Technical General Capt. Neha Thakare Mob No.

+91-9819680320/9167870852

9. Lubrication
The Reasons for Lubrication:

The Lubricant with engines can be used forseveral reasons a part from Lubrication.

The oil can be used to keep the engine clean by carrying dirt to the oil filter where it
is strained out and where it remains until replacement of the filter. The dirt must be
removed before it can cause damage to bearings or block small oil passageways.

The majority of the bearings within the engine are manufactured fro~ , ~~ci~such
a metal which would soon oxidize (corrosion) itself if it were not~,lev rom

,~
doing so by a liberal coating of oil, Thus the lubricant will alsoAfru~ corrosion
inside the engine. , ¾ h
The engine bearings, particularly those around the hotad ~A.f'~
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-engine, must be
· 8h them. The most
cooled if they to withstand the constant stre~s jmoosff'I,~

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likely medium for cooling is the lubricant. 4 ~j , ~,,I
In many turbo - prop engines the control of pif~ of the propeller blades .1s
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achieved by passing some of the engioe lubric~n oil into the pitch change
r,i~ 1/

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mechanism.
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Lubricating Systems: % fJJ¾ , a .

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Gas turbine engines us--"5.~ t'J¢giff~d re - circulator lubrication system in which
the oil is distributed arounai,~e~ ttWine and returned to the oil tank by pumps.
.

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There are two ba:,1 · re~ circu c11ory syst ems
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• The pr~i ur~~rr.alve system.
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~ h~ uT~e~~tem .
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used~~ be i; variably synthetic because of the high temperatures involved.
Th e "'J4 J. engine the oil is not change~ on a regular basis.
Unlik~~~,,p,Fn · Becau~eg_as turb'me
· more oil due to the nature of the air seals. And the synthetic 011 does not
engines use and oxidize like mineral oils . do. The filters
. however are removed,
brea k down h · · ) ·
washed out, and refitted at regular intervals (by AM_ E tee nic1ans to examine any
debris collected and evaluate the wear rate of the engine.

81 I Jet Engine
 Technical General Capt. Neha Thakare Mob No. +91-9819680320/9167870852

The Pressure Re-lift Valve Lubrication System:

The pressure is restricted to a value which the engine designer considers correct for
all conditions that the engine might encounter. The spring-loaded valve opens at the
pressure generated by the oil pressure pump at engine idling speed. And
consequently, gives a constant feed pressure over the whole of the engine speed
and oil temperature ranges.

The oil is drawn through a suction filter to the oil pressure pump. The f~~n filter
protects the pump from dam_ age should any debris enter the ~ank~f~\ l f is ,the~
1
passed through the pressure filter to the pressure reliefvalve which ~ ntata~ phe oil
pressure to the feed jets in the bearing chambers constant.
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The oil passes to the feed jets through internal drillings ancr~f~rna1¾9jJ pipes, in this
pa rt 1cu
. Iar engine
. t he hoIlow interior of the compress , · ~,shaft ·1s use d t o
transfer oil from the front of the engine, Wh'1 e · · ? n the pitch control
mechanism. Where it is used in the turbine b

The torque meter pump show in this diagram is t~-4:,)oost engine oil pressure to
much greater figure, in some turbo - pro~ ~-ngines.
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th e ax1a
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pressureis utilized to balance
t rust. Measuring the{/! torqu wm gr oil pressure will give an accurate
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indication of the torque being tr~- d propellerI reference figures which
take account of the ambient te~ e ur~j n pressure allow the pilot to find the
minimum torque pressure ~,Jlic ~"' e~ ne should be capable of producing in any
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set of conditions.
'

When the oil has complete · 0 s of lubricating, cooling, cleaning and acting as a
hydraulic mediu~,}j falls int~ oollecting trays or compartmentswhich communicate
with the scavenge'~ Jilps.~
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The scaveJ e~~ ~ P$jr~ mounted in the same oil pump pack which contains the oil
pref)>fe "F~ ill ensure that the method of lubrication remains a dry sump
sysl %,m. The l ~a
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}"numps push the oil through an oil cooler. whatever the type of
oil c~~Jer, it~ft is to drop the temperature of the oil after its journey through the
engine~1-F,b,Jffext stage for the oil is the de - aerator tray, here any air bubbles which
will have been collected in the oil are allowed to escape and the oil falls to the oil
tank.

