FADEC Control System for Gas Turbine Engine Transient Temperature Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines experience delays or lags in mechanical response to commanded operations, leading to transient operating conditions that exceed prescribed limits, which can result in inappropriate operator actions due to masked true operation issues.
Innovation Solution
A control system that anticipates changes in turbine temperature based on commanded engine operations and applies predictive adjustments to sensed temperature information, using a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) to reduce engine output and offset transient temperature increases by calculating and applying reduction coefficients over specific time periods, accounting for mechanical lag and multiple load factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the engine controller limits or clips the signal indicating that a prescribed engine operation limit has been exceeded, then the operator is protected from seeing false alarms, but the true operation issues requiring operator intervention are masked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the temperature signal processing into multiple components: raw sensor signal, predictive adjustment calculation, and final adjusted signal display. This segmentation allows the system to separately handle the transient spike information and the true operational status, preventing information loss while avoiding false alarms.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs preliminary predictive adjustments by calculating expected transient temperature increases based on commanded engine operations before displaying the final temperature signal. This preliminary action removes the transient component in advance, allowing the operator to see only meaningful temperature deviations without false alarms.
2Reliability
If the engine controller applies predictive adjustments to sensed temperature information, then transient temperature spikes are mitigated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from commanded engine operations to calculate predictive adjustments. The controller continuously monitors commanded operations, calculates expected transient temperature increases, and applies compensating adjustments to the sensed temperature signal, creating a closed-loop feedback system that improves accuracy without requiring additional hardware sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces potential mechanical or hardware-based temperature measurement systems with a digital signal processing approach. By using software-based predictive calculations and digital signal adjustment in the FADEC system, the solution avoids additional mechanical components while achieving improved temperature monitoring accuracy.
3Productivity
If the engine responds to commanded operations, then the engine performs required work, but transient temperature increases exceed prescribed limits due to mechanical lag
Solution Approach 1:
The controller applies preliminary anti-action by calculating and applying temperature reduction coefficients before the transient temperature spike fully develops. Based on commanded engine operations, the system predicts the transient increase and applies compensating fuel flow reductions or other control actions in advance, preventing the temperature from exceeding limits while maintaining engine productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment according to the present invention is a unique system for gas turbine engine control. Other embodiments include unique apparatuses, systems, devices, and methods relating to gas turbine engines. Further embodiments, forms, objects, features, advantages, aspects, and benefits of the present invention shall become apparent from the following description and drawings.