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US 10,480,408 B2Granted
Energy weapon system having a gas turbine generator with idle assist
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorErik A. Munevar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system platform includes a gas turbine engine coupled to a high power generator. The high power generator, driven by the gas turbine engine, supplies power to high power subsystems of the platform.
Claims20
A weapon system platform comprising
- a high-energy beam unit configured to discharge high-energy beams,
- a gas turbine engine configured to provide power for the high-energy beam unit, the gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the combustor adapted to combine air received from the compressor with fuel and to burn the fuel to supply high pressure gasses toward the turbine to rotate an output shaft of the gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine adapted to operate between an idling output level and a main power generation output level higher than the idling output level,
- a generator coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine and adapted to generate electricity when driven by the gas turbine engine,
- an energy storage unit coupled to the generator and configured to store the electricity generated by the generator,
- a load applicator coupled to the gas turbine engine and configured to apply at least one of an electrical load on the energy storage unit and a mechanical load on the gas turbine engine, and
- a system controller configured to selectively operate the load applicator to increase an output level of the gas turbine engine above the idling output level and below the main power generation output level to cause an increase in an exhaust temperature of the gas turbine engine when the exhaust temperature is below a threshold level.
3 more elements
A weapon system platform comprising
- a high-energy beam unit configured to discharge high-energy beams,
- a gas turbine engine configured to provide power for the high-energy beam unit, the gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the combustor adapted to combine air received from the compressor with fuel and to burn the fuel to supply high pressure gasses toward the turbine to rotate an output shaft of the gas turbine engine,
- a generator coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine and adapted to generate electricity when driven by the gas turbine engine,
- an energy storage unit coupled to the generator and configured to store the electricity generated by the generator,
- a load applicator coupled to the gas turbine engine, and
- a system controller configured to selectively operate the load applicator to apply a load on the gas turbine engine to increase an output level of the gas turbine engine to cause an increase in an exhaust temperature of the gas turbine engine,
- wherein the load applicator is configured to engage with a rotating component of the gas turbine engine to resist rotation of the rotating component.
4 more elements
A method of operating a weapon system platform, the method comprising
- rotating a generator with a gas turbine engine to produce electricity, the gas turbine engine adapted to operate between an idling output level and a main power generation output level higher than the idling output level,
- storing the electricity produced by the generator in an energy storage unit,
- selectively providing electricity from the energy storage unit to a high-energy beam unit to cause an energized beam to be discharged, and
- selectively applying at least one of an electrical load on the energy storage unit and a mechanical load on the gas turbine engine with a load applicator to increase an output level of the gas turbine engine above the idling output level and below the main power generation output level to cause an increase in an exhaust temperature of the gas turbine engine when the exhaust temperature is below a threshold level.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.