Turbine engine including engine starter assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a turbine engine including an engine starter assembly. Methods and systems for controlling the rotational speed or torque of an output drive shaft. The output drive shaft is coupled with the turbine engine. A turbine engine includes an engine core and an engine starter assembly. The engine starter assembly includes an air turbine starter, an output drive shaft, and an electric motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to engine starter assemblies for turbine engines and, more particularly, to engine starter assemblies including air turbine starters. Background Art

[0002] Turbine engines, such as gas turbine engines, utilize an air turbine starter (ATS) during startup of the turbine engine. The ATS is often mounted near the turbine engine, and the ATS can be coupled to a high-pressure fluid source, such as compressed air, that strikes a turbine rotor in the ATS, causing it to rotate at a relatively high rate. The ATS includes an output drive shaft, which is typically driven by the turbine rotor through a reduction gearbox, wherein the output drive shaft provides rotational energy to a rotatable element of the turbine engine (e.g., a crankshaft or rotatable shaft) to begin rotation. Rotation of the ATS continues until the turbine engine reaches a self-sustaining operating speed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] This specification sets forth a complete and enabling disclosure of the subject matter, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0004] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a turbine engine having an engine starter assembly with an air turbine starter and an electric motor according to various aspects described herein.

[0005] Figure 2 Suitable for use as Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an engine starter assembly of an engine starter assembly including an electric motor coupleable to an output drive shaft and an air turbine starter.

[0006] Figure 3 The operation includes Figure 2 A method of an engine starter assembly for a turbine engine.

[0007] Figure 4 The starter includes Figure 2 A method of an engine starter assembly for a turbine engine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an engine starter assembly for a turbine engine. The engine starter assembly may include an air turbine starter, an electric motor, and an output drive shaft. The electric motor may be coupleable to at least one of the air turbine starter or the output drive shaft.

[0009] The electric motor is used to at least partially drive at least one of the air turbine starter (ATS) or the output drive shaft. The electric motor can be used to enhance or otherwise supplement the ATS (e.g., drive the output drive shaft together with the ATS), or can also be used to drive the output drive shaft alone. It is conceivable that the electric motor can be used to drive the output drive shaft based at least in part on the sensed parameters of the output drive shaft or the turbine engine. As a non-limiting example, the electric motor can be used at least in part based on the torque of the output drive shaft, the speed of the output drive shaft, or the temperature of the turbine engine. For the purpose of illustration, the present disclosure will be described for an engine starter assembly for a turbine engine. However, it should be understood that the disclosed aspects described herein are not limited thereto and can be generally applicable to other engines or other turbine engines. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to an engine starter assembly used with any suitable engine or used in any suitable vehicle, and can be used to provide benefits in industrial, commercial and residential applications.

[0010] 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 superior over other implementations. In addition, unless otherwise specifically stated, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary.

[0011] As used herein, terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another, and are not intended to imply the position or importance of the respective components.

[0012] The terms "forward" and "rearward" refer to relative positions within a gas turbine engine or vehicle and refer to the normal operating attitude of the gas turbine engine or vehicle. For example, for a gas turbine engine, forward refers to a position closer to the engine inlet, and rearward refers to a position closer to the engine nozzle or exhaust.

[0013] As used herein, the term "upstream" refers to a direction opposite to the direction of fluid flow, and the term "downstream" refers to a direction in the same direction as the fluid flow. The terms "front" or "in front of" mean in front of something, and "rear" or "rearward" mean behind something. For example, when used in relation to fluid flow, front / front may mean upstream, and rear / rearward may mean downstream.

[0014] Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "radial" or "radially" refer to directions extending toward or away from a common center. For example, in the overall context of a turbine engine, radial refers to directions along a ray extending between a central longitudinal axis of the turbine engine and the periphery of the engine. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "group" or "group of elements" may be any number of elements, including only one.

[0015] All directional references (e.g., radial, axial, proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, front, rear, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, counterclockwise, upstream, downstream, front, rear, etc.) are used only for identification purposes to help the reader understand the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting, especially with respect to the position, orientation, or use of the disclosure as described herein. Unless otherwise indicated, connection references (e.g., attach, couple, fasten, connect, and join) should be interpreted broadly and may include intermediate structural elements between a set of elements and relative movement between elements. Therefore, connection references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in a fixed relationship to each other. The exemplary figures are for illustrative purposes only, and the sizes, positions, orders, and relative sizes reflected in the attached figures may vary.

