Propulsion system control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503983-B2
Application number	US-202418755944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2024
Priority date	Dec 21, 2021
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A power system for an aircraft comprises a gas turbine engine, arranged to burn a fuel in a combustor so as to provide power to the aircraft; a plurality of fuel tanks arranged to contain fuel to be used to provide power to the aircraft; and a fuel manager. A first fuel tank of the plurality of fuel tanks is arranged to contain a first fuel, and a second tank of the plurality of fuel tanks is arranged to contain a second, different, fuel. The fuel manager is arranged to store information on the fuel contained in each fuel tank and to control fuel supply so as to take fuel from the second tank for engine start-up, before switching to the first fuel tank.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of modifying an aircraft comprising a gas turbine engine and a plurality of fuel tanks configured to store fuel to power the gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
arranging two fuel tanks of the plurality of fuel tanks to each store a different fuel; and providing a controller configured to control fuel supply to the gas turbine engine so as to:
take fuel from only a second fuel tank of the two fuel tanks for engine start-up before switching to a first fuel tank of the two fuel tanks,
supply fuel from only the first fuel tank to the gas turbine engine when performing operations on the ground after the engine start-up and prior to take-off, and
supply fuel from only the second fuel tank during a majority of in-flight operations.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller is additionally configured to store information on the fuel contained in each fuel tank, and wherein the control of fuel supply is performed based on the stored information.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas turbine engine is either:
(i) configured to provide propulsive power to the aircraft, and comprises: an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades and being configured to be driven by an output from the core shaft; or (ii) an Auxiliary Power Unit of the aircraft.

4 . A method of operating an aircraft comprising a gas turbine engine and a plurality of fuel tanks configured to store fuel to power the gas turbine engine, the method comprising:
arranging two fuel tanks of the plurality of fuel tanks to each store a different fuel; starting the gas turbine engine; providing only fuel from a second fuel tank of the two fuel tanks to the gas turbine engine while starting the gas turbine engine; switching fuel supply from the second fuel tank to a first fuel tank of the two fuel tanks after starting the gas turbine engine; performing operations on the ground after starting the gas turbine engine and prior to take-off; providing fuel only from the first fuel tank to the gas turbine engine while performing the operations on the ground after starting the gas turbine engine and prior to take-off; performing in-flight operations; and providing fuel from only the second fuel tank during a majority of the in-flight operations.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising storing information on the fuel contained in each fuel tank, and wherein the fuel is supplied to the gas turbine engine based on the stored information.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the gas turbine engine is configured to provide propulsive power to the aircraft, and comprises:
an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades and being configured to be driven by an output from the core shaft.

7 . A power system for an aircraft comprising:
a gas turbine engine configured to burn a fuel in a combustor so as to provide power to the aircraft; a plurality of fuel tanks, each configured to contain a fuel to be used to provide power to the aircraft, the plurality of fuel tanks including a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank that are configured to contain different fuels; and a controller configured to store information on fuel contained in each fuel tank and to control fuel supply to the gas turbine engine so as to:
take fuel from only the second fuel tank for engine start-up, before switching to the first fuel tank,
supply fuel from only the first fuel tank to the gas turbine engine when performing operations on the ground after the engine start-up and prior to take-off, and
supply fuel from only the second fuel tank during a majority of in-flight operations.

8 . The power system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control the fuel supply so as to switch from taking fuel from the second fuel tank to taking fuel from the first fuel tank when at least one of the following conditions is met:
(i) fuel at the inlet to the combustor reaches a temperature of 60° C.; (ii) the gas turbine engine has been running for a period of 30 seconds; and (iii) the gas turbine engine has reached idle operation.

9 . The power system of claim 7 , wherein the first fuel tank is configured to contain a sustainable aviation fuel and the second fuel tank is configured to contain a fossil-based hydrocarbon fuel.

10 . The power system of claim 7 , wherein the gas turbine engine is an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU).

11 . The power system of claim 10 , wherein the APU is configured to be active only during ground-based operations.

12 . The power system of claim 10 , wherein the first fuel tank is exclusively dedicated to the APU such that fuel from the first fuel tank is not configured to be provided to any other gas turbine engine of the aircraft.

13 . The power system of claim 10 , wherein the first fuel tank is configured to provide fuel to the APU when performing operations on the ground, and to serve as a trim tank in flight.

14 . The power system of claim 10 , wherein the APU is not configured to provide any propulsive power to the aircraft.

15 . The power system of claim 7 , wherein the gas turbine engine is configured to provide propulsive power to the aircraft, and comprises:
an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades and being configured to be driven by an output from the core shaft.

16 . The power system of claim 13 , wherein the fuel in the first fuel tank is selected such that the gas turbine engine can be run on the fuel in the first fuel tank alone.

17 . The power system of claim 7 , wherein each fuel tank is configured to contain a different sustainable aviation fuel or a different proportion of a sustainable aviation fuel.

18 . The power system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control fuel input to the gas turbine engine in flight by selection of a specific fuel or fuel combination from at least one of the plurality of fuel tanks.

19 . A power system for an aircraft comprising:
a gas turbine engine configured to burn a fuel in a combustor so as to provide power to the aircraft; a plurality of fuel tanks, each configured to contain a fuel to be used to provide power to the aircraft, the plurality of fuel tanks including a first fuel tank and a second fuel tank that are configured to contain different fuels, wherein the first fuel tank is a trim tank of the aircraft, and the first fuel tank contains sustainable aviation fuel, and a controller configured to store information on fuel contained in each fuel tank and to control fuel supply to the gas turbine engine so as to:
take fuel from the second fuel tank for engine start-up, before switching to the first fuel tank, and
supply the sustainable aviation fuel from the first fuel tank to the gas turbine engine when performing operations on the ground after the engine start-up and prior to take-off so that the sustainable aviation fuel in the first fuel tank is used up performing the operations on the ground and the first fuel tank is at least substantially empty and available to receive fuel pumped thereinto in flight.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Swann Peter
• Bemment Craig W
• Hobday Alastair G
• Keeler Benjamin J
• Madden Christopher P

Classifications

• F01D19/00

  Starting of machines or engines; Regulating, controlling, or safety means in connection therewith (warming-up before starting F01D25/10; turning or inching gear F01D25/34) · CPC title

• F05D2220/323

  for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines · CPC title

• F05D2270/71

  synthesized, i.e. parameter computed by a mathematical model · CPC title

• F05D2260/83

  Testing, e.g. methods, components or tools therefor · CPC title

• F05D2270/07

  to improve fuel economy · CPC title