Lubrication Systems

By: Eric Spoor

•Information in this section was taken from:

Aircraft Powerplants p.61-81
Classification of Lubricants

 Animal
 Vegetable
 Mineral
 Synthetic
Animal Lubricants
 Lubricants with animal origin:
– Tallow
– Tallow oil
– Lard oil
– Neat’s foot oil
– Sperm oil
– Porpoise oil
 These are highly stable at normal temperatures
 Animal lubricants may not be used for internal
combustion because they produce fatty acids
Vegetable Lubricants

 Examples of vegetable lubricants are:

– Castor oil
– Olive oil
– Cottonseed oil
 Animal and vegetable oils have a lower
coefficient of friction than most mineral oils but
they rapidly wear away steel
Mineral Lubricants

 These lubricants are used to a large extent in

the lubrication of aircraft internal combustion
engines
 There are three classifications of mineral
lubricants:
– Solid
– Semisolid
– Fluid
Synthetic Lubricants

 Because of the high operating temperatures of

gas-turbine engines, it became necessary to
develop lubricants which would retain their
characteristics at temperatures that cause
petroleum lubricants to evaporate and break
down
 Synthetic lubricants do not break down easily
and do not produce coke or other deposits
Lubricating Oil Properties
 Gravity  Precipitation Number
 Flash Point  Corrosion and
 Viscosity Neutralization Number
 Cloud Point  Oiliness
 Pour Point  Extreme-Pressure
(Hypoid) Lubricants
 Carbon-Residue Test
 Ash Test
 Chemical and Physical
Stability
Gravity

 The gravity of petroleum oil is a numerical

value which serves as an index of the weight of
a measured volume of this product
 There are two scales generally used by
petroleum engineers:
– Specific-gravity scale
– American Petroleum Institute gravity scale
Flash Point

 The flash point of an oil is the temperature to

which the oil must be heated in order to give off
enough vapor to form a combustible mixture
above the surface that will momentarily flash or
burn when the vapor is brought into contact
with a very small flame
Viscosity

 Viscosity is technically defined as the fluid

friction of an oil
 To put it more simply, it is the resistance an oil
offers to flowing
 Heavy-bodied oil is high in viscosity and pours
or flows slowly
Cloud Point

 The cloud point is the temperature at which the

separation of wax becomes visible in certain
oils under prescribed testing conditions
 When such oils are tested, the cloud point is
slightly above the solidification point
Pour Point

 The pour point of an oil is the temperature at

which the oil will just flow without disturbance
when chilled
Carbon-Residue Test

 The purpose of the carbon-residue test is to

study the carbon-forming properties of a
lubricating oil
 There are two methods:
– The Ramsbottom carbon-residue test
– The Conradson test
Ash Test

 The ash test is an extension of the carbon-

residue test
 If an unused oil leaves almost no ash, it is
regarded as pure
 The ash content is a percentage (by weight) of
the residue after all carbon and all
carbonaceous matter have been evaporated
and burned
Precipitation Number

 The precipitation number recommended by the

ASTM is the number of milliliters of precipitate
formed when 10 mL of lubricating oil is mixed
with 90 mL of petroleum naphtha under
specific conditions and then centrifuged
Lubricant Requirements and
Functions

 Characteristics of Aircraft Lubricating Oil

 Functions of Engine Oil
 Straight Mineral Oil
 Ash-less Dispersant Oil
 Multi-viscosity Oil
Characteristics of Aircraft
Lubricating Oil
 It should have the proper  High antiwear properties
body (viscosity)  Maximum cooling
 High antifriction abilities
characteristics  Maximum resistance to
 Maximum fluidity at low oxidation
temperatures  Noncorrosive
 Minimum changes in
viscosity with changes in
temperature
Functions of Engine Oil

 Lubrication, thus reducing friction

 Cools various engine parts
 Seals the combustion chamber
 Cleans the engine
 Aids in preventing corrosion
 Serves as a cushion between impacting parts
Straight Mineral Oil

 Straight mineral oil is one of many types of oil

used in aircraft reciprocating engines
 It is blended from selected high-viscosity-index
base stocks
 These oils do not contain additives, except for
a small amount of pour-point depressant for
improved fluidity at cold temperatures
Ashless Dispersant Oil

 Most aircraft oils other than straight mineral oils

contain a dispersant that suspends
contamination such as carbon, lead compound
and dirt
 The dispersant helps prevent these
contaminants from gathering into clumps and
forming sludge or plugging oil passageways
Multiviscosity Oil

