Transient control of a thermal transport bus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946378-B2
Application number	US-202217719379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2022
Priority date	Apr 13, 2022
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A method of transient control of a thermal transport bus of a turbomachine includes measuring a measured temperature and a measured pressure of a working fluid; determining a selected run state of a turbomachine, wherein the selected run state is one of a plurality of run states; selecting a desired operating condition comprising a desired temperature range and a desired pressure range as a function of a desired state of the working fluid; comparing the measured temperature with the desired temperature range, and comparing the measured pressure with the desired pressure range; and modulating control of the thermal transport bus as a function of the comparing of the measured temperature with the desired temperature range and the comparing of the measured pressure with the desired pressure range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of transient control of a thermal transport bus of a turbomachine comprising:
a turbomachine operable in a plurality of run states;
a thermal transport bus of the turbomachine, wherein the thermal transport bus comprises a working fluid;
a processor;
a temperature sensor that sends a temperature output signal to the processor;
a pressure sensor that sends a pressure output signal to the processor;
wherein the processor directs modulation of thermal transport bus control handles and turbomachine control handles to bring the working fluid into a desired fluid state by:
determining the desired fluid state to bring the working fluid into based on a selected run state signal, the selected run state signal indicating a current one of the plurality of run states in which the turbomachine is operating;
comparing the temperature output signal with a desired temperature range signal, the desired temperature range signal corresponding to the desired fluid state;
comparing the pressure output signal with a desired pressure range signal, the desired pressure range signal corresponding to the desired fluid state;
generating a thermal transport bus control signal and a turbomachine control signal as a function of the comparing of the temperature output signal with the desired temperature range signal and the comparing of the pressure output signal with the desired pressure range signal;
sending the thermal transport bus control signal to the thermal transport bus control handles; and
sending the turbomachine control signal to the turbomachine control handles.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said turbomachine is an aircraft engine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said thermal transport bus control handles include a pump, and wherein said thermal transport bus control signal directs the pump to modulate a speed thereof to bring the working fluid into the desired fluid state.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said thermal transport bus control handles include bypass values for a plurality of heat exchangers, and wherein said thermal transport bus control signal directs the bypass values to modify which ones of the plurality of heat exchangers the working fluid is flowing through to bring the working fluid into the desired fluid state.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said desired temperature range signal and said desired pressure range signal are indicative of ranges of temperature and pressure values for the working fluid that are adapted to avoid coking of a fuel combusted in the turbomachine when operating in the current one of the plurality of run states indicated by the selected run state signal.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said desired temperature range signal and said desired pressure range signal are indicative of ranges of temperature and pressure values for the working fluid that are adapted to avoid exceeding temperature limits for said turbomachine when operating in the current one of the plurality of run states indicated by the selected run state signal.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said thermal transport bus comprises a pump, and wherein said desired temperature range signal and said desired pressure range signal are indicative of ranges of temperature and pressure values for the working fluid that are adapted to maintain an operating state of the working fluid in said pump.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of run states include a start up operation of the turbomachine, a shutdown operation of the turbomachine, a cruising operation of the turbomachine, and a high power operation of the turbomachine.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of run states are associated with a different respective load condition of the turbomachine.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of run states are associated with a different respective thrust output demand for the turbomachine.

11. A method of transient control of a thermal transport bus of a turbomachine comprising:
measuring a measured temperature and a measured pressure of a working fluid at at least one point on the thermal transport bus;
determining a selected run state of the turbomachine, wherein the selected run state is a current one of a plurality of run states in which the turbomachine is operating;
determining a desired fluid state to bring the working fluid into based on the selected run state of the turbomachine;
selecting a desired temperature range and a desired pressure range for the working fluid that correspond to the a desired fluid state;
comparing the measured temperature with the desired temperature range, and comparing the measured pressure with the desired pressure range; and
modulating thermal transport bus control handles and turbomachine control handles as a function of the comparing of the measured temperature with the desired temperature range and the comparing of the measured pressure with the desired pressure range to bring the working fluid into the desired fluid state.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said turbomachine comprises an aircraft engine.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said thermal transport bus control handles include a pump, and wherein said modulating of the thermal transport bus control handles comprises modulating a speed of the pump to bring the working fluid into the desired fluid state.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said thermal transport bus control handles include bypass values for a plurality of heat exchangers, and wherein said modulating of the thermal transport bus control handles comprises directing the bypass values to modify which ones of the plurality of heat exchangers the working fluid is flowing through to bring the working fluid into the desired fluid state.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said desired temperature range and said desired pressure range are indicative of ranges of temperature and pressure values for the working fluid that are adapted to avoid coking of a fuel combusted in the turbomachine when operating in the current one of the plurality of run states.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said desired temperature range and said desired pressure range are indicative of ranges of temperature and pressure values for the working fluid that are adapted to avoid exceeding temperature limits for said turbomachine when operating in the current one of the plurality of run states.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said thermal transport bus comprising a pump, and wherein said desired temperature range and said desired pressure range are indicative of ranges of temperature and pressure values for the working fluid that are adapted to maintain an operating state of the working fluid in said pump.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of run states include a start-up operation of the turbomachine, a shutdown operation of the turbomachine, a cruising operation of the turbomachine, and a high power operation of the turbomachine.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of run states are associated with a different respective load condition of the turbomachine.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of run states are associated with a different respective thrust output demand for the turbomachine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Westervelt Eric R
• Cafaro Stefan Joseph
• Reepmeyer James R
• Ma Terry Hei Tsun

Classifications

• F01D21/003 Primary

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title

• F01D17/085

  to temperature · CPC title

• F02C7/141

  of working fluid · CPC title

• F02C7/185 Primary

  Cooling means for reducing the temperature of the cooling air or gas · CPC title

• F02C9/28

  Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed (F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence) · CPC title