Method and apparatus for controlling fuel flow by direct measurement

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, articles, and methods are disclosed for a fuel system of a turbine engine, the fuel system comprising: a pump, the pump receiving fuel; a meter, the meter measuring an operating characteristic of a first quantity of the fuel prior to delivery to a combustor, wherein the operating characteristic corresponds to a property of the first quantity of the fuel measured during operation of the fuel system; and a combined bypass and metering valve, the combined bypass and metering valve receiving the fuel from the pump and, based on a demand of the combustor, the combined bypass and metering valve determining to direct the fuel to a bypass loop and the meter, wherein the demand of the combustor determines the first quantity of the fuel received by the meter and a second quantity of the fuel directed to the pump via the bypass loop.

Description

Related applications

[0001] This patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 800,817, filed May 6, 2025. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 800,817 is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 800,817 is hereby claimed. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to fuel control, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for controlling fuel flow by direct measurement. Background Technology

[0003] Gas turbine engines (such as turbofan engines and turboprop engines) typically consist of an inlet section, compressor section, combustion section, turbine section, and exhaust section in a sequential flow order. During operation, air enters the inlet section and flows to the compressor section, where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel mixes with the compressed air and burns within the combustion section, producing combustion gases. The combustion gases flow from the combustion section through a hot gas path defined within the turbine section and then exit the turbine section via the exhaust section.

[0004] The fuel system of a gas turbine engine provides a continuous flow of fuel to the combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine. The fuel system includes one or more pumps driven by the drive shaft of the gas turbine engine. The one or more pumps increase the pressure of the fuel to ensure that there is a sufficient fuel flow rate in the combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine in which the teachings of this disclosure can be implemented.

[0006] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of an example implementation of the fuel system for an example gas turbine engine.

[0007] Figure 3A It is based on Figure 2 The first example fuel flow diagram of an example fuel system.

[0008] Figure 3B It is based on Figure 2 The first example signal flow graph of an example fuel system.

[0009] Figure 4A It is based on Figure 2 The second example fuel flow diagram of the example fuel system.

[0010] Figure 4B It is based on Figure 2 The second example signal flow graph of the example fuel system.

[0011] Figure 5A It is based on Figure 2 The third example fuel flow diagram of the example fuel system.

[0012] Figure 5B It is based on Figure 2 The third example signal flow graph of the example fuel system.

[0013] Figure 6 It is based on Figure 2 The fourth example fuel flow diagram of the example fuel system.

[0014] Figure 7 This indicates that it can be executed, instantiated, and / or performed by the example programmable circuit to implement... Figure 2 A flowchart of example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations for a fuel system.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of an example processing platform including programmable circuits, which are structured to execute, instantiate, and / or perform example machine-readable instructions and / or perform... Figure 7 Example operations to implement Figure 2 The fuel system.

[0016] Generally, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the accompanying drawings and written description to refer to the same or similar parts. The drawings need not be drawn to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0017] "Comprising" and "including" (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, whenever a claim uses any form of "comprising" or "including" (e.g., including, comprising, having, etc.) in a preamble or in any type of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, terms, etc., may be present without exceeding the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, when the phrase "at least" is used as a transitional term, for example, in the preamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same way that the terms "comprising" and "including" are open-ended.

[0018] The term “and / or”, when used, for example, in the form of A, B and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, and C, such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, or (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects and / or things, the phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0019] Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the conduct or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the conduct or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to any implementation including (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0020] As used herein, singular references (e.g., “a,” “an,” “first,” “second,” etc.) do not exclude plurals. As used herein, the term “a” or “an” refers to one or more of those objects. The terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple means, elements, or actions may be implemented by, for example, the same entity or object. Moreover, while individual features may be included in different examples or claims, these may be combined, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not imply that the combination of features is infeasible and / or disadvantageous.

[0021] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors used herein (such as "first," "second," "third," etc.) do not assign or otherwise indicate any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or any sorting, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish elements for ease of understanding the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor "first" may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while different descriptors (e.g., "second" or "third") may be used in the claims to refer to the same element. In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify those elements in the context under discussion (e.g., in the claims), where elements may otherwise share the same name.

[0022] As used herein, “programmable circuit” is defined as including (i) one or more special purpose circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) structured to perform a particular operation and including one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors), and / or (ii) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based circuits that can be programmed with instructions to perform a particular function and / or operation and include one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors).

[0023] Examples of programmable circuits include programmable microprocessors (such as central processing unit (CPU)) that can execute first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that can be programmed with second instructions to instantiate one or more operations and / or functions corresponding to the first instructions in the configuration and / or structure of an FPGA; graphics processing units (GPUs) that can execute first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; digital signal processors (DSPs), XPUs, network processing units (NPUs) that can execute first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions; and one or more microcontrollers and / or integrated circuits (such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) that can execute first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions.

[0024] For example, an XPU can be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system that includes a variety of types of programmable circuits (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and / or any combination thereof) and an orchestration technique (application programming interface (API)) that can assign computing tasks to any programmable circuit among the various types of programmable circuits that is suitable and can be used to perform the computing tasks.

[0025] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements, such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, diodes, etc. For example, an integrated circuit can be implemented as one or more of an ASIC, FPGA, chip, microchip, programmable circuit, semiconductor substrate connecting multiple circuit elements, system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.

[0026] A turbine engine includes a fuel system that continuously supplies a pressurized fuel stream to the engine's combustion chamber. The fuel system includes a booster pump and a main pump arranged in series. The booster pump receives fuel from a fuel tank and increases the fuel pressure to a first pressure. The main pump (e.g., a pump, variable displacement pump, etc.) then receives fuel from the booster pump and further increases the pressure to a higher second pressure before supplying fuel to metering valves and then to the engine's combustion chamber. High-pressure fuel is also used as a hydraulic source for various valves and actuators in the turbine engine and / or aircraft.

[0027] Traditionally, engine fuel systems consist of an inner loop and an outer loop. The inner loop includes metering valves and bypass valves that control the fuel flow to the combustor. Therefore, the inner loop measures and adjusts the fuel flow rate to ensure the operation of the turbine engine. The outer loop controls and measures engine parameters (e.g., speed, temperature, etc.) and communicates the fuel flow demand to the inner loop control. Therefore, the outer loop's control of engine speed, thrust, and / or other operating parameters affects the fuel flow rate in the inner loop.