[0016] As used herein, a "controller module" may include at least one processor and memory. Non-limiting examples of memory may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, or one or more different types of portable electronic memory, such as optical disks, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc., or any suitable combination of these types of memory. The processor may be configured to run any suitable program or executable instruction, which is designed to perform various methods, functions, processing tasks, calculations, etc., to enable or implement the technical operations or operations described herein. The program may include a computer program product, which may include a machine-readable medium for carrying or having a machine-executable instruction or data structure stored thereon. Such a machine-readable medium may be any available medium, which may be accessed by a general or special-purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Typically, such a computer program may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, algorithms, etc., that have the technical effects of performing specific tasks or implementing specific abstract data types.

[0017] The exemplary drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and the sizes, positions, orders, and relative sizes reflected in the attached drawings may vary.

[0018] Figure 1is a schematic perspective view of an engine starter assembly 30 for a turbine engine 14. The engine starter assembly 30 may include an air turbine starter (ATS) 10 and an electric motor 26. The ATS 10 is coupled to an accessory gearbox (AGB) 12, also referred to as a transmission housing.

[0019] The turbine engine 14 may include a fan section 16, a compression section 18, a combustion section 20, and a turbine section 22 in a series flow arrangement. The fan section 16 may be at least partially surrounded by a fan casing 28, or otherwise surrounded by a nacelle or casing of the turbine engine 14. As a non-limiting example, the compression section 18 may include a low pressure (LP) compressor region and a high pressure (HP) compressor region. As a non-limiting example, the turbine section 22 may include an LP turbine region and an HP turbine region. The fan section 16, the compression section 18, the combustion section 20, and the turbine section 22 may together form the engine core of the turbine engine 14. The turbine engine 14 may include other components not shown. As a non-limiting example, the turbine section 22 may drive an engine drive shaft that drives at least a portion of the compression section 18 and / or the fan section 16.

[0020] The AGB 12, ATS 10 and electric motor 26 are schematically shown as being mounted to respective portions of the turbine engine 14. At least a portion of the engine starter assembly 30 may be located radially outside the fan housing 28. That is, the engine starter assembly 30 may be located radially outside the fan portion 16 including the fan. Alternatively, it is envisioned that in a different and non-limiting example, at least a portion of the engine starter assembly 30 may be located outside the core, near the compression portion 18, in particular the HP compressor region, where the engine starter assembly 30 may be coupled to a transfer gearbox (not shown) or an accessory gearbox (not shown). In addition, any position of the engine starter assembly 30 is conceivable, where the ATS 10 may be coupled to the turbine engine 14. As a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the engine starter assembly 30 may be disposed along or within the fan housing 28, nacelle or housing of the turbine engine 14. As a non-limiting example, at least a portion of the engine starter assembly 30 may be disposed within the engine core. As a non-limiting example, the electric motor 26 may be disposed within a portion of an engine core (eg, formed with a portion of an engine drive shaft).

[0021] The AGB 12 may be coupled to the turbine engine 14 at a portion of the turbine section 22 via a mechanical power take-off 27. The mechanical power take-off 27 includes a plurality of gears and means for mechanically coupling the AGB 12 to the turbine engine 14.

[0022] During operation of the turbine engine 14, the fan section 16 draws in an air flow. The air flow is supplied to the compression section 18, where the air flow is then compressed and supplied to the combustion section to define a compressed air flow. The compressed air flow is then combusted within the combustion section 20 and supplied to the turbine section 22 as a combustion air flow. The combustion air flow then drives the turbine section 22, which then drives the compression section 18 and the fan section 16.

[0023] At least a portion of the engine starter assembly 30 (e.g., the electric motor 26 and / or the ATS 10) may at least partially drive an engine drive shaft. As a non-limiting example, the engine starter assembly 30 may be used during startup of the turbine engine 14. The engine starter assembly 30 may be used to drive the engine drive shaft, which may rotate the fan section 16 to draw air into the turbine engine 14, where the air is subsequently compressed and combusted.

