Numerical Study on the Improvement of Oil Return Structure in Aero-Engine Bearing Chambers

Abstract

Abstract Numerical study has been carried out to improve the unreasonable oil film accumulation and oil return effect of the bearing chamber. Ramp sump and eccentricity sump offtake structures are designed and improved, and oil-gas two-phase flow calculation model based on CLSVOF (coupled level set and volume of fluid) method is proposed. Based on the grid-independent analysis and verifying the rationality of numerical data, oil-gas movement mechanism and oil return characteristics for different scavenge offtakes are calculated and analyzed. Results show that both the ramp sump and eccentricity sump offtake structures have favorable effects on improving the local oil distribution such as recirculation and stripping, etc. at low rotation speeds and alleviating the rapid decline of scavenge efficiency at high rotation speeds. Meanwhile, the air shear force is the main reason for the rapid decline of scavenge efficiency, while the design of oil return sump makes for the oil discharge from the scavenge offtake, and the deeper the sump depth is, the better.