Engine controller for gas turbine engine

Abstract

A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbine; a nacelle surrounding the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along a radial direction inside the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height ([Delta] r), a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r ') along the radial direction. The normalized radius (r ') is the ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the cubic root of the total volume (V), and wherein these parameters are correlated by the equation # imgabs0 # wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r ') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application No. 17 / 702,120, filed on March 23, 2023, which is a non-provisional application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to an engine controller for a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine engine having the engine controller. Background Art

[0004] A gas turbine engine generally includes a turbine and a rotor assembly. A gas turbine engine, such as a turbofan engine, may be used for aircraft propulsion. In the case of a turbofan engine, the rotor assembly may be configured as a fan assembly. An outer nacelle may be disposed around the fan assembly to improve the propulsion efficiency of the turbofan engine. In at least some configurations, a controller for the engine, such as a full authority digital engine control controller, may be located within the outer nacelle. Improvements to turbofan engines in order to improve the propulsion efficiency of turbofan engines are welcome in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0006] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure.

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an outer nacelle of an exemplary gas turbine engine and a portion of an engine controller, as viewed in an axial direction of the gas turbine engine.

[0008] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A close-up schematic diagram of an outer nacelle and engine controller of an exemplary gas turbine engine.

[0009] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an outer nacelle and an engine controller of a gas turbine engine according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an outer nacelle and an engine controller of a gas turbine engine according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 6is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an outer nacelle and an engine controller of a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a table including values ​​corresponding to several gas turbine engines according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 8 is a graph of a gas turbine engine according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter references to refer to features in the drawings. Similar or similar reference numbers have been used in the drawings and description to refer to similar or similar parts of the present disclosure.

[0015] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. In addition, unless expressly stated otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary.

[0016] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0017] The term “turbomachine” refers to a machine that includes one or more compressors, a heat generating section (eg, a combustion section), and one or more turbines that together produce a torque output.

[0018] The term "gas turbine engine" refers to an engine having a turbine as all or part of its power source. Example gas turbine engines include turbofan engines, turboprop engines, turbojets, turboshaft engines, etc., as well as hybrid-electric versions of one or more of these engines.

[0019] The term "combustion section" refers to any heat addition system for a turbomachine. For example, the term combustion section may refer to a section that includes one or more of a deflagration combustion assembly, a rotating detonation combustion assembly, a pulse detonation combustion assembly, or other suitable heat addition assemblies. In certain exemplary embodiments, the combustion section may include an annular combustor, a can combustor, a can annular combustor, a trapped vortex combustor (TVC), or other suitable combustion systems, or combinations thereof.

[0020] Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "low" and "high" or their respective comparatives (e.g., "lower" and "higher," as applicable) when used with compressor, turbine, shaft or spool components, etc., each refer to relative speeds within an engine. For example, a "low turbine" or "low-speed turbine" defines a component that is configured to operate at a lower rotational speed (e.g., maximum allowable rotational speed) than a "high turbine" or "high-speed turbine" of an engine.

[0021] Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, and unless context or language indicates otherwise, such ranges are identified and include all sub-ranges contained therein. For example, all ranges disclosed herein include the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other.

[0022] The terms "coupled," "fixed," and the like, unless otherwise indicated herein, refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attachment as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attachment through one or more intermediate components or features.

[0023] When designing a turbofan engine, the goal is usually to maximize the propulsion efficiency of the turbofan engine. Typically, a turbofan engine includes a relatively large fan to provide the required amount of thrust without overloading the fan blades of the fan (i.e., without increasing the disk load of the fan blades of the fan beyond a certain threshold), and thus maintain the required overall propulsion efficiency of the turbofan engine. Turbofan engine design practices can further strive to provide a large fan on the turbofan engine, or more precisely a large diameter fan, to allow the fan to provide the turbofan engine with the most reasonable total thrust. However, a turbofan engine including such a large fan may lead to problems such as packaging the turbofan engine on an aircraft, a relatively heavy turbofan engine (because the size of the outer nacelle will inevitably increase with the fan diameter), etc. By reducing the radial height of the outer nacelle, efforts can be made to reduce the size of the outer nacelle for a turbofan engine with a relatively large fan. However, it is worth noting that the turbofan engine may include an engine controller installed in the outer nacelle. The radial height of the engine controller may dictate the minimum radial height of the nacelle, which in turn may have a significant impact on how heavy the nacelle will be, the amount of aerodynamic drag on the turbofan engine, and the amount of clearance between the turbofan engine and the ground once installed on the aircraft.

