Gap Design Process and Strategy for EGT Optimization and Performance Improvement Using CCA-ACC

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture are disclosed to illustrate a clearance design process and strategy with CCA‑ACC optimization for exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and performance improvement. In some examples, the apparatus includes a casing surrounding at least a portion of a turbine engine, at least a portion of which includes a turbine or a compressor. The apparatus further includes a first source for obtaining external air; a second source for obtaining cooled cooling air; a heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of the cooled cooling air; and a casing cooler that provides active clearance control air to the casing to control deflection of the casing, wherein the active clearance control air is a combination of external air and cooled cooling air, and the casing cooler is connected to the heat exchanger using a first valve, and the first valve is triggered by a first control signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to a clearance design process and strategy with active clearance control (ACC) optimization of cooled cooling air (CCA) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and performance improvement. Background Art

[0002] A gas turbine engine typically includes an inlet section, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section in a series flow sequence. In operation, air enters the inlet section and flows to the compressor section, where one or more axial compressors gradually compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel mixes with the compressed air and burns within the combustion section, thereby producing combustion gases. The combustion gases flow from the combustion section through a hot gas path defined within the turbine section and then exit the turbine section via the exhaust section.

[0003] Generally, it is desirable for a gas turbine engine to maintain a clearance between the tips of blades in the gas turbine engine and stationary components of the gas turbine engine (e.g., gas turbine engine casing, stator, etc.). During operation, the gas turbine engine is exposed to thermal loads (e.g., hot and cold air pumped into the gas turbine engine, etc.) and mechanical loads (e.g., centrifugal forces on blades on the gas turbine engine, etc.), which can expand and contract the gas turbine engine casing and rotor. The expansion and contraction of the gas turbine engine casing can change the clearance between the blade tips and stationary components of the gas turbine engine. There is an ongoing need to control the clearance between the blade tips and the engine casing, which fluctuates during normal operation of the gas turbine engine, to achieve tighter clearances to achieve better performance and avoid damage to the gas turbine engine (e.g., wear, breakage, etc.). Summary of the invention

[0004] Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for a gap design process and strategy with CCA and ACC optimization for EGT and performance improvement.

[0005] Certain examples provide an apparatus comprising a casing surrounding at least a portion of a turbine engine, at least a portion of which includes a turbine or a compressor; a first compressor for obtaining outside air; a second compressor for obtaining cooled cooling air; a heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of the cooled cooling air provided by the second compressor, the heat exchanger being triggered by a first control signal; and a casing cooler providing active clearance control air to the casing to control deflection of the casing, wherein the active clearance control air is a combination of outside air and cooled cooling air from the first compressor, the casing cooler being coupled to the heat exchanger using a first valve, the first valve being triggered by a second control signal.

[0006] Certain examples provide an apparatus comprising a casing surrounding at least a portion of a turbine engine, at least a portion of which includes a turbine or a compressor; a first compressor for obtaining outside air; a second compressor for obtaining cooled cooling air; a mixer for producing hot mixed air by mixing outside air provided by the first compressor and cooled cooling air provided by the second compressor, the mixer regulating the temperature of the hot mixed air, the mixer being triggered by a first control signal; and a casing cooler for providing the hot mixed air from the mixer to the casing to control deflection of the casing, the casing cooler being connected to the mixer using a first valve, the first valve being triggered by a second control signal.

[0007] Certain examples provide a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to obtain a condition parameter from at least a sensor device in a turbine engine; monitor the condition parameter; determine when the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between a blade tip and a casing that surrounds at least a portion of the turbine engine; in response to determining that the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between the blade tip and the casing: transmit a first control signal to adjust a flow rate of a valve to increase airflow; and transmit a second control signal to adjust a temperature of airflow through at least a portion of the turbine engine.

[0008] Certain examples provide an engine controller including a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the memory including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to at least: obtain a condition parameter from a sensor device in a turbine engine; monitor the condition parameter; determine when the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between a blade tip and a casing that surrounds at least a portion of the turbine engine; in response to determining that the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between the blade tip and the casing: transmit a first control signal to adjust a flow rate of a valve to increase airflow; and transmit a second control signal to adjust a temperature of airflow through at least a portion of the turbine engine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of an exemplary gas turbine engine according to the teachings disclosed herein.

[0010] 2A and 2B are block diagrams of exemplary prior art active clearance control (ACC) and cooled cooling air (CCA) systems.

[0011] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example controller of an example CCA-ACC system according to embodiments disclosed herein.

[0012] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary CCA-ACC system according to the teachings disclosed herein.

[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an alternative exemplary CCA-ACC system according to the teachings disclosed herein.

[0014] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A process control diagram of an exemplary interaction between an exemplary engine sensor, an exemplary controller, an exemplary heat exchanger, and three exemplary valves of an exemplary CCA-ACC system.

[0015] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A process control diagram of an exemplary interaction between an exemplary engine sensor, an exemplary controller, an exemplary mixer, and three exemplary valves of an exemplary CCA-ACC system.

[0016] 8A, 8B are exemplary graphical representations of gaps in an exemplary prior art ACC system.

[0017] Figures 9A and 9B are used for Figure 4 , 5 An exemplary graphical representation of the gaps of an exemplary CCA-ACC system.

[0018] Fig.10 yes Figure 4 , 5 An exemplary graphical representation of Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) and Time-on-Wing (TOW) improvements for an exemplary CCA-ACC system.

[0019] Fig.11 is used for an exemplary existing ACC system and Figure 4 , 5 Example graph of typical two-dimensional gap closure for a conventional compressor of an exemplary CCA-ACC system.

[0020] FIG. 12 is an exemplary schematic diagram of relative radial motion of a compressor rotor without an ACC system.

[0021] Fig.13 is used for Figure 4 , 5 An exemplary schematic diagram of the relative radial movement of the compressor rotor of an exemplary CCA-ACC system.

[0022] Fig.14 is a flowchart representing machine readable instructions that may be executed to combine Figure 4 An exemplary CCA-ACC system is implemented Figure 3 An exemplary controller of .

[0023] Fig.15 is a flowchart representing machine readable instructions that may be executed to combine Figure 5 An exemplary CCA-ACC system is implemented Figure 3 An exemplary controller of .

[0024] Fig.16 is constructed to execute Fig.14 , 15 Instructions to implement Figure 3 A block diagram of an exemplary processing platform of an exemplary controller.

[0025] The drawings are not drawn to scale. Instead, the thickness of a layer or region may be exaggerated in the drawings. Although the drawings show layers and regions with clear lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and / or boundaries may be idealized. In practice, boundaries and / or lines may be unobservable, mixed and / or irregular. In general, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the accompanying written description to represent the same or similar components. As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "above" describes the relationship of two components relative to the earth. If the second component has at least one component between the earth and the first component, the first component is above the second component. Similarly, as used herein, when the first component is closer to the earth than the second component, the first component is "below" the second component. As described above, the first component may be above or below the second component, with one or more of the following: having one or more other components between them, having no other components between them, the first component and the second component are in contact, or the first component and the second component are not in direct contact with each other. As used in this patent, the statement that any component (e.g., layer, film, area, region, or plate) is in any way on another component (e.g., located on another component, positioned on another component, disposed on another component, or formed on another component, etc.), indicates that the referenced component is either in contact with another component, or the referenced component is above another component (with one or more intermediate components located therebetween). As used herein, unless otherwise specified, connection references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and joined) may include intermediate members between the elements to which the connection references refer and / or relative movement between those elements. As such, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and / or in fixed relation to each other. As used herein, the statement that any component is "in contact with" another component is defined to mean that there are no intermediate components between the two components.

[0026] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors such as "first", "second", "third", etc., used herein do not imply or otherwise indicate any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or ordering in any manner, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish elements for ease of understanding of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while a different descriptor may be used in the claims to refer to the same element, such as "second" or "third". In this case, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify those elements that may, for example, share the same name. As used herein, "about" and "approximately" refer to dimensions that may not be exact due to manufacturing tolerances and / or other real-world imperfections. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the detailed description below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, and in the accompanying drawings, specific examples that can be put into practice are shown by explanation. These examples are fully described in detail so that those skilled in the art can practice this theme, and it should be understood that other examples can be used. Therefore, the following detailed description is provided to describe exemplary embodiments, and it should not be considered as limiting the scope of the theme described in the present invention. Some features from the different aspects described below can be combined to form other new aspects of the theme discussed below.

[0028] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a", "an", "the" and "said" are intended to indicate the presence of one or more elements. The terms "first", "second", etc. do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms "comprising", "including", and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be other elements in addition to the listed elements. When the terms "connected to", "coupled to", etc. are used herein, an object (e.g., a material, an element, a structure, a component, etc.) can be connected to or coupled to another object, regardless of whether the one object is directly connected to or coupled to the other object or whether there are one or more intervening objects between the one object and the other object.

[0029] As used herein, the terms "system," "unit," "module," "engine," and the like may include hardware and / or software systems for performing one or more functions. For example, a module, unit, or system may include a computer processor, controller, and / or other logic-based device that performs operations based on instructions stored on a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a computer memory). Alternatively, a module, unit, engine, or system may include a hardwired device that performs operations based on the hardwired logic of the device. The various modules, units, engines, and / or systems shown in the accompanying drawings may represent hardware that operates based on software or hardwired instructions, software that directs hardware to perform operations, or a combination thereof.

[0030] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to relative directions with respect to the flow of fluid in a fluid passage. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid is flowing, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid is flowing. As used herein, "vertical" refers to a direction perpendicular to the ground. As used herein, "horizontal" refers to a direction parallel to the centerline of the gas turbine engine 100. As used herein, "lateral" refers to a direction perpendicular to the axial and vertical directions (e.g., entering and leaving the engine). Figure 1 ,2 etc. planes).

[0031] In some instances used herein, the term "substantially" is used to describe a relationship between two parts within three angles of said relationship (e.g., a substantially collinear relationship is within three angles of linearity, a substantially perpendicular relationship is within three angles of perpendicularity, a substantially parallel relationship is within three angles of parallelism, etc.).

[0032] A turbine engine, also known as a combustion turbine or gas turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. Turbine engines are commonly used in aircraft and power generation applications. As used herein, the terms "asset", "aircraft turbine engine", "gas turbine", "land-based turbine engine" and "turbine engine" are used interchangeably. The basic operation of a turbine engine includes taking in a flow of fresh atmospheric air through the front of the turbine engine with a fan. In some examples, the air flow passes through an intermediate pressure compressor or boost compressor located between the fan and the high pressure compressor. The turbine engine also includes a turbine with a complex array of alternating rotating and stationary airfoil section blades. As the hot combustion gases pass through the turbine, the hot combustion gases expand, causing the rotating blades to rotate.

[0033] Components of a turbine engine (e.g., fan, boost compressor, high pressure compressor, high pressure turbine, low pressure turbine, etc.) may degrade over time due to demanding operating conditions (e.g., extreme temperatures and vibrations). During operation, turbine engine components are exposed to thermal loads (e.g., hot and cold air pumped into the turbine engine, etc.) and mechanical loads (e.g., centrifugal forces on blades on the turbine engine, etc.), which may cause the turbine engine casing and rotor and / or compressor casing and rotor to expand and contract along with other components of the turbine engine and / or its compressor. The expansion and contraction of the turbine engine casing and / or compressor casing may change the clearance between the blade tip and the stationary component of the turbine engine. In some examples, if the clearance between the blade tip and the stationary component is not controlled, the blade tip and the stationary component may collide during operation and cause further degradation of the turbine engine component.