[0024] Figure 2 Suitable for use as Figure 1 1 is a schematic block diagram of an engine starter assembly 100 of the engine starter assembly 30 of FIG. The engine starter assembly 100 includes an ATS 102 , an output drive shaft 112 , and an electric motor 116 .

[0025] The ATS 102 may include a housing 103 defining an interior 104. A rotatable turbine 106 may be disposed within the interior 104. The rotatable turbine 106 may be a set of circumferentially spaced airfoils. A turbine drive shaft 110 may be coupled to the rotatable turbine 106. The turbine drive shaft 110 may be at least partially rotationally driven by the rotation of the rotatable turbine 106. As used herein, the term drive or its iteration refers to the transfer of work between two elements. An output gear assembly 108 is disposed within the interior 104 and coupled to the turbine drive shaft 110. The output gear assembly 108 may include a set of gears. The turbine drive shaft 110 may define an input of the output gear assembly 108. An ATS output shaft 111 may be coupled to the output gear assembly 108 and define an output of the output gear assembly 108. A first clutch 120 may selectively operably couple the ATS output shaft 111 to an output drive shaft 112. Optionally, the ATS output shaft 111 may define a portion of the output drive shaft 112 or otherwise be integrally formed with the output drive shaft 112. The output gear assembly 108 may create a gear ratio change (e.g., a gear reduction) between the turbine drive shaft 110 and the ATS output shaft 111, such that the turbine drive shaft may rotate at a different speed than the ATS output shaft 110.

[0026] The engine starter assembly 100 may also include a starter air valve (SAV) 124 fluidly coupled to a fluid conduit 126. The fluid conduit 126 may be coupled to the ATS 102, and in particular, to the rotatable turbine 106 of the ATS 102. A fluid flow (e.g., air) may be selectively supplied to the ATS 102 via the fluid conduit 126. The air flow may flow through a respective portion of the rotatable turbine 106. The rotatable turbine 106 may extract work from the air flow and subsequently drive the turbine drive shaft 110.

[0027] The motor 116 can be coupled to a motor output shaft 118. The motor 116 can be used to drive the motor output shaft 118. The motor output shaft 118 can be operably coupled to the ATS 102 so that the motor 116 can be used to at least partially drive the ATS 102. The motor 116 can be disposed within the interior 104 or the exterior of the ATS 102. The second clutch 122 can selectively couple the motor output shaft 118 to the turbine drive shaft 110. Optionally, the motor output shaft 118 can be integrally formed with the turbine drive shaft 110.

[0028] Although shown as being coupled to the ATS 102, it is contemplated that the motor 116 may be coupled directly to the output drive shaft 112. Thus, the motor 116 may be used to at least partially drive the ATS 102 and / or the output drive shaft 112. The motor output shaft 118 may be coupled directly to the output drive shaft 112 or formed integrally therewith.

[0029] The motor 116 can be any suitable motor 116. As a non-limiting example, the motor 116 can be a DC or AC motor. As a non-limiting example, the motor 116 can be a motor including a rotor and a stator. The rotor can include a plurality of windings to which an electric current is supplied. The electric current can then generate an electric field, which can ultimately cause the rotor to rotate. The rotor of the motor 116 can be coupled to a motor output shaft 118 to define the output of the motor 116. The motor 116 can include a power source (not shown) that at least partially drives the motor. As a non-limiting example, the power source can be a battery or a solar cell.

[0030] The output drive shaft 112 may be selectively operably coupled to a corresponding portion of the engine 114 (eg, Figure 114). As a non-limiting example, the output drive shaft 112 may be selectively operably coupled to an engine drive shaft 115 of the engine 114. A coupling point 117 may be provided between the output drive shaft 112 and the engine drive shaft 115. As a non-limiting example, the coupling point 117 may be a permanent physical coupling between the engine drive shaft 115 and the output drive shaft 112. As a non-limiting example, the engine drive shaft 115 and the output drive shaft 112 may be integrally formed, and the coupling point 117 may represent the location where the output drive shaft 112 enters the engine 114. Where the engine drive shaft 115 and the output drive shaft 112 are integrally formed, the engine starter assembly 100 may be selectively operably coupled to the engine drive shaft 115 by selective engagement of the first clutch 120. As a non-limiting example, the coupling point 117 may be a clutch, an AGB (e.g. Figure 1 AGB12), decoupler or any combination thereof.

