Hybrid Gas Turbine Engine Control via Variable Electric Load
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine engines face challenges in maintaining rotational speed stability during a Fail-Fixed mode, where fuel supply modulation is absent, leading to potential overspeed or underspeed conditions, especially during transitions like aircraft descent or landing.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid gas turbine engine control system that includes a controller monitoring the fuel system and an electric propulsion system with an energy sink, dynamically adjusting the rotational speed by varying the load through components like electric generators, propulsor motors, and energy adapters to absorb excess energy, thereby maintaining the rotational speed within a predetermined range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fuel supply modulation is absent during Fail-Fixed mode, then the fuel system maintains a fixed fuel supply level, but the rotational speed of the gas turbine engine becomes unstable and may experience overspeed or underspeed conditions
Solution Approach 1:
An electric generator is introduced as an intermediary component between the gas turbine engine and the energy sink. The generator converts mechanical energy from the engine to electrical energy, providing a controllable energy pathway that allows the controller to manage rotational speed by regulating electrical load, even when fuel supply is fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the gas turbine engine's own output to power an electric generator that creates a controllable energy sink. The engine essentially serves itself by generating electrical power that can be consumed to regulate its own rotational speed through the controller-managed energy sink
2Stability of the object's composition
If the controller dynamically adjusts the variable load to maintain rotational speed, then the rotational speed stability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components like electric generators and energy sinks
Solution Approach 1:
The electric generator serves multiple functions: it converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for the propulsion system, and simultaneously acts as an energy sink when its electrical output is consumed by the energy sink. This multi-functionality allows rotational speed control without requiring separate dedicated components for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The controller merges the propulsion system and energy sink into a single integrated system. The same electric generator and power conversion components serve both the propulsion motors and the energy sink, combining what could be separate systems into one unified control architecture
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 manages rotational speed by selectively consuming electric power and adjusting energy sinks, preventing overspeed or underspeed conditions and ensuring stable engine operation during fixed fuel supply scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
an electric generator rotationally driven with the gas turbine engine to output electric power
Implementation Method 2
an energy sink controlled by the controller to selectively consume electric power output by the electric generator
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a controller configured to monitor a fuel system supplying fuel to a gas turbine engine. The system also includes an electric propulsion system controlled by the controller. The electric propulsion system is configured as a variable load, which is supplied rotational energy by the engine. The controller is configured to dynamically control a magnitude of the variable load to adjust rotational speed of the gas turbine engine during a fixed level of fuel supply to the gas turbine engine. The electric propulsion system may include an electric generator and a plurality of propulsor motor(s) rotating a propulsor to provide thrust and/or lift to a vehicle such as an aircraft. The electric generator may be rotationally driven with the gas turbine engine to output electric power. The electric power is supplied to the propulsor motor(s) to rotate the propulsor to provide thrust and/or lift of the vehicle.