[0024] The inventors of the present disclosure have discovered that in order to reduce the radial height of the outer nacelle, the height of the engine controller must also be reduced. However, as the height of the engine controller is reduced, the weight of the engine controller increases. For example, the further the engine controller shape is from, for example, a cubic shape, the more outer shell material is required to provide a given internal volume for circuit boards, connectors, etc. Therefore, there is a trade-off between the desire to reduce radial height and avoiding excessive weight gain.

[0025] In designing several different types of turbofan engines (including the following reference Figures 1 to 5 In the process of designing a gas turbine engine described in the specification, the inventors proceeded in the following manner: design a turbofan engine with given fan characteristics (e.g., fan diameter) and corresponding nacelle weights and heights for various engine controller designs; check the propulsive efficiency of the designed turbofan engine; check the structural issues associated with the weight of the engine controller and the outer nacelle; redesign a turbofan engine with varying fan characteristics (e.g., fan diameter) and corresponding nacelle weights and heights for various engine controller designs; recheck the propulsive efficiency of the designed turbofan engine; recheck the structural issues associated with the weight of the engine controller and the outer nacelle; etc. In the practice of studying / evaluating various primary fan characteristics and corresponding nacelle weights and heights for various engine controller designs that are considered feasible for optimally meeting mission requirements, it was found that the ratio of the radial range of the engine controller to the fan diameter (Δr / r) and the normalized engine controller radius (ratio of the cube root of the inner surface radius of the outer nacelle (r) to the total volume (V) of the engine controller; ) have a certain relationship between them.

[0026] The resulting relationship can be considered an indicator of the ability of a turbofan engine to maintain or even improve a desired propulsive efficiency by including a desired fan diameter, while also taking into account packaging and weight issues of the engine controller and outer nacelle.

[0027] Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several views, Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an engine according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is provided.

[0028] For the illustrated embodiment, the engine is configured as a high bypass turbofan engine 100. Figure 1 As shown, the turbofan engine 100 defines an axial direction A (extending parallel to a centerline axis 101 provided for reference), a radial direction R, and a circumferential direction (extending about the axial direction A; in FIG. Figure 1 Generally, the turbofan engine 100 includes a fan section 102 and a turbine 104 disposed downstream of the fan section 102 .

[0029] The exemplary turbine 104 shown generally includes a substantially tubular outer casing 106 defining an annular inlet 108. The outer casing 106 surrounds a compressor section in a series flow relationship, the compressor section including a supercharger or low pressure (LP) compressor 110 and a high pressure (HP) compressor 112; a combustion section 114; a turbine section including a high pressure (HP) turbine 116 and a low pressure (LP) turbine 118; and an ejection exhaust nozzle section 120. The compressor section, the combustion section 114, and the turbine section together at least partially define a core air flow path 121 extending from the annular inlet 108 to the ejection exhaust nozzle section 120. The turbofan engine also includes one or more drive shafts. More specifically, the turbofan engine 100 includes a high pressure (HP) shaft or spool 122 drivingly connecting the HP turbine 116 to the HP compressor 112, and a low pressure (LP) shaft or spool 124 drivingly connecting the LP turbine 118 to the LP compressor 110.

[0030] For the illustrated embodiment, the fan section 102 includes a fan 126 having a plurality of fan blades 128 coupled to a disk 130 in a spaced-apart manner. The plurality of fan blades 128 and the disk 130 together are rotatable about the centerline axis 101 by the LP shaft 124. The disk 130 is covered by a rotatable front hub 132 having an aerodynamic profile to facilitate airflow through the plurality of fan blades 128. In addition, an annular fan casing or outer nacelle 134 is provided that circumferentially surrounds the fan 126 and / or at least a portion of the turbine 104. The nacelle 134 is supported relative to the turbine 104 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart outlet guide vanes 136. A downstream section 138 of the nacelle 134 extends over an outer portion of the turbine 104 so as to define a bypass airflow passage 140 therebetween.

[0031] In this manner, it should be understood that the turbofan engine 100 generally includes a first flow (e.g., core air flow path 121) and a second flow (e.g., bypass airflow passage 140) extending parallel to the first flow. In certain exemplary embodiments, the turbofan engine 100 may also define a third flow extending, for example, from the LP compressor 110 to the bypass airflow passage 140 or to the surrounding environment. With this configuration, the LP compressor 110 may generally include a first compressor stage and a downstream compressor stage configured as a ducted mid-fan. The inlet of the third flow may be positioned between the first compressor stage and the downstream compressor stage.

