Model predictive control sub-system power management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655494-B2
Application number	US-201816163277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2018
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A system for controlling a plurality of electromechanical effectors operably connected to an engine to control engine parameters. The system also includes a plurality of sensors operably connected to measure a state or parameter of each effector, a power supply configured to supply power to the plurality of effectors, and a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensors, the plurality of effectors, and the power supply. The controller executes a method for an adaptive model-based control for controlling each effector, The method includes receiving a request indicative of a desired state for each effector, receiving a weighting associated each request, obtaining information about a current state of each effector, and updating an adaptive model based control (MBC) based upon the information. The method also includes generating a control command for an effector based upon the adaptive MBC and commanding the effector based upon the control command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a plurality of electromechanical effectors of a gas turbine engine system, the method comprising:
receiving a request indicative of a desired state for each effector of the plurality of effectors;
receiving a weighting associated with each request;
obtaining information about a current state and at least one previous state of each effector of the plurality of effectors; wherein the current state includes at least one of an effector position and an effector current draw;
updating model data information in an adaptive model based control (MBC) based upon the obtained information;
generating at least one control command for at least one effector of the plurality of effectors based upon the adaptive model based control; and
commanding the at least one effector of the plurality of effectors based upon the generated at least one control command.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including determining at least one of a constraint, an objective, an operational parameter or characteristic, a weighting, and an initial condition, for the adaptive model-based control system.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including adapting the adaptive model based control system based on the at least one of the constraint, the objective, the initial condition, and the model characteristic.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the adapting comprises modifying the model, constraints, and control parameters using information obtained about the current state of the effector.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining information about the current state and previous state of the effector comprises obtaining information about at least one of: an effector position, an effector speed, an effector current, a sensor, a sensing system, and a total current or power for the plurality of effectors.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating step comprises identifying at least one reduced current requirement for the at least one effector of the plurality of effectors.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a total current required for the plurality of effectors based on the at least one reduced current requirement is less than a selected threshold.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected threshold is less than a cumulative current requirement for the plurality of effectors without the at least one reduced current requirement.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating step comprises utilizing an quadratic programming optimizing method to determine the control command given the current state of the effector, the objective function, and the constraints and the weightings.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effector is an electromechanical actuator driven from a power supply, the power supply having a current rating lower than the cumulative current ratings of the effectors.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromechanical actuator includes a motor and a motor controller.

12. An adaptable model-based control system for controlling a plurality of electromechanical effectors of gas turbine engine, the system comprising:
a plurality of sensors operably connected to measure a state or parameter of each effector of the plurality of effectors, the plurality of effectors operably connected to the engine to control a plurality of engine parameters;
a power supply configured to supply power to the plurality of effectors; and
a controller operably connected to the plurality of sensors, the plurality of effectors, and the power supply, the controller configured to execute a method for an adaptive model-based control for controlling each effector, the method comprising:
receiving a request indicative of a desired state for each effector of the plurality of effectors;
receiving a weighting associated with each request;
obtaining information about a current state and previous states of each effector of the plurality of effectors; wherein the current state includes at least one of an effector position and an effector current draw;
updating model data information in an adaptive model based control (MBC) based upon the obtained information;
generating at least one control command for at least one effector of the plurality of effectors based upon the adaptive model based control; and
commanding the at least one effector of the plurality of effectors based upon the generated at least one control command.

13. The system of claim 12 , further including the controller determining at least one of a constraint, an objective, an operational parameter or characteristic, a weighting, and an initial condition, for the adaptive model-based control system.

14. The system of claim 12 , further including the controller adapting the model based control system based on the at least one of the constraint, the objective, the initial condition, and the model characteristic, wherein the adapting comprises modifying the model, constraints, and control parameters using information obtained about the current state of the effector.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the obtaining information about the current state and previous state of the effector comprises obtaining information about at least one of: an effector position, an effector speed, an effector current, a sensor, a sensing system, and a total current or total power for the plurality of effectors.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the updating step comprises updating at least one of: a state, a variable, a parameter, a constraint, an objective function, and an initial condition.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the generating step comprises identifying at least one reduced current requirement for the at least one effector of the plurality of effectors.

18. The system, of claim 17 , wherein a total current required for the plurality of effectors based on the at least one reduced current requirement is less than a selected threshold.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the selected threshold is less than a cumulative current requirement for the plurality of effectors without the at least one reduced current requirement.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the generating step comprises utilizing an quadratic programming optimizing method to determine the control command given the current state of the effector, the objective function, and the constraints and the weightings.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the effector is an electromechanical actuator driven from a power supply, the power supply having a current rating lower than the cumulative current ratings of the effectors.

22. The method of claim 21 , where the electromechanical actuator includes a motor and a motor controller.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Amari Martin Richard
• Adams Joshua
• Dhingra Manuj
• Crowley Timothy J
• Wood Coy Bruce

Classifications

• F05D2270/70

  Type of control algorithm · CPC title

• G05B13/024

  in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title

• F05D2260/81

  Modelling or simulation · CPC title

• F05D2270/301

  Pressure · CPC title

• F05D2270/44

  active, predictive, or anticipative · CPC title