[0028] In the current implementation, the inner loop of the fuel system uses metering valves and bypass valves that are physically and functionally separate from the flow meter. The bypass valve is a passive device without active control, and only the independent metering valve is actively controlled. Therefore, the metering valve and bypass valve work in conjunction with the flow meter, but are separate from the flow meter's readings and function. Thus, in these current implementations, the flow meter measures the fuel flow rate to the burner, but because the bypass valve and metering valve are separate from the flow meter, feedback from the flow meter is incorporated into the bypass valve and metering valve after a considerable time.

[0029] Therefore, in the current embodiment, adjustments to fuel flow demand are delayed due to the time it takes for feedback from the flow meter to travel through the fuel system and back to the metering valve. This current embodiment results in wasted time responding to fuel flow demand, and corresponding fuel waste and / or poor response to changes in fuel flow demand over time (e.g., poor response to acceleration demand). Therefore, this disclosure improves the current embodiment by incorporating the flow meter into a closed-loop feedback system with bypass and metering valves, thereby increasing sensitivity to fuel flow demand. Furthermore, this disclosure reduces the reliance on measurement accuracy for port shape design, which is typically used in fuel system design in turbine engines.

[0030] As used herein, "closed-loop feedback system" and / or "closed-loop system" is defined as a control system that uses feedback to compare output with input. In this context, a closed-loop feedback system compares fuel flow demand with fuel flow supply and adjusts the supply to meet the demand. Because flow meters cannot read quickly enough to benefit from using a closed-loop feedback system, it is not yet possible to develop a closed-loop feedback system that integrates a flow meter with a bypass and metering valve. In other words, without the techniques described herein, a flow meter cannot send readings to the metering valve via a closed-loop feedback system faster than a separate flow meter and metering valve system.

[0031] In particular, with the development of ultrasonic flow meters, closed-loop feedback systems have become highly advantageous. In some examples of this disclosure, bypass valves and metering valves are combined into combined bypass / metering valves. Combined bypass / metering valves use differential pressure and valve position to limit flow. Eliminating the valve as a separate component reduces weight and improves reliability due to the reduction of components in the fuel system. Furthermore, due to the differential pressure between the fuel supplied to the combined bypass / metering valve and the fuel demand, the combined bypass / metering valve can redirect excess flow to bypass loops that were not directed to the combustion zone.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example turbofan-type gas turbine engine 100 (“turbofan engine 100”) that can be combined with the various examples disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine 100 can be implemented on an aircraft and is therefore referred to as an aircraft engine. In this example, the gas turbine engine 100 is a turbofan-type engine. However, the principles of this disclosure are also applicable to other types of engines, such as turboprop engines and nacelle-less engines, such as unducted fan (UDF) engines (sometimes called propfan engines). Furthermore, the examples disclosed herein can be implemented on other types of engines, such as non-aircraft engines, and / or generators.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the turbofan engine 100 defines a longitudinal or axial centerline axis 102 extending through it for reference. Figure 1 It also includes annotated direction diagrams with reference to the axial direction A, radial direction R, and circumferential direction C. As used herein, the axial direction A is a direction extending generally parallel to the centerline axis 102, the radial direction R is a direction extending orthogonally to the centerline axis 102 from the centerline axis 102 outward or inward, and the circumferential direction C is a direction extending concentrically around the centerline axis 102. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "front" refers to the direction along the centerline axis 102 in the direction of movement of the gas turbine engine 100, such as... Figure 1The left side of the center line, while the term "back" refers to the direction in the opposite direction along the centerline axis 102, such as... Figure 1 On the right side of the middle.

[0034] Typically, the turbofan engine 100 may include a core section 104 located downstream of the fan section 106. Although Figure 1 The example shown illustrates a turbofan engine 100, but the fuel system disclosed herein can be implemented in any type of aircraft engine.

[0035] Core section 104 typically includes a generally tubular housing 108 defining an annular inlet 110. Housing 108 may be formed from a single housing or multiple housings. Housing 108 surrounds, in a series flow relationship, a compressor section having a supercharger or low-pressure compressor 112 (“LP compressor 112”) and a high-pressure compressor 114 (“HP compressor 114”); a combustion section 116; a turbine section having a high-pressure turbine 118 (“HP turbine 118”) and a low-pressure turbine 120 (“LP turbine 120”); and an exhaust section 122. A high-pressure shaft or spool 124 (“HP shaft 124”) drivesably connects the HP turbine 118 and the HP compressor 114. A low-pressure shaft or spool 126 (“LP shaft 126”) drivesably connects the LP turbine 120 and the LP compressor 112. LP shaft 126 may also be connected to a fan spool or shaft 128 of fan section 106. In some examples, the LP shaft 126 can be directly coupled to the fan shaft 128 (e.g., a direct drive configuration). In alternative configurations, the LP shaft 126 can be coupled to the fan shaft 128 via a reduction gearbox 130 (e.g., an indirect drive or geared configuration).

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, fan section 106 includes a plurality of fan blades 132, which are coupled to and extend radially outward from fan shaft 128. An annular fan housing or nacelle 134 circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of fan section 106 and / or core section 104. Nacelle 134 is supported relative to core section 104 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet guide vanes 136. Furthermore, downstream section 138 of nacelle 134 may surround an outer portion of core section 104 to define a bypass airflow passage 140 therebetween.

[0037] like Figure 1As shown, during operation of the turbofan engine 100, air 142 enters the inlet section 144 of the turbofan engine 100. A first portion 146 of the air 142 flows into a bypass flow passage 140, while a second portion 148 of the air 142 flows into the inlet 110 of the LP compressor 112. One or more sequential stages of the LP compressor rotor blades 152 and stator blades 150, coupled to the LP shaft 126, progressively compress the second portion 148 of the air 142 flowing through the LP compressor 112 on its way to the HP compressor 114. Next, one or more sequential stages of the HP compressor rotor blades 156 and stator blades 154, coupled to the HP shaft 124, further compress the second portion 148 of the air 142 flowing through the HP compressor 114. This provides compressed air 158 to the combustion section 116, where the compressed air 158 is mixed with fuel and burned to provide combustion gases 160.

[0038] Combustion gas 160 flows through HP turbine 118, where one or more sequential stages of HP turbine rotor blades 164 and HP turbine stator blades 162, coupled to HP shaft 124, extract a first portion of kinetic and / or thermal energy from the combustion gas 160. This energy extraction supports the operation of HP compressor 114. Combustion gas 160 then flows through LP turbine 120, where one or more sequential stages of LP turbine rotor blades 168 and LP turbine stator blades 166, coupled to LP shaft 126, extract a second portion of thermal and / or kinetic energy from the combustion gas 160. This energy extraction causes LP shaft 126 to rotate, thereby supporting the operation of LP compressor 112 and / or the rotation of fan shaft 128. Combustion gas 160 then exits core section 104 through exhaust section 122 of core section 104.

