Electric Fan Array for Turbofan Distortion Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines experience high distortion due to pressure gradients and swirl, leading to engine stall and undesirable aeromechanical behavior, which existing mitigation systems fail to effectively address.
Innovation Solution
A gas turbine engine design featuring a fan system with a plurality of electric fans and a control unit that measures pressure differentials to individually adjust fan speeds, using sensors and a controller to minimize pressure and swirl distortions, and includes preprogrammed aircraft maneuvers to adapt to changing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single mechanically driven fan is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to different flow conditions and fails to effectively mitigate pressure and swirl distortions
Solution Approach 1:
The single fan is divided into multiple electric fans (first fan array and second fan array with multiple blades each), allowing independent control of each fan blade's rotation speed to adapt to varying flow conditions and distortion patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The fan system transitions from a fixed mechanical drive to variable speed electric drives, enabling dynamic adjustment of fan blade rotation speeds based on real-time pressure differential measurements to optimize distortion mitigation across different operating conditions
2Reliability
If existing mitigation systems are used, then the structure remains relatively simple, but they fail to effectively reduce pressure and swirl distortions
Solution Approach 1:
Pressure differentials are measured at multiple locations around the engine core, and this feedback information is used to independently control the rotation speeds of individual fan blades, creating a closed-loop control system that effectively adapts to and mitigates distortion in real-time
Solution Approach 2:
Different fan blades are controlled independently with different rotation speeds based on local pressure differential conditions, allowing tailored mitigation strategies for different regions of the flow field rather than uniform treatment
3Power
If fan speed is increased to provide more thrust, then thrust output improves, but pressure and swirl distortions increase causing engine stall
Solution Approach 1:
The fan array is segmented into multiple independently controllable blades, allowing some blades to operate at higher speeds for thrust while others adjust to mitigate local distortions, enabling optimized thrust production without excessive distortion
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the rotation speed parameter of individual fan blades based on real-time pressure differential measurements, allowing optimization of thrust output while maintaining distortion levels within acceptable limits to prevent engine stall
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively mitigates pressure and swirl distortions by varying fan speeds in real-time, preventing engine stall and optimizing aeromechanical performance, while maintaining demanded thrust and adapting to aircraft maneuvers.
Implementation Method 1
The fan array may have a plurality of electric fans spaced apart around the axis of the gas turbine engine that are each configured to rotate about a fan axis... to help offset and minimize the pressure and swirl distortions in the gas turbine engine
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine comprises an engine core and an electric fan array. The engine core includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor compresses and delivers air to the combustor. The combustor mixes fuel with the compressed air received from the compressor and ignites the fuel. The hot, high-pressure products of the combustion reaction in the combustor are directed into the turbine to cause the turbine to rotate about an axis and drive the compressor. The electric fan array may include at least two non-concentric fans having parallel shafts.