Electric rotor dynamics damping
AssigneeRaytheon Technologies Corporation
InventorAlan H. Epstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotor dynamics adjustment system includes a rotor system with at least one compressor section and at least one turbine section operably coupled to a shaft. The rotor dynamics adjustment system also includes one or more rotor system sensors configured to collect a plurality of sensor data from the rotor system, an electric motor operably coupled to the rotor system, and a controller. The controller is operable to monitor the one or more rotor system sensors while the rotor system is rotating. A dynamic motion of the rotor system is characterized based on the sensor data from the one or more rotor system sensors. A damping correction torque is determined to diminish the dynamic motion of the rotor system. The electric motor is commanded to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system.
Claims14
A rotor dynamics adjustment system comprising:
- a rotor system comprising at least one compressor section and at least one turbine section operably coupled to a shaft;
- one or more rotor system sensors configured to collect a plurality of sensor data from the rotor system;
- an electric motor operably coupled to the rotor system;
- and
- a controller operable to:
- monitor the one or more rotor system sensors while the rotor system is rotating;
- characterize a dynamic motion of the rotor system based on the sensor data from the one or more rotor system sensors;
- determine a damping correction torque to diminish the dynamic motion of the rotor system;
- and
- command the electric motor to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system, wherein the controller is configured to command the electric motor to apply one or more torque perturbations to modify the dynamic motion of the rotor system, and the electric motor is a motor-generator controlled in a generator mode to increase a load on the rotor system to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system and in a motoring mode to decrease the load of the rotor system by driving the electric motor to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system in the motoring mode in response to the controller.
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a compressor section;
- a turbine section;
- a combustor section between the compressor section and the turbine section;
- a shaft operably coupling the compressor section and the turbine section, wherein the compressor section, the turbine section, and the shaft form a rotor system;
- one or more rotor system sensors configured to collect a plurality of sensor data from the rotor system;
- an electric motor operably coupled to the rotor system;
- and
- a controller operable to:
- monitor the one or more rotor system sensors while the rotor system is rotating;
- characterize a dynamic motion of the rotor system based on the sensor data from the one or more rotor system sensors;
- determine a damping correction torque to diminish the dynamic motion of the rotor system;
- and
- command the electric motor to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system, wherein the controller is configured to command the electric motor to apply one or more torque perturbations to modify the dynamic motion of the rotor system, and the electric motor is a motor-generator controlled in a generator mode to increase a load on the rotor system to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system and in a motoring mode to decrease the load of the rotor system by driving the electric motor to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system in the motoring mode in response to the controller.
A method of adjusting rotor dynamics, the method comprising:
- monitoring one or more rotor system sensors of a rotor system while the rotor system is rotating, wherein the rotor system comprises at least one compressor section and at least one turbine section operably coupled to a shaft;
- characterizing a dynamic motion of the rotor system based on the sensor data from the one or more rotor system sensors;
- determining a damping correction torque to diminish the dynamic motion of the rotor system;
- commanding an electric motor operably coupled to the rotor system to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system;
- and
- applying, by the electric motor, one or more torque perturbations to modify the dynamic motion of the rotor system by operating the electric motor in a generator mode to increase a load on the rotor system to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system and operating the electric motor in a motoring mode to decrease the load of the rotor system by driving the electric motor to apply the damping correction torque to the rotor system in the motoring mode, wherein the electric motor is a motor-generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.