[0039] In addition to the turbofan engine 100, the core section 104 is also used for similar purposes and in similar environments in a land-based gas turbine engine, a turbojet engine where the ratio of the first section 146 to the second section 148 of air 142 is smaller than that of a turbofan engine, and a non-ducted fan engine without a nacelle 134 in the fan section 106. In each of the turbofan engine, turbojet engine, and non-ducted engine, a reduction gear (e.g., a reduction gearbox 130) may be included between any shaft and spool. For example, the reduction gearbox 130 may be disposed between the LP shaft 126 and the fan shaft 128 of the fan section 106.

[0040] Figure 2 It is used for Figure 1 A block diagram of an example implementation of a gas turbine engine with a fuel system 200 that controls fuel flow through direct measurement. Figure 2The fuel system 200 includes an example characteristic monitoring circuit 210, an example deviation determination circuit 220, an example flow bypass circuit 230, and an example fuel system actuation circuit 240. Figure 2 The fuel system 200 can be instantiated by a programmable circuit (e.g., instantiated, generated, materialized, implemented, etc., over any time period). For example, the programmable circuit can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU) executing first instructions, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a general-purpose array logic (GAL) device, a programmable array logic (PAL) device, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a microcontroller (MCU), a programmable system-on-a-chip (PSoC), etc. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 2 The fuel system can be instantiated (e.g., instantiated, generated, materialized, implemented, etc.) by (i) an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or (ii) a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) (e.g., another form of programmable circuit) that is structured and / or constructed to perform operations corresponding to the first instruction in response to the execution of the second instruction. It should be understood that... Figure 2 Some or all of the circuits can therefore be instantiated at the same or different times. Figure 2 Some or all of the circuitry can be instantiated, for example, in one or more threads that execute concurrently on hardware and / or serially on hardware. Furthermore, in some examples, Figure 2 Some or all of the circuitry can be implemented by microprocessor circuitry that executes instructions and / or FPGA circuitry that operates to implement one or more virtual machines and / or containers.

[0041] Characteristic monitoring circuit 210 monitors the characteristics (e.g., operating characteristics, etc.) of fuel directed to the burner (e.g., within combustion section 116, etc.). During operation of the fuel system, characteristics are measured by characteristic monitoring circuit 210. In some examples, characteristics are fuel flow rate, fuel heat capacity, fuel pressure, and / or another property of the fuel. Furthermore, characteristic monitoring circuit 210 can measure the characteristics of the fuel reaching the burner (e.g., measuring fuel heat capacity and / or flow rate, etc.). In some examples, characteristic monitoring circuit 210 measures fuel flow rate as the rate at which a fluid volume passes through per unit time. In other examples, characteristic monitoring circuit 210 measures fuel heat capacity. Heat capacity can be defined as the amount of heat required to cause a unit temperature change in a given mass of material. In some examples, characteristic monitoring circuit 210 is also instantiated by a flow meter, a heat capacity meter (e.g., J / K), a pressure sensor, and / or another measuring instrument for measuring the characteristics of the fuel directed to the burner. In some examples, characteristic monitoring circuit 210 is instantiated by programmable circuitry executing characteristic monitoring instructions and / or configured to perform actions such as... Figure 7 The flowchart (box 710) shows those operations.

[0042] In some examples, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210 measures the flow rate of fuel directed from the flow meter to the burner. Therefore, in this example, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210 measures the volume of fuel passing through the flow meter per unit time. The higher the fuel flow rate measured by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210, the greater the amount of fuel delivered to the burner. The lower the fuel flow rate measured by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210, the less fuel delivered to the burner. Therefore, in this example, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210 measures the fuel volume as a first flow measurement when the fuel passes through the flow meter.

[0043] Deviation determination circuit 220 determines whether a characteristic deviates from a threshold range to alter fuel flow demand based on a characteristic monitored by characteristic monitoring circuit 210. The threshold range can be determined based on the monitored characteristic and the fuel. Fuel flow demand changes in response to changes in the characteristic measured by characteristic monitoring circuit 210. As fuel heat capacity increases, fuel flow demand increases. Conversely, as fuel heat capacity decreases, fuel flow demand decreases. As fuel flow increases, fuel flow demand decreases, and as fuel flow decreases, fuel flow demand increases. In another example, as pressure increases, fuel flow demand increases, and as pressure decreases, fuel flow demand decreases. In some examples, deviation determination circuit 220 is instantiated by programmable circuitry executing deviation determination instructions and / or configured to perform actions such as… Figure 7 The flowchart (box 720) shows those operations.

[0044] Continuing with the example above, the deviation determination circuit 220 can determine whether the flow rate measured by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210 deviates from a threshold range. The threshold range for flow rate can range from a second flow measurement to a third flow measurement. If the first flow measurement is not between the second and third flow measurements, the fuel flow demand must change based on whether the first flow measurement is greater than or less than the threshold range (e.g., between and / or including the range between the second and third flow measurements). If the first flow measurement is less than the second flow measurement (e.g., less than the threshold range), the flow rate is lower than before, and the fuel flow demand increases. If the first flow measurement is greater than the third flow measurement (e.g., greater than the threshold range), the flow rate is greater than before, and the fuel flow demand decreases. Therefore, based on the deviation determination by the deviation determination circuit 220, the fuel flow demand changes based on a comparison of the characteristic measured by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210 with the threshold range. In the example above, the first flow measurement is greater than the third flow measurement, and the fuel flow demand decreases.

[0045] Based on a signal received from the deviation determination circuit 220, the flow bypass circuit 230, in response to determining that the fuel flow demand is met (e.g., in response to a signal indicating a deviation from a threshold range for meeting the fuel flow demand), causes the combined bypass / metering valve to send fuel into the bypass loop. Thus, the fuel flow demand is communicated from the flow meter to the combined bypass / metering valve and the flow bypass circuit 230 via the deviation determination circuit 220. In some examples, the bypass loop may include different paths, and at least one path may include at least one actuator. In some examples, the flow bypass circuit 230 is instantiated by a programmable circuit that executes flow bypass instructions and / or configured to perform actions such as... Figure 7 The flowchart (box 730) shows those operations.

[0046] Continuing with the example above, the flow bypass circuit 230 receives a signal from the deviation determination circuit 220 corresponding to a deviation of the first flow measurement exceeding a threshold range. Therefore, since the current fuel flow to the burner exceeds the threshold range, the deviation determination circuit 220 communicates a reduction in fuel flow demand to the flow bypass circuit 230. Consequently, the flow bypass circuit 230 bypasses a certain amount of fuel into the bypass loop to reduce the fuel flow supplied to the burner. In this example, the flow bypass circuit 230 bypasses a first amount of fuel into the bypass loop to reduce the fuel supply to the burner, thereby restoring the first measurement to within the threshold range.

