Abstract: An oil supply system supplies oil under pressure to a bearing or journal enclosure during normal positive gravity conditions as well as negative gravity and zero gravity conditions. A closed oil storage tank containing a volume of oil below a gas filled headspace with primary drain in a bottom portion normally supplies a pressure pump which passes a pressure control valve before entering an inlet of the enclosure. In negative gravity or zero gravity conditions oil is absent from the tank bottom and the primary pressure pump is starved of oil. The invention solves this problem with an auxiliary tank outlet disposed above the bottom drain (at the top and/or sides of the tank) and the oil-air separator separates the air before pumping the oil under pressure to the bearing or journal enclosure past a directional switch.

Abstract: A combined oil tank and oil accumulator vessel having an internal chamber, and a moveable spring-loaded barrier within the internal chamber defining a low pressure oil tank portion and a high pressure accumulator portion separated by the moveable barrier. The combined oil tank accumulator provides the advantages of more consistent oil flow supply as a result of the integral accumulator, but with reduced weight, reduced oil volume requirements, and constant oil levels when compared with conventional external accumulators.

Abstract: The invention relates to an oil pump driven by a hydraulic motor, that is itself driven by fuel pumped by a remote fuel pump through the engine fuel line. The hydraulic fuel driven oil pump is particularly advantageous for use in a gas turbine engine, to reduce dependence on or completely eliminate the auxiliary gear box (AGB) conventionally used to mechanically connect various engine systems with an engine shaft. Separating the oil pump and other fuel/oil system components from the AGB enables the rationalization of these systems and allows designers to reconfigure systems into a compact unit including the oil pump, separator, oil tank, heat exchanger and filters for fuel and oil. Using pressurized fuel to hydraulically drive the oil pump frees the oil system from location restraints and operating limitations, and permits recovery of otherwise wasted energy from the fuel bypass circuit during idling and takeoff.

Abstract: The invention relates to a combined heat exchanger and fluid filter that can be used in a gas turbine engine for example to simultaneously filter lubricating oil and fuel while transferring thermal energy between the oil and fuel. Conventionally, fuel and oil filters as well as a heat exchanger are separately mounted in an engine with a multitude of pipes conducting fluids between them. The invention packages these components together and achieves several benefits as a results, including: reduction in number of parts, cost of manufacture and installation; containment of the risk of damage or leakage; ease of access for assembly, inspection and maintenance; and simple application to a number of different engines by merely extending the length of the filters/exchanger on a standard manifold design.