Bowed rotor start mitigation in a gas turbine engine using aircraft-derived parameters
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsFrederick M. Schwarz, Amy R. Grace
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bowed rotor start mitigation system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft is provided. The bowed rotor start mitigation system includes a motoring system and a controller coupled to the motoring system and an aircraft communication bus. The controller is configured to determine at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter from at least one aircraft-based parameter received on the aircraft communication bus. The motoring system is controlled to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine below an engine idle speed based on determining that the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is within a preselected threshold.
Claims20
A bowed rotor start mitigation system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the bowed rotor start mitigation system comprising:
- a motoring system comprising a starter;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motoring system and an aircraft communication bus, wherein the controller is configured to perform:
- determining, by a mission risk factor model that models an engine temperature value in the gas turbine engine, at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter based on at least one aircraft-based parameter received on the aircraft communication bus, wherein the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is selected from data describing a history of the aircraft before an engine shutdown and the at least one aircraft-based parameter is indicative of a history of fuel demand for the aircraft;
- and
- controlling the motoring system to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine below an engine idle speed by adjusting a flow to the starter based on determining that the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is within a preselected threshold.
A method of bowed rotor start mitigation for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- determining, by a mission risk factor model that models an engine temperature value in the gas turbine engine, at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter based on at least one aircraft-based parameter received on an aircraft communication bus, wherein the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is selected from data describing a history of the aircraft before an engine shutdown and the at least one aircraft-based parameter is indicative of a history of fuel demand for the aircraft;
- and
- controlling a motoring system to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine below an engine idle speed by adjusting a flow to a starter of the motoring system based on determining that the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is within a preselected threshold.
A bowed rotor start mitigation system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the bowed rotor start mitigation system comprising:
- a motoring system comprising a starter;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motoring system and an aircraft communication bus, wherein the controller is configured to perform:
- determining, by a mission risk factor model that models an engine temperature value in the gas turbine engine, at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter based on at least one aircraft-based parameter received on the aircraft communication bus, wherein the at least one aircraft-based parameter is indicative of a history of fuel demand for the aircraft;
- controlling the motoring system to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine below an engine idle speed by adjusting a flow to the starter based on determining that the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is within a preselected threshold;
- and
- aborting rotation by the motoring system when a safety condition is detected.
A bowed rotor start mitigation system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the bowed rotor start mitigation system comprising:
- a motoring system comprising a starter;
- and
- a controller coupled to the motoring system and an aircraft communication bus, wherein the controller is configured to perform:
- determining, by a mission risk factor model that models an engine temperature value in the gas turbine engine, at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter based on at least one aircraft-based parameter received on the aircraft communication bus, wherein the at least one aircraft-based parameter is indicative of a history of fuel demand for the aircraft;
- and
- controlling the motoring system to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine below an engine idle speed by adjusting a flow to the starter based on determining that the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is within a preselected threshold, wherein a vibration monitor is used to set a maintenance flag based on detecting a vibration level that exceeds a maintenance action threshold while accelerating the starting spool of the gas turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.