[0031] The controller module 128 can be used to selectively and operably control certain parts of the engine starter assembly 100. As a non-limiting example, the controller module 128 can be used to selectively and operably control the ATS 102 and the motor 116. The controller module 128 can include a processor 130, and a memory 132 can be communicatively connected to the corresponding parts of the engine starter assembly 100. The memory 132 can be defined as an internal storage for various aspects of the engine starter assembly 100. For example, the memory 132 can store codes, executable instructions, commands, instructions, authorization keys, private data keys, passwords, etc. The memory 132 can be RAM, ROM, flash memory, or one or more different types of portable electronic memory, such as optical disks, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc., or any suitable combination of these types of memory. The processor 130 can be defined as a part of the controller module 128 that can receive input, perform calculations, and output executable data. The processor 130 can be a microprocessor.

[0032] The controller module 128 may be communicatively coupled to various portions of the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114. As a non-limiting example, the controller module 128 may be communicatively coupled to the motor 116, the first clutch 120, the second clutch 122, and the SAV 124. The controller module 128 may also receive input from any suitable portion of the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114. As a non-limiting example, the engine starter assembly 100 may include a sensor group 134 coupled to a respective portion of the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114. As a non-limiting example, the sensor group 134 may be coupled to the output drive shaft 112, any other suitable portion of the engine starter assembly 100, or the engine 114 to monitor a respective portion of the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114 (e.g., Figure 1 As a non-limiting example, the sensor group 134 may include a torque sensor or a speed sensor, which may measure the torque or speed of the output drive shaft 112, respectively. As a non-limiting example, the sensor group 134 may include a temperature sensor, which may measure the temperature of at least a portion of the engine or otherwise the average temperature of the engine. As a non-limiting example, the engine 114 may be Figure 1 The turbine engine 14 of the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a temperature sensor for measuring at least one temperature or an average temperature of the engine core. The sensor group 134 can output a signal to the controller module 128, wherein the signal indicates at least one of the rotational speed or torque of the output drive shaft or the temperature of the engine core. It should be understood that the input or signal from the sensor group 134 can be used to operate at least one of the motor 116 or the ATS 102 through the SAV 124.

[0033] Figure 3 The operation includes Figure 2 Method 140 of an engine 114 of an engine starter assembly 100. By combining method 140 with Figure 2 The physical aspects of the engine starter assembly 100 will be referred to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The method 140 describes the intended operation of the engine starter assembly 100 .

[0034] The method 140 may include, at 142, capturing the engine drive shaft 115 of the engine 114 by rotating the output drive shaft 112 after the engine 114 is shut down. As used herein, the term "capture" or its iterations refers to coupling a first rotatable component to a second rotatable component while the first rotatable component is still rotating. As a non-limiting example, upon shutdown, the engine drive shaft 115 will continue to rotate and coast to zero RPM (e.g., the engine drive shaft 115 has stopped rotating). However, at 142, the output drive shaft 112 is coupled to the engine drive shaft 115, thereby capturing the engine drive shaft 115 via the output drive shaft 122, preventing the engine drive shaft 115 from coasting to zero. As used herein, the shutdown of the engine 114 refers to the time when combustion stops or a power source (e.g., fuel, combustion, heat, etc.) is no longer supplied to the engine 114. Before the engine drive shaft 115 is completely stopped, the motor 116 can at least partially drive the engine 114 by capturing the engine drive shaft 115 with the output drive shaft 112 at 142. It should be understood that when the engine drive shaft 115 is captured at 142, the engine drive shaft 115 can rotate at any suitable non-zero speed. As a non-limiting example, at 142, when the engine drive shaft 115 is captured, the engine drive shaft 115 can rotate at greater than or equal to 500 RPM and less than or equal to 1000 RPM. The engine drive shaft 115 can be captured by any suitable method, such as but not limited to coupling the engine drive shaft 115 to the output drive shaft 112 at the coupling point 117, or engaging the first clutch 120 and / or the second clutch 122.

