Method for optimizing the operability of an aircraft propulsive unit, and self-contained power unit for implementing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9404419-B2
Application number	US-201113816965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2011
Priority date	Aug 25, 2010
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A method for optimizing operability of an aircraft propulsive unit, and a self-contained power unit implementing the method. The method removes mechanical bleed constraints in engines during transient flight phases of an aircraft to optimize operability of the engine assembly during the phases. To this end, a supply of power is provided, particularly during the phases, by an additional indirectly propulsive engine power source. The method for optimizing operability of the propulsive unit of an aircraft including main engines as main drive sources includes, using a main engine power unit GPP as a power source, providing all the non-propulsive power and, during the transient engine phases, at most partially providing additional power to the body of the main engines.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for optimizing operability of an engine set of an aircraft including main engines as main drive sources, the method comprising:
by a main power source including an engine other than the main engines as a drive source, producing a totality of non-propulsive energy including during a phase of operating the main engines when none of the main engines have failed; and
during one or more transient phases of the main engines, producing a portion of propulsive energy less than a totality of the propulsive energy, by the main power source supplying a power to a high-pressure body of the main engines to increase a surge margin between a working line of at least one of the main engines and a surge line of the at least one of the main engines.

2. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which the power supplied to the high-pressure body of the main engines is produced by an electric generator fitting the main power source in collaboration with an electric starter of the main engines converted into a drive.

3. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which the power supplied to the high-pressure body of the main engines is produced by a bleed of compressed air from the main power source in collaboration with an air starter of the main engines converted into a drive.

4. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which the main power source provides the power to the high-pressure body of the main engines to increase an acceleration rate.

5. An optimization method according to claim 4 , in which the acceleration rate that is increased is associated with an idle adjusted at a lower level than an idle determined by a capacity of autonomy of a gas generator of the main engines.

6. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which, in a steady-state phase as well as in a transient phase, the main power source supplies the power to the high-pressure body of the main engines through energy supplies corresponding to the phase.

7. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which, in an event of a failure of a main engine, the main power source supplies power to the high-pressure body of a sound main engine so that the sound main engine has an acceleration rate such that a surge margin of the sound main engine permits acceleration of the high-pressure body of the sound main engine when a flight circumstance requires a re-throttle up.

8. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which the one or more transient phases of the main engines include at least one of acceleration phases, failure cases, and functioning at an idle speed.

9. An optimization method according to claim 1 , in which the aircraft includes energy-consuming equipment, a cabin in which air is renewed and temperature and/or pressure of which are regulated by a regulation system, and a flight control unit, the main power source being built into a compartment insulated from other zones of the aircraft with a fireproof bulkhead and fitted with an outside-air intake and an exhaust nozzle, and
the main power source is fitted with a gas generator and with a power turbine, the method further comprising:
by the power turbine, driving the equipment including a supercharger, the supercharger being coupled, via a regulation control which communicates with the control unit, with the regulation system to supply necessary pneumatic energy to the cabin.

10. An optimization method according to claim 9 , in which the main power source is coupled with a recovery structure that includes an energy-recovery turbine to drive the equipment with the power turbine and that is coupled, on an air-inlet side, with an outlet of the cabin, the supercharger being built into this recovery structure as a supplier of the pneumatic energy to the cabin, the method further comprising:
by the energy-recovery turbine, cooling, on an air-outlet side, the equipment.

11. An optimization method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
by the energy-recovery turbine, ejecting, on the air-outlet side, an air flow into the compartment of the main power source which, after the air flow has cooled the equipment and auxiliary equipment contained in an aft compartment, and evacuating the air flow into an exhaust nozzle by a jet pump action resulting from efflux velocity of hot air flow coming out of the power turbine.

Assignees

• Haillot Jean-Michel
• Turbomeca

Inventors

• Haillot Jean-Michel

Classifications

• F05D2220/50

  for auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title

• F02C9/18

  by bleeding, bypassing or acting on variable working fluid interconnections between turbines or compressors or their stages {(F02C3/113 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B64D41/00

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• B64D2013/0611

  combined with auxiliary power units (APU's) · CPC title

• F02C7/32 Primary

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title