Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
  • F01M1/00—Pressure lubrication
  • F01M1/06—Lubricating systems characterised by the provision therein of crankshafts or connecting rods with lubricant passageways, e.g. bores
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C3/00—Shafts; Axles; Cranks; Eccentrics
  • F16C3/04—Crankshafts, eccentric-shafts; Cranks, eccentrics
  • F16C3/06—Crankshafts
  • F16C3/14—Features relating to lubrication
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C33/00—Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof
  • F16C33/02—Parts of sliding-contact bearings
  • F16C33/04—Brasses; Bushes; Linings
  • F16C33/06—Sliding surface mainly made of metal
  • F16C33/10—Construction relative to lubrication
  • F16C33/1025—Construction relative to lubrication with liquid, e.g. oil, as lubricant
  • F16C33/1045—Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C9/00—Bearings for crankshafts or connecting-rods; Attachment of connecting-rods
  • F16C9/02—Crankshaft bearings
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
  • F01M1/00—Pressure lubrication
  • F01M1/06—Lubricating systems characterised by the provision therein of crankshafts or connecting rods with lubricant passageways, e.g. bores
  • F01M2001/062—Crankshaft with passageways
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01M—LUBRICATING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; LUBRICATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES; CRANKCASE VENTILATING
  • F01M1/00—Pressure lubrication
  • F01M1/08—Lubricating systems characterised by the provision therein of lubricant jetting means
  • F01M2001/083—Lubricating systems characterised by the provision therein of lubricant jetting means for lubricating cylinders
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16C—SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
  • F16C2360/00—Engines or pumps
  • F16C2360/22—Internal combustion engines

Definitions

• THIS invention relates to an engine lubrication arrangement, and more particularly but not exclusively, to an engine lubrication arrangement suitable for use in an internal combustion engine.
• the lubrication system of an engine is designed to deliver clean oil at the correct temperature and pressure to every part of the engine, including reciprocating parts and surfaces exposed thereto. It is therefore a very important design requirement to ensure the supply of sufficient fluid lubricant to the rotating and reciprocating elements of the engine to achieve maximum efficiency and minimum wear.
• the lubricant is generally supplied by a high pressure pump and fed, via a gallery in the engine casing, to the rotating parts.
• the lubricant can be introduced on the outside of the sleeve, and is subsequently fed through a radial aperture in the sleeve into the space between the bearing and the rotating part in order to lubricate the surfaces where the bearing and rotating part interface.
• the lubricant is conveyed through an internal flow passage provided inside the rotating part, for example a camshaft, and is then fed through a radially outwardly extending aperture from the rotating part towards the interface surface.
• Lubricant is also often fed through a gallery in the casing to a spray bar that is in flow communication with a cylinder of the engine in order to lubricate reciprocating components.
• the use of galleries to supply lubrication to reciprocating and rotating engine components creates complex casing geometry which in turn results in high pressure drops and correspondingly high required supply pressures.
• a high pressure lubrication system causes a loss of efficiency, and increases the load on seals.
• an engine lubrication arrangement including:
• crankshaft having an internal flow passage provided therethrough, and a radially outwardly extending flow passage extending between the internal flow passage and an outer surface of the crankshaft;
• a cylinder for receiving a reciprocating piston, a bore of the cylinder having a lubricant inlet opening;
• the internal flow passage to extend substantially longitudinally inside the crankshaft.
• a cylinder lubrication flow passage to extend through the casing of the engine, and more particularly for the cylinder lubrication flow passage to bring the lubricant inlet opening in flow communication with the radially outwardly extending flow passage of the crankshaft.
• a crankshaft bearing may be provided between the casing and the crankshaft, and a flow passage may be provided through the crankshaft bearing.
• the flow passage provided through the crankshaft bearing may be in the form of a radially directed aperture extending through the crankshaft bearing.
• a circumferential groove may be provided in an inner surface of the crankshaft bearing, with the flow passage provided through the crankshaft bearing extending radially outwardly from this groove.
• the flow passage through the crankshaft bearing may connect the cylinder lubrication flow passage with the radially outwardly extending flow passage of the crankshaft.
• a lubricant spray bar to be provided in the lubricant inlet opening.
• Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional end view of part of an engine incorporating the engine lubrication arrangement in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the part of the engine of Figure 1.
• the engine lubrication arrangement 10 comprises a casing 20, a cylinder 30 and a crankshaft 40.
• crankshaft 40 may be of many different configurations, and the detail design of the crankshaft 40 is not relevant or limiting insofar as this invention is concerned.
• the only requirement is that the crankshaft 40 must have an internal lubrication passage 41 which generally extends longitudinally along the crankshaft.
• a radially outwardly directed flow passage 42 in the form of a cross-drilling links the internal lubrication passage 41 with the surface of the crankshaft 40, and more particularly with a journal surface of the crankshaft.
• a crankshaft bearing 50 is housed in the casing 20 that surrounds the crankshaft 40.
• the bearing comprises a sleeve having an inner surface, with an inner circumferential groove 51 provided in the inner surface of the sleeve for the distribution of the lubricant about the bearing, and hence about the entire periphery of the crankshaft.
• a further radially outwardly directed aperture 52 is provided in the bearing, and defines a flow passage through the bearing.
• the radially outwardly directed aperture or flow passage 52 is in flow communication with a conduit 21 , in the form of a cross-drilling, provided in the casing 20.
• the conduit 21 in turn defines a cylinder lubrication flow passage, and is in flow communication with a lubricant opening 31 provided in a lower part of a cylinder bore 20 of the engine.
• a spray bar 31, as is known in the art, is located in the lubricant inlet opening 21.
• the spray bar 31 is therefore effectively in flow communication with the internal lubrication passage 41 of the crankshaft 40, and the lubrication arrangement 10 therefore lubricates the reciprocating components using oil emanating from the crankshaft lubrication passage 41, and not from a gallery (not shown) provided in the casing 20.
• the above configuration reduces the delivery pressure required from the oil pump, as the lubricant is fed with the assistance of centrifugal force from the crankshaft to the spray bar.
• the inherent lubricant pressure curve around the crankshaft can also be optimally utilized to ensure that lubricant is taken from a high pressure zone.
• the new design furthermore simplifies the casing geometry.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Lubrication Of Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=49034122

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (2)

• 2013
  • 2013-06-18 WO PCT/IB2013/054990 patent/WO2013190461A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2013-06-24 ZA ZA2013/04690A patent/ZA201304690B/en unknown

Patent Citations (2)

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