[0034] Active clearance control (ACC) systems optimize or otherwise improve blade tip clearance for improved engine performance without unexpected harmful friction events during flight and ground operations. Conventional ACC systems include using cooling air from a fan or compressor to control the clearance between the blade tip and an already contracted engine component (e.g., stator, casing, etc.). Conventional ACC systems are controlled by a controller (e.g., full authority digital engine (or electronic equipment) control (FADEC)) to modulate the clearance in one direction (e.g., engine component contraction). Conventional ACC systems provide cooling air from a fan or compressor to the stator surface of a turbine and / or compressor (e.g., high pressure compressor, high pressure turbine, low pressure turbine, low pressure compressor, etc.) for casing deflection and clearance control. However, conventional ACC systems cannot provide adequate clearance control under deteriorated engine conditions because the clearance is too large to control the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) of the turbine engine (e.g., deteriorated engine conditions with blade tip loss (due to oxidation) open clearances that exceed the ACC capability adjustment range).

[0035] Similarly, passive clearance control (PCC) systems modulate the clearance of the casing deflection through material selection and design optimization of the stators of the turbine and / or compressor. However, the PCC system is not controlled by a controller (e.g., FADEC). Conventional PCC systems do not work properly for operational and / or performance design points (e.g., takeoff, cruise, climb, etc.) because it is not modulated by the controller to determine when clearance control is needed as an ACC system.

[0036] Cooled Cooling Air (CCA) systems provide additional blade tip clearance to achieve performance improvements with better clearance control capabilities to the altitude cruise point through the flight mission and to reduce / prevent harmful friction events during flight and ground operations of the turbine engine. Conventional CCA systems apply cooled cooling air from a fan or compressor to the rotating components of a turbine engine (e.g., blades, disks, seals, etc.) to change deflection and blade tip clearance. Conventional CCA provides adequate clearance control by controlling rotor deflection to control EGT overshoot.

[0037] The examples disclosed herein integrate CCA-ACC systems to control blade clearance in turbine engines. The examples disclosed herein include new clearance design strategies for controlling blade clearance, regulating EGT, and improving the on-wing time of turbine engines compared to ACC systems, and improving the on-wing time of compressors compared to PCC systems with separate CCA applications. In the examples disclosed here, CCA and ACC systems work together to control clearance in the case of turbines and / or compressors and at rotating parts within turbines and / or compressors. The integration of the CCA system with the ACC system increases the range of clearance motion and improves the ability of EGT control in the case of blade / shroud deterioration of turbines and / or compressors. The examples disclosed herein use heat exchangers and / or mixers to integrate CCA and ACC systems to provide cooling air exchange between systems. The introduction of a heat exchanger or mixer between the CCA and ACC systems provides additional, more efficient clearance control (e.g., additional power, airflow, cooling temperature adjustment, clearance accuracy, etc.), which can improve the control of EGT overshoot. In the examples disclosed herein, the integration of the CCA system also provides proper clearance control for the ACC system by achieving tighter clearances at cruise and other points in the flight mission and improving the specific fuel consumption (SFC) of the turbine engine. In addition, the addition of the CCA system to the ACC system more effectively improves the performance of cooling components in the hot sections (e.g., turbine, compressor, rotating components, etc.) of the turbine engine compared to existing airfoil cooling designs. The examples disclosed herein provide increased hardware endurance and life improvements for components of the turbine engine due to the cooler air of the CCA system.

[0038] Some examples provide an engine controller known as a full authority digital engine (or electronic equipment) control (FADEC). The FADEC includes a digital computer known as an electronic engine controller (EEC) or engine control unit (ECU), and related accessories that control aspects of aircraft engine performance. The FADEC can be used with a variety of engines, such as piston engines, jet engines, other aircraft engines, etc. In some examples, the EEC / ECU is provided separately from the FADEC, thereby allowing manual override or intervention by the pilot and / or other operator.

[0039] In the examples disclosed herein, an engine controller receives values ​​of a plurality of input variables related to flight conditions (e.g., air density, throttle position, engine temperature, engine pressure, etc.). The engine controller uses the flight condition data to calculate engine operating parameters, such as fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, etc. The engine operating parameters may be used by the engine controller to control the operation of the CCA-ACC system to adjust blade tip clearance in a turbine engine.

[0040] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided to explain the present invention, not to limit the present invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, a feature illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used together with another embodiment to produce another embodiment. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover such modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a prior art turbofan gas turbine engine 100 (“turbofan 100”). Figure 1 As shown, turbofan 100 defines a longitudinal or axial center axis 102 extending therethrough for reference. Generally, turbofan 100 includes a core turbine or gas turbine engine 104 disposed downstream of a fan section 106 .

[0042] The core turbine 104 includes a substantially tubular casing 108 defining an annular inlet 110. The casing 108 may be formed of a single casing or multiple casings. The casing 108 surrounds a compressor section having a boost or low-pressure compressor 112 ("LP compressor 112") and a high-pressure compressor 114 ("HP compressor 114"), a combustion section 116, a turbine section having a high-pressure turbine 118 ("HP turbine 118") and a low-pressure turbine 120 ("LP turbine 120"), and an exhaust section 122 in a series flow relationship. A high-pressure shaft or spool 124 ("HP shaft 124") is drivingly coupled to the HP turbine 118 and the HP compressor 114. A low-pressure shaft or spool 126 ("LP shaft 126") is drivingly coupled to the LP turbine 120 and the LP compressor 112. The LP shaft 126 may also be coupled to a fan spool or shaft 128 of the fan section 106. In some examples, LP shaft 126 may be directly coupled to fan shaft 128 (ie, a direct drive configuration). In an alternative configuration, LP shaft 126 may be coupled to fan shaft 128 via reduction gear 130 (ie, an indirect drive or gear drive configuration).

[0043] like Figure 1 As shown, fan section 106 includes a plurality of fan blades 132 coupled to and extending radially outward from fan shaft 128. An annular fan casing or nacelle 134 circumferentially surrounds fan section 106 and / or at least a portion of core turbine 104. Nacelle 134 is supported relative to center turbine 104 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet guide vanes 136. In addition, a downstream section 138 of nacelle 134 may surround the exterior of center turbine 104 to define a bypass airflow passage 140 therebetween.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, air 142 enters an inlet section 144 of the turbofan 100 during operation thereof. A first portion 146 of the air 142 flows into the bypass flow passage 140, while a second portion 148 of the air 142 flows into the inlet 110 of the LP compressor 112. One or more successive stages of LP compressor stator blades 150 and LP compressor rotor blades 152 coupled to the LP shaft 126 progressively compress the second portion 148 of the air 142 flowing through the LP compressor 112 until the HP compressor 114. Next, one or more successive stages of HP compressor stator blades 154 and HP compressor rotor blades 156 coupled to the HP shaft 124 further compress the second portion 148 of the air 142 flowing through the HP compressor 114. This provides the compressed air 158 to the combustion section 116, where the compressed air 158 is mixed with fuel and combusted to provide combustion gases 160.

[0045] The combustion gases 160 flow through the HP turbine 118, where one or more successive stages of HP turbine stator blades 162 and HP turbine rotor blades 164 coupled to the HP shaft 124 extract a first portion of the kinetic and / or thermal energy from the combustion gases 160. This energy extraction supports the operation of the HP compressor 114. The combustion gases 160 then flow through the LP turbine 120, where one or more successive stages of LP turbine stator blades 166 and LP turbine rotor blades 168 coupled to the LP shaft 126 extract a second portion of the thermal and / or kinetic energy therefrom. This energy extraction causes the LP shaft 126 to rotate, thereby supporting the operation of the LP compressor 112 and / or the rotation of the fan shaft 128. The combustion gases 160 then exit the core turbine 104 through its exhaust section 122.

[0046] Together with the turbofan 100, the core turbine 104 plays a similar role, and similar environments are seen in land-based gas turbine engines, turbojet engines (where the ratio of the first portion 146 of air 142 to the second portion 148 of air 142 is less than that of the turbofan), and unducted fan engines (where the fan section 106 does not have a nacelle 134). In each of the turbofan engine, turbojet engine, and unducted engine, a speed reduction device (e.g., a speed reduction gearbox 130) may be included between any shaft and the spool. For example, the speed reduction gearbox 130 may be disposed between the LP shaft 126 and the fan shaft 128 of the fan section 106.

[0047] 2A and 2B are block diagrams of exemplary existing active clearance control (ACC) and cooling air (CCA) systems. The existing ACC and CCA system 200 of FIG. 2A includes a fan or compressor 205, a housing cooling / deflection 210, a lower cover 215, and a valve 220 for the ACC system, as well as a compressor 225, a heat exchanger 230, a rotating component cooling 235, and a valve 240 for the CCA system. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the ACC and CCA systems and corresponding components are separate (e.g., not integrated to work together). In the ACC system of the existing system 200, the fan or compressor 205 obtains external injection air for cooling. The fan or compressor 205 provides external injection air to the housing cooling / deflection 210 through the valve 220. In some examples, the position of the valve 220 is controlled to allow the external injection air to flow from the fan or compressor 205 to the housing cooling / deflection 210. In some examples, valve 220 is controlled by a controller (e.g., a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) unit, an engine control unit (ECU), an electronic engine control (EEC) unit, etc.), wherein the controller controls the position of valve 220 to control the clearance. For example, the controller controls the valve 220 position between 0% (fully closed) and 100% (fully open) (e.g., the valve 220 position can be 40% open, 80% open, etc.). Case cooling / deflection 210 applies external jet air from a fan or compressor 205 to the turbine (e.g., Figure 1 HP turbine 118 or LP turbine 120) and / or compressor (e.g. Figure 1 112 or HP compressor 114). Casing cooling / deflection 210 applies external jet air to the casing to adjust the clearance between the casing and internal components (e.g., rotor components) of the turbine and / or compressor. After casing cooling / deflection 210 uses the external jet air for casing cooling and casing deflection, casing cooling / deflection 210 directs the external jet air from the fan or compressor 205 to the lower shroud 215. Casing cooling / deflection 210 directs the spent external jet air to the lower shroud 215 for use in other thermal environments to be cooled. In some examples, the lower shroud 215 is a covering on the turbine and / or compressor. Casing cooling / deflection 210 directs the external jet air to the lower shroud 215 to discard the spent external jet air or apply cooling from the external jet air to other surfaces of the thermal environment of the turbine and / or compressor to reduce the turbine engine (e.g., Figure 1 of the gas turbine engine 100).

[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 2A , the CCA system of the existing system 200 includes a compressor 225 to obtain cooled cooling air for cooling. The compressor 225 provides the cooled cooling air to the heat exchanger 230. The heat exchanger 230 adjusts the temperature of the cooled cooling air. The heat exchanger 230 provides the cooled cooling air to the rotating component cooling 235 through the valve 240. In some examples, the position of the valve 240 is controlled to allow the cooled cooling air to flow from the heat exchanger 230 to the rotating component cooling 235. In some examples, the valve 240 is controlled by a controller (e.g., a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) unit, an engine control unit (ECU), an electronic engine control (EEC) unit, etc.), wherein the controller controls the position of the valve 240 to control the clearance. For example, the controller controls the position of the valve 240 between 0% (fully closed) and 100% (fully open) (e.g., the position of the valve 240 can be 40% open, 80% open, etc.). Alternatively, the controller controls the position of valve 240 to 0% (fully closed) or 100% (fully open) for a simple and cost-effective design. Rotating component cooling 235 applies cooled cooling air from heat exchanger 230 to the turbine (e.g. Figure 1 HP turbine 118 or LP turbine 120) and / or compressor (e.g. Figure 1 Rotating component cooling 235 applies cooled cooling air to rotor components (e.g., blades, disks, etc.) inside the turbine and / or compressor to adjust the deflection of the rotor components and control the clearance between the rotor components and the casing of the turbine and / or compressor.