[0047] Fuel system actuation circuit 240 causes a signal to be sent to deliver fuel to the actuator. In some examples, fuel system actuation circuit 240 sends a signal to the actuator to redirect fuel from the bypass loop through the actuator. The actuator in the bypass loop can redirect the fuel flow to other parts of the turbine engine besides the combustor (e.g., gearbox, pump, variable displacement pump, air valve boosted by a fuel servo valve, shut-off valve, etc.). In some examples, the actuator in the bypass loop causes actuation of the variable displacement pump. In some examples, fuel system actuation circuit 240 is instantiated by programmable circuitry that executes fuel system actuation commands and / or configured to perform actions such as... Figure 7 The flowchart (box 740) shows those operations.

[0048] Continuing with the example above, the fuel system actuation circuit 240 can send a signal to the actuator to direct fuel into a bypass loop path that includes the actuator. The actuator may include fuel hydraulic valves and other pumps to supply fuel to components other than the combustor (e.g., gearbox, servo valves, variable displacement pumps, etc.). Therefore, based on the needs of these other components, the fuel system actuation circuit 240 can send a signal to the actuator to direct fuel from the bypass loop to the actuator. In this example, other components of the turbine engine require fuel, and the fuel system actuation circuit 240 signals the actuator to direct fuel from the bypass loop to the actuator.

[0049] In some examples, the fuel system includes means for monitoring the characteristics of the fuel in the burner, means for determining deviations in the characteristics of the fuel flow, means for sending a signal to direct fuel into a bypass loop, and means for sending a signal to direct fuel into an actuator. For example, the means for monitoring, determining, bypassing, and directing may be implemented by a characteristic monitoring circuit 210, a deviation determination circuit 220, a flow bypass circuit 230, and a fuel system actuation circuit 240. In some examples, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210, the deviation determination circuit 220, the flow bypass circuit 230, and the fuel system actuation circuit 240 may be programmable circuits (such as...) Figure 8 Example programmable circuit 812) instantiated.

[0050] In some examples, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210, the deviation determination circuit 220, the flow bypass circuit 230, and the fuel system actuation circuit 240 can be instantiated by hardware logic circuitry, which can be implemented by ASIC, XPU, or FPGA circuitry constructed and / or structured to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210, the deviation determination circuit 220, the flow bypass circuit 230, and the fuel system actuation circuit 240 can be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0051] For example, the characteristic monitoring circuit 210, the deviation determination circuit 220, the flow bypass circuit 230, and the fuel system actuation circuit 240 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuits, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuits, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers, logic circuits, etc.) that are constructed and / or structured to execute some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without executing software or firmware, but other structures are equally applicable.

[0052] Although Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An example implementation of the fuel system 200, but Figure 2 One or more of the components, processes, and / or devices shown may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, eliminated, and / or implemented in any other way. Furthermore, example characteristic monitoring circuit 210, example deviation determination circuit 220, example flow bypass circuit 230, example fuel system actuation circuit 240, and / or more generally, Figure 2 The example fuel system 200 can be implemented by hardware alone or by hardware in combination with software and / or firmware.

[0053] Therefore, for example, any of the example characteristic monitoring circuit 210, example deviation determination circuit 220, example flow bypass circuit 230, and example fuel system actuation circuit 240, and / or more generally, the example fuel system 200, can be implemented by combining programmable circuitry, processor circuitry, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, logic circuitry, programmable processors, programmable microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), vision processing units (VPUs), and / or field-programmable logic devices (FPLDs) (such as FPGAs) with machine-readable instructions (e.g., firmware or software). Furthermore, Figure 2 Example fuel system 200 may include, in addition to Figure 2 Other than or alternative to the components, processes and / or devices shown. Figure 2 One or more of the elements, processes and / or devices shown may be included, and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes and devices shown.

[0054] Figure 3A This is a flow diagram of an example fuel system 300. Fuel system 300 can be composed of... Figure 2 The fuel system 200 is controlled and / or instantiated. In the fuel system 300, fuel enters the fuel system via a fuel system inlet and proceeds in parallel to pump 302. Pump 302 increases the pressure of the fuel to a first pressure, and the fuel proceeds to a combined bypass / metering valve 304. Pump 302 may be instantiated from at least one of a centrifugal pump, an axial centrifugal pump (with or without an inducer), a liquid ring pump, a fixed displacement pump (including cycloidal rotors, impellers, gears, etc.), and a variable displacement pump (including impellers, pistons, etc.).

[0055] The combined bypass / metering valve 304 determines whether to direct fuel at a first pressure to flow meter 306 or to bypass loop 308 based on the fuel flow demand from flow meter 306. If the fuel pressure meets the burner's fuel flow demand, the fuel can be directed to flow meter 306. In other words, the fuel pressure is determined to be within the threshold range of flow meter 306. Flow meter 306 can be instantiated by at least one of ultrasonic flow meters, direct heat capacity measurement flow meters, pressure flow meters, volumetric flow meters, mass flow meters, etc.

[0056] Additionally and / or alternatively, fuel may be directed to bypass loop 308. In some examples, the fuel supplied to the combined bypass / metering valve 304 is determined to exceed the burner's fuel flow requirements (e.g., pressure exceeding a threshold range of flow meter 306, etc.). Therefore, in these examples, a first portion of the fuel is redirected to bypass loop 308. Thus, the combined bypass / metering valve 304 redirects the first portion of fuel to bypass loop 308 and directs the second portion of fuel to the burner based on fuel flow requirements (e.g., a second portion of fuel satisfies fuel flow requirements).

[0057] In some examples, bypass loop 308 includes actuator 310. In some examples, actuator 310 includes a fuel hydraulic valve, which is controlled by a servo motor powered by fuel. In these examples, actuator 310 moves the variable geometry on the turbine engine and the fuel hydraulic valve (e.g., a metering valve, a shut-off valve, a variable displacement pump, etc.). In some examples, a pressure valve may be implemented before the fuel flows through actuator 310 to ensure sufficient pressure for fuel to travel through it. After traveling through bypass loop 308, the fuel returns to the inlet of pump 302.

