Methods and systems for controlling operation of aircraft engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683099-B2
Application number	US-201715427162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method and a system for controlling operation of an engine of an aircraft. A first engine power limit associated with a thrust limit for a propeller coupled to the engine is obtained. The first engine power limit is compared to a second engine power limit associated with a mechanical limit for the engine and to a third engine power limit associated with a thermal limit for the engine. A maximum engine power limit is set at a lowest value of the first, second, and third engine power limits.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling operation of an engine of an aircraft, comprising:
obtaining, at a controller of the engine, a first engine power limit associated with a thrust limit of a propeller coupled to the engine;
comparing, at the controller, the first engine power limit to a second engine power limit associated with a mechanical limit for the engine and to a third engine power limit associated with a thermal limit for the engine;
selecting, at the controller, from the first engine power limit, the second engine power limit, and the third engine power limit the one having a lowest value; and
setting a maximum engine power limit of the engine to the selected one of the first, second, and third engine power limits.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the first engine power limit comprises receiving the first engine power limit from a propeller control system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the first engine power limit comprises:
obtaining an engine output power for the engine while in operation; and
determining the first engine power limit based on the engine output power and at least one external aircraft condition.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one external aircraft condition comprises at least one of a forward airspeed, an operating altitude, and an ambient temperature.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving at least one propeller operation condition, wherein determining the first engine power limit is based on the engine output power, the at least one external aircraft condition, and the at least one propeller operation condition.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one propeller operation condition comprises at least one of a propeller rotational speed, a propeller blade pitch angle, and a propeller blade efficiency.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein obtaining the engine output power comprises receiving, at an engine control system, the engine output power from a propeller control system, wherein the determining, comparing, and setting is performed by the engine control system.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining at least one of the second and third engine power limits from a lookup table based on at least one external aircraft condition.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining at least one of the second and third engine power limits comprises dynamically determining the third power limit based on changes to the at least one external aircraft condition.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining an updated first engine power limit;
comparing the updated first engine power limit to the second and third engine power limits; and
setting the maximum engine power limit at a lowest value of the updated first engine power limit, the second engine power limit, and the third engine power limit.

11. A system for controlling operation of an engine of an aircraft, comprising:
a processing unit; and
a non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon program instructions executable by the processing unit for:
obtaining, at a controller of the engine, a first engine power limit associated with a thrust limit for a propeller coupled to the engine;
comparing, at the controller, the first engine power limit to a second engine power limit associated with a mechanical limit for the engine and to a third engine power limit associated with a thermal limit for the engine;
selecting, at the controller, from the first engine power limit, the second engine power limit, and the third engine power limit the one having a lowest value; and
setting a maximum engine power limit of the engine to the selected one of the first, second, and third engine power limits.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the first engine power limit comprises receiving the first engine power limit from a propeller control system.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein obtaining the first engine power limit comprises:
obtaining an engine output power for the engine while in operation; and
determining the first engine power limit based on the engine output power and at least one external aircraft condition.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one external aircraft condition comprises at least one of a forward airspeed, an operating altitude, and an ambient temperature.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing unit for receiving at least one propeller operation condition, wherein determining the first engine power limit is based on the engine output power, the at least one external aircraft condition, and the at least one propeller operation condition.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one propeller operation condition comprises at least one of a propeller rotational speed, a propeller blade pitch angle, and a propeller blade efficiency.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein obtaining the engine output power comprises receiving, at an engine control system, the engine output power from a propeller control system, wherein the determining, comparing, and setting is performed by the engine control system.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing unit for determining at least one of the second and third engine power limits from a lookup table based on at least one external aircraft condition.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein determining at least one of the second and third engine power limits comprises dynamically determining the third engine power limit based on changes to the at least one external aircraft condition.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing unit for:
obtaining an updated first engine power limit for the engine;
comparing the updated first engine power limit to the second and third engine power limits; and
setting the maximum engine power limit at a lowest value of the updated first engine power limit, the second engine power limit, and the third engine power limit.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Lisio Carmine
• Labrecque Michel

Classifications

• B64D31/00 Primary

  Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft · CPC title

• B64D31/06 Primary

  actuated automatically · CPC title

• F02C9/00 Primary

  Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants (controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05) · CPC title

• F05D2270/114

  by limiting mechanical stresses · CPC title

• F05D2270/05

  to affect the output of the engine · CPC title