Adaptive Engine Control Using Reference State Trajectory Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas turbine engine control logic struggles to accommodate nonlinearities, uncertainties, and variations present in real engine operations, leading to reduced performance and increased margins, which can limit the engine's operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop model reference adaptive control system that includes a control module, a closed-loop reference module, and an adaptation module, which adjusts engine control signals based on the difference between modeled and actual engine state trajectories, allowing for reduced control margins and improved performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional control logic with margins is used to accommodate nonlinearities and uncertainties, then safety and reliability are improved, but engine performance is reduced due to increased control margins
Solution Approach 1:
The control logic transitions from static margin-based control to dynamic adaptive control that continuously adjusts control parameters based on real-time tracking of actual engine states versus predicted states, allowing the system to maintain safety while optimizing performance
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously comparing actual engine state trajectories with predicted trajectories and using the differences to adaptively adjust control parameters, replacing the open-loop margin-based approach with closed-loop adaptive control
2Ease of manufacture
If linear point models are used for control design, then control logic development is simplified, but the control logic cannot adequately accommodate nonlinearities present in real engine operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains the simplicity of linear point model-based control logic while adding dynamic adaptation capabilities that enable the controller to handle nonlinearities through real-time adjustment of control parameters based on trajectory tracking errors
Solution Approach 2:
An adaptation layer is introduced as an intermediary between the simple linear point model-based control logic and the actual nonlinear engine system, allowing the simple control logic to effectively manage complex nonlinear behavior through adaptive parameter adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure describes a system that includes a closed-loop reference module, an adaptation module, and a control module. The closed-loop reference module is configured to execute a reference model that represents operation of an engine and determine a reference control signal and a reference state trajectory signal. The adaptation module is configured to determine an adaptation signal based on a difference between the reference state trajectory signal and an engine state trajectory signal representative of actual operation of the engine. The control module is configured to receive the reference control signal from the closed-loop reference module, the adaptation signal from the adaptation module, and the engine state trajectory signal. The control module is further configured to determine a demand signal based on the engine state trajectory signal, the adaptation signal, and the reference control signal, and output the demand signal to control operation of at least one engine component.