[0058] Figure 3B This is a signal diagram of the fuel system 300. In the fuel system 300, fuel enters the system at flow demand 312, and a signal corresponding to the fuel (e.g., an electrical signal and / or data signal corresponding to the fuel flow rate, etc.) is measured in the forward direction at point 314. This signal is transmitted by the fuel system 300 and... Figure 3B The signals shown in the signal diagram correspond to electrical, data, pressure, and / or physical signals generated by the fuel flow as fuel travels through the fuel system 300 and is measured by components represented in the fuel system 300. Furthermore, Figure 3B The component is a physical component that forms the fuel system 300 and measures the fuel signal as the fuel travels through the fuel system 300.

[0059] Therefore, after the signal reaches pump 302 of fuel system 300, the signal causes pump 302 to pressurize the fuel as it flows through the fuel system. In some examples, the signal causes the fuel to increase from a first pressure to a second pressure as it passes through pump 302.

[0060] Furthermore, at gain 316, the signal is increased based on a reading of the fuel measurement. In some examples, the error and / or measurement of the fuel signal are acquired, and gain 316 is adjusted based on the measurement of manipulated variables of the fuel (e.g., flow rate, heat capacity, fuel pressure, etc.). In some examples, the fuel measurement may be a second pressure measurement of the fuel after the pump 302 increases the fuel pressure.

[0061] In terms of flow, after the fuel is pressurized to a second pressure, a signal is transmitted to the combined bypass / metering valve 304. The fuel pressure is measured to determine whether the pressure corresponds to the burner's flow requirement. If the fuel pressure exceeds the pressure used for the burner (e.g., exceeds the fuel flow requirement), the metering valve 304 sends a signal to direct fuel to the bypass loop 308 via the bypass valve 304. If the pressure is less than the pressure used for the burner (e.g., less than the fuel flow requirement), the metering valve 304 sends a signal to the pump 302 to increase the fuel pressure before sending fuel to the combined bypass and metering valve 304. After determining that the fuel flow rate is sufficient for the flow meter (e.g., within a threshold range), the fuel is directed to the flow meter 306.

[0062] exist Figure 3B In the signal diagram, when the fuel travels to Figure 3A When the combined bypass / metering valve 304 is in use, there is a transmission delay 318 in the fuel to the transfer function 320. The transmission delay 318 corresponds to the engine control feedback as the signal travels from the pump 302 to the transfer function 320. The transfer function 320 represents the hysteresis of the fuel signal reading when the combined bypass / metering valve 304 measures the fuel pressure and determines the fuel path (e.g., to the burner and / or to the bypass loop). The transfer function 320 transmits a signal to actuate the metering valve 322. Then, at the metering valve 322, the fuel signal is measured, and the fuel is directed to the burner 326 (e.g., the pressure directed to the burner 326 and / or the corresponding electrical signal is measured).

[0063] Then, as the fuel travels to the combustor 326, the signal is represented by the transfer function 324 because there is a lag in the reading of the fuel position from the metering valve 322 to the combustor 326. In some examples, the fuel is guided via a bypass loop by a combined bypass / metering valve, and there is a transmission delay 328, in which feedback corresponding to the characteristics of the fuel is delayed until the flow demand 312 is reached. This feedback determines the fuel flow rate and / or total energy of the turbine engine 100 and can notify changes in the flow demand 312.

[0064] Therefore, due to the feedback loop, the fuel system 300 forms a closed-loop feedback system. As described above, the closed-loop feedback system includes bypass and metering valves, thus reducing the response time to changes in fuel flow demand.

[0065] Figure 4A This is a flow diagram of fuel system 400. Fuel system 400 is very similar to fuel system 300. Furthermore, fuel system 400 can be... Figure 2 The fuel system 200 is controlled and / or instantiated. However, the fuel system 400 includes a heat capacity meter 402 in place of the flow meter 306 of the fuel system 300. The heat capacity meter 402 measures the heat capacity of the fuel in the fuel system 400. Therefore, it can more accurately measure the potential energy supplied to the burner 326. The heat capacity meter 402 communicates the fuel flow demand to a combined bypass / metering valve 304, which adjusts the ratio between the fuel directed to the heat capacity meter 404 and the bypass loop 308.

[0066] Figure 4B Reflects Figure 3B The fuel system 300 has a closed-loop feedback configuration. Therefore, the closed-loop feedback configuration is not limited to flow measurement, but can be implemented and extended to the measurement of other fuel properties (e.g., heat capacity, pressure, temperature, density, etc.).

[0067] Figure 5A This is a flow diagram of an example fuel system 500. Fuel system 500 can be constructed from... Figure 2 The fuel system 200 is controlled and / or instantiated. The flow system 500 receives fuel via a fuel system inlet, and the fuel is directed to an example variable displacement pump 502. As used herein, a “variable displacement pump” is defined as a pump capable of changing the volume of fluid pumped per revolution. The variable displacement pump 502 determines the amount of fuel to be supplied to the flow meter 306 based on the fuel flow demand of the burner 326. Therefore, the variable displacement pump 502 will reduce or increase the volume of fuel delivered to the flow meter 306 based on the fuel flow demand. The flow meter 306 then measures the fuel flow rate and supplies fuel to the burner 326. The flow meter 306 communicates the measurement of the fuel flow rate (e.g., fuel flow demand) as feedback to the variable displacement pump 502 to change the volume of fuel delivered to the flow meter 306.

[0068] Figure 5B Reflects Figure 3B The fuel system 300 has a closed-loop feedback configuration. Therefore, the closed-loop feedback configuration can also be used with a variable displacement pump 502 that adjusts the volume of flow supplied to the flow meter. Since the volume can be adjusted without redirecting excess fuel, the variable displacement pump 502 that adjusts the flow volume reduces the need for a bypass loop.

[0069] Figure 6 This is a flow diagram of an example fuel system 600. Fuel system 600 can be composed of... Figure 2 Fuel system 200 is controlled and / or instantiated. Fuel system 600 receives fuel via fuel system inlet. Fuel is directed to example variable displacement pump 602. Variable displacement pump 602 can increase or decrease the volume of fuel based on fuel flow demand and directs fuel to example bypass valve 606. Therefore, fuel flow demand causes an increase or decrease in the volume of fuel supplied by variable displacement pump 602, and the requirements of burner 326 also change. Bypass valve 606 receives fuel from variable displacement pump 602 and directs the flow to example flow meter 608 based on fuel flow demand. If the fuel supplied by variable displacement pump 602 exceeds the fuel flow demand of burner 326, bypass valve 606 can direct fuel to example actuator 604. Actuator 604 may include a fuel hydraulic valve actuated by the fuel flow.

