Fan drive gear system manifold radial tube filters

Abstract

A lubrication system for gas turbine engine includes a main lubricant passage for providing lubricant from a lubricant supply to a lubricant manifold. The lubricant manifold includes first and second lubricant passages The lubricant manifold is configured to supply lubricant to first and second separate parts of a geared architecture at different first and second lubricant flow conditions. A first filter element is provided within a radial tube for supplying lubricant to the first passage of the lubricant manifold and a second filter element is provided within a second radial tube for supplying lubricant to the second lubricant passage of the lubricant manifold. The first filter element is different than the second filter element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fan drive gear system comprising;
 a geared architecture including gears supported by bearing structures for providing a speed change between an input and output;   a lubricant manifold defining a first lubricant passage and a second lubricant passage disposed within a common structure;   a first tube including a first filter for filtering lubricant flow to the first lubricant passage, the first tube extending from the common structure; and   a second tube including a second filter for filtering lubricant flow to the second lubricant passage, the second tube extending from the common structure wherein the second filter including a second filtering characteristic is different than a first filtering characteristic provided by the first filter.   
     
     
         2 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first filter includes a first porosity and the second filter includes a second porosity different than the first porosity. 
     
     
         3 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first filter and the second filter comprise mesh screens. 
     
     
         4 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein mesh screens comprise metal mesh screens with a plurality of openings. 
     
     
         5 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first filter provides a first resistance to lubricant flow and the second filter provides a second resistance to lubricant flow that is less than the first resistance. 
     
     
         6 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 1 , including a first screen disposed within the first lubricant passage of the lubricant manifold downstream of the first filter and a second screen disposed within the second lubricant passage downstream of the second filter. 
     
     
         7 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first filter and the second filter is proximate a supply output end of the respective one of the first tube and the second tube. 
     
     
         8 . The fan drive gear system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the first filter and the second filter is removably positioned with the respective one of the first tube and the second tube, wherein at least one of the first tube and the second tube is detachably connected to the lubricant manifold at the supply output and detaching the respective one of the first tube and the second tube provides for removing and replacing the at least one of the first filter and the second filter. 
     
     
         9 . A lubrication system for gas turbine engine comprising:
 a main lubricant passage including a main filter;   a lubricant manifold configured to receive lubricant from the main lubricant passage, the lubricant manifold defining a first lubricant passage and a second lubricant passage disposed within a common structure,   a first tube extending from the common structure, the first tube including a first filter for filtering lubricant flow to the first lubricant passage; and   a second tube extending from the common structure, the second tube including a second filter for filtering lubricant flow to the second lubricant passage, wherein the second filter is different than the first filter element.   
     
     
         10 . The lubrication system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first filter is configured to provide lubricant flow at a first condition and the second filter is configured to provide lubricant flow at a second condition different than the first condition. 
     
     
         11 . The lubrication system as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the first condition comprises a first temperature range and the second condition comprises a second temperature range different than the first temperature range and the first filter is operable within the first temperature range and the second filter is operable within the second temperature range. 
     
     
         12 . The lubrication system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first filter comprises a first porosity and the second filter comprises a second porosity different than the first porosity. 
     
     
         13 . The lubrication system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the first filter provides a first resistance to lubricant flow and the second filter provides a second resistance to lubricant flow that is less than the first resistance. 
     
     
         14 . The lubrication system as recited in  claim 9 , including a first screen disposed within the first lubricant passage of the lubricant manifold downstream of the first filter and a second screen disposed within the second lubricant passage downstream of the second filter. 
     
     
         15 . A method of maintaining a fan drive gear system of a turbine engine comprising:
 accessing a connection between a first tube and a lubricant manifold that is configured to supply lubricant to a gear assembly of a fan drive gear system, wherein the lubricant manifold defines a first lubricant passage and a second lubricant passage within a common structure;   removing the first tube from the lubricant manifold and removing a first filter mounted within the first supply tube; and   visually checking the first filter for contaminants.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , including accessing a connection between a second tube in fluid communication with the second lubricant passage of the common structure of the lubricant manifold, removing a second filter and visually checking the second filter for contaminants. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein removing the first filter comprises disconnecting the first tube from the common structure of the lubricant manifold and removing the second filter comprises disconnecting the second tube from the common structure of the lubricant manifold. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in, including replacing the first filter with a filter including a flow characteristic different than a flow characteristic of the second filter.