Event-Driven Starter Controller for Gas Turbine Light-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face challenges in controlling the speed during start-up to achieve successful light-off, as existing systems lack precise regulation of the fuel/air mixture, leading to inefficiencies and potential failure to ignite.
Innovation Solution
An event-driven starter controller is introduced, comprising an event detector, speed selector, comparator, and ramp rate sequencer, which detects engine start events and adjusts the starter motor speed to optimize the fuel/air mixture by ramping through a defined speed range, ensuring successful ignition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the starter motor provides continuous torque to the gas turbine engine during start-up, then the engine speed can be maintained, but the fuel/air mixture cannot be properly optimized for light-off
Solution Approach 1:
The starter controller dynamically adjusts the starter motor torque output based on detected engine events and speed thresholds. The system transitions from constant torque to variable torque control, ramping the speed through defined ranges and adjusting torque commands in response to light-off detections or threshold breaches, thereby optimizing the fuel/air mixture conditions for successful ignition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors engine speed and light-off conditions, using this feedback to adjust the starter motor torque command. When the engine speed reaches certain thresholds or light-off is detected, the controller modifies the torque output accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes start-up conditions for reliable ignition.
2Loss of time
If the engine speed is increased rapidly during start-up, then the start-up time is reduced, but the fuel/air mixture cannot be properly controlled for ignition
Solution Approach 1:
The starter controller implements periodic speed ramping through defined ranges, pausing at certain thresholds to allow the fuel/air mixture to stabilize before continuing acceleration. This periodic action pattern enables both relatively fast start-up and proper mixture control, as the system alternates between acceleration phases and stabilization phases during the start-up sequence.
3Speed
If the starter motor continues to provide torque after light-off, then the engine speed can be maintained, but the system becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to automatically reduce starter motor torque when light-off is detected or the engine reaches self-sustaining speed. The controller monitors engine conditions and withdraws starter torque when the gas turbine generates sufficient power to maintain operation, enabling the engine to serve itself without continuous external assistance and thereby reducing energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
An event-driven starter controller regulates the speed of a gas turbine engine based on detected events. The event-driven starter controller is used to supply motive force to the gas turbine engine prior such that the gas turbine engine is able to ignite (i.e., achieve light-off). In particular, in response to engine speed reaching a defined threshold, the event-driven starter controller causes the speed of the starter motor to ramp or increase through a defined range of speeds suitable for engine light-off (i.e, light-off window). Upon reaching an upper threshold of the light-off window, the event-driven starter controller causes the speed of the starter motor to decrease through the range of speeds suitable for engine light-off. If at any time during the light-off window the event-driven starter controller detects a successful light-off condition, the event-driven starter controller causes the speed of the gas turbine engine to increase toward a second threshold.