[0049] The existing ACC and CCA system 250 of FIG. 2B includes a first component 255 replacing the fan or compressor 205, a housing cooling / deflection 210, a second component 260 replacing the lower cover 215, and a valve 220 for the ACC system, as well as a compressor 225, a heat exchanger 230, a rotating component cooling 235, and a valve 240 for the CCA system. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the ACC and CCA systems and their respective components are separate (e.g., not integrated to work together). The existing system 250 is similar to the existing system 200 of FIG. 2A. In addition to the ACC system of the existing system 250, the first component 255 and the second component 260 are included. In some examples, the existing system 250 does not limit the first component 255 and the second component 260 of the ACC system, because the components in those places can be replaced without affecting the existing system 250. The first component 255 can be a fan or compressor similar to the fan or compressor 205 of the existing system 200, however, other components can also be included alternatively in the first component 255. Similarly, the second component 260 may be a lower cover similar to the lower cover 215 of the prior art system 200, however, other components may also be alternatively included in the second component 260. The prior art systems 200 and 250 of Figures 2A and 2B, respectively, operate similarly in that the ACC and CCA systems are separate systems that provide clearance control at different locations of the turbine and / or compressor (e.g., an ACC system that provides clearance control on a casing surface and a CCA system that provides separate clearance control at a rotor component).

[0050] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example controller 310 for an example CCA-ACC system according to the teachings disclosed herein. Figure 3 In the example environment 300 of the illustrated example, the controller 310 may be a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) unit, an engine control unit (ECU), an electronic engine control (EEC) unit, etc., or any other type of data acquisition and / or control computing device, a processor platform (e.g., a processor-based computing platform), etc. The controller 310 communicates with the engine sensor 315 and the clearance control module 320. The controller 310 includes a sensor processor 325, a flow rate controller 330, and a temperature controller 335.

[0051] exist Figure 3In the example shown, the controller 310 receives values ​​of multiple input variables related to flight conditions (e.g., air density, throttle position, engine temperature, engine pressure, etc.). The controller 310 receives flight condition data from engine sensors 315. The engine sensors 315 can be mounted on the gas turbine engine 100 and / or located elsewhere in the aircraft (e.g., on the wing, in the cockpit, in the main cabin, in the engine compartment, in the cargo, etc.). For example, the communication between the controller 310 and the engine sensors 315 can be one-way communication and / or two-way communication. The controller 310 uses the flight condition data to calculate engine operating parameters, such as fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, etc.

[0052] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, the sensor processor 325 obtains sensor data from the example engine sensors 315. The sensor data includes flight condition data obtained from the gas turbine engine 100. The sensor processor 325 monitors engine conditions based on the sensor data from the engine sensors 315. For example, the sensor processor 325 can calculate and monitor fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, direct clearance measurements, indirect clearance measurements, etc. In some examples, the sensor processor 325 compares the engine conditions to known model estimates of those conditions to monitor any changes in engine conditions. In some examples, the sensor processor 325 determines whether the clearance between the casing and rotating components of the gas turbine engine 100 is reduced and / or whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot based on the engine conditions determined from the obtained flight condition data. Figure 3 In the example shown, the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to a CCA-ACC system (e.g., described in further detail below). Figure 4 CCA-ACC System 400 and / or Figure 5 In some examples, the flow rate control signal from the flow rate controller 330 adjusts the air flow rate through the valves in the CCA-ACC system based on the results from the sensor processor 325. Figure 3 In the example shown, the temperature controller 335 transmits a temperature control signal to a CCA-ACC system (e.g., described in further detail below). Figure 4 CCA-ACC System 400 and / or Figure 5 In some examples, the temperature control signal from the temperature controller 335 adjusts the temperature of the air in the CCA-ACC system based on the results from the sensor processor 325.

[0053] Figure 4is a block diagram of an example CCA-ACC system 400 according to the teachings disclosed herein. The CCA-ACC system 400 includes Figure 3 A controller 310 and a gap control module 320 are provided. Figure 4 The clearance control module 320 includes an integrated ACC and CCA system. The clearance control module 320 includes an ACC system 405 and a CCA system 410. The ACC system 405 includes a fan or compressor 415, an HPT case cooler / deflector 420 (e.g., HP turbine 118 case), a lower cowling 425, and a low pressure turbine (LPT) case cooler / deflector 430. The CCA system 410 includes a compressor 435, a heat exchanger 440, and a rotating component cooler and clearance control 445. The clearance control module 320 includes valves 450, 455, 460, and 465 to integrate the components of the ACC system 405 and the CCA system 410. Figure 4 In the example shown, the CCA-ACC system 400 is used Figure 1 One element in a series of elements for clearance control in gas turbine engine 100.

[0054] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, the ACC system 405 includes a fan or compressor 415 to obtain external injection air for cooling. In some examples, the external injection air from the fan or compressor 415 is referred to as active clearance control air because the air is generated by Figure 4 The fan or compressor 415 provides the external jet air to the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 (e.g., the HP turbine 118 case) through valve 450. In some examples, the fan or compressor 415 and the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 are connected through valve 450. In some examples, valve 450 opens and closes to allow external jet air to flow from the fan or compressor 415 to the HPT case cooler / deflector 420. Valve 450 is controlled by controller 310, which opens and closes valve 450 at different positions to control the airflow of the external jet air. The HPT case cooler / deflector 420 receives the external jet air from the fan or compressor 415 and obtains the external jet air for cooling the turbine (e.g., the HP turbine 118 case). Figure 1 HP turbine 118 or LP turbine 120) and / or compressor (e.g. Figure 1 The HPT casing cooler / deflector 420 directs the external injection air to the lower cowling 425 and the low pressure turbine (LPT) casing cooler / deflector 430.

[0055] In some examples, lower shroud 425 is a covering on the turbine and / or compressor. HPT case cooler / deflector 420 directs external injection air to lower shroud 425 to apply cooling from the external injection air to the surface of the casing of the turbine and / or compressor, thereby cooling the casing and reducing turbine engine (e.g., Figure 1 In some examples, the LPT casing cooler / deflector 430 applies cooling from external injected air directly to the LPT casing (e.g., Figure 1 The HPT casing cooler / deflector 420 is connected to the LPT casing cooler / deflector 430 through a valve 465. The HPT casing cooler / deflector 420 guides the external injection air to the LPT casing cooler / deflector 430 through the valve 465.

[0056] In some examples, valve 465 opens and closes to allow external jet air to flow directly from the HPT housing cooler / deflector 420 to the LPT housing cooler / deflector 430. Valve 465 is controlled by controller 310, where controller 310 opens and closes valve 465 to directly control the flow of external jet air to the LPT housing cooler / deflector 430. Figure 4 In the example shown, the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 can direct airflow to the lower cowl 425 and the LPT case cooler / deflector 430, or the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 can increase and decrease airflow to the LPT case cooler / deflector 430 directly in conjunction with valve 465 to better control clearance when clearance is reduced or when the engine detects EGT overshoot.

[0057] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, the CCA system 410 includes a compressor 435 to obtain cooled cooling air. The compressor 435 provides the cooled cooling air to the heat exchanger 440. The heat exchanger 440 adjusts the temperature of the cooled cooling air. In some examples, the heat exchanger 440 adjusts the temperature of the cooled cooling air based on the temperature control signal from the controller 310. In some examples, the heat exchanger 440 is connected to the rotating component cooler and the gap control 445 (e.g., the rear stage of the HP compressor for CCA) via the valve 460. The heat exchanger 440 provides the cooled cooling air to the rotating component cooler and the gap control 445 through the valve 460. In some examples, the valve 460 opens and closes to allow the cooled cooling air to flow from the heat exchanger 440 to the rotating component cooler and the gap control 445. In some examples, the valve 460 is controlled by the controller 310, and the controller 310 opens and closes the valve 460 to control the gap by changing the flow rate of the cooling air through the valve 460.

[0058] Rotating component cooler and clearance control 445 applies cooled cooling air from heat exchanger 440 to the turbine (eg Figure 1 HP turbine 118 or LP turbine 120) and / or compressor (e.g. Figure 1 The rotating component cooler and clearance control 445 applies cooled cooling air to rotating components (e.g., blades, disks, etc.) inside the turbine and / or compressor to adjust the deflection of the rotating components and control the clearance between the rotating components and the casing of the turbine and / or compressor.

[0059] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, the ACC system 405 and the CCA system 410 are integrated. The HPT case cooler / deflector 420 of the ACC system 405 and the heat exchanger 440 of the CCA system 410 are connected via valve 455. Figure 4 In the example shown, ACC system 405 and CCA system 410 obtain air from separate sources (eg, fan or compressor 415 and compressor 435 , respectively). Figure 4 The controller 310 of the clearance control module 320 controls the mixing of air between the ACC system 405 and the CCA system 410 through the valve 455. The controller 310 opens the valve 455 and adjusts the flow rate through the valve 455 using the flow rate control signal to allow the heat exchanger 440 to adjust the temperature of the cooled cooling air in the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 of the ACC system 405. When the controller 310 opens the valve 455, the heat exchanger 440 controls the air temperature of both the ACC system 405 and the CCA system 410 of the clearance control module 320. In some examples, the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 provides the cooled cooling air controlled by the heat exchanger 440 to the lower cowling 425 and / or reuses the cooled cooling air for the LPT case cooler / deflector 430. In some examples, the heat exchanger 440 directs the cooled cooling air directly to the LPT case cooler / deflector 430. Valves 455, 460 allow clearance control module 320 to achieve tight clearances for gas turbine engine 100 by integrating ACC system 405 and CCA system 410. In the event of an EGT overshoot, controller 310 may increase the flow rate of valve 455 to control the temperature of the air in HPT case cooler / deflector 420, thereby providing the necessary clearance control from CCA system 410 to ACC system 405. In some examples, ACC system 405 and CCA system 410 are integrated in a turbine (e.g., Figure 1 However, in some examples, the compressor (e.g., Figure 1LP compressor 112 and / or HP compressor 114) does not include an ACC system (e.g., ACC system 405). Instead, the compressor includes a PCC system to control clearance instead of an ACC system, where the PCC system is not controlled by controller 310. In such an example, CCA system 410 is used with a compressor (e.g., Figure 1 The PCC system in the LP compressor 112 and / or HP compressor 114 is implemented.

[0060] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example CCA-ACC system 500 according to the teachings disclosed herein. The CCA-ACC system 500 includes Figure 3 A controller 310 and a gap control module 320 are provided. Figure 5 The clearance control module 320 includes an integrated ACC and CCA system 500. The clearance control module 320 includes an ACC system 505 and a CCA system 510. The ACC system 505 includes a fan or compressor 515, a mixer 525, an HPT case cooler / deflector 530 (e.g., HP turbine 118 case), a lower cowling 535, and a low pressure turbine (LPT) case cooler / deflector 540. The CCA system 510 includes a compressor 520, a mixer 525, and a rotating component cooler and clearance control 545. The clearance control module 320 includes valves 550, 555, and 560 to integrate the components of the ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510. Figure 5 In the example shown, the CCA-ACC system 500 is used Figure 1 One element in a series of elements for clearance control in gas turbine engine 100.