[0070] Furthermore, the flow through actuator 604 can provide feedback to bypass valve 606 to influence the fuel flow demand of combustor 326. In some examples, as the fuel flow to actuator 604 increases, the fuel flow demand also increases because turbine engine operation requires more fuel (e.g., more fuel flow to actuator 604 can indicate the need to supply more fuel to combustor 326, etc.).

[0071] In addition, flow meter 608 measures the fuel flow rate and sends feedback to bypass valve 606 and variable displacement pump 602. In some examples, bypass valve 606 will pump more or less fuel to flow meter 608 based on fuel flow demand. Furthermore, variable displacement pump 602 can increase or decrease the volume of fluid directed to bypass valve 606 based on fuel flow demand. Flow meter 608 measures the fuel flow rate and directs the fuel to burner 326.

[0072] Figure 7 The diagram illustrates example machine-readable instructions and / or flowcharts representing example operations. These example machine-readable instructions can be executed by programmable circuitry to implement and / or instantiate them. Figure 2 The fuel system, example operations can be implemented and / or instantiated by programmable circuitry. Figure 2The fuel system. Machine-readable instructions can be used by programmable circuits (such as those combined below). Figure 8 The programmable circuitry 812 shown in the example processor platform 800 discussed may execute one or more executable programs or portions of one or more executable programs, and / or may be one or more functions or portions of functions to be performed by the example programmable circuitry (e.g., FPGA). In some examples, machine-readable instructions cause operations, tasks, etc., to be performed and / or carried out in a real-world manner in an automated manner. As used herein, “automation” means without human intervention.

[0073] The program may be embodied in instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable storage media (such as cache memory, magnetic storage devices or disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs) etc.), optical storage devices or disks (e.g., Blu-ray discs, optical discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs) etc.), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), registers, ROMs, solid-state drives (SSDs), SSD memory, non-volatile memory (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory etc.), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) of any type, etc.), and / or any other storage device or disk).

[0074] Instructions on non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media can program and / or be executed by programmable circuitry located in one or more hardware devices, but the entire program and / or portions thereof can alternatively be executed and / or instantiated by one or more hardware devices other than programmable circuitry, and / or embodied in dedicated hardware. Machine-readable instructions can be distributed across multiple hardware devices and / or executed by two or more hardware devices (e.g., server and client hardware devices). For example, client hardware devices can be implemented by endpoint client hardware devices (e.g., hardware devices associated with human and / or machine users) or by intermediate client hardware device gateways (e.g., radio access networks (RANs)) that can facilitate communication between server and endpoint client hardware devices.

[0075] Similarly, non-transitory computer-readable storage media may include one or more media. Furthermore, although the example program is for reference only... Figure 7 The flowchart shown illustrates many other methods for implementing the example fuel system, but can be used alternatively. For example, the execution order of the blocks in the flowchart can be changed, and / or some of the blocks described can be altered, eliminated, or combined.

[0076] Additionally or alternatively, any or all boxes of the flowchart may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.) that are structured to perform corresponding operations without executing software or firmware. Programmable circuitry may be distributed across different network locations and / or located natively on one or more hardware devices (e.g., single-core processors (e.g., single-core CPUs), multi-core processors (e.g., multi-core CPUs, XPUs, etc.)).

[0077] As used herein, programmable circuitry includes any type of circuitry that can be programmed to perform a desired function, such as a CPU, GPU, VPU, and / or FPGA. Programmable circuitry can include one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more VPUs, and / or one or more FPGAs located in the same package (e.g., the same integrated circuit (IC) package or in two or more separate housings); one or more CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, and / or one or more FPGAs in a single machine; multiple CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, and / or FPGAs distributed across multiple servers in a server rack; and / or multiple CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, and / or FPGAs distributed across one or more server racks. Additionally or alternatively, in any of the foregoing contexts, programmable circuitry can include programmable logic devices (PLDs), general-purpose array logic (GAL) devices, programmable array logic (PAL) devices, complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), microcontrollers (MCUs), programmable system-on-a-chip (PSoCs), and / or any combination thereof.

[0078] The machine-readable instructions described herein can be stored in one or more of the following formats: compressed format, encrypted format, segmented format, compiled format, executable format, packaged format, etc. As described herein, machine-readable instructions can be stored as data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, one or more bits (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), bit streams (e.g., computer-readable bit streams, machine-readable bit streams, etc.)) or data structures (e.g., as parts of instructions, code, representations of code, etc.). For example, machine-readable instructions can be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices, disks, and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located in the same or different locations (e.g., in the cloud, edge devices, etc.) within a network or network set.

[0079] Machine-readable instructions may require one or more of the following to be installed, modified, adapted, updated, combined, supplemented, constructed, decrypted, decompressed, unpacked, distributed, redistributed, compiled, etc., so that they can be directly read, interpreted, and / or executed by a computing device and / or other machine. For example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts that are individually compressed, encrypted, and / or stored on separate computing devices, wherein these parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and / or combined, form a set of computer-executable and / or machine-executable instructions that, when implemented together, can form one or more functions and / or operations such as the program described herein.

[0080] In another example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state where they can be read by programmable circuitry, but require the addition of libraries (e.g., dynamic link libraries (DLLs)), software development kits (SDKs), application programming interfaces (APIs), etc., to execute the machine-readable instructions on a specific computing device or other device. In yet another example, it may be necessary to construct the machine-readable instructions (e.g., stored settings, data inputs, recorded network addresses, etc.) before they can be executed in whole or in part. Therefore, machine-readable, computer-readable, and / or machine-readable media as used herein can include instructions and / or programs, regardless of their specific format or state.

[0081] The machine-readable instructions described in this article can be represented by any past, present, or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, machine-readable instructions can be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C-Sharp, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0082] As mentioned above, Figure 7 Example operations can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, non-transitory machine-readable medium, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium are expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, and exclude propagation signals and transmission media.

[0083] Examples of such non-transitory computer-readable media, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, non-transitory machine-readable media, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage media include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, and / or any other storage device or disk that stores information for any duration (e.g., extended time periods, permanent, transient instances, temporary buffers, and / or cached information).

[0084] As used herein, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable storage device" and "non-transitory machine-readable storage device" are defined as any physical (mechanical, magnetic, and / or electrical) hardware that retains information for a period of time, excluding the propagation of signals and transmission media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage devices include any type of random access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disk, hard disk, disk drive, and / or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system. As used herein, the term "device" refers to a physical structure (such as mechanical and / or electrical equipment, hardware, and / or circuitry) that may or may not be constructed of, and / or made to execute, computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0085] Figure 7 This is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 700, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or performed by programmable circuitry to guide fuel flow based on fuel flow requirements. Figure 7 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 700 begin at block 710, where characteristic monitoring circuitry 210 monitors fuel characteristics via a direct measuring instrument. In some examples, the direct measuring instrument is connected in series with burner 326. Furthermore, fuel characteristics may include fuel flow rate, fuel heat capacity, and / or another property of the fuel.

