Influence of Lubricants on Turbine Engine Design.
Abstract
Although ester-base lubricants have best met the requirements of gas turbine engines to date, growth in upper temperature capability seems limited. Plans have been to stress development of MIL-L-27502, a 450F ester-class lubricant. Other chemical types of lubricants exist with much higher temperature capability such as polyphenyl ether and perfluoro-carbon types. But these fluids exhibit poor low temperature pumpability characteristics and have other disadvantages relative to esters. The question arises as to how and to what degree these lubricants or any other advanced lubricants may influence turbine engine design. A study was conducted to determine to what extent hypothetical lubricant properties affect the design of gas turbine engines. The program showed that elevation of bulk oil stability temperature capability has the greatest single impact of any of the several properties studied, and therefore supports the direction taken by MIL-L-27502. A balanced effort on other lubricant properties and supporting materials and design technology must be maintained however, to prepare for the advanced aircraft for the next decade, if lubricants other than esters are to be exploited. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0875008
Entities
People
- D. B. Hester
- I. E. Sumey
- J. E. Methlie
- T. E. Russell
Organizations
- General Electric