[0035] After the engine drive shaft 115 is captured at 142, the method 140 may include driving the engine drive shaft 115 at least partially by the motor 116 through the output drive shaft 112 at 144. It should be appreciated that the motor 116 may be used to control the rotation of the engine drive shaft 115 and increase, decrease, or maintain the rotation of the engine drive shaft 115 without starting or combustion of the engine 114.

[0036] The method may include additional steps shown in dashed, phantom lines of method 140. As a non-limiting example, method 140 may include sensing, by sensor group 134, at 146, at least one of a torque or a speed of output drive shaft 112 or a temperature of engine 114. Method 140 may also include, at 148, driving output drive shaft 112 at least in part by motor 116 based on the sensed torque, speed, and / or temperature. As a non-limiting example, method 140 may include driving output drive shaft 112 at least in part by motor 116 based on the speed or torque of output drive shaft 112 to ensure that the speed or torque of the drive shaft is at a desired value to effectively coast or otherwise control engine 114 after shutdown of engine 114. As a non-limiting example, the method 140 may include driving the output drive shaft 112 at least in part by the motor 116 based on the temperature of the engine 114, such that the driving of the output drive shaft 112 is used to supply a cooling fluid flow to the engine 114 to cool at least a portion of the engine 114 until, for example, the sensed temperature of the engine 114 is within a desired threshold. As a non-limiting example, the cooling fluid flow may be supplied by driving the engine drive shaft 115 by the motor 116, such that the fan portion 16 ( Figure 1 ) rotates and draws ambient air into the engine 114, thereby effectively cooling the engine 114. As a non-limiting example, the cooling fluid flow can be supplied by the ATS 102 supplying cooling fluid to the engine. It has been found that gliding the engine 114 by capturing at 142 and driving at 144 helps the shutdown process of the engine 114. For example, by continuing to drive the engine drive shaft 115 at 144, the engine 114 can be effectively cooled after the engine 114 is shut down. The cooling after the engine 114 is shut down ensures that the engine 114 reaches a suitable temperature, at which the engine 114 can idle for an extended period of time, and reduces the time that the engine 114 idles at high temperatures. In addition, the capture at 142 and the drive at 144 allow the engine drive shaft 115 to continue to rotate without the need for combustion in the engine 114. As a non-limiting example, if it is desired to continue cooling the engine 114, the motor 116 can drive the engine drive shaft 115 and keep the engine drive shaft 115 at a desired speed until the cooling is completed.

[0037] At 144, the actuation may be used for purposes other than cooling. As a non-limiting example, at 144, the actuation may be performed during maintenance of the engine 114 or the engine starter assembly 100. As a non-limiting example, the motor 116 may be used to drive at least a portion of the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114 so that a person performing maintenance of the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114 may simulate and otherwise observe how the engine starter assembly 100 or the engine 114 works. As a non-limiting example, a user performing maintenance may simulate the function of the engine 114 by using the motor 116 to determine if anything in the engine 114 is not operating as expected. This may be done without the need to start (e.g., produce combustion) the engine 114.

[0038] Figure 4 The operation includes Figure 2 Method 260 of the engine 114 of the engine starter assembly 100. By combining the method 260 with Figure 2 The physical aspects of the engine starter assembly 100 will be referred to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The method 260 describes the intended operation of the engine starter assembly 100 .

[0039] The method 260 may include starting the engine 114. The starting of the engine 114 may be accomplished through a series of events. At 264, the starting of the engine 114 may be accomplished by first supplying air flow to the ATS 102 through the SAV 124. At 266, the ATS 102, in particular the turbine component 106 of the ATS 102, may rotate using the air flow, which results in at least partially driving the output drive shaft 112 by the ATS 102, and thereby driving the engine drive shaft 115. At 268, the starting of the engine 114 may also be accomplished by driving the engine drive shaft 115 by the motor 116. The motor 116 may physically drive the motor output shaft 118, which may be coupled or integrally formed with the output drive shaft 112, so that the output drive shaft 112 may be driven by the motor output shaft 118 via the motor 116. This operation of driving the output drive shaft 112 by both the ATS 102 and the motor 116 may be used to start the engine 114.

