Anticipatory Engine Speed Control via Load Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In integrated power and thermal management systems, there is a lag in responding to mechanical load changes on the engine's output shaft, leading to undesirable speed droops due to the time it takes for fuel controllers to detect and adjust fuel flow, which can impact power regulation and overspeed issues.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a processor and control circuit to anticipate mechanical load changes, adjusting the output shaft's speed setpoint proactively to prevent droops by increasing or decreasing the speed setpoint before the load is applied, and maintaining the elevated speed until the load is removed, using a feedback loop to match the speed setpoint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a typical fuel controller is used to monitor output shaft speed and adjust fuel flow, then the output shaft speed can be restored to constant speed, but there is a lag in response time causing speed droop
Solution Approach 1:
The controller proactively increases the speed setpoint before the mechanical load is applied to the output shaft. This preliminary action anticipates the upcoming load change and prepares the engine by increasing fuel flow in advance, so that when the load is applied, the speed droop is prevented or minimized. The controller then maintains the elevated speed setpoint until the load is removed, ensuring continuous speed stability without waiting for reactive feedback.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the speed setpoint is increased in advance to prevent droop, then speed stability is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors the actual output shaft speed and compares it to the dynamically adjusted speed setpoint. This feedback mechanism allows the controller to make real-time adjustments to fuel flow based on the difference between actual and target speeds. The feedback loop works in conjunction with the predictive setpoint adjustment to maintain speed stability while managing system complexity through a straightforward control architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided to control engine speed droop. One such system may include an electric generator; an engine configured to power the electric generator via an output shaft; a control circuit configured to cause a speed of the output shaft to match a speed setpoint based on a feedback loop; and a processor configured to anticipate a change in a mechanical load on the engine and cause the speed setpoint of the output shaft to increase or decrease from a first value to a second value in response to anticipation of the change in the mechanical load on the engine.