Device for supplying oil under pressure to a linear actuator of a turbine engine

Abstract

A device for supplying oil under pressure to a linear actuator of a turbine engine, in which the actuator includes an internal fixed portion and an external movable portion and a regulating device for regulating and supplying oil to chambers of the actuator, is provided. The regulating device is mounted radially outside the movable portion of the actuator, and the fixed portion of the actuator includes on its upstream end portion oil passage channels of which the outlets open radially outwards. The device further includes an oil distribution ring which is mounted on the upstream end portion of the fixed portion and which includes internal conduits of which the inlets communicate with the outlets of the channels of the fixed portion and the outlets open axially downstream and are connected to the regulating device.

Claims

1. A device for supplying oil under pressure to a linear actuator of a turbine engine, the actuator comprising an internal fixed portion and an external movable portion and a regulator which regulates and supplies oil to at least one chamber of the actuator in order to displace the movable portion on the fixed portion, wherein the regulator is mounted radially outside the movable portion of the actuator, and an upstream end portion of the fixed portion of the actuator comprises oil passage channels, and outlets of the oil passage channels open radially outwards, the device further comprises an oil distribution ring which is mounted on the upstream end portion of the fixed portion and which comprises internal conduits, inlets of the internal conduits communicate with the outlets of the oil passage channels of the fixed portion, and outlets of the internal conduits open axially downstream and are connected to the regulator.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the oil distribution ring comprises at least two radially external lugs in each of which one of the internal conduits is formed, each internal conduit being substantially L-shaped and comprising a downstream axial portion connected to an upstream radial portion communicating at a radially inner end thereof with one of the outlets of one of the oil passage channels of the fixed portion.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the oil passage channels of the fixed portion are substantially L-shaped and each comprise a downstream radial portion aligned with the upstream radial portion of one of the conduits of the oil distribution ring, and connected to an upstream axial portion which opens at an upstream end of the upstream axial portion onto an upstream radial face of an internal annular flange of the fixed portion.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the upstream end portion of the fixed portion comprises an external screw thread of a nut for clamping the oil distribution ring on the fixed portion.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the upstream end portion of the fixed portion is complementary to a shape of the oil distribution ring in order to lock the oil distribution ring in rotation with respect to the fixed portion.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein a seal is mounted between the oil distribution ring and the upstream end portion of the fixed portion.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the regulator is mounted between the movable portion and a cylindrical support sleeve of a bearing, which is connected to the movable portion.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the upstream end portion of the fixed portion comprises lubricating oil passage channels, outlets of the lubricating oil passage channels open radially outwards, wherein the oil distribution ring comprises internal passages, inlets of the internal passages open radially inwards and communicate with the outlets of the lubricating oil passage channels, and outlets of the internal passages open axially downstream for the supply of oil to the bearing.

9. A system for orientation of the pitch of the blades of a turbine engine propeller, comprising: a control mechanism with an actuator connected to a first side of a fixed structural cylindrical housing of the turbine engine, a movement transfer bearing connected to the movable portion of the actuator, a transmission device between the bearing and the blades in order to drive the rotation of the blades following the translation of the bearing, and an oil supply which supplies oil under pressure situated on a second side of the housing, wherein the oil supply is connected to the actuator by the device according to claim 1.

10. An aircraft turbine engine comprising a device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood, and other details, characteristics and advantages thereof will be more clearly apparent from a reading of the following description given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view, in axial section, of a turbine engine with a pair of contra-rotating propellers downstream of the gas generator, incorporating a system for orientation of the pitch of the blades for at least one of the propellers of the fan.

(3) FIG. 2 shows schematically, in axial half cross-section, the system for orientation of the pitch of the blades and of the actuator for control of this system.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a collar for connection between the fixed structural housing of the turbine engine and the fixed portion of the actuator.

(5) FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the collar.

(6) FIG. 5 is a front view of the collar.

(7) FIG. 6 is a partial schematic view in perspective of the means for feeding oil under pressure which extend in front of the collar.

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic half-view in axial section of an actuator and of a transfer bearing for a system for orientation of the pitch of blades according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic view in axial section and in perspective of a device according to the invention for supplying oil under pressure to the actuator of the orientation system.

(10) FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 8,

(11) FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an end piece for fluid communication.

(12) FIG. 11 is a partial schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the distribution ring of the device.

(13) FIG. 12 is a partial schematic perspective view of the actuator.