[0032] However, it should be understood that Figure 1The exemplary turbofan engine 100 shown in is provided by way of example only. In other exemplary embodiments, any other suitable gas turbine engine may be used with aspects of the present disclosure. For example, in other embodiments, the turbofan engine may be any other suitable gas turbine engine, such as a turboshaft engine, a turboprop engine, a turbojet engine, etc. In this manner, it may also be understood that in other embodiments, the gas turbine engine may have any other suitable configuration, such as any other suitable number or arrangement of shafts, compressors, turbines, fans, etc. In addition, although Figure 1 The exemplary gas turbine engine shown in is schematically illustrated as a direct-drive fixed pitch turbofan engine, but in other embodiments, the gas turbine engine of the present disclosure may be a geared gas turbine engine (i.e., including a gearbox between the fan 126 and a shaft driving the fan (e.g., LP shaft 124)), may be a variable pitch gas turbine engine (i.e., including a fan 126 having a plurality of fan blades 128 rotatable about their respective pitch axes), and the like. Furthermore, although the exemplary turbofan engine 100 includes a ducted fan 126, in other exemplary aspects, the turbofan engine 100 may include an unducted fan 126 (or an open rotor fan) without a nacelle 134. Furthermore, although not illustrated here, in other embodiments, the gas turbine engine may be any other suitable type of gas turbine engine, such as a marine gas turbine engine.

[0033] Still reference Figure 1 , it should be appreciated that the exemplary turbofan engine 100 also includes an engine controller 150. More specifically, for the illustrated embodiment, the engine controller 150 is positioned within the nacelle 134 (e.g., within a shell of the nacelle 134), and more specifically, is mounted within the nacelle 134 at a position above the plurality of fan blades 128 of the fan 126 (e.g., aligned with the plurality of fan blades 128 of the fan 126 along the axial direction A). In particular, the nacelle 134 includes an inner wall 152 that defines an inner surface 154 that is located outside the plurality of fan blades 128 of the fan 126, wherein the engine controller 150 is mounted to the inner wall 152 or otherwise positioned adjacent to the inner wall 152.

[0034] It should be understood that the term "engine controller" refers to a computing component having at least a processor and a memory, which is configured to receive one or more inputs and provide one or more control instructions for the turbofan engine 100 (i.e., one or more control instructions to a system or component of the turbofan engine 100 or to a system that affects the operation of the turbofan engine 100). The one or more inputs may be: data indicating engine operating conditions, data indicating flight conditions or flight modes, data indicating control decisions from an operator, etc. The one or more control instructions for the turbofan engine 100 may be control signals related to: fuel flow to the turbofan engine, operation of one or more variable geometry components, operation of one or more actuators, operation of one or more accessory systems of the turbofan engine (e.g., active clearance control, a thermal management system of the turbofan engine, a de-icing or anti-icing system of the turbofan engine, a lubrication system of the turbofan engine, etc.), power extraction or power addition commands for one or more electric machines, etc., or a combination thereof.

[0035] For example, in at least some exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 may be a full authority digital engine control ("FADEC") controller. However, in other embodiments, other suitable engine controllers may be provided. For example, in other embodiments, the engine controller 150 may include a health monitoring unit and other electronic systems.

[0036] In at least some exemplary embodiments, the entirety of engine controller 150 may be housed in a single structure (e.g., as described below with reference to Figure 3 However, in other embodiments, the engine controller 150 may be a distributed engine controller located at different locations within the turbofan engine 100. For example, in some embodiments, the engine controller 150 may be located within a plurality of outer casings 160 spaced apart along the circumferential direction C (see, e.g., the discussion below). Figure 5 In other embodiments, portions of engine controller 150 may be located within outer nacelle 134 or at other locations outside of outer nacelle 134. In such configurations, engine controller 150 is still considered to be located within nacelle 134 when at least a portion of engine controller 150 is located within outer nacelle 134.

[0037] It should be understood that although the engine controller 150 is described as being mounted within the nacelle 134 at a location above the plurality of fan blades 128 of the fan 126, in at least some exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 may be positioned forward of the plurality of fan blades 128 of the fan 126 along the axial direction A, or may be positioned rearward of the plurality of fan blades 128 of the fan 126 along the axial direction A. Typically, the engine controller 150 is mounted within the outer nacelle 134 at a location having a maximum radial extent.

[0038] from Figure 1 It can also be understood from the embodiment shown in that the nacelle 134 defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction R inside the engine controller 150. The inner surface radius (r) refers to the distance from the centerline axis 101 to the nacelle inner surface 154 along the radial direction R, relative to the inner wall 152 on which the engine controller 150 is mounted. More specifically, the inner surface radius (r) refers to the length from the centerline axis 101 to the nacelle inner surface 154 along the radial direction R at the location where the plurality of fan blades 128 are located along the centerline axis 101, and more specifically, also at the location where the leading edges of the plurality of fan blades 128 along the centerline axis 101 intersect the respective outer tips of the plurality of fan blades 128.