[0061] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the ACC system 505 includes a fan or compressor 515 to obtain external injection air for cooling. In some examples, the external injection air from the fan or compressor 515 is referred to as active clearance control air because the air is generated by Figure 5The external injection air obtained by the ACC system 505 of the gap control module 320. In the example shown, the CCA system 510 includes a compressor 520 to obtain the cooled cooling air. The fan or compressor 515 of the ACC system 505 and the compressor 520 of the CCA system 510 provide the corresponding external injection air and the cooled cooling air to the mixer 525. The ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510 of the gap control module 320 share a mixer 525 for generating cooling air for gap control. The mixer 525 includes an air flow mixer and / or a heat mixer (e.g., a heat exchanger). The mixer 525 combines the external injection air from the fan or compressor 515 and the cooled cooling air from the compressor 520 to form a mixed air. In some examples, the mixer 525 combines and / or adjusts the temperature of the external injection air from the fan or compressor 515 and the temperature of the cooled cooling air from the compressor 520 to form a hot mixed air. In some examples, the mixer 525 adjusts the temperature of the combined external injection air and the cooled cooling air (e.g., cooling the external injection air into cooling air). In some examples, the mixer 525 adjusts the temperature of the combined external injection air and the cooled cooling air based on the temperature control signal from the controller 310. In some examples, the combined external injection air and the cooled cooling air of the mixer 525 are referred to as mixed air. The combination of different temperatures is referred to as hot mixed air. In some examples, the mixer 525 is connected to the HPT case cooler / deflector 530 of the ACC system 505 and the rotating component cooler and clearance control 545 of the CCA system 510 via valves 550 and 555, respectively.

[0062] In some examples, valve 550 opens and closes different positions to allow cooling air from mixer 525 to HPT case cooler / deflector 530 (e.g., HP turbine 118 case). Valve 550 is controlled by controller 310, where controller 310 opens and closes valve 550 to control the flow of cooling air in ACC system 505. HPT case cooler / deflector 530 receives cooling air from mixer 525 and obtains cooling air for cooling turbine (e.g., HP turbine 118 case). Figure 1 HP turbine 118 or LP turbine 120) and / or compressor (e.g. Figure 1 HPT case cooler / deflector 530 directs cooling air to lower shroud 535 and low pressure turbine (LPT) case cooler / deflector 540. In some examples, lower shroud 535 is a covering on the turbine and / or compressor. HPT case cooler / deflector 530 directs cooling air to lower shroud 535 to apply cooling air to the surface of the turbine and / or compressor casing to cool the casing and reduce turbine engine (e.g., Figure 1In some examples, the LPT casing cooler / deflector 540 applies cooling air directly to the LPT casing (e.g., Figure 1 The HPT casing cooler / deflector 530 is connected to the LPT casing cooler / deflector 540 via valve 560. The HPT casing cooler / deflector 530 directs cooling air to the LPT casing cooler / deflector 540 via valve 560. In some examples, the mixer 525 directs the hot mixed air directly to the LPT casing cooler / deflector 540.

[0063] In some examples, valve 560 opens and closes to allow cooling air to flow directly from the HPT housing cooler / deflector 530 to the LPT housing cooler / deflector 540. Valve 560 is controlled by controller 310, where controller 310 opens and closes valve 560 to directly control the flow of cooling air to the LPT housing cooler / deflector 540. Figure 5 In the example shown, the HPT case cooler / deflector 530 can direct airflow to both the HP turbine case (e.g., the HP turbine 118 case) and the lower cowling 535 and the LPT case cooler / deflector 540 to better control clearance for EGT overshoot when the gas turbine engine requires it (e.g., when engine conditions deteriorate) or to optimize clearances at other points in the flight mission.

[0064] In some examples, valve 555 opens and closes to allow cooling air to flow from mixer 525 to rotating component cooler and clearance controller 545 of CCA system 510. In some examples, valve 555 is controlled by controller 310, where controller 310 opens and closes valve 555 to control clearance by changing the flow rate of cooling air through valve 555. Rotating component cooler and clearance controller 545 applies cooling air from mixer 525 to the turbine (e.g., Figure 1 HP turbine 118 or LP turbine 120) and / or compressor (e.g. Figure 1 The rotating component cooler and clearance controller 545 applies cooling air to the rotating components (e.g., blades, disks, etc.) inside the turbine and / or compressor to adjust the deflection of the rotating components and control the clearance between the rotating components and the casing of the turbine and / or compressor.

[0065] exist Figure 5 In the example shown, the ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510 are integrated via a mixer 525. Figure 5 In the example shown, ACC system 505 and CCA system 510 obtain air from separate sources (eg, fan or compressor 515 and compressor 520 , respectively). Figure 5 The controller 310 controls the mixing of air between the ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510 through the mixer 525. The controller 310 opens and adjusts the flow rate through valve 550 and valve 555 using a flow rate control signal to allow the mixer 525 to provide cooling air to the ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510. Valves 550 and 555 allow the clearance control module 320 to achieve tight clearances for the gas turbine engine 100 by integrating the ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510. In the event of an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 may increase the flow rate of valve 550 to control the temperature of the air in the HPT case cooler / deflector 530, thereby providing the necessary clearance control from the CCA system 510 to the ACC system 505. In some examples, the ACC system 505 and the CCA system 510 are coupled to each other in a turbine (e.g., Figure 1 However, in some examples, the compressor (e.g., Figure 1 LP compressor 112 and / or HP compressor 114) does not include an ACC system (e.g., ACC system 505). Instead, the compressor includes a PCC system to control the clearance instead of an ACC system, where the PCC system is not controlled by controller 310. In such an example, CCA system 510 is used with the PCC system in the compressor (e.g., Figure 1 This can be achieved by using an LP compressor 112 and / or an HP compressor 114).

[0066] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A process control diagram 600 of exemplary interactions between the engine sensors 315 , the controller 310 , the heat exchanger 440 , and the valves 450 , 455 , and 460 of the CCA-ACC system 400 .

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown in the example, Figure 4 The controller 310 requests condition parameters 602 from engine sensors 315. The engine sensors 315 respond to the controller 310 with a return of condition parameters 604. For example, the controller 310 receives values ​​of a plurality of input variables related to flight condition parameters (e.g., air density, throttle position, engine temperature, engine pressure, etc.). The engine sensors 315 return the condition parameters to the controller 310. The engine sensors 315 may be mounted on the gas turbine engine 100 and / or located elsewhere in the aircraft (e.g., on the wing, in the cockpit, in the main cabin, in the nacelle, in the cargo, etc.). The controller 310 uses the flight condition parameters returned by the engine sensors 315 to calculate engine operating parameters, such as fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, etc.

[0068] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 4 The temperature of the heat exchanger 440 is controlled by a signal 606. Figure 6 In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a temperature control signal 606 to the heat exchanger 440 based on the determination. For example, the value of the temperature control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine. Based on the value of the temperature control signal, the heat exchanger 440 reduces the air temperature 608 or increases the air temperature 610. For example, when the temperature control signal has a value A, the heat exchanger 440 reduces the air temperature 608, and when the temperature control signal has a value B, the heat exchanger 440 increases the air temperature 610. In some examples, in the case of a turbine engine, the value of the temperature control signal is determined based on a temperature measurement.

[0069] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 4 The flow rate control signal 612 of the valve 455. Figure 6In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 612 to the valve 455 based on the determination. For example, the value of the flow rate control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 612 to the valve 455 based on the engine condition schedule. For example, if the engine condition is set to the cruise condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 612 to the valve 455 to open the valve 455 to reduce the clearance to improve the engine performance. In some examples, if the engine condition is set to the takeoff condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 612 to the valve 455 to close the valve 455 to increase the clearance to avoid potential friction events in the maneuvering margin during takeoff and climb. In some examples, if there is an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 612 to the valve 455 to open the valve 455 to compensate for the EGT overshoot. Based on the value of the flow rate control signal, the valve 455 increases the air flow 614 or decreases the air flow 616 by opening and closing, respectively. For example, when the flow rate control signal has a value of A, the valve 455 opens and increases the air flow 614, and when the flow rate control signal has a value of B, the valve 455 closes and decreases the air flow 616. In some examples, in the case of a turbine engine, the value of the temperature control signal is determined based on a temperature measurement.

[0070] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 4 The flow rate control signal 618 of the valve 460. Figure 6In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 618 to the valve 460 based on the determination. For example, the value of the flow rate control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 618 to the valve 460 based on the engine condition schedule. For example, if the engine condition is set to a cruise condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 618 to the valve 460 to close the valve 460 to reduce the clearance to improve engine performance. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 618 to the valve 460 based on the condition of the engine. For example, if the engine is in a new engine condition, the controller 310 does not trigger the flow rate control signal 618 because the ACC system 405 covers the clearance range. In some examples, if the engine is in a deteriorating condition, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 618 to the valve 460 to close the valve 460 to reduce the clearance to compensate for the deteriorating engine condition. In some examples, if there is an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 618 to the valve 460 to close the valve 460 to compensate for the EGT overshoot. Based on the value of the flow rate control signal, the valve 460 increases the air flow 620 or decreases the air flow 622. For example, when the flow rate control signal has a value of A, the valve 460 increases the air flow 620, and when the flow rate control signal has a value of B, the valve 460 decreases the air flow 622.

[0071] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 4 The flow rate control signal 624 of the valve 465. Figure 6In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 624 to the valve 465 based on the determination. For example, the value of the flow rate control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 624 to the valve 465 based on the engine condition schedule. For example, if the engine condition is set to the cruise condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 624 to the valve 465 to open the valve 465 to reduce the clearance to improve the engine performance. In some examples, if the engine condition is set to the takeoff condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 624 to the valve 465 to close the valve 465 to increase the clearance to avoid potential friction events in the maneuvering margin during takeoff and climb. In some examples, if there is an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 624 to the valve 465 to open the valve 465 to compensate for the EGT overshoot. Based on the value of the flow rate control signal, the valve 465 increases the air flow 626 or decreases the air flow 628. For example, when the flow rate control signal has a value of A, the valve 465 increases the air flow 626, and when the flow rate control signal has a value of B, the valve 465 decreases the air flow 628.

[0072] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A process control diagram 700 of exemplary interactions between the engine sensor 315 , the controller 310 , the mixer 525 , and the three valves 550 , 555 , 560 of the exemplary CCA-ACC system 500 .

[0073] like Figure 7 As shown in the example, Figure 5 The controller 310 requests condition parameters 702 from engine sensors 315. The engine sensors 315 respond to the controller 310 with a return of condition parameters 704. For example, the controller 310 receives values ​​of a plurality of input variables related to flight condition parameters (e.g., air density, throttle position, engine temperature, engine pressure, etc.). The engine sensors 315 return the condition parameters to the controller 310. The engine sensors 315 may be mounted on the gas turbine engine 100 and / or located elsewhere in the aircraft (e.g., on the wing, in the cockpit, in the main cabin, in the nacelle, in the cargo, etc.). The controller 310 uses the flight condition parameters returned by the engine sensors 315 to calculate engine operating parameters, such as fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, etc.

