Fuel Injector Auxiliary Circuit Active Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel control systems in turbine engines, such as those in commercial aircraft, face challenges in actively controlling fuel injectors, leading to suboptimal performance and undesirable operational characteristics under varying conditions, and often require additional hardware that increases cost, weight, and power requirements to mitigate noise and structural issues.
Innovation Solution
A fuel injector system with a housing containing a scheduling valve, primary, secondary, and auxiliary fuel circuits, and an electrically-controlled valve that actively adjusts fuel flow in response to pressure and control signals, allowing for granular control of fuel distribution and reducing the need for additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If additional flow dividing hardware and fuel manifolds are added to mitigate combustor noise, then noise and structural component health are improved, but cost, weight, and power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical flow dividing hardware with an electrically-controlled valve that can actively modulate fuel flow through the auxiliary circuit. This electronic control system eliminates the need for additional mechanical flow dividers and manifolds, reducing weight while maintaining noise mitigation capability through active fuel scheduling control
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary fuel circuit with electrically-controlled valve serves multiple functions: it actively controls fuel flow to mitigate combustor noise, provides granular control of individual injector performance, and maintains compatibility with existing mechanical scheduling valve infrastructure. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated noise mitigation hardware
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional flow dividing hardware and fuel manifolds are added to mitigate combustor noise, then noise and structural component health are improved, but cost, weight, and power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical flow dividing hardware with a simpler electrically-controlled valve system. The electronic control mechanism requires fewer moving parts and less complex mechanical infrastructure compared to traditional flow dividers and additional manifolds, reducing overall device complexity while achieving the same noise mitigation function
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional flow dividing hardware and fuel manifolds are added to mitigate combustor noise, then noise and structural component health are improved, but cost, weight, and power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces power-intensive mechanical flow dividing systems with an electrically-controlled valve that consumes minimal power. The electronic control system can precisely modulate fuel flow through the auxiliary circuit without the continuous power requirements of mechanical actuators, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining noise control capability
4Productivity
If mechanical fuel metering valve is used for flow scheduling, then fuel flow regulation is achieved, but active or granular control of injectors is not possible, leading to suboptimal performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fuel delivery system into primary and auxiliary circuits, with the electrically-controlled valve providing independent control of the auxiliary circuit. This segmentation enables granular control of individual injector performance and fuel scheduling, allowing active adaptation to different operating conditions while maintaining the overall fuel flow regulation function of the mechanical scheduling valve
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control capability through the electrically-controlled valve, which can actively adjust fuel flow through the auxiliary circuit in response to real-time operating conditions. This transforms the static mechanical fuel metering system into a dynamic system capable of active adaptation, enabling optimized performance across varying flight conditions
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 provides active control of fuel flow, minimizing additional power requirements and heat generation, while maintaining reliability by reverting to mechanical operation in case of component failure, and allowing for removal of unnecessary hardware, thus enhancing operational efficiency and reducing noise and structural stress.
Implementation Method 1
a scheduling valve disposed within the housing, configured for regulation of fuel flow from the fuel inlet in response to fuel pressure received at the fuel inlet
Implementation Method 2
an electrically-controlled valve in fluid communication with the auxiliary fuel circuit, adapted and configured to actively control fuel through the auxiliary fuel circuit in response to a control signal
Implementation Method 3
the valve spool is configured to regulate flow from the inlet of the injector to each of the primary, secondary and auxiliary fuel circuits
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel injector for a turbine engine includes a fuel scheduling valve configured for regulation of fuel flow from a fuel inlet, in response to fuel pressure received at the fuel inlet. Primary, secondary and auxiliary fuel circuits receive fuel from the scheduling valve, and an electrically-controlled valve is provided in fluid communication with the auxiliary circuit, which electrically-controlled valve is adapted and configured to actively control fuel through the auxiliary circuit in response to a control signal. The auxiliary fuel circuit joins with the secondary fuel circuit for delivery to a fuel nozzle.