Lubricating oil system for a prime mover

Claim 2

In a lubricating system for a turbine of the type wherein oil is pumped from a reservoir through bearings for the turbine and thence back to the reservoir; the combination of electrically powered cooling means for normally cooling oil as it is pumped from the bearings back to said reservoir, a drain tank into which oil from said bearings flows before it is pumped through the cooling means back to the reservoir, overflow conduit means interconnecting said drain tank with said reservoir whereby oil above a predetermined volume flowing into said drain tank without being pumped through said cooling means will be forced through the overflow conduit means back to the reservoir, an oil pump coupled to and driven by the shaft of said turbine for normally pumping oil from said reservoir to said bearings, and a separately driven pump in parallel with said shaft-driven pump for pumping oil to said bearings before the turbine has reached a speed where the shaft-driven pump can deliver oil under sufficient pressure to said bearings.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 including an oil filter interposed between said shaft-driven pump and said bearings.

Claim 4

In a lubricating system for a turbine of the type wherein oil is pumped from a reservoir through bearings for the turbine and thence back to the reservoir; the combination of electrically powered cooling means for normally cooling oil as it is pumped from the bearings back to said reservoir, a drain tank into which oil from said bearings flows before it is pumped through the cooling means back to the reservoir, overflow conduit means interconnecting said drain tank with said reservoir whereby oil above a predetermined volume flowing into said drain tank without being pumped through said cooling means will be forced through the overflow conduit means back to the reservoir, said overflow conduit terminating in said reservoir just above the normal liquid level of oil therein and at least a portion of said drain tank being disposed below the normal liquid level in said reservoir.

Claim 5

In a lubricating system for a turbine of the type wherein oil is pumped from a reservoir through bearings for the turbine and thence back to the reservoir; the combination of electrically powered cooling means for normally cooling oil as it is pumped from the bearings back to said reservoir, a drain tank into which oil from said bearings flows before it is pumped through the cooling means back to the reservoir, overflow conduit means interconnecting said drain tank with said reservoir whereby oil above a predetermined volume flowing into said drain tank without being pumped through said cooling means will be forced through the overflow conduit means back to the reservoir, said overflow conduit terminating in said reservoir just above the normal liquid level of oil therein and at least a portion of said drain tank being disposed below the normal liquid level in said reservoir.

Claim 6

In a lubricating system for a turbine of the type wherein oil is pumped from a reservoir through bearings for the turbine and thence back to the reservoir; the combination of electrically powered cooling means for normally cooling oil as it is pumped from the bearings back to said reservoir, a drain tank into which oil from said bearings flows before it is pumped through the cooling means back to the reservoir, overflow conduit means interconnecting said drain tank with said reservoir whereby oil above a predetermined volume flowing into said drain tank without being pumped through said cooling means will be forced through the overflow conduit means back to the reservoir, said overflow conduit terminating in said reservoir just above the normal liquid level of oil therein, said overflow conduit entering the side of said reservoir and terminating above the normal liquid level of oil in the reservoir at said one side thereof, and baffles interposed between said overflow conduit and a suction conduit for oil being pumped to said bearings, whereby said baffles will impede mixing of hot oil entering the reservoir from said drain tank with the cooler on the side of the baffles opposite the overflow conduit.

Claim 7

In a lubricating system for a turbine of the type wherein oil is pumped from a reservoir through bearings for the turbine and thence back to the reservoir; the combination of electrically powered cooling means for normally cooling oil as it is pumped from the bearings back to said reservoir, a drain tank into which oil from said bearings flows before it is pumped through the cooling means back to the reservoir, overflow conduit means interconnecting said drain tank with said reservoir whereby oil above a predetermined volume flowing into said drain tank without being pumped through said cooling means will be forced through the overflow conduit means back to the reservoir, said overflow conduit terminating in said reservoir just above the normal liquid level of oil therein, said overflow conduit entering the side of said reservoir and terminating above the normal liquid level of oil in the reservoir at said one side thereof, and baffles interposed between said overflow conduit and a suction conduit for oil being pumped to said bearings, whereby said baffles will impede mixing of hot oil entering the reservoir from said drain tank with the cooler on the side of the baffles opposite the overflow conduit.

Claim 8

In a lubricating system, a turbine having a driving shaft and bearings therefor, an oil reservoir adapted to contain oil for said bearings and a shaft driven pump associated with said reservoir and effective to pump said oil from said reservoir through said bearings, whereby said oil is heated, a drain tank, means for directing the heated oil from said bearings to said drain tank, means including a first separately driven pump associated with said tank for pumping the heated oil from the drain tank to the reservoir during normal operation, and a second separately driven pump associated with said reservoir for pumping oil from said reservoir during the start-up period of the turbine wherein the shaft driven pump is ineffective to pump oil from said reservoir to said bearings.

Claim 9

In a lubricating system, a turbine having a driving shaft and bearings therefor, an oil reservoir adapted to contain oil for said bearings and a shaft driven pump associated with said reservoir and effective to pump said oil from said reservoir through said bearings, whereby said oil is heated, a drain tank, means for directing the heated oil from said bearings to said drain tank, means including a first separately driven pump associated with said tank for pumping the heated oil from the drain tank to the reservoir during normal operation, and a second separately driven pump associated with said reservoir for pumping oil from said reservoir during the start-up period of the turbine wherein the shaft driven pump is ineffective to pump oil from said reservoir to said bearings.

Claim 10

The lubricating system recited in claim 5 and further including overflow conduit means interconnecting the drain tank and the reservoir in bypass relation with the first separately driven drain pump, whereby oil above a predetermined volume flowing into the drain tank will be forced through said one flow conduit means back into the reservoir when the first separately driven pump is not in operation.

Claim 11

The system recited in claim 5 and further including cooling means for cooling the oil when the first separately driven pump is energized in normal operation of the turbine.

Claim 12

The system recited in claim 7, wherein the cooling means is energized by the turbine.

Claim 13

The system recited in claim 5 wherein at least a portion of the drain tank is below the normal liquid level in the reservoir.