82 I Jet Engine
Technical General
Capt. Neha Thakare Mob No. +91-9819680320/9167870852

Any air pressure which has been built up within the engine lubrication system,
through leakage from seals or from the de- aerator tray must be allowed to escape. It
was just vented to atmosphere then any oil mist contained with it will also pass to
atmosphere, Thus the oil contents wouldquickly diminish. To prevent this happening
the oil mist is vented via a centrifugal breather which is positioned in the accessory
gearbox. ·

The Full Flow Lubrication System: (/%/,%'

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This system achieves the required oil flow to the engine throughouft\ enteJpeed
rang. This is done by allowing the oil pressure pump to ~irec!liAe!~e oil feed
Jets without the use of a pressure relief valve. Using thi~1.$4s\m
II
~ma er pressure and scavenge pumps since the volume ~ %
(lot the use of
,,~~ff''1ess t han t ha_t
m the pressure relief valve system. This happen~ becaul ~jt~Jp,rge amount of 011
which is spilled back to the oil tank by the pr~es ,~l,dlf~,t vali~~ high engine speed.
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Pressure pump picks up oil from the oil ta f~oug~~ siktion filter and passes 1t
through a pressure filter to the distribution galle~~~ A~ oss the pressure filter is an
oil differential pressure switch. This can gilftt~ arning~ blockage of the filter.
.

This warning is usually indicated ?t4 ~\ -:ew servicing panel and issometimes
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duplicated by a warning light on tb t .

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lr .

One gallery takes the u,t~~ o· ~ressure transmitter and low oil pressure
warning switch. These~ - marily to give warning in the cockpit of
malfunctions in the oil syst~. r parameters oil indicated in the cockpit arethose
of oil quantity an~!,gjl temperature. Oil Temperature is measured as the oilleaves the
oil cooler. ,
A',~
It is from thi~i~J~j!-lry that oil is taken to lubricate all of the bearings in the
acce~.Qrylf~I·~~Ix. The other gallery is used to transfer oil to the bearings which
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supQprt all o!i& li'~$=O~ressor spools.
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The b~,PJ~re lubricated by oil jets which are positioned very close to the bearings
so as to ~i~ise the possibility of the oil being deflected from its target by local
turbulence. Just prior to the oil jets are fitted thread type filters, these

perform the function of a "last chance" filter, removing any debris which may have
managed to pass through the main pressure filter.

83 I Jet Engine
- a~
Neha Thakare
Mob No. +91-981968032o;
916)8)
,
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Technical General t d and passed ba k
·t is callee e . c thr
leted its tasks , avenge pump ,t must Pass ave %€h
When the oil has comp . reaching the sc r achi
p . r to the o1 1
scavenge pumps. no ion filter.
detector and through a suet the oil cooling system. There a
force the oil through tod n air cooled oil cooler. Norn, ~el two
The scavenge pumps d .1cooler an a b t · th a Yth
types of oil cooler, a fuel co~l_e o1 o cool the oil on its _own, u ~n e event that ie
fuel cooled oil cooler is suff1c1ent t atically and brings the a,r cooled Oil coo1 t
Proves inadequate a valve opens autom er
into operation as well. t ·w
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ai~\iiift'
. nted on the sid~~JJ]e ~ne, or can b
The oil tank is normally a separate unit m~u b some M,d'~etermining th'
part of the engine intake. There muS t a so fti~~~etimes by b th e
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-
contents of the tank, either by a s'.ght glass flows back in~o ; A
deaerator tray allows removal of atr bubble \,, he
tank
. ' -
A t\
Oil pumps (Pressure Pump/ Scav~nge PU'f'P)
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Gear type pump which consist of>.~~ ~,meshing steel gears locatedwithin a
closefitting aluminum housing, q~~)i!},,er~al method of delivering and retrieving oil
in a re - circulatory system~"\b,ih~.{! ne jeiirs are rotate d, 01·1 .1s drawn .mt o the pump,
carried round by thetefit~j ; tedti at-the outlet. The oil pumps, both pressure
and scavenge, are fitted. ~~~itted within an oil pump pack which consists of
~-
one pressure pu~£jnd perha~~as many as six scavenge pumps.
Oil Coolers: X
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an c·eez~
Oil coolers~artte eft!ier air cooled or fuel cooled, some engines use both systems. If
~f~th air and fuel to cool the oil, temperature can be monitored
ele vonicall ~th-~1ilir~oler switched in only when necessary.