[0074] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 5 The temperature control signal 706 of the mixer 525. Figure 7 In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced or whether EGT overshoot exists in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a temperature control signal 706 to the mixer 525 based on the determination. For example, the value of the temperature control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether EGT overshoot exists in the turbine engine. Based on the value of the temperature control signal, the mixer 525 reduces the air temperature 708 or increases the air temperature 710. For example, when the temperature control signal has a value A, the mixer 525 reduces the air temperature 708, and when the temperature control signal has a value B, the mixer 525 increases the air temperature 710. In some examples, in the case of a turbine engine, the value of the temperature control signal is determined based on temperature measurement. The mixer 525 increases and decreases the air temperature using a thermal mixer included in the mixer 525, which is similar to Figure 4 The heat exchanger 440 operates.

[0075] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 5 The flow rate control signal 712 of the valve 550. Figure 7In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 712 to the valve 550 based on the determination. For example, the value of the flow rate control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 712 to the valve 550 based on the engine condition schedule. For example, if the engine condition is set to the cruise condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 712 to the valve 550 to open the valve 550 to reduce the clearance to improve the engine performance. In some examples, if the engine condition is set to the takeoff condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 712 to the valve 550 to close the valve 550 to increase the clearance to avoid potential friction events in the maneuvering margin during takeoff and climb. In some examples, if there is an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 712 to the valve 550 to open the valve 550 to compensate for the EGT overshoot. Based on the value of the flow rate control signal, the valve 550 increases the air flow 714 or decreases the air flow 716. For example, when the flow rate control signal has a value of A, the valve 550 increases the air flow 714, and when the flow rate control signal has a value of B, the valve 550 decreases the air flow 716.

[0076] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 5 The flow rate control signal 718 of the valve 555. Figure 7In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 718 to the valve 555 based on the determination. For example, based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine, the value of the flow rate control signal is different. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 718 to the valve 555 based on the engine condition schedule. For example, if the engine condition is set to the cruise condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 718 to the valve 555 to close the valve 555 to reduce the clearance to improve the engine performance. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 718 to the valve 555 based on the condition of the engine. For example, if the engine is in a new engine condition, the controller 310 does not trigger the flow rate control signal 718 because the ACC system 505 covers the clearance range. In some examples, if the engine is in a deteriorating condition, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 718 to the valve 555 to close the valve 555 to reduce the clearance to compensate for the deteriorating engine condition. In some examples, if there is an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 718 to the valve 555 to close the valve 555 to compensate for the EGT overshoot. Based on the value of the flow rate control signal, the valve 555 increases the air flow 720 or decreases the air flow 722. For example, when the flow rate control signal has a value of A, the valve 555 increases the air flow 720, and when the flow rate control signal has a value of B, the valve 555 decreases the air flow 722.

[0077] The controller 310 triggers the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315 to Figure 5 The flow rate control signal 724 of the valve 560. Figure 7In the example shown, the controller 310 determines whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine based on the condition parameters returned by the engine sensor 315. The controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 724 to the valve 560 based on the determination. For example, the value of the flow rate control signal is different based on whether the clearance between the rotating parts and the casing of the turbine engine is reduced and / or whether there is an EGT overshoot in the turbine engine. In some examples, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 724 to the valve 560 based on the engine condition schedule. For example, if the engine condition is set to the cruise condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 724 to the valve 560 to open the valve 560 to reduce the clearance to improve the engine performance. In some examples, if the engine condition is set to the takeoff condition, the controller 310 triggers the flow rate control signal 724 to the valve 560 to close the valve 560 to increase the clearance to avoid potential friction events in the maneuvering margin during takeoff and climb. In some examples, if there is an EGT overshoot, the controller 310 triggers a flow rate control signal 724 to the valve 560 to open the valve 560 to compensate for the EGT overshoot. Based on the value of the flow rate control signal, the valve 560 increases the air flow 726 or decreases the air flow 728. For example, when the flow rate control signal has a value of A, the valve 560 increases the air flow 726, and when the flow rate control signal has a value of B, the valve 560 decreases the air flow 728.

[0078] 8A and 8B are exemplary graphical representations of typical turbine clearances, such as the prior art ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B. The example graph 800 of FIG. 8A shows a gas turbine engine (e.g., an engine that has not been used before or has been used for a short period of time) in a new engine condition (e.g., an engine that has not been used before or an engine that has been used for a short period of time). Figure 12A and 2B . Graph 800 includes a speed measurement 805 for a gas turbine engine and a clearance measurement 810 for a gas turbine engine and the existing ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B . In graph 800 , the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents the clearance measurement between the stator and the rotor of the gas turbine engine. In the existing systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B , the ACC system uses only fan / compressor air (e.g., fan or compressor 205 ) which does not have sufficient clearance control capability (e.g., the ACC system does not provide sufficient power, airflow, cooling temperature regulation, clearance accuracy, etc.) at low power (e.g., ground idle (G / I)) to control clearance in the gas turbine engine when the engine deteriorates. Under the new engine condition of graph 800 , the existing systems 200 and 250 use the full clearance control power of the ACC system to control clearance and EGT overshoot (T / O) at takeoff.

[0079] The example graph 820 of FIG8B shows the clearance measurement of the gas turbine engine in the deteriorated condition. The graph 820 includes the speed measurement 805 of the gas turbine engine, the clearance measurement 825 of the gas turbine engine and the existing ACC system 200 and 250 of FIG2A and 2B, and the clearance measurement 830 for the deteriorated engine condition. In the graph 820, the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents the clearance measurement between the stator and the rotor of the gas turbine engine. In FIG2A and 2B, the ACC system only uses the fan / compressor air (e.g., fan or compressor 205) which does not have sufficient clearance control capability at low power (e.g., G / I) to control the clearance in the gas turbine engine. In the deteriorated engine condition of the graph 820, the existing system 200 and 250 does not have the ability to control the housing to control the clearance and the EGT overshoot (T / O) at takeoff, which is shown in the gap between the clearance measurement 825 of FIG8A and the new engine condition clearance measurement 810.

[0080] Figures 9A and 9B are used for Figure 4 and 5 An example diagram of typical turbine clearances of example CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 is shown in FIG. 9A. Figure 4 and 5 The CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 of the gas turbine engine in a new engine condition (e.g., Figure 1 The graph 900 includes a speed measurement 905 of the gas turbine engine, a clearance measurement 910 of the gas turbine engine and the ACC system of the clearance control module 320, and a Figure 4and 5 The clearance measurement 910 of the gas turbine engine of the ACC and CCA systems 400, 500 of the clearance control module 320 is shown. In the graph 900, the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents the clearance measurement between the stator and the rotor of the gas turbine engine. Figure 4 and 5 In the CCA-ACC system, the ACC system is integrated with the CCA system to provide sufficient clearance control capability (e.g., the CCA system provides additional power, airflow, cooling temperature regulation, clearance accuracy, etc.) at low power (e.g., G / I) to control clearances in the gas turbine engine. As seen in the clearance measurement 910 for a gas turbine engine with ACC and CCA systems 400, 500, the integrated CCA system optimizes the clearance control from the ACC system.

[0081] The example diagram 920 of FIG. 9B shows the use of Figure 4 and 5 The CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 are used in a gas turbine engine under deteriorated engine conditions (e.g. Figure 1 The graph 920 includes a speed measurement 905 of the gas turbine engine, a clearance measurement 925 of the gas turbine engine and the ACC system of the clearance control module 320, and a Figure 4 and 5 The clearance measurement 930 of the gas turbine engine of the ACC and CCA system of the clearance control module 320. In the graph 900, the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents the clearance measurement between the stator and the rotor of the gas turbine engine. Figure 4 and 5 In the CCA-ACC system of FIG9A , the ACC system is integrated with the CCA system to provide sufficient clearance control capability at low power (e.g., G / I) to control clearance and EGT in the gas turbine engine. Under the deteriorated engine condition of graph 920 , the clearance measurement 925 for the gas turbine engine with the ACC system does not reach the target clearance because the ACC system does not have the ability to cool the casing as the new engine condition of FIG9A . However, the integrated CCA system provides increased clearance power to the ACC system (e.g., providing additional power, airflow, cooling temperature adjustment, clearance accuracy, etc.) to reach the target clearance as seen in the clearance measurement 930 for the gas turbine engine with the ACC and CCA systems.

[0082] In the example shown, Figure 4 and Figure 5The CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are able to achieve the same clearance margin in both new engine conditions (FIG. 9A) and deteriorated engine conditions (FIG. 9B). The clearance is shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B. Compared with the existing ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, Figure 4 and 5 The CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 are capable of controlling the transient takeoff (T / O) gap pinch and effectively maintaining the EGT margin.

[0083] Fig.10 yes Figure 4 and 5 An example graphical representation of EGT and time on wing (TOW) improvements for example CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 is provided. Fig.10 1000 shows an example of an EGT measurement 1005 for the prior art ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B and a method for Figure 4 and 5 1000 . In graph 1000 , the x-axis represents the flight cycles of the gas turbine engine (e.g., how many flights the engine was operated during), and the y-axis represents the EGT measurements for those flight cycles. Graph 1000 includes EGT limits where the gas turbine engine TOW is met and the gas turbine engine is refurbished or retired (e.g., no longer capable of service). The EGT limits of graph 1000 show the maximum EGT that the gas turbine engine can reach before it deteriorates too much for continued operation. Graph 1000 illustrates the maximum EGT that the gas turbine engine can reach before it deteriorates too much for continued operation. Figure 4 and 5 The EGT measurement 1010 of the CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 does not reach the EGT limit until much later in the flight cycle compared to the EGT measurement 1005 of the prior art ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B . Figure 4 and 5 The delay of the EGT limit of the CCA-ACC system 400 and 500 is also extended for vehicles with Figure 4 and 5 TOW of the gas turbine engine of the CCA-ACC system 400 and 500. Since the EGT limit is reached much later in the flight cycle, as can be seen in the EGT measurement 1010. The graph 1000 shows Figure 4 and 5How the heat exchanger 440 and mixer 525 of the CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500, respectively, provide sufficient clearance control capabilities (e.g., power, airflow, cooling temperature regulation, clearance accuracy, etc.) for the necessary EGT recovery of the gas turbine engine by providing additional changes in airflow and temperature to components of the gas turbine engine (e.g., casing and rotating components), which improves the TOW of the deteriorated engine.

[0084] Fig.11 is an example diagram of a typical two-dimensional compressor clearance closure for the prior art ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B and Figure 4 and 5 Examples of CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 . Fig.11 The example graph 1100 shows gap closure and Figure 4 and 5 The CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 of FIG. 2A and 2B during a burst duty cycle simulated by high performance computing (HPC). The graph 1100 includes an exemplary speed measurement 1105 for the prior art ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIG. 2A and 2B, an exemplary gap closure measurement 1110, and an exemplary gap closure measurement 1111 for FIG. Figure 4 and 5 Example gap closure measurement 1115 of the CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500. Graph 1100 shows the Figure 4 and 5 The increase in gap closure (gap closure measure 1115 ) of the CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 is compared to the gap closure of the prior art ACC systems 200 and 250 of FIGS. 2A and 2B (gap closure measure 1110 ).