(14) FIG. 13 shows schematically tubes for connecting the oil outlets of the distribution ring to the regulating means of the device.

(15) FIG. 14 is a schematic half-view in axial section of the actuator according to the invention.

(16) FIG. 15 is a very schematic view of a ring according to another variant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(17) FIGS. 1 to 5 derive from the prior application FR 12 59207 in the name of the applicant and are described below by way of prior art.

(18) As FIG. 1 shows schematically, the turbine engine 1 with a propfan (open rotor), of longitudinal axis A, conventionally comprises, from top to bottom according to the flow direction of the gas stream F inside a nacelle 2 of the turbine engine, one or two compressors 3 depending upon the architecture of the gas generator with a single or double spool, an annular combustion chamber 4, a high-pressure turbine or two turbines at high pressure and at intermediate pressure 5 depending on said architecture, and a low-pressure turbine 6 which drives, in this example with a geared open rotor, by a reduction gear mechanism or planetary gear train housing 7 and in a contra-rotating manner, two upstream 8 and downstream 9 propellers according to the direction of the flow F, aligned coaxially along the longitudinal axis A of the turbine engine in order to constitute the fan. A pipe 10 terminates the turbine engine in the conventional manner. In another open rotor direct drive example, the rotary housings of the propellers are driven directly by two turbines of which the directions of gyration are opposed, and the invention can adapt to these two types of open rotor technology.

(19) The propellers are disposed in radial parallel planes, perpendicular to the axis A, and turn by means of the turbine 6 and the reduction gear 7 in opposing directions of rotation. They are mounted in rotary housings 11, 12 with a polygonal ring around which the root 14, 15 of the blades 16, 17 are mounted.

(20) Moreover, the upstream 8 and downstream 9 propeller blades are of the variable-pitch type, that is to say that they can be oriented around their radial pivot axes B by virtue of a controllable system of orientation of the pitch of the blades, in such a way that they take up a desired optimal angular position according to the operating conditions of the turbine engine and the flight phases concerned (rotation of the blades in the two directions with increasing and decreasing propeller angles, and return of the blades to the feathered position in the event of malfunction). In the present description, only the system of orientation 19 of the blades associated with the upstream propeller 8 will be described. The downstream propeller 9 may be equipped with a system for orientation of the blades similar to that set out below in connection with the upstream propeller.

(21) To this end, as FIGS. 1 to 3 show, the system 19 for orientation of the blades of the upstream propeller comprises a linear displacement actuator 20 such as a cylinder centred on the axis A, a movement transfer bearing 21, a transmission means 22 and a means of lubrication 23 of the bearing.

(22) In particular, the cylinder 20 is annular, since it is disposed around coaxial shafts (not shown) of the turbine engine 1. It comprises a cylindrical fixed portion 24 connected to the structural housing 18 by being connected thereto by means of a collar 25 of a lubricant transfer device 50. The annular movable portion 26 serving as an external sliding rod of the cylinder is located around the internal cylindrical fixed portion of the cylinder 20. Thus this movable portion or rod 26 can be moved axially by the action of a fluid coming from a controllable fluid supply source of the cylinder, symbolised by S1 in FIG. 2.

(23) This fixed portion 24 comprises a piston 28 along which the side wall 29 of the movable portion 26 may slide with sealing and which delimits two opposing chambers of variable volume 30, 31. These two chambers, also sealed, are connected by supply/discharge lines or pipes 32 to the controllable fluid source S1, such as oil under pressure. Thus depending upon the supply pressure transmitted to the cylinder 20 by one of the pipes, the movable portion 26 can slide between two end positions defined by minimum and maximum fluid volumes in the two opposing chambers. The lines 32 constitute means for regulating oil under pressure to the chambers 30, 31, which in this case are mounted radially inside the fixed portion 24 of the actuator.

(24) The transfer bearing 21, which in this example is a double row ball bearing 33 of which the internal ring 34 is fixed around the rod 26 of the cylinder by being connected thereto in translation, is mounted around the external and movable annular rod 26 of the cylinder, as shown schematically in FIG. 2. The external ring 35 of the ball bearing is mounted in a cylindrical platform 39 in conjunction with the transmission means 22 in order to ensure the angular rotation of the blades.

