Gas Turbine Engine Core Calibration Using Resistance Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for calibrating gas turbine engines require the entire engine to be assembled and calibrated, making maintenance and part replacement inefficient, as thrust cannot be directly measured in flight, and each engine core is limited to use with specific fan and fan case combinations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for calibrating the engine core independently by providing a resistance load to replicate the propulsive fan load, measuring performance parameters, and determining power rating data to correlate thrust, allowing the engine core to be used with various fan and fan case configurations, and enabling separate manufacturing and calibration of engine modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the entire engine is assembled and calibrated together, then the calibration accuracy is ensured, but the maintenance efficiency deteriorates and the calibration time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The engine is divided into separate calibrable units: the engine core can be calibrated independently from the fan and fan case. The calibration system applies resistance load to the core shaft to simulate fan load, allowing the core to be calibrated without assembly to the actual fan, thus enabling separate maintenance and calibration of engine cores.
2Measurement precision
If the entire engine is assembled and calibrated together, then the calibration accuracy is ensured, but the calibration time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The calibration process is segmented into independent steps where the engine core is calibrated separately using a resistance load system. This eliminates the need to assemble the entire engine for calibration, significantly reducing calibration time while maintaining accuracy through the use of measured resistance load parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
A resistance load device is introduced as an intermediary to simulate the fan's load on the core shaft during calibration. This intermediary allows the core to be calibrated in isolation while still experiencing realistic operating conditions, eliminating the need for full engine assembly.
3Productivity
If the engine core is calibrated independently, then the maintenance efficiency and flexibility improve, but the adaptability to different fan configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The resistance load system is designed to be universally applicable across different engine core and fan configurations. By measuring the resistance load characteristics and using these measurements for calibration, the system can accommodate various fan types and configurations without requiring reconfiguration of the calibration setup, thus maintaining both independence and adaptability.
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
This approach simplifies calibration, allows for the use of engine cores with any fan and fan case, facilitates intermixing of modules, and reduces the need for assembling the entire engine during calibration, improving maintenance efficiency and flexibility in engine component usage.
Implementation Method 1
The resistance load may comprise one or more generators. The method may comprise: operating the generators to generate power whilst driving the engine core.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of calibrating an engine core of a gas turbine engine, wherein the engine core includes a turbine, combustion equipment, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor, the core shaft arranged to drive a propulsive fan of the gas turbine engine, the method including: providing a resistance load on the core shaft, the resistance load arranged to replicate the load of a propulsive fan; driving the engine core; measuring a performance parameter or the engine core; measuring a thrust generated by the engine core; and determining power rating data of the engine core, providing a correlation between the performance parameter and the thrust.