[0086] In some examples, such as Figure 3A and 3B As shown, the direct measuring instrument is a flow meter 306 connected in series with the burner 326 and measures the flow rate (e.g., volume measurement per unit time). Therefore, the flow meter 306 monitors the fuel as it flows into the burner 326 and measures the volume of the fuel over time. In other examples, such as... Figure 4A As shown, the direct measuring instrument can be a heat capacity meter 402, which can measure the heat capacity of fuel.

[0087] In one example, the direct measuring instrument is a flow meter 306 connected in series with the burner 326, and it monitors the fuel flow rate as fuel flows from the fuel system 300 to the burner 326. Therefore, the direct measuring instrument can obtain a measurement of the fuel flow rate. In this example, the flow rate measurement is the first flow rate measurement.

[0088] Then, at block 720, the deviation determination circuit 220 determines the deviation of the characteristic from the threshold range. Therefore, the deviation determination circuit 220 determines the range of the characteristic based on the characteristic monitored by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210 to influence changes in fuel flow demand. The threshold range can differ based on the characteristic measured by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210. For example, if the heat capacity is measured by the heat capacity meter 402, the threshold range differs from the threshold range for flow measurement. Specifically, as heat capacity increases, fuel demand also increases, calculated via a fixed gain or predictive measurement of operating temperature and / or other feedback from the heat capacity meter 402. However, as flow rate increases, fuel demand decreases (e.g., the fuel metering decreases). Therefore, the deviation determination circuit 220 determines the deviation based on the threshold range of the characteristic monitored by the characteristic monitoring circuit 210.

[0089] Continuing with the example above, if the flow rate changes over time, resulting in a decrease in flow rate and a smaller volume, then a range is defined in which the flow rate between the second and third flow rate measurements does not change the fuel flow rate requirement, but the flow rate outside the second and third flow rate measurements does change the fuel flow rate requirement.

[0090] If the deviation determination circuit 220 determines that there is no deviation of the characteristic from the threshold range (box 720: No), control returns to box 710. In the example above, if the flow rate is measured to fall between the first and second flow rate measurements, the flow rate does not exceed the threshold range and is therefore not determined to be a deviation. However, if the deviation determination circuit 220 determines that there is a deviation of the characteristic from the threshold range (box 720: Yes), control proceeds to box 730. In the example above, the measured flow rate falls outside the second and third flow rate measurements and is below the threshold range.

[0091] At block 730, flow bypass circuit 230, based on the determination of the deviation, sends a signal to direct fuel into bypass loop 308. Bypass loop 308 directs excess fuel to the pump inlet for recirculation throughout the fuel system. Additionally, at block 740, fuel system actuation circuit 240 may send a signal to actuator 310 to redirect fuel in the bypass loop, thereby delivering fuel to actuator 310. In some examples, actuator 310 is positioned in parallel and / or serial with bypass loop 308. Actuator 310 may include fuel hydraulic valves and other valves (e.g., metering valves, shut-off valves, etc.) that supply fuel to components of the gas turbine engine other than the engine itself.

[0092] Continuing with the example above, based on the determination that the deviation from the first flow measurement is less than a threshold range, fuel is not directed to the bypass loop 308. Instead, fuel from the combined bypass / metering valve 304 is directed to the burner 326, and the fuel flow demand increases. The increased fuel flow demand is communicated as feedback from the flow meter 306 to the variable displacement pump 502 and / or the combined bypass / metering valve 304 via a closed-loop feedback system. Based on the fuel flow demand, components (e.g., pump 302, variable displacement pump 502, combined bypass / metering valve 304) will increase the fuel flow to the flow meter 306 to meet the fuel flow demand and increase the flow measurement to a threshold range (e.g., between the second and third flow measurements).

[0093] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of an example programmable circuit platform 800, which is structured to perform and / or instantiate... Figure 7 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations for implementation Figure 2 The fuel system. The programmable circuit platform 800 can be, for example, a server, personal computer, workstation, self-learning machine (e.g., neural network), mobile device (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone, tablet computer (such as iPad)). TM ( ), headphones (e.g., augmented reality (AR) headphones, virtual reality (VR) headphones, etc.) or other wearable devices, or any other type of computing and / or electronic device.

[0094] The programmable circuit platform 800 shown in the example includes programmable circuitry 812. Programmable circuitry 812 is hardware. For example, programmable circuitry 812 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, FPGAs, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, DSPs, and / or microcontrollers from any desired family or manufacturer. Programmable circuitry 812 can be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices. In this example, programmable circuitry 812 implements characteristic monitoring circuitry 210, deviation determination circuitry 220, flow bypass circuitry 230, and fuel system actuation circuitry 240.

[0095] The programmable circuit 812 of the illustrated example includes local memory 813 (e.g., cache, registers, etc.). The programmable circuit 812 of the illustrated example communicates via bus 818 with main memories 814, 816, including volatile memory 814 and non-volatile memory 816. Volatile memory 814 may be implemented using synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® dynamic random access memory (RDRAM®), and / or any other type of RAM device. Non-volatile memory 816 may be implemented using flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memories 814, 816 of the illustrated example is controlled by a memory controller 817. In some examples, the memory controller 817 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microcontrollers, or any other type of circuit from any desired family or manufacturer to manage data flow to and from the main memories 814, 816.

[0096] The programmable circuit platform 800 shown in the example also includes interface circuitry 820. Interface circuitry 820 can be implemented by hardware according to any type of interface standard, such as Ethernet interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, Bluetooth® interface, Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, and / or Peripheral Component Interconnect Fast (PCIe) interface.

[0097] In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 822 are connected to interface circuitry 820. Input devices 822 allow users (e.g., human users, machine users, etc.) to input data and / or commands into programmable circuitry 812. Input devices 822 may be implemented using, for example, audio sensors, microphones, cameras (still or video), buttons, mice, touchscreens, trackpads, trackballs, and / or isopoint devices.

[0098] One or more output devices 824 are also connected to the interface circuitry 820 of the illustrated example. The output devices 824 may be implemented, for example, by a display device (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touchscreen, etc.), a haptic output device, a printer, and / or a speaker. Therefore, the interface circuitry 820 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or graphics processor circuitry (such as a GPU).