(25) For this purpose, this transmission means 22 (FIG. 2, 3) comprises a plurality of connecting rods 36, identical in number to the blades, and distributed at equal angles relative to one another around the cylinder, substantially vertically above said cylinder. The connecting rods 36 are connected, by one of their ends and the platform, to the external ring 35 of the ball bearing by axes of articulation symbolised as 37 in FIG. 2, substantially parallel to the axes B of the blades. The other ends of the connecting rods are connected, around axes of articulation 38 parallel to the preceding ones, to substantially transverse crank pins 40 provided at the end of the rotary radial shafts 41 which extend the roots 14 of the blades 16, along the axis B. It will therefore be understood that, as the rod 26 of the cylinder is displaced (in one direction or the other), the internal ring 34 of the ball bearing 21 connected to the rod drives the external ring 35 by contact with the balls 33, and pulls on the connecting rods 36, making it possible to modify the setting angle of the blades.

(26) At any moment the lubrication means 23 supplies oil for the lubrication and cooling of the ball bearing 21. It advantageously comprises, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 (with its enlarged detail L) and 3, a plurality of rods or pipes 42 of which the internal passage 43 is intended for routing of the lubricant. The rods 42 are, on one side, connected to a source supply of lubricant S2, and, on the other side, introduced into the movable portion or annular rod 26 of the cylinder in order to feed the lubricant along an internal route C (FIG. 2) to the bearing. This technique is described in detail in the French patent application No. FR 12 56140 in the name of the applicant.

(27) The lubricant passes through radial holes 44 provided in the internal ring 34 and penetrates into the ball bearing 21, and depending upon whether the injection rods 42 of the lubrication means 23 pass through the wall 29 of the sliding portion, through the anti-rotation guide rods 45 between the fixed and movable portions (FIG. 2), or directly through the annular cavity 46 situated under the support sleeve 47 of the ball bearing if this sleeve is sufficiently raised with respect to the movable portion 26 of the cylinder.

(28) The object of the lubricant transfer device 50 is to allow the lubricant to change from supplying the source S2 which runs, in this case inside the fixed structural housing 18 and the collar 25, to the movable portion 26 of the cylinder supporting the bearing, outside the collar, said collar physically separating the supply of lubricant (inside the housing) from the (exterior) movable portion that has a bearing.

(29) The device 50 comprises the collar 25 and a lubricant transfer ring 55 associated with the collar and visible in FIG. 4. In order to allow the connection between the fixed housing 18 and the front end 51 of the fixed portion of the cylinder, the annular collar 25 has a frustoconical shape attached by its large base to the housing 18 and by its small base to the cylinder. The supply/discharge lines 32 coming from the source S1 supply the power to the chambers of the cylinder for sliding the movable portion according to the operating phases of the turbine engine and run along the interior of the wall of the collar 25 in order to connect to the front end 51 of the fixed portion 24 of the cylinder. Concentric rotary shafts 52A, 52B (shown partially) respectively of the downstream propeller and of the upstream propeller, are also supported by ball bearings 53A (situated between the two shafts) and 53B (situated between the upstream propeller shaft and the fixed housing).

(30) The ring 55 is intended to collect the lubricant originating from the incoming supply source S2 situated on the inside of the housing and the collar, then to distribute the lubricant collected into outlets for routing the lubricant outside the collar and corresponding, in the example, to the injection rods 42 of the lubrication means 23 in order to feed it via the cavity 46 between the movable body 26 and the support sleeve 47 in the direction of the bearing 21.

(31) The annular collar 25 has a frustoconical shape and has the upstream exterior clamping flange 58 for connection to the fixed structural housing 18, and the downstream interior clamping flange 59 for connection to the control mechanism 20, in this case the fixed portion of the cylinder. Connection members (bolts) 60 are used for clamping.

(32) With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that close to the exterior flange 58, on the side of the front face or upstream face 61 of the wall 62 of the collar, there is a support 63 arranged on a retaining tab 64 of the collar 25 in order to receive the end of a pipe 65 of which the other end engages, with sealing, in the hole 66 of a boss 67 close to the interior flange 59. Thus, the pipe 65 radially follows the frustoconical wall 62 of the collar, extending along the front face thereof 61. At the end of the pipe 65 connected to the support 63, the incoming supply S2 of lubricant is connected with sealing. In the base of the boss 67 an axial hole is pierced, passing through the thickness of the wall 62 of the collar, and leading into the internal cavity 56 of the device 50, so as to feed the oil into the cavity. The hole is pierced from the rear side of the collar in order to open into the base of the hole 66 of the boss 67 of which the wall prevents piercing from the front face of the collar.