[0039] In addition, the engine controller 150 and the nacelle inner surface 154 define a radial height (Δr) along the radial direction R. The radial height (Δr) refers to the distance along the radial direction R from the inner surface 154 to the outermost surface of the engine controller 150 along the radial direction R. The radial height (Δr) is measured in a plane perpendicular to the centerline axis 101 (the plane defined by the radial direction R for the illustrated embodiment; the “radial plane”). For the illustrated embodiment, in which the engine controller 150 is positioned above the plurality of fan blades 128, the radial height (Δr) refers to the distance along the radial direction R from the inner surface 154 to the outermost surface of the engine controller 150 along the radial direction R at the location where the plurality of fan blades 128 are located along the centerline axis 101. In this manner, Figure 1 In an embodiment, the inner surface radius (r) and the radial height (Δr) are each defined in the same radial plane.

[0040] However, in other embodiments, for example, when the engine controller 150 is positioned in front of or behind the plurality of fan blades 128, the radial height (Δr) may alternatively be defined at a different location along the centerline axis 101 - at the location of the outermost surface of the engine controller 150 positioned along the radial direction R.

[0041] In the depicted embodiment, in which the inner surface radius (r) and the radial height (Δr) are each defined in the same radial plane, the sum of the radial height (Δr) and the inner surface radius (r) locates the radially outermost position of the engine controller 150 relative to the engine centerline axis 101, and two times the inner surface radius (r) and the sum of the radial height (Δr) (i.e., 2xr+Δr) is the distance from the radially outermost position of the engine controller 150 to the relative wall 152.

[0042] More specifically, reference is now also made to Figure 2 , provides a schematic diagram of a portion of the outer nacelle 134 and the engine controller 150, as viewed along the axial direction A of the turbofan engine 100, it should be understood that the radial height (Δr) more specifically refers to the distance along the radial direction R from the inner surface 154 opposite to the inner wall 152 on which the engine controller 150 is mounted to the outermost point of the outermost surface of the engine controller 150 along the radial direction R. Although Figure 2 The inner wall 152 is schematically depicted as a single line, but it should be understood that the radial height (Δr) includes the thickness of the inner wall 152 in its measurement.

[0043] In addition, still refer to Figure 2 It should be understood that the engine controller 150 defines the length L along the axial direction A (see Figure 1 ), width W (see Figure 2 ), height H (see Figure 2 ), external surface area SA (not shown) and total volume V. For example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the box-shaped engine controller 150 shown, the outer surface area SA refers to the surface area of ​​the top surface 156 of the engine controller 150, which may be the product of the length L and the width W of the engine controller 150. In addition, for the box-shaped engine controller 150, the total volume V refers to the product of the length L, the width W, and the height H of the engine controller 150.

[0044] As explained in more detail elsewhere herein, the engine controller 150 is generally configured as a conformal engine controller that is configured to have a relatively small radial footprint, enabling, for example, a larger diameter fan 126, a higher bypass ratio (i.e., the ratio of airflow through the bypass airflow passage 140 to the airflow through the annular inlet 108; see Figure 1 ), higher propulsion efficiency, etc. To do this, it can be simply inferred that the housing of the engine controller 150 should be designed for a larger outer surface area SA. However, a simple increase in surface area (or a reduced profile in the radial plane) can result in an unacceptable increase in the weight of the engine controller 150.

[0045] Reference now Figure 3 , provides a close-up schematic diagram of an exemplary engine controller 150 and nacelle 134. As will be appreciated, the exemplary engine controller 150 generally includes an outer housing 160 defining an outer shell 162, one or more circuit boards 164 positioned within the outer shell 162, and an electrical connector 166 mounted to the outer shell 160 for connecting the one or more circuit boards 164 to various aspects of the turbofan engine 100 and / or an aircraft incorporating the turbofan engine 100. Notably, the circuit board 164 may include one or more components 168, such as one or more memory components, resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, diodes, sensors, and the like.

[0046] For the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 166 is positioned at one end of the engine controller 150 along the circumferential direction C. It should be appreciated that the electrical connector 166 defines a height 170. The height 170 of the electrical connector 166 may be at least 50%, such as at least 70%, such as at least 80%, such as at least 90%, such as up to 120%, of the height H of the engine controller 150. In this manner, it should be appreciated that the height 170 of the electrical connector 166 may affect the height H of the engine controller 150, and therefore the radial height of the outer nacelle 134.

