Patent ID: 11920672
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A method of lubricating a bearing in an air turbine starter having a housing defining an air chamber and a wet chamber, with a turbine member located in the air chamber, a bearing assembly located within the wet chamber and including the bearing, and a rotating assembly located in the wet chamber, the rotating assembly rotating about a rotational axis and including at least one of a gear assembly or a clutch assembly, the wet chamber contains a lubricant, the method comprising:
rotating the rotating assembly in a direction of rotation about the rotational axis;
applying, through the rotating of the rotating assembly, a circumferential force on at least a portion of the lubricant within the wet chamber such that the at least the portion of the lubricant follows the rotation of the rotating assembly and flows circumferentially within the wet chamber, with respect to the rotational axis;
positioning a lubricant supply inlet of a lubricant supply portion within a portion of the wet chamber that is located radially outward from a radially outer limit of the rotating assembly, with respect to the rotational axis;
positioning the lubricant supply inlet such that the lubricant supply inlet faces a circumferential direction, with respect to the rotational axis, that opposes at least the portion of the lubricant flowing circumferentially within the wet chamber; and
receiving at a lubricant supply outlet of the lubricant supply portion directly fluidly coupled to the bearing assembly a portion of the lubricant supplied to the lubricant supply inlet.