[0085] 12 is an exemplary schematic diagram 1200 of the relative radial motion of the rotors in a typical compressor for an example PCC system (e.g., a compressor without an ACC system). In some examples, schematic diagram 1200 illustrates the relative radial motion of the rotors based on a PCC system that is controlled by material selection and mechanical design (e.g., not controlled by a controller). In schematic diagram 1200, the boxes represent rotor arrangements associated with a stator 1205 (clearances) of a gas turbine engine for a PCC system. Schematic diagram 1200 includes an exemplary rotor arrangement for a cold engine 1210, an exemplary rotor arrangement 1215 for an engine during transient takeoff (T / O), an exemplary rotor arrangement 1220 for an engine during frosting, an exemplary rotor arrangement 1225 for an engine at high power, and an exemplary rotor arrangement 1235 for an engine at cruise. In some examples, the rotor arrangements for a cold engine 1210, transient T / O 1215, frosting 1220, and high power 1225 are similar to those of FIG. Fig.11 The rotor arrangement for a high power engine 1225 includes an exemplary restricted clearance 1230 . The rotor arrangement for an engine at cruise 1235 also includes a clearance measurement 1240 .

[0086] 12, the clearance between the rotor and stator 1205 is limited by the prior art system PCC for a typical compressor for high power 1225 and cruise 1235 conditions. Schematic 1200 includes a limited clearance 1230 for the rotor arrangement of the engine at high power 1225, indicating that the prior art system PCC system for a typical compressor design does not have sufficient clearance control capability to control the limited clearance 1230 at high power.

[0087] Fig.13 is used for Figure 4 and 5 An exemplary schematic diagram 1300 of the relative radial motion of the rotors in a typical compressor of the exemplary CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 of FIG. In some examples, the schematic diagram 1300 of the relative radial motion of the rotors is represented by Figure 4 and 5 The CCA system of the CCA-ACC system 400 and 500 is changed. In the schematic diagram 1300, the box represents the Figure 4 and 5 The CCA-ACC system 400 and 500 of the gas turbine engine stator 1305 (gap) related rotor arrangement. In some examples, for each engine condition, the box and Fig.11Schematic 1300 includes an exemplary rotor arrangement for a cold engine 1310, an exemplary rotor arrangement 1315 for an engine during transient takeoff (T / O), an exemplary rotor arrangement 1320 for an engine during frosting, an exemplary rotor arrangement 1325 for an engine at high power, and an exemplary rotor arrangement 1335 for an engine at cruise. The rotor arrangement for the high power engine 1325 includes an example clearance measurement 1330 from the stator 1305. The rotor arrangement for the engine at cruise 1335 also includes a clearance measurement 1340.

[0088] exist Fig.13 In the example shown, the clearance between the rotor and stator 1305 for high power 1325 and cruise 1335 conditions is reduced by 1.3 mm compared to the PCC system of the compressor of FIG. 12 . Figure 4 and 5 The CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 are improved. Schematic diagram 1300 shows tighter clearances for the rotor arrangement of the engine at high power 1325 and clearance measurements 1340 for the rotor arrangement of the engine at cruise 1335 compared to cruise clearance 1240 of FIG. 12 described above. Fig.13 The example shown shows a Figure 4 and 5 Improved clearance between the rotor and stator 1305 of the CCA-ACC systems 400 and 500 (eg, tighter clearance at cruise to improve performance point).

[0089] Despite Figure 3 The implementation is shown in Figure 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 of the controller 310, one or more Figure 4 , the elements, processes and / or devices shown in 5, 6 and 7 may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated and / or implemented in any other manner. In addition, the sensor processor 325, the example flow rate controller 330, the example temperature controller 335 and / or more generally, Figure 3The example controller 310 can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and / or any combination of hardware, software and / or firmware. Thus, for example, the example sensor 325, the example flow rate controller 330, the example temperature controller 335 and / or more generally, any one of the example controllers 310 can be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuits, logic circuits, programmable processors, programmable controllers, graphics processing units (GPUs). Digital signal processors (DSP(s)), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC(s)), programmable logic devices (PLD(s)) and / or field programmable logic devices (FPLD(s)). When any device or system claim of this patent is read to cover a pure software and / or firmware implementation, at least one of the example sensor processor 325, the example flow rate controller 330 and / or the example temperature controller 335 is expressly defined to include a non-transitory computer-readable storage device or storage disk, such as a memory, a digital versatile disk (DVD). A compact disk (CD), a Blu-ray disk, etc. including software and / or firmware. In addition, Figure 3 The example controller 310 may include one or more elements, processes and / or devices in addition to or in lieu of Figure 4 , 5 , 6 and 7, and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes and devices shown. As used herein, the phrase "communication", including variations thereof, includes direct communication and / or indirect communication through one or more intermediate host components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or constant communication, but rather includes selective communication at periodic intervals, predetermined intervals, non-periodic intervals and / or one-time events.

[0090] exist Fig.14 and 15 The diagram shows a method for implementing Figure 3 Flowcharts of example hardware logic, machine readable instructions, hardware implemented conditional machines and / or any combination thereof of the controller 310. The machine readable instructions may be one or more executable programs or portions of executable programs for execution by a computer processor and / or processor circuit, such as in the following combination Fig.16 The processor 1612 is shown in the example processor platform 1600 discussed. The program may be implemented in software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, floppy disk, hard drive, DVD, Blu-ray disk, or memory associated with the processor 1612, but the entire program and / or parts thereof may also be executed by a device other than the processor 1612 and / or implemented in firmware or dedicated hardware. In addition, although reference is made to Fig.14 and 15The flowchart shown describes an exemplary procedure, and many other methods of implementing the example controller 310 may optionally be used. For example, the order of execution of the boxes may be changed, and / or some of the boxes described may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the boxes may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.), which are configured to perform the corresponding operations without executing software or firmware. The processor circuits may be distributed at different network locations and / or local to one or more devices (e.g., a multi-core processor in a single machine, multiple processors distributed on a server rack, etc.).

[0091] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored in one or more of a compressed format, an encrypted format, a segmented format, a compiled format, an executable format, a packaged format, etc. The machine-readable instructions as described herein may be stored as data or data structures (e.g., portions of instructions, code, representations of code, etc.) that can be used to create, manufacture, and / or generate machine-executable instructions. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located at the same or different locations of a network or a collection of networks (e.g., in the cloud, in edge devices, etc.). The machine-readable instructions may need to be installed, modified, adapted, updated, combined, supplemented, configured, decrypted, decompressed, unpacked, distributed, reassigned, compiled, etc., so that they can be directly read, interpreted, and / or executed by a computing device and / or other machine. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts that are individually compressed, encrypted, and stored on separate computing devices, where the parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and combined, form a set of executable instructions that implement one or more functions that together may form a program such as described herein.

[0092] In another example, the machine-readable instructions may be stored in a condition where the instructions can be read by a processor circuit, but a library (e.g., a dynamic link library (DLL)), a software development kit (SDK), an application programming interface (API), etc., may need to be added in order to execute the instructions on a particular computing device or other device. In another example, the machine-readable instructions and / or corresponding programs may need to be configured (e.g., stored settings, data inputs, recorded network addresses, etc.) before they can be executed in whole or in part. Thus, as used herein, a machine-readable medium may include machine-readable instructions and / or programs regardless of the particular format or condition in which the machine-readable instructions and / or programs are stored or at rest or in transmission.

[0093] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be represented by any past, present or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, the machine-readable instructions may be represented by any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0094] As mentioned above, Fig.14 and 15 The exemplary processes of may be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer and / or machine readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer and / or machine readable medium, such as a hard drive, flash memory, read-only memory, compact disk, digital versatile disk, cache, random access memory, and / or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., flash memory, read-only memory, compact disk, digital versatile disk, cache, random access memory, and / or any other storage device or storage disk). For extended periods of time, permanently, for a brief example, for temporary buffering, and / or for caching of information). As used herein, the term non-transitory computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and / or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media.

[0095] "Include" and "comprising" (and all their forms and conditions) are used herein as open-ended terms. Thus, whenever a claim adopts any form of "include" or "comprising" (e.g., includes, includes, having, etc.) as a preamble or in any type of claim recitation, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc. may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or recitation. As used herein, when the phrase "at least" is used as a transitional term, such as in the preamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same way that the terms "include" and "comprising" are open-ended. The term "and / or" when used, for example, in a form such as A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, and C, such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A with B, (5) A with C, (6) B with C, and (7) A with B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to mean implementations that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to mean implementations that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to mean implementations that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, and / or steps, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to mean implementations that include any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0096] As used herein, singular references (e.g., "a", "an", "first", "second", etc.) do not exclude a plurality. The term "a" or "an" entity as used herein refers to one or more of that entity. The terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more" and "at least one" may be used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple devices, elements or method actions may be implemented by, for example, a single unit or processor. In addition, although individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these features may be combined, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not mean that a combination of features is not feasible and / or advantageous.

[0097] Fig.14 is a flow chart representing machine readable instructions that may be executed to combine Figure 4 An example CCA-ACC system 400 is implemented Figure 3 An example controller for Fig.14 The routine 1400 begins execution at block 1410 where the example sensor processor 325 obtains sensor data from the example engine sensor 315. In some examples, the sensor data includes information obtained by the engine sensor 315 from an engine (e.g., Figure 1 In some examples, the flight condition data of the sensor data includes values ​​of multiple input variables related to flight conditions (e.g., air density, throttle position, engine temperature, engine pressure, etc.).

[0098] At box 1415, the sensor processor 325 monitors engine conditions based on sensor data from the engine sensors 315. For example, the sensor processor 325 can use the flight condition data included in the sensor data to calculate and monitor fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, direct clearance measurement, indirect clearance measurement, etc. For example, the sensor data from the engine sensors 315 may include air temperature measurements, engine pressure measurements, airflow measurements from valves in the engine, distances between components (e.g., stators, rotors, etc.), etc. The sensor processor 325 can use these measurements to calculate and monitor engine conditions (e.g., direct clearance measurements can be determined using the distance between the stator and rotor with the sensor data). In some examples, the sensor processor 325 compares the engine conditions with known model estimates of those conditions to monitor any changes in the engine conditions. At box 1420, the sensor processor 325 determines whether the clearance between the housing and the rotating component is reduced based on the engine conditions determined from the obtained flight condition data. For example, the sensor processor 325 can determine / calculate the clearance between the stator and rotor of the engine based on the sensor data from the engine sensors 315. In this example, the sensor processor 325 compares the clearance calculation from the sensor data to the target clearance for the operating condition scheduled by the controller 310 for the clearance measurement to determine whether a change in clearance is warranted for the gas turbine engine 100. In some examples, the sensor processor 325 determines whether the clearance between the casing and the rotating component is decreasing based on the comparison between the clearance calculation and the target clearance. If the sensor processor 325 determines that the clearance between the rotating component is not decreasing, the routine 1400 continues to box 1425, where the sensor processor 325 determines whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot. If the sensor processor 325 determines that the clearance between the casing and the rotating component is decreasing, the routine 1400 continues to box 1430, where the example flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to a valve between the heat exchanger and the casing cooler.

[0099] At box 1425, the sensor processor 325 determines whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot. In some examples, the sensor processor 325 determines whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot based on the engine conditions determined from the obtained flight condition data. For example, the sensor processor 325 directly measures the exhaust temperature from the EGT sensor. If the sensor processor 325 determines that there is an exhaust temperature overshoot, the routine 1400 continues to box 1430, where the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to the valve between the heat exchanger and the shell cooler. If the (one or more) sensor processors 325 determine that there is no exhaust temperature overshoot, the routine 1400 returns to box 1410, where the (one or more) sensor processors 325 obtain sensor data.

