On Demand Oil Supply

State-of-the-art oil pumps in aircraft engines deliver a volumetric flow rate proportional to the rotor speed of the high-pressure engine core, which drive the pump via the engine gearbox. In emerging aircraft platforms, the fuel and oil systems are used to cool a variety of engine and airframe systems. The undesirable oil heating accumulates and reduces the fuels heat-sink reserve at critical flight conditions. Maximum flow rates are set to meet requirements at maximum engine power settings. At power settings less than maximum, the oil flow exceeds system requirements and as a result, parasitic losses generate additional heat due to the fact that the system circulates more oil than necessary. As a result, weight is being added to the aircraft because the thermal management system is being sized at the low power flight conditions to handle the parasitic losses.The purpose of this program is to demonstrate an engine gearbox driven, high horsepower main engine variable delivery oil system pump can be produced that will reduce system thermal output by an estimated 20% and be comparable in weight/size and reliability to current state-of-the-art pumps.The new technology being introduced mounts between the engine gearbox and pump and varies the pump speed independent of gearbox speed so that Flow On Demand can be achieved. It does not increase the overall system weight and can be used in any fuel/oil fixed displacement pump application.