Piezoelectric Fuel Flow Control for Fast Engine Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing engine fuel controllers, including passive hydro-mechanical components and electro-mechanical devices, lack the ability to provide fast response times for active flow control.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of piezoelectric actuators and pressure sensors in a control module that allows for active flow control of fluid systems, enabling fast and dynamic adjustments without stopping fluid flow, using advanced software algorithms for control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If passive hydro-mechanical components are used in engine fuel controllers, then the system structure is simple, but the response time is slow and cannot be changed during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional electro-mechanical actuators with piezoelectric actuators that directly convert electrical signals to mechanical displacement. This substitution eliminates intermediate conversion stages, achieving microsecond-level response times while maintaining a relatively simple system structure through the direct coupling of the piezoelectric element to the flow control valve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the actuation mechanism from electro-mechanical to piezoelectric, fundamentally altering the physical parameter conversion pathway. The piezoelectric effect enables direct translation of voltage changes to mechanical position changes, achieving extremely fast response times without the inertia and delay inherent in traditional electro-mechanical systems.
2Speed
If electro-mechanical devices are used in engine fuel controllers, then the system can be actively controlled, but the response time is still not fast enough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes piezoelectric actuators for electro-mechanical devices, replacing the multi-stage electro-mechanical conversion process with a direct piezoelectric effect-based actuation. This eliminates the intermediate electromagnetic field conversion and mechanical inertia, achieving microsecond response times while maintaining operational reliability through the solid-state nature of piezoelectric materials.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the flow control device design is changed during operation, then the system adaptability is improved, but conventional systems require shutdown to make changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the flow control device through piezoelectric actuators that can be adjusted in real-time during engine operation. The piezoelectric material's ability to rapidly change shape in response to electrical signals enables continuous adaptation of the flow control characteristics without requiring system shutdown, achieving full dynamic reconfigurability.
4Speed
If conventional passive and active systems are used, then the system is relatively simple, but the response rate is not fast enough for desired performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs piezoelectric actuators that directly convert electrical energy to mechanical displacement, substituting the complex multi-stage electro-mechanical conversion of traditional systems. This direct conversion mechanism achieves microsecond response rates while actually simplifying the system by eliminating intermediate conversion components and reducing overall system complexity.
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 rapid and precise control of fluid flow in engine systems, reducing complexity and weight while improving performance metrics such as combustor fuel flow bandwidth and actuator disturbance rejection.
Implementation Method 1
the one or more actuators can include a piezoelectric actuator
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system for active flow control includes one or more flow control devices (102) configured to control flow between a fluid source (104) and a fluid destination (106), and a control module (108) configured to control a flow area of each of the one or more flow control devices with fluid provided from the fluid source flowing to the fluid destination through the one or more flow control devices.