[0100] At block 1430, the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to Figure 4 The valve 455 between the heat exchanger 440 and the HPT housing cooler / deflector 420. In some examples, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 455 to open and close to modulate / adjust the airflow rate between the heat exchanger 440 and the HPT housing cooler / deflector 420 (e.g., the HP turbine 118 housing). In some examples, the valve 455 opens and closes at a variable position. For example, the valve 455 can be opened and closed to a position ranging from 0% open to 100% open to meet the target clearance. In some examples, if the difference between the calculated clearance and the target clearance is large, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 455 to open and close quickly to reduce the difference to zero (e.g., there is no difference between the calculated clearance and the target clearance). In some examples, if the difference between the calculated clearance and the target clearance is small, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 455 to open and close slowly to reduce the difference to zero. In some examples, the controller 310 causes a lag time (e.g., the time for the controller 310 to transmit the flow rate control signal to the valve 455). In the example shown, the flow controller 330 transmits a flow control signal to the valve 455 that increases the airflow rate between the heat exchanger 440 and the HPT case cooler / deflector 420. The increase in airflow rate increases the amount of cooling air to the HPT case cooler / deflector 420, which provides more cooling air for the ACC system to reduce the clearance between the case and the rotating components in response to an increase in clearance or EGT overshoot.

[0101] At block 1435, the flow rate controller 330 transmits the flow rate control signal to Figure 4The valve 455 between the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 and the case cooler (e.g., LPT case cooler / deflector 430) is shown. In some examples, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 455 to open and close to modulate / adjust the airflow rate between the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 and the LPT case cooler / deflector 430. In the example shown, the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to the valve 465 that increases the airflow rate between the HPT case cooler / deflector 420 and the LPT case cooler / deflector 430. In the example for cooling and reducing clearance, the increase in airflow rate increases the amount of cooling air to the LPT case cooler / deflector 430, which reduces the clearance in response to an increase in clearance between the case and the rotating component or EGT overshoot.

[0102] At block 1440, the flow rate controller 330 transmits the flow rate control signal to Figure 4 A valve 460 is provided between the heat exchanger 440 and the rotating component (e.g., the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 445). In some examples, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 460 to open and close to modulate / adjust the airflow rate between the heat exchanger 440 and the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 445. In the example shown, the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to the valve 460 that reduces the airflow rate between the heat exchanger 440 and the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 445. The reduction in the airflow rate reduces the amount of cooling air to the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 445, which provides less cooling air (than the baseline) to the CCA system to reduce the clearance in response to an increase in the clearance between the housing and the rotating component or an EGT overshoot. In some examples, cooling air is provided to the CCA system when the EGT measured from the EGT sensor exceeds or approaches the EGT limit (e.g., EGT overshoot).

[0103] At block 1445, the example temperature controller 335 transmits a temperature control signal to Figure 4heat exchanger 440. In some examples, the temperature control signal causes the heat exchanger 440 to modulate / regulate the temperature of the cooling air in the heat exchanger 440. In the example shown, the temperature controller 335 transmits a temperature control signal to the heat exchanger 440 that reduces the temperature of the cooling air. The reduction in air temperature allows the cooling air to cool the components of the turbine engine more quickly, which can more effectively control the clearance by cooling the casing and rotating components or EGT overshoot or EGT overshoot in response to a change in clearance between the casing and the rotating components. For example, applying cooling air to the casing helps to reduce the clearance between the casing and the rotating components. In some examples, applying cooling air to a rotating component (e.g., a rotor) increases the clearance between the casing and the rotating component. Once the temperature controller 335 transmits the temperature control signal to the heat exchanger 440, the routine 1400 ends. In some examples, routine 1400 is a continuous loop where once the temperature controller 335 transmits a temperature control signal to the heat exchanger 440 , routine 1400 returns to block 1410 where the example sensor processor 325 obtains sensor data from the example engine sensor 315 .

[0104] Fig.15 is a flow chart representing machine readable instructions that may be executed to combine Figure 5 An example CCA-ACC system 500 is implemented Figure 3 An example controller for Fig.15 The routine 1500 begins execution at block 1510 where the example sensor processor 325 obtains sensor data from the example engine sensor 315. In some examples, the sensor data includes information obtained by the engine sensor 315 from an engine (e.g., Figure 1 In some examples, the flight condition data of the sensor data includes values ​​of multiple input variables related to flight conditions (e.g., air density, throttle position, engine temperature, engine pressure, etc.).

[0105] At box 1515, the sensor processor 325 monitors engine conditions based on sensor data from the engine sensors 315. For example, the sensor processor 325 can use the flight condition data included in the sensor data to calculate and monitor fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, direct clearance measurement, indirect clearance measurement, etc. For example, the sensor data from the engine sensors 315 may include air temperature measurements, engine pressure measurements, airflow measurements from valves in the engine, distances between components (e.g., stators, rotors, etc.), etc. The sensor processor 325 can use these measurements to calculate and monitor engine conditions (e.g., direct clearance measurements can be determined using the distance between the stator and rotor with the sensor data). In some examples, the sensor processor 325 compares the engine conditions with known model estimates of those conditions to monitor any changes in the engine conditions. At box 1520, the sensor processor 325 determines whether the clearance between the housing and the rotating component is reduced based on the engine conditions determined from the obtained flight condition data. For example, the sensor processor 325 can determine / calculate the clearance between the stator and rotor of the engine based on the sensor data from the engine sensors 315. In this example, the sensor processor 325 compares the clearance calculation from the sensor data to the target clearance for the operating condition scheduled by the controller 310 for the clearance measurement to determine whether a change in clearance is warranted. In some examples, the sensor processor 325 determines whether the clearance between the housing and the rotating component is decreasing based on the comparison between the clearance calculation and the target clearance. If the sensor processor 325 determines that the clearance between the rotating component is not decreasing, the routine 1500 continues to box 1525, where the sensor processor 325 determines whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot. If the sensor processor 325 determines that the clearance between the housing and the rotating component is decreasing, the routine 1500 continues to box 1530, where the example flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to the valve between the mixer and the housing cooler.

[0106] At box 1525, the sensor processor 325 determines whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot. In some examples, the sensor processor 325 determines whether there is an exhaust temperature overshoot based on engine conditions determined from the obtained flight condition data. For example, the sensor processor 325 directly measures the EGT sensor, which includes information about the exhaust temperature. If the sensor processor 325 determines that there is an exhaust temperature overshoot, the routine 1500 continues to box 1530 (e.g., HP turbine 118 housing), where the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to the valve between the mixer and the housing cooler. If the sensor processor(s) 325 determine that there is no exhaust temperature overshoot, the routine 1500 returns to box 1510 where the sensor processor(s) 325 obtains sensor data.

[0107] At block 1530, the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to Figure 5 The valve 550 between the mixer 525 and the HPT housing cooler / deflector 530. In some examples, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 550 to open and close to modulate / adjust the airflow rate between the mixer 525 and the HPT housing cooler / deflector 530. In some examples, the valve 550 opens and closes at a variable position. For example, the valve 550 can open and close positions ranging from 0% to 100% to meet the target clearance. In some examples, if the difference between the calculated clearance and the target clearance is large, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 550 to open and close quickly to reduce the difference to zero (e.g., there is no difference between the calculated clearance and the target clearance). In some examples, if the difference between the calculated clearance and the target clearance is small, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 550 to open and close slowly to reduce the difference to zero. In some examples, the controller 310 causes a lag time (e.g., the time for the controller 310 to transmit the flow rate control signal to the valve 550). In the example shown, the flow controller 330 transmits a flow control signal to the valve 550 that increases the airflow rate between the mixer 525 and the HPT case cooler / deflector 530. The increase in airflow rate increases the amount of cooling air to the HPT case cooler / deflector 530, which provides more cooling air for the ACC system to reduce the clearance between the case and the rotating components in response to an increase in clearance or EGT overshoot.

[0108] At block 1535, the flow rate controller 330 transmits the flow rate control signal to Figure 5A valve 560 is provided between the HPT case cooler / deflector 530 and the case cooler (e.g., LPT case cooler / deflector 540). In some examples, a flow rate control signal causes the valve 560 to open and close to modulate / adjust the airflow rate between the HPT case cooler / deflector 530 and the LPT case cooler / deflector 540. In the example shown, the flow rate controller 330 transmits a flow rate control signal to the valve 550 that increases the airflow rate between the HPT case cooler / deflector 530 and the LPT case cooler / deflector 540. The increase in the airflow rate increases the amount of cooling air to the LPT case cooler / deflector 540, which reduces the clearance in response to an increase in clearance between the case and the rotating components or an EGT overshoot.

[0109] At block 1540, the flow rate controller 330 transmits the flow rate control signal to Figure 5 A valve 555 is provided between the mixer 525 and the rotating component (e.g., the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 545). In some examples, the flow rate control signal causes the valve 555 to open and close to modulate / adjust the airflow rate between the mixer 525 and the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 545. In the example shown, the flow rate controller 330 transmits the flow rate control signal to the valve 555, which reduces the airflow rate between the mixer 525 and the rotating component cooler and the clearance control 545. The reduction in the airflow rate reduces the amount of cooling air to the rotating component cooler and the clearance control device 545, which provides less cooling air (than the baseline) to the CCA system to reduce the clearance in response to an increase in the clearance between the housing and the rotating component or an EGT overshoot. In some examples, cooling air is provided to the CCA system when the EGT measured from the EGT sensor exceeds or approaches the EGT limit (e.g., EGT overshoot).

[0110] In box 1545, the exemplary temperature controller 335 transmits a temperature control signal to the mixer 525. In some examples, the temperature control signal causes the mixer 525 to modulate / adjust the temperature of the cooling air in the mixer 525. In the example shown, the temperature controller 335 transmits a temperature control signal to the mixer 525, which reduces the temperature of the cooling air. The reduction in air temperature allows the cooling air to cool the components of the turbine engine faster, which can more effectively control the gap by cooling the casing and the rotating components in response to changes in the gap between the casing and the rotating components or EGT overshoot. For example, applying cooling air to the casing helps to reduce the gap between the casing and the rotating components. In some examples, applying cooling air to the rotating components (e.g., the rotor) increases the gap between the casing and the rotating components. Once the temperature controller 335 transmits the temperature control signal to the mixer 525, the program 1500 ends. In some examples, routine 1500 is a continuous loop where once the temperature controller 335 transmits the temperature control signal to the mixer 525 , routine 1500 returns to block 1510 where the example sensor processor 325 obtains sensor data from the example engine sensor 315 .

[0111] Fig.16 is constructed to execute Fig.14 and 15 A block diagram of an exemplary processor platform 1600 of instructions to implement Figure 3 The processor platform 1600 may be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network), a mobile device (e.g., such as an iPad TM tablet), or other wearable device, or any other type of computing device.

[0112] The processor platform 1600 of the illustrated example includes a processor 1612. The processor 1612 of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor 1612 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer. The hardware processor can be a semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) device. In this example, the processor implements the example sensor 325, the example flow rate controller 330, and the example temperature controller 335.

[0113] The processor 1612 of the illustrated example includes a local memory 1613 (e.g., a cache). The processor 1612 of the illustrated example communicates with a main memory including a volatile memory 1614 and a non-volatile memory 1616 via a bus 1618. The volatile memory 1614 may be implemented by a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), and / or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatile memory 1616 may be implemented by a flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory 1614, 1616 is controlled by a memory controller.