[0099] The interface circuitry 820 of the example shown also includes communication devices (such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, residential gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces) to facilitate data exchange with external machines (e.g., any kind of computing device) via network 826. Communication may be via, for example, Ethernet connections, digital subscriber line (DSL) connections, telephone line connections, coaxial cable systems, satellite systems, out-of-line-of-sight wireless systems, line-of-sight wireless systems, cellular telephone systems, etc.

[0100] The programmable circuit platform 800 shown in the example also includes one or more mass storage disks or devices 828 for storing firmware, software, and / or data. Examples of such mass storage disks or devices 828 include magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, drives, HDDs, etc.), optical storage devices (e.g., Blu-ray discs, CDs, DVDs, etc.), RAID systems, and / or solid-state storage disks or devices (such as flash memory devices and / or SSDs).

[0101] can be Figure 7 The machine-readable instructions 832 implemented by the machine-readable instructions may be stored in a mass storage device 828, a volatile memory 814, a non-volatile memory 816, and / or stored on at least one removable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as a CD or DVD).

[0102] As will be understood from the foregoing, example systems, apparatus, articles, and methods for controlling fuel flow through direct measurement have been disclosed. Controlling fuel flow through direct measurement enables a faster response to changes in fuel flow demand, which reduces fuel waste and improves acceleration response.

[0103] This document discloses example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture for controlling fuel flow through direct measurement. Further examples and combinations thereof include the following:

[0104] Example 1 includes a fuel system for a turbine engine, the fuel system comprising: a pump that receives fuel; a meter that measures the characteristics of a first amount of fuel before it is delivered to a combustor; and a combined bypass and metering valve that receives the fuel from the pump and, based on the needs of the combustor, determines to direct fuel to a bypass loop and the meter, wherein the needs of the combustor determine the first amount of fuel received by the meter and a second amount of fuel directed to the pump via the bypass loop.

[0105] Example 2 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a flow meter.

[0106] Example 3 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a heat capacity meter.

[0107] Example 4 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a pressure sensor.

[0108] Example 5 includes a fuel system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the characteristics of the first amount of fuel prior to delivery to the burner determine the burner's requirements for the fuel system.

[0109] Example 6 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the characteristic of the first amount of fuel is the flow rate of the fuel.

[0110] Example 7 includes a fuel system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the characteristic of the first amount of fuel is the heat capacity of the fuel.

[0111] Example 8 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein a deviation of the characteristics of the first amount of fuel from a threshold range results in the determination of a bypass loop to direct the fuel into the fuel system.

[0112] Example 9 includes a fuel system for a turbine engine, the fuel system comprising: a pump that receives fuel; a meter that measures the flow rate of the fuel before it is delivered to a combustor, and the flow rate of the fuel is a closed-loop feedback system to determine the demand of the combustor; and a combined bypass and metering valve that receives the fuel from the pump and, based on the demand of the combustor, determines to direct the fuel to a bypass loop and the meter.

[0113] Example 10 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a flow meter.

[0114] Example 11 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a heat capacity meter.

[0115] Example 12 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a pressure sensor.

[0116] Example 12 includes a fuel system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the meter measures the heat capacity of the fuel, and the heat capacity of the fuel determines the demand of the burner of the fuel system.

[0117] Example 13 includes a fuel system according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein a deviation of the fuel flow rate from a threshold range before it is delivered to the burner results in the determination of the bypass loop that directs the fuel to the fuel system.

[0118] Example 14 includes a gas turbine engine comprising a compressor and a burner, the burner comprising a fuel system comprising: a pump that receives fuel; a meter that measures the characteristics of a first amount of fuel prior to delivery to the burner; and a combined bypass and metering valve that receives the fuel from the pump and, based on the burner's demand, determines to direct fuel to a bypass loop and the meter, wherein the burner's demand determines the first amount of fuel received by the meter and a second amount of fuel directed to the pump via the bypass loop.

[0119] Example 14 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a flow meter.

[0120] Example 15 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the meter is a heat capacity meter.

[0121] Example 16 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the meter is a pressure sensor.

[0122] Example 17 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the characteristics of the first amount of fuel prior to delivery to the combustor determine the combustor's requirements for the fuel system.

[0123] Example 18 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the characteristic of the first amount of fuel is the flow rate of the fuel.

[0124] Example 19 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the characteristic of the first amount of fuel is the heat capacity of the fuel.

[0125] Example 20 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein a deviation of the characteristics of the first amount of fuel from a threshold range results in the determination of a bypass loop to direct the fuel into the fuel system.

[0126] Example 21 includes a gas turbine engine according to any of the foregoing clauses, wherein the fuel flow rate is a closed-loop feedback system to determine the demand of the combustor.

[0127] The following claims are incorporated herein by reference. Although certain example systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods have been disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. Rather, this patent covers all systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods that fall fully within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. A fuel system for a turbine engine characterized by, include: Pump, which receives fuel; A meter that measures the operating characteristics of a first quantity of fuel before it is delivered to a burner, wherein the operating characteristics correspond to the properties of the first quantity of fuel measured during operation of the fuel system; as well as A combined bypass and metering valve receives fuel from the pump and, based on the burner's fuel flow demand, determines to direct fuel to a bypass loop and the meter, wherein the burner's fuel flow demand determines a first amount of fuel received by the meter and a second amount of fuel directed to the pump via the bypass loop.

2. The fuel system of claim 1, wherein in, The measuring device is a flow meter.

3. The fuel system of claim 1, wherein in, The measuring instrument is a heat capacity meter.

4. The fuel system according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, The measuring device is a pressure sensor.

5. The fuel system according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, The operating characteristics of the first amount of fuel before it is delivered to the burner determine the fuel flow requirement of the burner in the fuel system.

6. The fuel system according to claim 5, characterized in that, in, The operating characteristic of the first amount of fuel is the flow rate of the fuel.

7. The fuel system according to claim 5, characterized in that, in, The operating characteristic of the first amount of fuel is the heat capacity of the fuel.

8. The fuel system according to claim 5, characterized in that, in, The deviation of the operating characteristics of the first amount of fuel from the threshold range leads to the determination of the bypass loop to direct the fuel into the fuel system.

9. A fuel system for a turbine engine, characterized in that, include: Pump, which receives fuel; A meter that measures the flow rate of the fuel before it is delivered to the burner, and the fuel flow rate is a closed-loop feedback system to determine the fuel flow requirements of the burner; as well as A combined bypass and metering valve receives fuel from the pump and, based on the fuel flow requirements of the burner, determines to direct the fuel to the bypass loop and the metering device.

10. The fuel system according to claim 9, characterized in that, in, The measuring device is a flow meter.

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