Engine load estimation strategy in gas turbine engine system
AssigneeSolar Turbines Incorporated
InventorsRobert Moroto, Chad Holcomb
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine system includes a gas turbine engine and a control system including sensors for monitoring operating properties of the engine, a signaling device that outputs a discrete switching signal indicative of an engine load change, such as connecting or disconnecting an electrical load in an electrical power system powered by the gas turbine engine, and an electronic control unit. The control unit calculates an engine load estimate based upon the switching signal, the operating properties, and statistical information in a recursive statistical estimator.
Claims11
A gas turbine engine system comprising:
- a gas turbine engine structured to operate an electrical generator in an electrical power system;
- a control system including a plurality of sensing mechanisms structured to produce data indicative of a plurality of operating properties of the gas turbine engine system that together vary dependent upon a power output of the gas turbine engine;
- the control system further including a signaling device structured to output a switching signal indicative of switching the gas turbine engine from a first state where the gas turbine engine powers a first set of a plurality of electrical loads in the electrical power system, to a second state where the gas turbine engine powers a second set of the plurality of electrical loads in the electrical power system;
- and
- the control system further including an electronic control unit coupled with each of the plurality of sensing mechanisms and the signaling device, and structured to output an engine load signal that is based on the data of the plurality of operating properties, a statistical value indicative of an average engine load change from the first state to the second state, and a dispersion value indicative of an expected variability in engine load change from the first state to the second state.
A control system for a gas turbine engine system comprising:
- a plurality of sensing mechanisms structured to produce data indicative of a plurality of operating properties of the gas turbine engine system that together vary dependent upon a power output of a gas turbine engine therein;
- a signaling device structured to output a switching signal indicative of switching the gas turbine engine from a first state where the gas turbine engine powers a first set of a plurality of electrical loads in an electrical power system, to a second state where the gas turbine engine powers a second set of the plurality of electrical loads in the electrical power system;
- an electronic control unit coupled with each of the plurality of sensing mechanisms and the signaling device;
- and
- the electronic control unit being structured to calculate an engine load estimate and output an engine load signal that is based on the engine load estimate, and wherein the engine load estimate is based on the data of the plurality of operating properties, a statistical value indicative of an average engine load change from the first state to the second state, and a dispersion value indicative of an expected variability in engine load change from the first state to the second state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.