Innovative Lubrication System for Turbine Engines Patent Issued

Strategic Insights -

The Ge Avio S.R.L. company, based in Rivalta di Torino, Italy, has been granted a patent for an innovative lubrication system designed for turbine engines. The patent, with the number 12442314, was filed on June 24, 2024, and published online on October 14, 2025.

The patent's inventor, Andrea Piazza, from Turin, Italy, has developed a system that addresses the lubrication needs of turbine engines, particularly when the propulsor is windmilling. This system includes a sump for storing lubricant, a primary lubrication system, an auxiliary lubrication system, and a kinetic energy storage system.

The innovative aspects of this design lie in its ability to supply lubricant to the engine's rotating components during normal operation and to the propulsor when windmilling. This is achieved through a variable displacement pump that increases lubricant displacement as the flywheel's rotational speed decreases.

Moreover, the system includes a clutch that engages the flywheel during normal operation, storing kinetic energy, and disengages it when the propulsor is windmilling, allowing the flywheel to power the auxiliary pump. The kinetic energy storage system also includes one or more flywheel springs that bias the flywheel towards the auxiliary pump shaft when the propulsor is windmilling.

This lubrication system has the potential to significantly improve the operational efficiency and reliability of turbine engines, especially in scenarios where the propulsor is windmilling.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Ge Avio S.R.L. company has been granted a patent for a novel lubrication system designed for turbine engines.
  • The system includes a sump, a primary lubrication system, an auxiliary lubrication system, and a kinetic energy storage system.
  • The auxiliary pump is a variable displacement pump that increases its displacement as the flywheel's rotational speed decreases.
  • The clutch, which is an electromagnetic clutch in this design, engages the flywheel during normal operation and disengages it when the propulsor is windmilling.
  • The kinetic energy storage system includes flywheel springs that bias the flywheel towards the auxiliary pump shaft when the propulsor is windmilling.
  • The system addresses the lubrication needs of turbine engines, particularly when the propulsor is windmilling.
  • The design has potential implications for improving the operational efficiency and reliability of turbine engines.

Statistics:

  • 24 June 2024: the patent was filed.
  • 14 October 2025: the patent was published online.
  • Number of engineers involved in the research and development of the system: no specific data is available.
  • Number of organizations or companies involved in the development of the system: Ge Avio S.R.L.

Sources:

  • Patent document 12442314.
  • Ge Avio S.R.L. company.

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