[0114] The processor platform 1600 of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit 1620. The interface circuit 1620 may be implemented by any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a universal serial bus (USB), interface, Near Field Communication (NFC) interface and / or PCI Express interface.

[0115] In the example shown, one or more input devices 1622 are connected to the interface circuit 1620. The input devices 1622 allow a user to enter data and / or commands to the processor 1612. The input devices may be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, a camera (still or video), a keyboard, buttons, a mouse, a touch screen, a track pad, a track ball, a peering point, and / or a voice recognition system.

[0116] One or more output devices 1624 are also connected to the interface circuit 1620 of the illustrated example. The output device 1624 can be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube display (CRT), an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touch screen, etc.), a tactile output device, a printer, and / or a speaker. Therefore, the interface circuit 1620 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or a graphics driver processor.

[0117] The interface circuitry 1620 of the illustrated example also includes a communication device, such as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, a modem, a residential gateway, a wireless access point, and / or a network interface, to facilitate the exchange of data with an external machine (e.g., any type of computing device) via a network 1626. Communications may be via, for example, an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a field line wireless system, a cellular telephone system, etc.

[0118] The processor platform 1600 of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage devices 1628 for storing software and / or data. Examples of such mass storage devices 1628 include floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) systems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives.

[0119] Fig.14 and 15 The machine executable instructions 1632 may be stored in the mass storage device 1628, in the volatile memory 1614, in the non-volatile memory 1616, and / or on a removable non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

[0120] As can be appreciated from the above, example methods, apparatus, and articles have been disclosed that illustrate a clearance design process and strategy with CCA-ACC optimization for EGT and performance improvements. The disclosed methods, apparatus, and articles propose an integrated CCA-ACC system that provides sufficient clearance control (e.g., power, airflow, cooling temperature regulation, clearance accuracy, etc.) to control EGT overshoot during takeoff and improved on-wing time of a gas turbine engine. The disclosed examples use a heat exchanger or mixer to provide exchange of cooling air between the CCA and ACC systems. The disclosed methods, apparatus, and articles provide appropriate clearance control for a gas turbine engine by achieving tighter clearances while improving the fuel consumption (SFC) of the gas turbine engine at cruise. In addition, the examples disclosed herein provide increased hardware durability and life improvements for components of a gas turbine engine.

[0121] Although certain example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture have been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture that fully fall within the scope of the claims of this patent.

[0122] The following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description by reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0124] 1. An apparatus for clearance control in a turbine engine, the apparatus comprising: a casing surrounding at least a portion of the turbine engine, the at least a portion of the turbine engine comprising a turbine or a compressor; a first source for obtaining external air, the first source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor, a fan or a supercharger; a second source for obtaining cooled cooling air, the second source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor or a high-pressure compressor; a heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of the cooled cooling air provided by the second source, the heat exchanger being triggered by a first control signal; and a casing cooler for providing active clearance control air to the casing to control deflection of the casing, wherein the active clearance control air is a combination of the external air from the first source and the cooled cooling air, the casing cooler being coupled to the heat exchanger using a first valve, the first valve being triggered by a second control signal.

[0125] 2. Apparatus according to any preceding clause, wherein the heat exchanger provides cooled cooling air to rotating components within the housing to control the temperature of the rotating components and thereby adjust the gap between the rotor and the housing.

[0126] 3. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the heat exchanger provides the cooled cooling air to the casing cooler to control the temperature of the casing and thereby adjust the gap between the rotor and the casing.

[0127] 4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first source is coupled to the casing cooler using a second valve, the second valve being triggered by a third control signal.

[0128] 5. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the shell cooler is a first shell cooler, and the shell cooler uses a third valve to output the effective gap control air to a second shell cooler, and the heat exchanger uses a fourth valve to output the cooled cooling air to the rotating component, the third valve is triggered by a fourth control signal, and the fourth valve is triggered by a fifth control signal.

[0129] 6. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the device also includes a controller that uses sensors in at least a portion of the turbine engine to monitor conditions, wherein the conditions include temperature, pressure, other cycle parameters, direct clearance measurements and indirect clearance measurements.

[0130] 7. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the controller adjusts the input and output of the shell cooler and the output of the heat exchanger in response to the condition, and the controller transmits the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal, the fourth control signal and the fifth control signal in response to the condition.

[0131] 8. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first control signal is used to adjust the temperature of the cooled cooling air in the heat exchanger, and wherein the second control signal, the third control signal, the fourth control signal and the fifth control signal are used to adjust the airflow through the first valve, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve, respectively.

[0132] 9. A device for clearance control in a turbine engine, the device comprising: a casing, the casing surrounding at least a portion of the turbine engine, the at least a portion of the turbine engine comprising a turbine or a compressor; a first source, the first source being used to obtain external air, the first source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor, a fan or a supercharger; a second source, the second source being used to obtain cooled cooling air, the second source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor or a high-pressure compressor; a mixer, the mixer generating hot mixed air by mixing the external air provided by the first source and the cooled cooling air provided by the second source, the mixer adjusting the temperature of the hot mixed air, the mixer being triggered by a first control signal; and a casing cooler, the casing cooler being used to provide the hot mixed air from the mixer to the casing to control the deflection of the casing, the casing cooler being connected to the mixer using a first valve, the first valve being triggered by a second control signal.

[0133] 10. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the mixer provides hot mixed air to a rotating component within the housing to increase the gap between the rotating component and the housing, the mixer being connected to the rotating component by means of a second valve, the second valve being triggered by a third control signal.

[0134] 11. The apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the casing cooler is a first casing cooler and the casing cooler outputs the hot mixed air to a second casing cooler using a third valve, the third valve being triggered by a fourth control signal.

[0135] 12. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the device also includes a controller that uses sensors in at least a portion of the turbine engine to monitor conditions, wherein the conditions include temperature, pressure, other cycle parameters, direct clearance measurements and indirect clearance measurements.

[0136] 13. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the controller adjusts the output of the mixer and the output of the housing cooler in response to the condition, the controller transmitting the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal and the fourth control signal.

[0137] 14. An apparatus according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first control signal is used to adjust the temperature of the cooled cooling air in the mixer, and wherein the second control signal, the third control signal and the fourth control signal are used to adjust the airflow through the first valve, the second valve and the third valve, respectively.

[0138] 15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least: obtain a condition parameter from a sensor device in a turbine engine; monitor the condition parameter; determine when a condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between a blade tip and a casing that surrounds at least a portion of the turbine engine; in response to determining that the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between the blade tip and the casing: transmit a first control signal to adjust a flow rate of a valve to increase airflow; and transmit a second control signal to adjust a temperature of airflow through at least a portion of the turbine engine.

[0139] 16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the at least a portion of the turbine engine comprises a turbine or a compressor.

[0140] 17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the condition parameter comprises a temperature measurement, a pressure measurement, or an air density measurement.

[0141] 18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of any of the preceding clauses, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to use a heat exchanger or a mixer to adjust the temperature of the airflow through the at least a portion of the turbine engine.

[0142] 19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to monitor the condition parameter by comparing the condition parameter from the sensor device to a condition model estimate.

[0143] 20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the instruction, when executed, causes the at least one processor to: determine a time when a condition indicates an exhaust temperature overshoot; and in response to determining that the condition indicates an exhaust temperature overshoot: transmit the first control signal to adjust the flow of the valve to increase the airflow; and transmit a second control signal to adjust the temperature of the airflow through at least a portion of the turbine engine.

[0144] 21. An engine controller comprising: a memory; and a processor, the processor being connected to the memory, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to at least: obtain a condition parameter from a sensor device in a turbine engine; monitor the condition parameter; determine when the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between a blade tip and a casing that surrounds at least a portion of the turbine engine; in response to determining that the condition indicates an increase in temperature or a decrease in clearance between the blade tip and the casing: transmit a first control signal to adjust a flow rate of a valve to increase airflow; and transmit a second control signal to adjust a temperature of airflow through at least a portion of the turbine engine.

Claims

1. A device for clearance control in a turbine engine, characterized in that The device comprises: a casing enclosing at least a portion of the turbine engine, the at least a portion of the turbine engine comprising a turbine or a compressor; a first source for obtaining external air, the first source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor, a fan, or a supercharger; a second source for obtaining cooled cooling air, the second source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor or a high-pressure compressor; a heat exchanger for controlling the temperature of the cooled cooling air provided by the second source, the heat exchanger being triggered by a first control signal; and a first housing cooler for providing active clearance control air to the housing to control deflection of the housing, wherein the active clearance control air is a combination of the outside air from the first source and the cooled cooling air, the first housing cooler being coupled to the heat exchanger using a first valve, the first valve being triggered by a second control signal; wherein the first source is coupled to the housing cooler using a second valve, the second valve being triggered by a third control signal, and wherein the first housing cooler outputs the active clearance control air to the second housing cooler using a third valve, and the heat exchanger outputs cooled cooling air using a fourth valve, the third valve being triggered by a fourth control signal, and the fourth valve being triggered by a fifth control signal.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that in, The heat exchanger provides cooled cooling air to the rotating components within the housing to control the temperature of the rotating components, thereby adjusting a gap between the rotor and the housing.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The apparatus further includes a controller for monitoring conditions in the at least a portion of the turbine engine using sensors, wherein the conditions include temperature, pressure, other cycle parameters, direct clearance measurements, and indirect clearance measurements.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that in, The controller is used to adjust the input and output of the housing cooler and the output of the heat exchanger in response to the condition, and the controller transmits the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal, the fourth control signal, and the fifth control signal in response to the condition.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that in, The first control signal is used to adjust the temperature of the cooled cooling air in the heat exchanger, and wherein the second control signal, the third control signal, the fourth control signal and the fifth control signal are used to regulate the airflow through the first valve, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve, respectively.

6. A device for clearance control in a turbine engine, characterized in that The device comprises: a casing enclosing at least a portion of the turbine engine, the at least a portion of the turbine engine comprising a turbine or a compressor; a first source for obtaining external air, the first source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor, a fan, or a supercharger; a second source for obtaining cooled cooling air, the second source comprising at least one of a low-pressure compressor or a high-pressure compressor; a mixer that generates hot mixed air by mixing the outside air provided by the first source and the cooled cooling air provided by the second source, the mixer adjusts the temperature of the hot mixed air, the mixer being triggered by a first control signal; and a first housing cooler for providing the hot mixed air from the mixer to the housing to control the deflection of the housing, the first housing cooler being coupled to the mixer using a first valve, the first valve being triggered by a second control signal; Wherein the first source is coupled to the first housing cooler using a second valve, the second valve being triggered by a third control signal, and wherein the first housing cooler outputs the hot mixed air to a second housing cooler using a third valve, the third valve being triggered by a fourth control signal.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that in, The mixer provides the hot mixed air to a rotating component within the housing to increase a clearance between the rotating component and the housing, the mixer being coupled to the rotating component using a fourth valve triggered by a fifth control signal.

8. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that in, The apparatus further includes a controller for monitoring conditions in the at least a portion of the turbine engine using sensors, wherein the conditions include temperature, pressure, other cycle parameters, direct clearance measurements, and indirect clearance measurements.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that in, The controller adjusts the output of the mixer and the output of the housing cooler in response to the condition, the controller transmitting the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal, and the fourth control signal.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that Wherein the first control signal is used to adjust the temperature of the cooled cooling air in the mixer, and wherein the second control signal, the third control signal and the fourth control signal are used to regulate the airflow through the first valve, the second valve and the third valve, respectively.

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