[0047] It should be understood that although the electrical connector 166 of the engine controller 150 is positioned at one end of the engine controller 150 along the circumferential direction C, in other embodiments, the electrical connector 166 may alternatively be positioned at one end of the engine controller 150 along the axial direction A. Alternatively, the engine controller 150 may also include a plurality of electrical connectors 166 at different positions.

[0048] It should be understood that although Figure 2 and Figure 3 In embodiments of the present disclosure, the engine controller 150 is designed to have a relatively box-like shape (e.g., rectangular / shared sides that are perpendicular to all adjacent sides), but in other embodiments of the present disclosure, the engine controller 150 may have any other suitable design that can achieve the desired reduced radial footprint.

[0049] For example, now refer to Figure 4 , provides a schematic diagram of a portion of an outer nacelle 134 and an engine controller 150 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed along the axial direction A of the turbofan engine 100. The exemplary outer nacelle 134 and the engine controller 150 may generally be described with reference to the above. Figures 1 to 3 The depicted exemplary outer nacelle 134 and engine controller 150 are configured in a similar manner.

[0050] However, for the illustrated embodiment, the engine controller 150 generally defines a curved profile. More specifically, it should be understood that the turbofan engine 100 generally defines a reference plane perpendicular to the axial direction A (ie, Figure 4 The housing of the engine controller 150 ( Figure 4 Not indicated; see Figure 3 The outer housing 160 of the engine controller 150 defines a curved profile in a reference plane. More specifically, the housing of the engine controller 150 defines an inner curved profile 172 and an outer curved profile 174. The inner curved profile 172 may define a radius of curvature within 50% of an inner surface radius (r) of the nacelle 134 in the reference plane. For example, in certain exemplary embodiments, the inner curved profile 172 may define a radius of curvature within 25% of the inner surface radius (r), such as within 10% of the inner surface radius (r), in the reference plane. Further, in at least certain exemplary aspects, the outer curved profile 174 may define a radius of curvature within 20% of the radius of curvature of the inner curved profile 172 in the reference plane.

[0051] It is worth noting that Figure 4 As shown in dashed lines in , the exemplary engine controller 150 also includes one or more circuit boards 164. For the illustrated embodiment, the one or more circuit boards 164 define a curved profile in a reference plane perpendicular to the axial direction A. This can allow one or more circuit boards 164 having a desired size to fit more compactly within the engine controller 150 having a curved profile. The curved profile of the circuit board 164 can have a radius of curvature within the ranges set forth above for the inner curved profile 172 and the outer curved profile 174.

[0052] In addition, it should be understood that in other exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may have other suitable configurations. Figure 5 , provides a schematic diagram of a portion of an outer nacelle 134 and an engine controller 150 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed along the axial direction A of the turbofan engine 100. The exemplary outer nacelle 134 and the engine controller 150 may generally be described with reference to the above. Figures 1 to 4 The depicted exemplary outer nacelle 134 and engine controller 150 are configured in a similar manner.

[0053] However, for the illustrated embodiment, the engine controller 150 is not configured as a single discrete box, but includes a plurality of discrete boxes spaced apart along the circumferential direction C of the turbofan engine 100. In particular, for the illustrated embodiment, the engine controller 150 includes two discrete boxes spaced apart along the circumferential direction C. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 may include any other suitable number of discrete boxes (e.g., between 2 and 10). The plurality of discrete boxes may be spaced apart along the circumferential direction C, along the axial direction A (see Figure 1 ), or both separated.

[0054] In such an exemplary embodiment, it should be understood that the total volume V of the engine controller 150 refers to the sum of the total volumes V of each of the plurality of discrete boxes of the engine controller 150. Similarly, the outer surface area SA of the engine controller 150 refers to the sum of the outer surface areas SA of the top surfaces 156 of each of the plurality of discrete boxes.

[0055] In other exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 may have other configurations. For example, in other exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 may have a faceted profile. More specifically, the engine controller 150 may include an effective curved profile (similar to Figure 5 ), but with multiple flat faces along the circumferential direction C, so the inner circuit board 164 can be flat. This will approximate Figure 5 , but still using a flat circuit board 164. Figure 5 This configuration may also save weight of cables compared to the multi-box design of the embodiments. For example, in certain exemplary embodiments, the engine controller 150 may include between two and 20 flat faces arranged along the circumferential direction C (which may look like between two and 20 flat box-shaped controller boxes that are welded or otherwise connected together to have a common internal volume).