(33) Moreover, as FIGS. 5 and 6 show, three other pipes 68 are provided along the wall 62 of the collar 25. They are connected to the source S1 by supply lines (not shown) connected to one of their ends 69, these ends 69 carry supports 63 attached to tabs 64 of the collar situated near its exterior upstream flange 58. Their opposing ends 70 are mounted in bosses 67 on the upstream radial face of the interior downstream flange 59 of the collar for the supply to the chambers 30, 31 of the cylinder 20 to control the orientation of the blades.

(34) As can be seen in FIG. 6, the oil outlets 73 of the pipes 68 open axially downstream on the downstream radial face 71 of the flange 59, between orifices 72 for the passage of bolts for attaching this flange. The connection of the ends 69 of the pipes 68 to the supply lines for oil under pressure is made automatically when the collar 25 is mounted on the structural housing 18.

(35) FIGS. 7 to 15 show the technology according to the invention.

(36) The actuator 120 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is similar to that described in the foregoing and comprises a fixed internal portion 124 surrounded by a movable external portion, these portions 124, 126 being substantially cylindrical. The internal portion 124 comprises a radially external annular rib 174 of which the external periphery serves for centering and guiding the movable portion 126. The movable portion comprises on its downstream end an internal annular rim 175 of which the internal periphery co-operates with the external cylindrical surface of the fixed portion 124. A ring 176 is interposed radially between the upstream end of the movable portion 126 and the external cylindrical surface of the fixed portion 124, this ring being connected to the movable portion by screwing a nut 177 (FIG. 8) onto an internal thread of the upstream end of the movable portion 126.

(37) When the movable portion 126 of the actuator is displaced on the fixed portion 124, the ring 176 and the rim 175 slides on the external surface of the fixed portion and the rib slides on the internal cylindrical surface of the movable portion. The ring 176 and the rib 174, on the one hand, and the rib 174 and the rim 175, on the other hand, delimit sealed chambers 130, 131 intended to be supplied with oil under pressure in order to control the displacement of the movable portion on the fixed portion.

(38) The movable portion 126 is surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve 147 which defines with the movable portion an annular space 178 for mounting means for regulating and supplying oil under pressure to the chambers 130, 131 of the actuator 120. The sleeve 147 serves as support for the transfer bearing 121 described in the foregoing.

(39) The arrow 179 of FIG. 7 designates the intake of oil under pressure delivered by the pipes 68 situated in front of the collar 25. This oil is delivered inside the fixed portion 124 of the actuator. The present invention makes simple connection possible from this intake to the regulating means housed in the space 178.

(40) The fixed portion 124 of the actuator comprises at its upstream end an internal annular flange 180 for fixing to the flange 59 of the collar 25. The flange 180 comprises openings aligned with the openings 72 of the flange 59 for the passage of the fixing bolts of these flanges. The upstream end portion of the fixed portion 124 also comprises internal channels 181 for circulation of oil under pressure, these channels 181 being substantially L-shaped and comprising an upstream axial portion of which the upstream end opens on the upstream radial face 182 of the flange 180 and of which the downstream end is connected to the radially internal end of a radial portion of which the radially external end opens radially outwards. The channels 181 are formed in bosses 183 on the internal cylindrical surface of the fixed portion 124 of the actuator.

(41) Oil under pressure originating from the pipes 68 circulates in the channels 181 of the fixed portion 124 then penetrates into internal conduits 184 of a distribution ring 185 mounted on the upstream end portion of the fixed portion 124. The ring 185 is mounted removably on an external cylindrical surface 186 (FIG. 12) of the fixed portion 124, which comprises at its upstream end an external thread for screwing a nut 187 (FIG. 9) for clamping the ring 185 on a cylindrical shoulder 188 of the fixed portion, in order to immobilise the ring axially on the fixed portion.

(42) The channels 181 of the fixed portion are connected automatically to the outlets 73 of the pipes 68 when the flanges 59, 180 are mounted.

(43) The ring 185 is also immobilised in rotation on the fixed portion by complementarity of shapes. In the example shown, the cylindrical surface 186 of the fixed portion 124 comprises external bosses 189 of substantially parallelepipedic shape, which are intended to be engaged and to co-operate with the ring 185 (FIGS. 11 and 12).

