breather subsystems and deaerators. After removing excess air from bearing cavities, air is returned to the oil tank and separated with the deaerator. With the use of vents, the excess air can then be expelled from the aircraft and into the atmosphere. Vents are crucial for the safety of the system, as pressure buildup may cause oil to push past oil seals and into compressors.
Check Valves
For dry sump turbine engines, check valves may be present within the oil supply lines in order to prevent the seeping of the reservoir oil into the oil pump and lines due to gravity after the engine has been shut down. Check valves are specifically designed to impede oil flow in the opposite direction, ensuring that oil does not build up within the gearbox, the housing of aircraft compressors, or the combustion chamber. As uncontrolled oil presents safety risks for contamination of cabin pressure air and may lead to fires, check valves can be very useful for increasing safety.
Other Components
Beyond some of the major aforementioned components, the turbine engine lubrication system relies on a number of smaller parts and devices that help maintain the smooth operations of the assembly. With the use of the oil pressure regulating valve, a safe pressure can be maintained as excess pressure is released when a set value is exceeded. If there is no pressure regulating valve, an oil pressure relief valve may be used instead, operating similarly to its counterpart by only opening when certain thresholds are surpassed. Across various lubrication systems, other common components include oil jets, bypass valves, filters, and other devices and parts that facilitate the operations of the entire assembly.
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