[0056] Furthermore, in other embodiments, the turbofan engine 100 may be configured in any other suitable manner. Figure 6, a close-up cross-sectional schematic diagram of a turbofan engine 100 according to aspects of the present disclosure is provided. As will be appreciated, the turbofan engine 100 includes an outer nacelle 134 and an engine controller 150. The outer nacelle 134 includes an inner wall 152 defining an inner surface 154. The inner wall 152 in the illustrated embodiment includes more than one layer. In particular, the inner wall 152 includes a base layer 180 and a supplementary layer 182. In one embodiment, the base layer 180 can be a structural layer, and the supplementary layer 182 can be a sound insulation layer. Additionally or alternatively, the supplementary layer 182 can be a shielding layer (e.g., to prevent potential fan blade 128 release), a gap control layer (e.g., configured to manage the gap between the inner surface 154 and the tip of the fan blade 128), etc. The base layer 180, the supplementary layer 182, or both can be continuous along the circumferential direction C or segmented along the circumferential direction C. In this manner, it should be understood that the term “inner wall” of outer nacelle 134 is a broad term that is intended to capture any structure outside of fan blades 128 along radial direction R at an interior portion of outer nacelle 134 .

[0057] As previously mentioned, the present inventors unexpectedly discovered that during the process of turbofan engine design, i.e., evaluating different turbofan engines, each with various differences in fan characteristics (e.g., fan diameter), resulting in nacelle weight and height impacts, and associated modifications to engine controller weight and packaging, that there is a relationship between the ratio of the radial extent of the engine controller to the fan diameter (Δr / r) and the normalized engine controller radius (the ratio of the cube root of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) of the engine controller. The resulting relative controller height and normalized controller radius relationship can be considered an indicator of the ability of a turbofan engine to maintain or even improve a desired propulsive efficiency by including a desired fan diameter, while maintaining packaging issues and weight issues for the engine controller and outer nacelle.

[0058] As will be appreciated, it is generally desirable to increase the diameter of the fan of a ducted turbofan engine to increase the overall propulsive efficiency of the gas turbine engine. However, for larger fan diameters, a ducted turbofan engine may also require a larger outer nacelle, which may result in packaging issues, weight and load issues, etc. The inventors of the present disclosure have discovered that the size of the outer nacelle for an engine including a larger diameter fan can be advantageously reduced by an amount determined by an optimally sized engine controller to achieve the goal of reducing the nacelle height (i.e., an engine controller having a minimum radial height without unacceptable nacelle weight and packaging issues).

[0059] The most volume efficient design for an engine controller is a cubic shape, which maximizes the internal volume and minimizes the amount of material required for the housing of the engine controller, thereby reducing the overall weight of the engine controller. However, the inventors of the present disclosure have discovered that this may result in a radial extent that is too large to facilitate a relatively low radial thickness outer nacelle, which may be desirable for an engine that includes a fan with a larger fan diameter. Conversely, the inventors have discovered that, within the range defined herein, an engine controller having a smaller radial extent can facilitate the relatively low radial thickness nacelle described above without producing an unnecessarily thin and heavy engine controller. Therefore, as described above, there is a trade-off between the desire to reduce radial height and avoiding excessive weight gain.

[0060] Using this relationship, the inventors have discovered that the number of suitable or feasible turbofan engine designs that combine a fan having a relatively large fan diameter and an engine controller of the required size that can meet the engine controller's propulsion efficiency requirements as well as packaging and weight issues can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the discovered relationship can not only define the optimal controller design, but also facilitate a faster downward selection of designs when considering the development of a turbofan engine. This benefit provides more understanding of the requirements for a given turbofan engine before the specific technical, integration, and system requirements are fully developed. It avoids late-stage redesigns. The desired relationship is represented by the following equation (1):

[0061] Equation (1):

[0062] Where r' is the normalized radius of the engine controller, Δr is the radial height of the engine controller, r is the inner surface radius of the outer nacelle inside the engine controller along the radial direction of the engine, and K is a related constant.

[0063] It is worth noting that the normalized radius (r') is the ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the cube root of the total volume (V) of the engine controller (i.e., ). The normalized radius (r') scales the radius relative to one side of a characteristic single cubic box having the same total volume as the engine controller, which can be a non-cubic shape. In this way, if volume efficient design is a driving factor in the engine controller design, the normalized radius (r') reflects a baseline of what the radial extent of the engine controller will be. Additionally, as described above, K is a correlation constant. The correlation constant K reflects an upper bound within which the benefits of equation (1) are believed to hold valid. It is noteworthy that, along with the radial height (Δr) and the total volume (V), the total surface area (A) of the top surface of the engine controller can also be an indicator of the design of the engine controller and can further affect, for example, the ability of the engine controller to dissipate heat during engine operation.