[0040] Reliance on both the ATS 102 and the electric motor 116 during the start of the engine 114 can be used to create a more reliable, more efficient, and smoother start of the engine 114. For example, in some cases where only the ATS 102 is used during the start of the engine 114, the air supplied to the ATS 102 through the SAV 124 may not be sufficient to generate a high enough torque through the output drive shaft 112 to start the engine 114. The use of the electric motor 116 can ensure that the torque and speed of the output drive shaft 112 are always sufficient to start the engine 114. This in turn also results in a more efficient and smoother start process for the engine 114 because the use of both the ATS 102 and the electric motor 116 eliminates the possibility of a failed start.

[0041] It should be understood that the methods 140, 260 are flexible. For example, the sequence of steps depicted is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the methods 140, 260 in any way, as it is understood that the steps may be performed in a different logical order or may include additional or intermediate steps without detracting from embodiments of the invention. As non-limiting examples, at least a portion of the methods 140, 260 may occur in series or offset from one another.

[0042] As a non-limiting example, the steps of the method 140, 260 may be automatically completed by a command from the controller module 128. As a non-limiting example, the actuation at 144 may be completed by a command sent from the controller module 128 to the motor 116, the first clutch 120, or the second clutch 122. As a non-limiting example, at 148, the sensed torque, speed, or temperature may be transmitted to the controller module 128, and the controller module 128 may use the sensed information to subsequently actuate the motor. As a non-limiting example, one or more steps of starting the engine 114 may be completed by the controller module 128.

[0043] As a non-limiting example, the method 260 may include, at 264, continuously supplying air flow to the ATS 102 so that the ATS 102 continuously drives the output drive shaft 112 during startup of the engine 114. As a non-limiting example, the method 260 may include, at 268, selectively driving the engine drive shaft 115 via the motor 116. In other words, the motor 116 may be selectively driven based on a desired and sensed torque or speed of the output drive shaft 112. As a non-limiting example, if it is determined that the speed or torque of the output drive shaft 112 should be higher, the motor 116 may be turned on or otherwise coupled to the output drive shaft to help increase the speed or torque of the output drive shaft 112 until the speed or torque is at a desired or required value.

[0044] It should be understood that the motor 116 can be used to enhance the engine starter assembly 100 to ultimately rotate the output drive shaft 112 at a desired torque or a desired speed. As a non-limiting example, the motor 116 can speed up the output drive shaft 112 by providing an input through the motor output shaft 118, which input will ultimately add to the output of the output drive shaft 112 compared to the output drive shaft 112 operating without the motor 116 input. As a non-limiting example, the motor 116 can slow down the output drive shaft 112 by providing an input through the motor output shaft 118, which input will ultimately detract from the output drive shaft 112 compared to the output drive shaft 112 operating without the motor 116 input or otherwise operate in opposition to the output of the output drive shaft 112. The motor 116 can be used for various purposes during different operating states of the engine 114.

[0045] Benefits associated with the present disclosure include enhanced control of the output of an engine starter assembly compared to a conventional engine starter assembly. For example, a conventional engine starter assembly may include an ATS coupled to an output drive shaft. Air flow is supplied to the ATS, which drives the output drive shaft. However, it is difficult to control the torque or speed of the output drive shaft by simply supplying air to the ATS. However, the engine starter assembly described herein includes an ATS and an electric motor that can rotate the output drive shaft together or individually. The electric motor allows additional control of the torque and speed of the output drive shaft by slowing down or accelerating the output drive shaft. This in turn ensures that the torque and speed of the output drive shaft are always at the desired values ​​for the intended operation of the engine starter assembly. Therefore, compared to a conventional engine starter assembly, an engine starter assembly as described herein has enhanced control of the output of the output drive shaft.

[0046] Other benefits of the present disclosure include increased cooling efficiency of the engine compared to conventional engines. For example, a conventional engine may require an off-board system to cool the conventional engine after the conventional engine is shut down. However, as described herein, the engine can utilize an electric motor to supply a cooling fluid flow to the engine core and thereby cool the engine core. This greatly increases the cooling efficiency of the engine compared to conventional engines.

