Position sensor for variable vane assembly and method for calibrating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12098647-B2
Application number	US-202217719037-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2022
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A method for calibrating a position sensor of a variable vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes positioning an actuator member in at least one predetermined position, determining a first measured position of the actuator member in the at least one predetermined position with a first channel of a position sensor, determining a second measured position of the actuator member in the at least one predetermined position with a second channel of a position sensor, determining a measured position difference between the first measured position and the second measured position, and calibrating the second channel of the position sensor by adjusting the second measured position by the measured position difference to determine a second calibrated position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A variable vane assembly for a gas turbine engine, the variable vane assembly comprising:
a plurality of variable vanes disposed about an axial centerline, each variable vane of the plurality of variable vanes rotatable about a respective vane axis;
an actuator including an actuator member configured to rotate at least one variable vane of the plurality of variable vanes, the actuator member positionable in a plurality of actuator positions to rotate the at least one variable vane;
a position sensor including a first position channel and a second position channel, the first position channel configured to determine a first measured position of the actuator member in the plurality of actuator positions, the second position channel configured to determine a second measured position of the actuator member in the plurality of actuator positions, and the first position channel and the second position channel are configured to independently determine the first measured position and the second measured position, respectively; and
a controller in signal communication with the position sensor and the actuator, the controller including memory having instructions stored therein which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
position the actuator member in a first predetermined actuator position, the first predetermined actuator position is one of the plurality of actuator positions;
determine the first measured position of the actuator member at the first predetermined actuator position with the first position channel and determine the second measured position of the actuator member at the first predetermined actuator position with the second position channel;
determine a first measured position difference between the first measured position at the first predetermined actuator position and the second measured position at the first predetermined actuator position; and
calibrate the second channel of the position sensor by adjusting the second measured position using the first measured position difference to determine a second calibrated position of the second position channel for the plurality of actuator positions.

2. The variable vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the memory has instructions stored therein which when executed by the controller, cause the controller to determine the first measured position, determine the second measured position, and determine the first measured position difference automatically as the actuator member moves from a first actuator position to a second actuator position, the first predetermined actuator position located between the first actuator position and the second actuator position.

3. The variable vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the memory has instructions stored therein which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to control the plurality of variable vanes based on at least the second calibrated position.

4. The variable vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined actuator position is a mid-stroke calibration position of the actuator member.

5. The variable vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the memory has instructions stored therein which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
position the actuator member in a second predetermined actuator position, the second predetermined actuator position is one of the plurality of actuator positions different than the first predetermined actuator position;
determine the first measured position of the actuator member at the second predetermined actuator position with the first position channel and determine the second measured position of the actuator member at the second predetermined actuator position with the second position channel;
determine a second measured position difference between the first measured position at the second predetermined actuator position and the second measured position at the second predetermined actuator position; and
calibrate the second channel of the position sensor by adjusting the second measured position using the first measured position difference and the second measured position difference to determine, with the second position channel, the second calibrated position of the second position channel for the plurality of actuator positions.

6. The variable vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the memory has instructions stored therein which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
position the actuator member in a second predetermined actuator position, the second predetermined actuator position is one of the plurality of actuator positions different than the first predetermined actuator position;
determine the first measured position of the actuator member at the second predetermined actuator position with the first position channel and determine the second measured position of the actuator member at the second predetermined actuator position with the second position channel;
determine a second measured position difference between the first measured position at the second predetermined actuator position and the second measured position at the second predetermined actuator position; and
calibrate the second channel of the position sensor by adjusting the second measured position using:
the first measured position difference where a current actuator position of the actuator member is closer to the first predetermined actuator position than the second predetermined actuator position; or
the second measured position difference where the current actuator position of the actuator member is closer to the second predetermined actuator position than the first predetermined actuator position.

7. The variable vane assembly of claim 1 , wherein the memory has instructions stored therein which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
determine the first measured position difference exceeds a predetermined difference threshold; and
calibrate the second channel of the position sensor in response to determining the first measured position difference exceeds the predetermined difference threshold.

8. A gas turbine engine comprising:
a rotatable shaft; and
a compressor including at least one rotor assembly mounted to the rotatable shaft and at least one stator assembly, the at least one stator assembly including a variable vane assembly comprising:
a plurality of variable vanes disposed about an axial centerline, each variable vane of the plurality of variable vanes rotatable about a respective vane axis;
an actuator including an actuator member configured to rotate at least one variable vane of the plurality of variable vanes, the actuator member positionable in a plurality of actuator positions to rotate the at least one variable vane;
a position sensor including a first position channel and a second position channel, the first position channel configured to determine a first measured position of the actuator member in the plurality of actuator positions, the second position channel configured to determine a second measured position of the actuator member in the plurality of actuator positions; and
a controller in signal communication with the position sensor and the actuator, the controller including memory having instructions stored therein which, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to:
position the actuator member in a first predetermined actuator position, the first predetermined actuator position is one of the plurality of actuator positions;
determine the first measured position of the actuator member at the first predetermined position with the first position channel and determine the second measured position of the actuator member at the first predetermined actuator position with the second po

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Chahal Jasraj
• Beauchesne-Martel Philippe
• Mccarthy Sean

Classifications

• G01B21/042

  Calibration or calibration artifacts (G01B3/30, G01B9/02072 take precedence) · CPC title

• F05D2270/821

  Displacement measuring means, e.g. inductive · CPC title

• F05D2270/802

  Calibration thereof · CPC title

• F01D17/02

  Arrangement of sensing elements · CPC title

• F01D21/003

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