Flow measurement for a gas turbine engine
AssigneeVirginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
InventorsVasileios Kyritsis, Kevin Todd Lowe, Maurice Bristow, Peter Loftus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of thermodynamic assessment of flow through a turbomachine having a compressor, comprising: receiving sensor readings from a plurality of acoustic sensors located about an intake for the turbomachine upstream of the compressor; and receiving pressure and stagnation temperature readings for the flow into the intake. A static temperature is determined for the flow into the intake and an average velocity of the flow over a flow area of the intake upstream of the compressor using the acoustic sensor readings. A mass flow rate of the flow through the intake is determined using the average velocity of the flow and the stagnation pressure.
Claims16
A method of thermodynamic assessment of flow through a turbomachine having a compressor, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting sensor readings using a plurality of acoustic sensors and a plurality of further acoustic sensors located about an intake of the turbomachine located upstream of the compressor, the plurality of acoustic sensors arranged in an outer circumferential flow surface in a single plane about a central axis of the intake, the plurality of further acoustic sensors arranged entirely recessed in an inner component, the turbomachine further including an acoustic liner configured to absorb vibrations generated by rotation of a rotor, the acoustic liner being disposed entirely external to the outer circumferential flow surface and outside of an airflow into the intake, and the plurality of acoustic sensors being located upstream of the acoustic liner;
- receiving stagnation temperature readings for the airflow into the intake;
- determining a static temperature for the airflow into the intake and an average velocity of the airflow over an airflow area of the intake located upstream of the compressor using the detected acoustic sensor readings;
- and
- outputting an airflow rate of the airflow through the intake, using the determined average velocity of the airflow to control one or more control processors for operating the turbomachine, wherein:
- the acoustic liner is located upstream of a fan that is positioned at the intake of the turbomachine,
- the plurality of further acoustic sensors is located upstream of the fan, and
- the inner component is a nose cone.
A monitoring and control system for a turbomachine including a turbomachine intake upstream of a compressor, an engine core downstream of the compressor, and a turbine driven by exhaust gas from the engine core, the monitoring and control system comprising:
- a plurality of acoustic sensors arranged in an outer circumferential flow surface in a single plane about a central axis of an intake of the turbomachine located upstream of the compressor, and the turbomachine further including an acoustic liner configured to absorb vibrations generated by rotation of a rotor, the acoustic liner being disposed entirely external to the outer circumferential flow surface and outside of an airflow into the intake, and the plurality of acoustic sensors being located upstream of the acoustic liner;
- a plurality of further acoustic sensors located at the intake of the turbomachine, the plurality of further acoustic sensors being arranged entirely recessed in an inner component, and the plurality of further acoustic sensors being configured to receive sensor readings from the plurality of acoustic sensors;
- and
- one or more processors arranged to receive sensor readings detected by the plurality of acoustic sensors and the plurality of further acoustic sensors and stagnation temperature readings for the airflow into the intake, wherein:
- the one or more processors include machine readable instructions for determining a static temperature for the airflow into the intake and an average velocity of the airflow over an airflow area of the intake using the plurality of acoustic sensor and the plurality of further acoustic sensor readings, and
- the one or more processors determine an airflow rate of the airflow through the intake, using the determined average velocity of the airflow to control one or more control processors for operating the turbomachine, wherein:
- the acoustic liner is located upstream of a fan that is positioned at the intake of the turbomachine,
- the plurality of further acoustic sensors is located upstream of the fan, and
- the inner component is a nose cone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.