[0047] Other benefits of the present disclosure include a reduced maintenance burden on the engine or engine starter assembly compared to a conventional engine starter assembly or a conventional engine. For example, maintenance of a conventional engine starter assembly or a conventional engine may require disassembly of the conventional engine starter assembly or the conventional engine and visual inspection of various components of the conventional engine starter assembly or the conventional engine in an attempt to determine whether any portion of the conventional engine starter assembly or the conventional engine requires maintenance. However, as described herein, the engine starter assembly may utilize an electric motor to drive the engine starter assembly or the engine so that a user performing maintenance may simulate the function of the engine starter assembly or the engine and easily determine which portions of the engine starter assembly or the engine are functioning properly or improperly. In other words, the electric motor may be used to provide a visual representation of the operation of the engine starter assembly or the engine to a person performing maintenance, thereby greatly reducing the maintenance burden compared to conventional engine starter assemblies and conventional engines.

[0048] To the extent not yet described, the different features and structures of each aspect can be used in combination or replaced with each other as needed. The fact that a feature is not shown in all examples does not mean that it cannot be shown as such, but it is done so for the sake of brevity of description. Therefore, whether or not a new aspect is explicitly described, various features of different aspects can be mixed and matched as needed to form a new aspect. All combinations or arrangements of the features described herein are covered by the present disclosure.

[0049] This written description uses examples to describe various aspects of the disclosure described herein, including the best mode, and to enable any person skilled in the art to practice various aspects of the disclosure, including making and using any device or system and performing any combined method. The patentable scope of the aspects of the disclosure is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples should be within the scope of the claims if they have 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.

[0050] Further aspects are provided by the following subjects:

[0051] A turbine engine includes an engine core having a compression section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in a series flow arrangement, the engine core having an engine drive shaft, and an engine starter assembly having an output drive shaft selectively coupled to the engine drive shaft, the engine starter assembly also including an air turbine starter (ATS) operably coupled to the output drive shaft, the ATS selectively coupled to an air supply via a starter air valve (SAV), and an electric motor operably coupled to at least one of the ATS or the output drive shaft, and a sensor group operably coupled to the output drive shaft, the sensor group measuring at least one of a rotational speed or a torque of the output drive shaft, wherein at least one of the electric motor or the SAV operates based on measurements from the sensor group.

[0052] A method for operating a turbine engine, the turbine engine having an engine drive shaft and an engine starter assembly having an air turbine starter (ATS) and an electric motor, the engine starter assembly being operably connected to the engine drive shaft via an output drive shaft, the method comprising starting the turbine engine by supplying an air flow to the ATS, driving the engine drive shaft via the output drive shaft by supplying air to the ATS, and driving the engine drive shaft via the output drive shaft by the electric motor.

[0053] A method of operating a turbine engine having an engine drive shaft and an engine starter assembly having an air turbine starter (ATS) and an electric motor, the engine starter assembly being operably coupled to the engine drive shaft via an output drive shaft, the method comprising capturing the engine drive shaft by rotation of the output drive shaft after the turbine engine is shut down, and after capturing the engine drive shaft, at least partially driving the engine drive shaft by the electric motor via the output drive shaft by coupling the electric motor to at least one of the output drive shaft or the ATS.

[0054] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the electric motor comprises a motor rotor and a motor stator, wherein the motor rotor is operatively coupled to the output drive shaft.

[0055] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the motor rotor is directly coupled to the output drive shaft.

[0056] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the ATS and the electric motor are arranged externally to the engine core.

[0057] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, further comprising a clutch selectively coupling the electric motor to at least one of the ATS or the output drive shaft.

[0058] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, further comprising a controller module selectively operable to control operation of the ATS and the electric motor to control at least one of rotational speed or torque of the output drive shaft.

[0059] A turbine engine as claimed in any preceding clause, wherein the sensor group provides inputs including measurements to the controller module, and the controller module controls at least one of the SAV or the electric motor based on the inputs.

[0060] A turbine engine as described in any of the preceding clauses, wherein the sensor group includes at least one sensor operably connected to the engine core, the at least one sensor providing an input indicative of the temperature of the engine core to the engine starter assembly, and the electric motor at least partially drives the output drive shaft to supply a cooling fluid flow to the engine core based on the input from the at least one sensor.