T h i s ~ the oil temperature at a figure which improves the thermalefficiency

of the engine.

The oil cooler is basically a radiator which exchanges heat from one medium to
another. The cooler consists of a matrix assembly which is partitioned by baffleplates.
The baffle plates ensure that the oil takes the longest path through the matrix and it
thus gains maximum benefit from the cooling effect of the fuel flowing through the
tubes within the matrix.

84 I Jet Engine
Technical General Capt. Neha Thakare Mob No. +91-9819680320/9167870852

:h~ _f~el cooled oil cooler has a double benefit, the fuel in the aircraft wing tank is
inevitably very cold and requires warming up before it gets to the fuel filter. The oil is
h~t requires cooling. This device allows both requirements to be carried out
~ 1th m it. Incorporated in the fuel cooled oil cooler is an oil by - pass valve, this is
fitted across the oil inlet and outlet.
Magnetic Chip Detectors:

Chip detectors are magnetic plugs, which arefitted into the scavenge filters to collect
ferrous material from the oil as it returns to the scavenge pumps. ia
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The Centrifugal Breather and Vent·. A· i ,

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. o p~event excessive air pressure within the gearbox and t~ r,ar ... mbers, the
1~ten~r of t~e e~g_ine must be vented to atmosphere. O~i~§'4n, the air form an
011 mist which, 1f 1t was allowed to escape, woijld, .mfet~ @ngine oil contents 0

rap1'di y. Th e 01·1 mist

· ·IS vented to the gezr ,a~ er,i&~st
[ .:._~ pass through the
cen t n'fuga I breat her bef ore reaching the at ::,~ere, ·

'-~
- aerator segments, the oil is sep•
wa
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The centrifugal breather is rotated at hiih spee~ iij]d as the oil mist enters, it is
thrown outwards by centrifugal force. Ar , ,,,~~the inside periphery are de
~v,__ tine mist and is eventually flung back
e~,44 d'

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into the gearbox to be picked ~icat ,enge pump. The air, having less inertia,
makes its way out of the f 0Dtr"~ K . b~e51:her to atmosphere having had all the oil
removed. Thus, the cerf~ ~iiStJ minimizes oil loss in the gas turbine engine.

Filters: ' .

The oil is drawn ~ ough a suction filter before it goes into the pressure pump, the
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suction filter t ~ t~ forfil of a coarse strainer which prevents debris being drawn
%1--~~,ft .
d'.' ~-'¾
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into the pump ~ d ulJllagmg 1t.
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Th efii'f is "~r,(tittf~ ugh a suction filter before it goes into the pressure pump, the
suc~(im filte, Js t ~e form of a coarse strainer which prevents debris being drawn
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into tti~ nu,~ and damaging it.
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At the outlet of the pressure pump, a pressure filter is fitted, this is a very fine mesh
filter which will retain any small particles which might block the oil feed jets.

There are thread type filters, performing the function of a ,,last chanc~" fi~ter
immediately prior to the oil jets. Each return oil line contains _a scave~ge filter Just
netic chip detector. These scavenge filters will collect any
downstream of th e mag
debris returning from the lubricated component.

ss I Jet Engine
 Capt. Neha Thakare Mob No. +91-9819680320/916787085 2
Technical General

Filters are constructed in a tubular form from either a very finely woven wire cloth,

II or resin impregnated with fibers. "Pop up indicator" a small button which can be
seen protruding from the filter casing to give a visual warning of a partially blocked
filter.
Types of Lubrication Oils:

Early gas turbine engines used mineral based oils itwas found that under the higher
temperatures and speeds at which gas turbine engines operated mineral oils burnt
and oxidized. '

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86 I Jet Engine