(44) The outlets of the internal channels 181 of the fixed portion 124 open on the radially external ends of the bosses 189 and are aligned radially with the inlets of the internal conduits 184 of the ring, which open at the base of the aforementioned recesses 190. The radially external ends of the bosses 189 each comprise an external annular groove which extends around the outlet of the corresponding channel 181 and in which is mounted an O-ring seal (not shown) which is intended to be clamped radially between the base of the groove and the base of a corresponding recess 190 of the ring 185.

(45) The conduits 184 are substantially L-shaped and comprise an upstream radial portion of which the radially external end is connected to the upstream end of an axial portion of which the downstream end opens axially downstream in order to form the outlets of the conduits.

(46) As can be seen in FIGS. 8 to 11, the conduits 184 are formed in radially external lugs (or turrets) 191. The ring 185 in this case comprises two lugs 191 and therefore two channels 184 but could comprise more of them, as will be described in greater detail below.

(47) The outlets of the internal conduits 184 of the lugs 191 of the ring are substantially aligned axially with the regulating means housed in the space 178. The regulating means are connected to the movable portion 126 of the actuator and are therefore driven in translation during the displacement of the movable portion on the fixed portion 124.

(48) As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the outlets of the internal conduits 184 of the lugs 191 of the ring 185 are connected to the regulating means 192 by longitudinal tubes 193. In the case of FIG. 13, the upstream end of each tube 193 is engaged in the downstream axial portion of a conduit 184 and its downstream end is mounted so as to slide in the regulating means 192. This type of mounting, which allows a supply of oil under pressure, regardless of the position of the movable portion on the fixed portion of the actuator, is known to the person skilled in the art and described in particular in the prior application FR 12 56140. In the case of FIG. 14, each tube 193 comprises two coaxial portions mounted so as to slide one inside the other. An upstream portion of the tube 193 has its upstream end fixed to a sleeve engaged in the downstream axial portion of a conduit 184 and its downstream end is mounted so as to slide in the upstream end of the downstream portion of the tube, of which the downstream end is fixed to another sleeve engaged in the regulating means 192.

(49) In the example described above, the ring 185 comprises only two external lugs 191 although three pipes 68 are mounted in front of the collar 25 for the passage of the power oil. In fact, one of these pipes 68 is intended to be connected directly to a chamber of the actuator by a line passing radially inside the fixed portion 124 of the actuator.

(50) FIG. 10 shows a cylindrical end piece which can be used in particular for the connection of the internal channels 181 of the fixed portion 124 to the outlets of pipes 68, and of the internal conduits 184 of the ring to the tubes 193. The ends of these end pieces are engaged in the aforementioned elements and have O-ring seals.

(51) This variant is advantageous in order to limit the stresses in the tubes 193 (subject to buckling) for connection of the conduits 184 of the lugs 191 to the regulating means 192 (compensating for possible misalignments between these elements), during displacements of the movable portion of the actuator. The bore 196 of the ball joint 195 may comprise an internal thread for screwing an end of the corresponding tube 193.

(52) FIG. 15 shows very schematically a variant of the ring 185. This ring comprises three lugs 191, 191 comprising internal conduits for circulation of oil under pressure intended to be connected to the regulating means. These lugs 191, 191 have angular positions which are imposed by those of the outlets 73 of the pipes 68 mounted in front of the collar 25 (FIGS. 5 and 6). Two of these lugs serve for the supply of oil to the regulating means and the other lug serves for the discharge of the oil from these regulating means.

(53) The ring 185 also comprises a lug 200 comprising an internal passage for circulation of lubricating oil. This internal passage may be supplied with lubricating oil by the pipe 65 described in the foregoing (FIG. 5). However, to do this said pipe must be longer than the pipe of the prior art and its mounting boss 67 must be situated in the region of the flange 59 of the collar, that is to say on the same circumference as the bosses 67 of the other pipes 68. The fixed portion of the actuator must also comprise at its upstream end at least one supplementary internal channel for connection between the outlet of the pipe 65 and the inlet of the internal passage of the lug 200, as described in the foregoing. The outlet of the internal passage of this lug 200 can be connected to the lubrication means of the bearing 121, which may be mounted with the aforementioned regulating means in the space 178.

(54) The device according to the invention is assembled outside the engine, so that at the time of the final assembly, the only connections that need to be connected in order to have a functional system are those situated in the region of the connection flange upstream of the device. This operation is carried out blind.

(55) The present invention is not limited to a hydraulic device in which a rotary load transfer system is incorporated.