[0064] Table 1 provides the ranges of variables within which equation (1) is defined and which are believed to provide the benefits discussed previously:

[0065]

[0066] Reference now Fig. 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 8 , data of an exemplary gas turbine engine is provided according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, Fig. 7A and Figure 7B Provides corresponding Figure 8 In particular, Fig. 7A Provides corresponding Figure 8 A table of values ​​of the first region 206 in FIG. Figure 7B Provides corresponding Figure 8 A table of values ​​of the second region 208 in FIG. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In the table of FIG. 1, “# of boxes” refers to the number of separate enclosures for the engine controller (see, for example, for a single enclosure embodiment). Figure 2 and Figure 4 , and for the two housing embodiments Figure 5 ); "Type" means that the engine controller has a box-shaped design ("TRAD"; see Figure 2 ), or the engine controller has a curved profile ("curved"; see Figure 4 ), or the engine controller has multiple housings ("split"; see Figure 5 ).

[0067] Figure 82 is a graph 200 of a gas turbine engine according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure showing the relationship between the normalized radius of the engine controller on the x-axis 202 and the ratio of the radial height of the engine controller to the inner surface radius on the y-axis 204. A first region 206 on the graph reflects a first range where the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%. A second region 208 on the graph reflects a second range where the normalized radius (r') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

[0068] In this manner, it should be appreciated that the first range may generally capture turbofan engines having a relatively wide range of fan diameters and including conformal engine controllers according to exemplary aspects of the present disclosure. It should also be appreciated that the second range may generally capture a more customized fan diameter range typically associated with narrow-body aircraft (e.g., having fan diameters between 70 and 88). As will be appreciated, due to the size of narrow-body aircraft, it may generally be more difficult to obtain conformal engine controllers in these engines.

[0069] Further aspects are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

[0070] A gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction and comprising: a turbine having a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in a series flow order; a fan section including a fan rotatable by the turbine; a nacelle, the nacelle surrounding the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle, wherein the nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) in the radial direction inboard of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (Δr), a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r') along the radial direction, wherein the normalized radius (r') is the ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the cube root of the total volume (V), and wherein these parameters are related by the following equations:

[0071]

[0072] Wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

[0073] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%.

[0074] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

[0075] The gas turbine engine of one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller includes a top surface defining a surface area, wherein the surface area is greater than or equal to 254 square inches and less than or equal to 2043 square inches.

[0076] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the inner surface radius (r) is greater than or equal to 17 inches and less than or equal to 84 inches.

[0077] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the inner surface radius (r) is greater than or equal to 35 inches and less than or equal to 44 inches.

[0078] The gas turbine engine of one or more of these clauses, wherein the total volume (V) is greater than or equal to 500 cubic inches and less than or equal to 3000 cubic inches.

[0079] The gas turbine engine of one or more of these clauses, wherein the total volume (V) is greater than or equal to 900 cubic inches and less than or equal to 1500 cubic inches.

[0080] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the radial height (Δr) is greater than or equal to 0.5 inches and less than or equal to 8 inches.

[0081] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the radial height (Δr) is greater than or equal to 1 inch and less than or equal to 4 inches.

[0082] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller comprises a housing defining a curved profile in a reference plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0083] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller comprises one or more circuit boards, and wherein the one or more circuit boards define a curved profile in the reference plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0084] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller includes a plurality of discrete boxes spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the gas turbine engine, along an axial direction of the gas turbine engine, or both.

[0085] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the outer nacelle comprises an inner wall defining an inner surface, wherein the inner surface radius (r) is defined by the inner surface, and wherein the inner wall comprises a base layer and a supplementary layer.

[0086] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller includes a computing component having at least a processor and a memory.

[0087] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller is configured to receive one or more inputs and provide one or more control commands for the gas turbine engine.

[0088] The gas turbine engine of one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more inputs include data indicative of engine operating conditions, data indicative of flight conditions or flight modes, data indicative of control decisions from an operator, or a combination thereof.

[0089] A gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine include one or more control signals, the one or more control signals relating to: fuel flow to the gas turbine engine, operation of one or more variable geometry components, operation of one or more actuators, operation of one or more accessory systems of the gas turbine engine, power extraction or power addition commands for one or more electric machines, or a combination thereof.

[0090] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more accessory systems include active clearance control, a thermal management system, a de-icing system, an anti-icing system, a lubrication system, or a combination thereof.

