Variable Inlet Guide Vane Control for Engine Retrofit Simplicity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retrofitting gas turbine engines with variable inlet guide vanes is complex and costly, limiting their ability to improve performance, as many existing engines lack these adjustable components.
Innovation Solution
A hydro-mechanical system that automatically adjusts variable position vanes based on compressor discharge pressure using servo valves and transducers, requiring minimal modifications to existing engine controls and software, allowing for the integration or retrofitting of vanes without complex changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If variable inlet guide vanes are added to improve engine performance, then airflow management and engine performance are improved, but device complexity and retrofitting cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hydro-mechanical control system where servo valves receive hydraulic fluid under pressure from the engine's existing hydraulic system. This hydraulic actuation mechanism drives the variable inlet guide vanes to adjust their positions, leveraging the engine's existing hydraulic infrastructure to avoid complex electrical or mechanical control system installations during retrofitting
Solution Approach 2:
The control system utilizes signals already present in the engine's existing control architecture, such as compressor discharge pressure signals, to automatically adjust the vane positions. The system serves itself by integrating with existing sensor and control pathways, eliminating the need for separate complex control systems
2Productivity
If variable inlet guide vanes are retrofitted to existing engines, then engine performance is improved, but retrofitting cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed to be universally compatible with existing engine types by utilizing standard hydraulic components and integrating with common engine control parameters. The servo valves and transducers can interface with various engine architectures, allowing a single retrofitting solution to apply across multiple engine models without custom engineering
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate components such as servo valves and transducers that mediate between the engine's existing control system and the new variable vane mechanism. These intermediaries translate existing control signals into mechanical vane adjustments, bridging the gap between legacy systems and new performance-enhancing components
3Measurement precision
If automatic adjustment system is implemented using servo valves and transducers, then vane position control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates transducers that sense the actual position of the variable inlet guide vanes and feed this information back to the servo valves. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables precise automatic adjustment by continuously comparing the desired vane position (derived from compressor discharge pressure) with the actual position and making real-time corrections
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or purely mechanical control mechanisms with a hydro-mechanical system using servo valves actuated by hydraulic fluid under pressure. This substitution provides more precise and responsive control compared to traditional mechanical linkages, while still leveraging the engine's existing hydraulic infrastructure
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
Enables efficient and cost-effective installation or retrofitting of variable inlet guide vanes, improving engine performance by automatically adjusting vane positions in response to operating conditions, thereby enhancing airflow management.
Implementation Method 1
A transducer, such as a bellows, may be used to provide a mechanical input to the servo valve in response to changes in compressor discharge pressure
Implementation Method 2
The servo valve is configured to control a flow of hydraulic fluid under pressure to an actuator that automatically adjusts the position of the vane
Implementation Method 3
The servo valve is configured to control a flow of hydraulic fluid under pressure to an actuator that automatically adjusts the position of the vane
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (112) for adjusting a variable position vane (113) in an aircraft engine comprises a servo valve (114) operatively connected to the variable position vane (113) and configured to cause adjustment of the variable position vane (113) based on a pressure of air pressurized by a compressor of the aircraft engine.