# US 11,306,662 B2 · Method for regulating a supply circuit

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- Number: US 11,306,662 B2
- Document ID: US11306662B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/471,065
- Filed: 2017-12-15
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-22
- Assignees: Safran Aircraft Engines
- Applicants: Safran Aircraft Engines
- Inventors: Petar Tomov; Philippe Vertenoeuil
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306662B2

## CPC

- F02C 7/236: Fuel delivery systems comprising two or more pumps
- F02C 9/28: Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed (F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence)
- G01F 1/74: Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
- G05B 13/04: involving the use of models or simulators
- F05B 2270/303: Temperature
- F05D 2260/96: Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
- Y02T 50/60: Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft
- F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00)
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method of regulating a feed circuit including at least a first pump and an upstream duct leading to the first pump, the method including the steps of: determining the gas content of a flow in the upstream duct feeding the first pump; and, when the value of the gas content in the upstream duct, as determined in the determining step, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, modifying the flow rate of the flow feeding the first pump.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of regulating a feed circuit comprising at least a first pump and an upstream duct leading to the first pump, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a gas content of a flow in the upstream duct feeding the first pump; and
when a value of the gas content in the upstream duct, as determined in the determining step, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, increasing a flow rate of the flow feeding the first pump so as to obtain supercavitation conditions in the upstream duct.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the increase in the flow rate feeding the first pump is greater than 2% and less than 15% of the flow rate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the feed circuit comprises a downstream duct downstream from the first pump and at least a first branch channel branching from the downstream duct and enabling a certain quantity of fluid to be bled from the downstream duct, and wherein the modification of the flow rate of the flow feeding the first pump is performed by modifying the certain quantity of the fluid bled from the downstream duct at least via the first branch channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method according to claim 3, wherein the flow rate of the flow feeding the first pump is increased by decreasing the quantity of the fluid bled from the downstream duct at least via the first branch channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the gas content of the flow is determined by a phase measurement tool suitable for determining the gas content of a two-phase flow and arranged in the upstream duct.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold value for the gas content lies in the range 50% to 80% of the flow as a whole.

### Claim 7

A feed circuit comprising at least a pump and an upstream duct leading to the pump, a phase measurement tool disposed in the upstream duct, a flow rate adjustment device, and a calculation unit, said calculation unit being configured, when a gas content value measured by the phase measurement tool in the upstream duct is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, to control the flow rate adjustment device so as to increase a flow rate feeding the pump and to obtain supercavitation conditions in the upstream duct.