[0091] A gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine include one or more control signals, the one or more control signals relating to: fuel flow to the gas turbine engine, operation of one or more variable geometry components, or a combination thereof.

[0092] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller includes a housing housing the processor and the memory.

[0093] The gas turbine engine according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller comprises a full authority digital engine control controller.

[0094] An engine controller for a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and a radial direction, the gas turbine engine having a nacelle surrounding a fan, wherein the nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) in the radial direction inside the engine controller, the engine controller comprising: a casing defining an outer shell, the outer shell having a total volume (V), wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (Δr) in the radial direction when installed in the gas turbine engine, and defines a normalized radius (r') when installed in the gas turbine engine, wherein the normalized radius (r') is the ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the cube root of the total volume (V), and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation:

[0095]

[0096] Wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

[0097] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%.

[0098] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

[0099] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller includes a top surface defining a surface area, wherein the surface area is greater than or equal to 254 square inches and less than or equal to 2043 square inches.

[0100] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses, wherein the total volume (V) is greater than or equal to 500 cubic inches and less than or equal to 3000 cubic inches.

[0101] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses, wherein the radial height (Δr) is greater than or equal to 0.5 inches and less than or equal to 8 inches.

[0102] An engine controller according to one or more of these clauses, wherein when installed in the gas turbine engine, the casing defines a curved profile in a reference plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0103] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses further comprising a processor and a memory positioned within the housing.

[0104] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller is configured to receive one or more inputs and provide one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine.

[0105] An engine controller as described in one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more inputs include data indicative of engine operating conditions, data indicative of flight conditions or flight modes, data indicative of control decisions from an operator, or a combination thereof.

[0106] An engine controller according to one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine include one or more control signals, the one or more control signals relating to: fuel flow to the gas turbine engine, operation of one or more variable geometry components, operation of one or more actuators, operation of one or more accessory systems of the gas turbine engine, power extraction or power addition commands for one or more electric machines, or a combination thereof.

[0107] The engine controller of one or more of these clauses, wherein the one or more accessory systems include an active clearance control, a thermal management system, a de-icing system, an anti-icing system, a lubrication system, or a combination thereof.

[0108] An engine controller as claimed in one or more of these clauses, wherein the engine controller comprises a full authority digital engine control controller.

[0109] This written description uses examples to disclose the present disclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. These other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that do not differ substantially from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A gas turbine engine, characterized in that: The gas turbine engine defines an axial direction and a radial direction and comprises: a turbomachine having a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in series flow order; a fan section including a fan rotatable by the turbine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and An engine controller positioned within the nacelle, wherein the nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) in a radial direction inboard of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (Δr), a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r') in the radial direction, wherein the normalized radius (r') is the ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the cube root of the total volume (V), and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: Wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r') is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

2. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that wherein the normalized radius (r') is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, wherein the engine controller includes a top surface defining a surface area, wherein the surface area is greater than or equal to 254 square inches and less than or equal to 2043 square inches, and wherein the inner surface radius (r) is greater than or equal to 17 inches and less than or equal to 84 inches, wherein the total volume (V) is greater than or equal to 500 cubic inches and less than or equal to 3000 cubic inches, and wherein the radial height (Δr) is greater than or equal to 0.5 inches and less than or equal to 8 inches.

3. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that The engine controller includes a computing component having at least a processor and a memory.

4. The gas turbine engine according to claim 3, characterized in that The engine controller is configured to receive one or more inputs and provide one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine.

5. The gas turbine engine according to claim 4, characterized in that The one or more inputs include data indicative of engine operating conditions, data indicative of flight conditions or flight modes, data indicative of control decisions from an operator, or a combination thereof.

6. The gas turbine engine according to claim 4, characterized in that The one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine include one or more control signals, and the one or more control signals relate to: fuel flow to the gas turbine engine, operation of one or more variable geometry components, operation of one or more actuators, operation of one or more accessory systems of the gas turbine engine, power extraction or power addition commands for one or more electric machines, or a combination thereof.

7. The gas turbine engine according to claim 6, characterized in that The one or more accessory systems include active clearance control, a thermal management system, a de-icing system, an anti-icing system, a lubrication system, or a combination thereof.

8. The gas turbine engine according to claim 4, characterized in that The one or more control instructions for the gas turbine engine include one or more control signals related to: fuel flow to the gas turbine engine, operation of one or more variable geometry components, or a combination thereof.

9. The gas turbine engine according to claim 3, characterized in that The engine controller includes a housing that accommodates the processor and the memory.

10. The gas turbine engine according to claim 1, characterized in that The engine controller includes a full authority digital engine control controller.

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