System for turbomachine vane control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777641-B2
Application number	US-201213721000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2012
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A gas turbine system includes a compressor. The compressor has a plurality of inlet guide vanes disposed at an inlet of the compressor. Furthermore, the compressor may have at least one unison ring coupled to a plurality of variable stator vanes disposed between the inlet and an outlet of the compressor. The gas turbine system includes a first actuator that may adjust a first pitch of the plurality of inlet guide vanes and a second actuator that may adjust a second pitch of the plurality of variable stator vanes. A first electric motor may drive the first actuator, while a second electric motor may drive the second actuator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas turbine system, comprising:
a compressor, comprising:
a plurality of inlet guide vanes disposed at an inlet of the compressor; and
at least one unison ring, wherein each unison ring is coupled to a plurality of variable stator vanes disposed between the inlet and an outlet of the compressor;

a first actuator configured to adjust a first pitch of the plurality of inlet guide vanes;
a second actuator configured to adjust a second pitch of the plurality of variable stator vanes;
a first electric motor configured to drive the first actuator in response to control by a first motor controller; and
a second electric motor configured to drive the second actuator in response to control by a second motor controller, wherein the first and second motor controllers are respectively configured to control the first and second actuators independently in coordination with one another based on a first position feedback from the first actuator and a second position feedback from the second actuator, and wherein the first and second motor controllers are configured to control the first and second actuators independently in coordination with one another to help achieve a targeted flow and pressure profile in the compressor;
wherein each of the first and second actuators comprises:
a housing;
a shaft disposed within a passage of the housing, wherein the passage is configured to axially constrain movement of the shaft;
at least one frusto-conical washer disposed around the shaft; and
a spring coupled to a spring support and configured to resist axial movement of the shaft when the at least one frusto-conical washer contacts the spring support.

2. The gas turbine system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one unison ring comprises first and second unison rings coupled together by a torque tube.

3. The gas turbine system of claim 2 , wherein the first unison ring is coupled to a first plurality of variable stator vanes disposed at a first stator pitch, the second unison ring is coupled to a second plurality of variable stator vanes disposed at a second stator pitch, and the second actuator is configured to adjust the first and second stator pitches by adjusting the torque tube.

4. The gas turbine system of claim 3 , wherein the first and second stator pitches are configured to move in a predetermined ratio relative to one another when the second actuator adjusts the torque tube.

5. The gas turbine system of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined ratio is approximately constant.

6. The gas turbine system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second motor controllers are respectively configured to control the first and second actuators dependent on an operating mode of the gas turbine system, and the operating mode comprises a startup mode or a steady state mode.

7. The gas turbine system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second motor controllers are respectively configured to control the first actuator in a manner dependent on control of the second actuator, or control the second actuator in a manner dependent on control of the first actuator.

8. A gas turbine system, comprising:
a compressor having a plurality of vanes disposed circumferentially about an axis of the compressor;
a first actuator configured to adjust a pitch of the plurality of vanes;
a second actuator configured to adjust the pitch of the plurality of vanes;
a first electric motor configured to drive the first actuator;
a second electric motor configured to drive the second actuator; and
a control system comprising the first and second electric motors, wherein the control system is configured to control the first and second actuators independently in coordination with one another via first and second motor controllers, respectively, and wherein the control system is configured to control the first and second actuators based on a first position feedback from the first actuator and a second position feedback from the second actuator, and wherein the control system is configured to control the first and second actuators independently in coordination with one another, via the first and second motor controllers, to help achieve a targeted flow and pressure profile in the compressor;
wherein each of the first and second actuators comprises:
a housing;
a shaft disposed within a passage of the housing, wherein the passage defines a first physical stop configured to axially constrain movement of the shaft;
at least one frusto-conical washer disposed around the shaft; and
a spring coupled to a spring support defining a second physical stop configured to axially constrain movement of the shaft when the at least one frusto-conical washer contacts the spring support.

9. The gas turbine system of claim 8 , wherein the control system is configured to transmit an input signal to the first motor controller coupled to the first electric motor and the second motor controller coupled to the second electric motor, wherein the input signal is based on a desired pitch of the plurality of vanes.

10. The gas turbine system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second motor controllers are communicatively coupled to each other through first and second serial links.

11. The gas turbine system of claim 8 , wherein the control system comprises the first motor controller configured to receive the first position feedback from the first actuator and the second motor controller configured to receive the second position feedback from the second actuator, and the control system is configured to coordinate control of the first and second electric motors based on the first and second position feedback.

12. The gas turbine system of claim 11 , wherein the first motor controller is configured to receive the second position feedback from the second motor controller, and wherein the first motor controller is configured to send a first motor signal to the first motor based on an input signal, the first position feedback, and the second position feedback.

13. The gas turbine system of claim 12 , wherein the first and second motor controllers are configured to adjust the pitch of the plurality of vanes based on a predetermined shutdown sequence when communication between the control system and the first or second motor controllers is interrupted.

14. The gas turbine system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of vanes comprises a first plurality of inlet guide vanes, a second plurality of variable stator vanes, or both.

15. The gas turbine system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second motor controllers are respectively configured to control the first actuator in a manner dependent on control of the second actuator, or control the second actuator in a manner dependent on control of the first actuator.

16. An actuator system, comprising:
an electric motor;
an actuator configured to be driven by the electric motor;
wherein the actuator comprises:
a housing;
a shaft disposed within a passage of the housing, wherein the passage defines a first physical stop configured to constrain axial movement of the shaft;
at least one frusto-conical washer disposed around the shaft; and
a spring coupled to a spring support defining a second physical stop configured to constrain axial movement of the shaft when the at least one frusto-conical washer contacts the spring support; and

a controller comprising memory and a processor configured to execute instructions to control the electric motor based on sensor feedback relating to operation of a compressor.

17. The actuator system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions comprise a softwar

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kay Cyron Frank
• Maters John Carver

Classifications

• F16D2125/58

  transmitting linear movement · CPC title

• F02C9/20 Primary

  by throttling; by adjusting vanes · CPC title

• F01D17/162

  for axial flow, i.e. the vanes turning around axes which are essentially perpendicular to the rotor centre line (F01D17/167 takes precedence) · CPC title