Control of gas turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9382849-B2
Application number	US-201414509502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2009
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for controlling a fuel supply for a turbine or other engine using direct and/or indirect indications of power output and optionally one or more secondary control parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a fuel flow rate for an aircraft-mounted turbine engine, the method comprising:
supplying fuel at a commanded fuel flow rate to operate the engine at a commanded engine output power;
receiving a first measurement indicative of an output power of the engine;
comparing a second measurement indicative of the output power of the engine to the first measurement to determine whether the first measurement is correct;
when the comparison indicates the first measurement is incorrect, determining a corrected fuel flow rate; and then
supplying fuel at the corrected fuel flow rate.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , comprising holding the corrected fuel flow rate at the commanded fuel flow rate associated with a most recent previous first measurement determined to be correct.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the corrected fuel flow rate is calculated.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the corrected fuel flow rate is determined based on an alternate parameter indicative of a desired power output.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the alternate parameter is selected from the group consisting of propeller speed, shaft torque, differential engine oil pressure measured across a reduction gearbox, gas generator speed or inter turbine temperature, shaft stress and shaft strain.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising, after the passing of a time interval, determining whether the first measurement indicative of an output power of the engine is correct and if the first measurement is determined to be incorrect, determining a corrected fuel flow rate based on an alternate parameter indicative of a desired power output.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the alternate parameter is selected from the group consisting of gas generator speed and inter turbine temperature.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second measurement comprises an acceleration of at least one portion of an aircraft.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second measurement comprises at least one of an engine operating temperature, an engine operating pressure, an air temperature, and an air pressure.

10. A method of controlling a fuel supply to an aircraft-mounted turbine engine, the method comprising:
supplying fuel at a current fuel flow rate to operate the engine at a desired engine output power;
reading a primary measurement indicative of an output power of the engine;
reading a secondary measurement confirming an accuracy of the primary measurement;
determining whether the current fuel flow rate is correct based on the output power of the engine;
if the current fuel flow rate is determined to be incorrect, calculating a corrected fuel flow rate; and then
supplying fuel at the corrected fuel flow rate.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the primary measurement comprises a signal from a phase shift torque probe.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the primary measurement is indicative of a differential oil pressure across a reduction gearbox.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the secondary measurement comprises an inter turbine temperature.

14. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the secondary measurement comprises an acceleration of at least one portion of an aircraft.

15. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the secondary measurement comprises an altitude of an aircraft.

16. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein the secondary measurement comprises gas generator speed.

17. The method as defined in claim 10 , comprising determining whether the current fuel flow rate is correct based on a power setting set by a pilot.

18. The method as defined in claim 10 , comprising determining whether the current fuel flow rate is correct based on a power setting set by an automatic flight control system.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Duke Brant
• Jarvo Jim R
• Lachance Benoit
• Shafique Harris

Classifications

• F01D25/18 Primary

  Lubricating arrangements (of machines or engines in general F01M) · CPC title

• Y02T50/671

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02C3/145

  the combustion chamber being in the reverse flow-type · CPC title

• F02C9/28 Primary

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

• F02C7/22

  Fuel supply systems · CPC title