Aircraft Power Control for Noise-Limited Dual-Engine Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft noise reduction methods, such as idling gas turbine generators, may not adequately address situations where high electric power is required, leading to potential decreases in engine output.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft control system that adjusts the rotation speed and torque of one engine while utilizing another engine to maintain output, incorporating a controller to estimate noise conditions and optimize operation points based on fuel efficiency and noise maps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If the gas turbine generator is switched to an idling operation state to reduce noise, then noise is reduced, but the engine output decreases much
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft power generation system is divided into multiple independent gas turbine generators (first engine and second engine), each capable of operating independently or in combination. This segmentation allows the system to reduce noise from one engine by switching it to idle while the other engine compensates for the power loss, thus resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and power maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically changes the operation parameters (rotation speed and torque) of the gas turbine generators based on noise excess conditions. When noise exceeds the reference value, the controller adjusts the parameters of one engine to reduce noise while simultaneously adjusting the parameters of the other engine to maintain the total output power, thereby resolving the contradiction between noise reduction and power output.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the rotation speed and torque of the first engine are changed to reduce noise, then noise is reduced, but the fuel efficiency may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts the operation parameters of both engines in real-time based on noise excess conditions and fuel efficiency considerations. When noise reduction is required, the controller optimizes the parameter changes to minimize fuel efficiency deterioration, and when noise is within acceptable limits, the controller prioritizes fuel efficiency. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between noise reduction and fuel efficiency maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft control system includes: a first engine attached to an airframe of an aircraft; a second engine attached to the airframe; a first power generator connected to an engine shaft of the first engine; a second power generator connected to an engine shaft of the second engine; an electric motor driven with electric power supplied from one or both of the first power generator and the second power generator; a rotor driven with a driving force output from the electric motor; and a controller configured to estimate whether noise excess conditions have been satisfied on the basis of information for estimating noise and to change one or both of a rotation speed and a magnitude of a torque such that noise is lower than that before the noise excess conditions have been satisfied when it is estimated that the noise excess conditions have been satisfied.