[0061] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, further comprising a fan section, wherein the cooling fluid flow is ambient air drawn from the fan section.

[0062] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, wherein the engine starter assembly is arranged externally to the engine core.

[0063] A turbine engine according to any preceding clause, further comprising an accessory gearbox selectively and operatively coupling the ATS to the engine drive shaft.

[0064] The method according to any preceding clause, further comprising sensing at least one of torque or rotational speed of the output drive shaft, or at least one temperature of the turbine engine, by means of a sensor set operatively coupled to the output drive shaft or a corresponding portion of the turbine engine.

[0065] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising driving the output drive shaft at least partially by the electric motor after capturing the engine drive shaft based at least in part on the sensed torque, speed or temperature.

[0066] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising, after capturing the engine drive shaft, and in response to a sensed temperature of the turbine engine, driving the output drive shaft at least partially by the electric motor after shutdown of the turbine engine.

[0067] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising, after capturing the engine drive shaft, and supplying cooling fluid to at least a portion of the turbine engine by driving the output drive shaft until the sensed temperature is within a threshold temperature value.

[0068] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising at least partially driving the output drive shaft by the electric motor by selectively coupling the output drive shaft or the ATS to the electric motor by a clutch.

[0069] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising controlling the output of the electric motor via the controller module.

[0070] The method according to any of the preceding clauses further includes starting the turbine engine by continuously supplying an air flow to the ATS during startup of the turbine engine, continuously driving the engine drive shaft through the output drive shaft by supplying air to the ATS during startup of the turbine engine, and selectively driving the engine drive shaft through the output drive shaft by the electric motor.

[0071] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising at least partially driving the output drive shaft by the electric motor by selectively coupling the output drive shaft or the ATS to the electric motor by a clutch.

[0072] A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising controlling the output of the electric motor via the controller module.

Claims

1. A turbine engine, comprising: an engine core having a compression section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in a series flow arrangement, the engine core having an engine drive shaft; and An engine starter assembly having an output drive shaft selectively coupled to the engine drive shaft, the engine starter assembly further comprising: an air turbine starter (ATS) operably coupled to the output drive shaft, the ATS selectively coupled to an air supply via a starter air valve (SAV); and an electric motor operably coupled to at least one of the ATS or the output drive shaft; and A sensor group is operably coupled to the output drive shaft, the sensor group measuring at least one of a rotational speed or a torque of the output drive shaft, wherein at least one of the electric motor or the SAV operates based on measurements from the sensor group.

2. The turbine engine according to claim 1, wherein: The ATS and the electric motor are disposed outside the engine core. 3 . The turbine engine of claim 1 , further comprising a clutch that selectively couples the electric motor to at least one of the ATS or the output drive shaft.

4. The turbine engine according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a controller module that selectively and operatively controls operation of the ATS and the electric motor to control at least one of a rotational speed or a torque of the output drive shaft.

5. The turbine engine according to claim 4, wherein: The sensor group provides inputs including the measurements to the controller module, and the controller module controls at least one of the SAV or the electric motor based on the inputs.

6. The turbine engine according to claim 4, wherein: The sensor group includes at least one sensor operably coupled to the engine core, the at least one sensor providing an input to the engine starter assembly indicative of a temperature of the engine core, and the electric motor at least partially drives the output drive shaft to supply a flow of cooling fluid to the engine core based on the input from the at least one sensor.

7. The turbine engine of claim 6, further comprising a fan section, wherein the cooling fluid flow is ambient air drawn from the fan section.

8. The turbine engine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The engine starter assembly is disposed outside the engine core.

9. The turbine engine of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising an accessory gearbox selectively and operatively coupling the ATS to the engine drive shaft.

10. A method of operating a turbine engine having an engine drive shaft and an engine starter assembly having an air turbine starter (ATS) and an electric motor, the engine starter assembly operably coupled to the engine drive shaft via an output drive shaft, the method comprising: After shutdown of the turbine engine, capturing the engine drive shaft by rotation of the output drive shaft; and The engine drive shaft is driven at least partially by the electric motor through the output drive shaft after the engine drive shaft is captured by coupling the electric motor to at least one of the output drive shaft or the ATS.

Images