 In certain circumstances, all single-grade oils

have short comings
 In cold-weather starts, single grade oil
generally flows slowly to the upper reaches
and vital parts of the engine
 Multigrade oils have viscosity characteristics
that allow for better flow characteristics at
engine start
Characteristics of Lubrication
Systems

 Pressure Lubrication
 Splash Lubrication and Combination Systems
 Principal Components of a Lubrication System
 Oil Capacity
Pressure Lubrication

 In a pressure lubrication system, a mechanical

pump supplies oil under pressure to the
bearings
 Oil flows into the inlet of the pump through the
pump and into an oil manifold which distributes
it to the crankshaft bearings
Splash Lubrication and
Combination Systems

 Although pressure lubrication is the principle

method of lubrication on all aircraft engines,
some engines use splash lubrication also
 Splash lubrication is never used by itself
 All lubrication systems are pressure systems or
combination pressure/splash systems
Components of Lubrication
Systems
 Plumbing for Lubrication
Systems
 Temperature Regulator
(Oil Cooler)
 Oil Viscosity Valve
 Oil Pressure Relief
Valves
 Oil Separator
 Oil Pressure Guage
 Oil Temperature Guage
 Oil Pressure Pumps
 Scavenge Pumps
 Oil Dilution System
Plumbing for Lubrication Systems

 Oil plumbing is essentially the same as is used

in oil and hydraulic systems
 When the lines will not be subject to bending,
aluminum tubing is used
 Synthetic hose is often used near the engine
and other places on the aircraft that are subject
to vibration or other movement
Temperature Regulator (Oil Cooler)

 An oil temperature regulator is designed to

maintain the temperature of the oil for an
operating engine at the correct level
 These regulators are often called oil coolers
since cooling of engine oil is one of their main
functions
Oil Viscosity Valve
 The oil viscosity valve is generally considered
a part of the oil temperature regulator unit and
is employed in some oil systems
 The viscosity valve consists essentially of an
aluminum alloy housing and a thermostatic
control element
 The oil viscosity valve works with the oil cooler
valve to maintain a desired temperature and
keep the viscosity within required limits
Oil Pressure Relief Valves

 The purpose of the oil pressure relief valve is

to control and limit the lubricating pressure in
the oil system
 This is necessary to prevent damage caused
by excessive system pressure and to ensure
that engine parts are not deprived of fuel due
to a system failure
Oil Separator

 Air systems where oil of oil mist is present may

require the use of an oil separator
 These are often used on vacuum pump outlets
 The oil separator contains baffle plates which
cause the air to swirl and it deposits on the
baffles
Oil Pressure Gauge

 An oil pressure gauge is an essential

component of any engine oil system
 These gauges generally use a bourdon tube to
measure the pressure
 They are designed to measure a wide range of
pressures
Oil Temperature Gauge

 The temperature probe for the oil temperature

gauge in the oil inlet line or passage between
the pressure pump and the engine system
 On some installations the temperature probe is
located in the oil filter housing
 These are normally electric or electronic
Oil Pressure Pumps

 Oil pressure pumps may either be of the gear

type or vane type
 The gear type pump is used in the majority of
reciprocating engines and uses close fitting
gears that rotate and push the oil through the
system
Scavenge Pumps

 Scavenge pumps are driven in the same

manner as the pressure pumps but have a
greater capacity
 This higher capacity is because the oil in the
sump is foamy which means it has a much
greater volume than air-free oil
Oil Dilution System

 The purpose of the oil dilution system is to

provide thinner oil during engine start
 This allows faster lubrication of engine
components
 Oil dilution is accomplished by pumping a small
amount of fuel into the oil
Sludge Chambers

 Some reciprocating engines have sludge

chambers which are in the hollowed out
connecting-rod journals
 These journals accumulate carbon sludge and
dirt particles as they are designed to
 During engine overhaul these must be
replaced
Typical Lubrication Systems

 Oil System for Wet-Sump Engine

 Oil System for Dry-Sump Engine
 Oil Tanks
Oil Tanks
 Dry sump engine lubrication systems require a
separate tank for each engine system
 These tanks can be constructed in three different ways:
– Welded sheet aluminum
– Riveted aluminum
– Stainless steel
 Some aircraft are equipped synthetic rubber tanks