Turboshaft load control using feedforward and feedback control
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJessie Thorup, Christopher David King
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Control schemes for controlling a gas turbine engine in response to disturbances associated with a load mechanically coupled with the gas turbine engine are provided. In one aspect, a gas turbine engine mechanically coupled with a load has a controller that includes executable control logic. The control logic includes a feedforward module, an aggressive control module, and a power turbine governor module. By executing the modules, the controller seeks to maintain a constant power turbine speed stably and subtly in response to small disturbances associated with the load and aggressively in response to large disturbances associated with the load, as well as smooth transitions between the responses.
Claims20
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a power turbine mechanically coupled with a load;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- determine a first fuel flow demand based at least in part on a power demand rate associated with the load;
- determine a second fuel flow demand based at least in part on a power turbine speed error associated with the power turbine and a power turbine speed error rate derived from the power turbine speed error;
- determine a third fuel flow demand based at least in part on the power turbine speed error;
- determine a composite fuel flow demand based at least in part on the first fuel flow demand, the second fuel flow demand, and the third fuel flow demand;
- and
- control a fuel flow to the gas turbine engine based at least in part on the composite fuel flow demand.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a rotor;
- a gas turbine engine mechanically coupled with the rotor, the gas turbine engine including a power turbine;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- determine, by executing a feedforward module, a first fuel flow demand based at least in part on a power demand rate associated with the rotor of the vehicle;
- determine, by executing an aggressive control module, a second fuel flow demand based at least in part on a power turbine speed error associated with the power turbine, a power turbine speed error rate derived from the power turbine speed error, and a bandwidth of the one or more processors executing the aggressive control module;
- determine, by executing a power turbine governor module, a third fuel flow demand based at least in part on the power turbine speed error;
- determine a composite fuel flow demand based at least in part on the first fuel flow demand, the second fuel flow demand, and the third fuel flow demand;
- and
- control a fuel flow to the gas turbine engine based at least in part on the composite fuel flow demand.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors associated with a gas turbine engine, cause the one or more processors to:
- determine, by executing a feedforward module, a first fuel flow demand based at least in part on a power demand rate associated with a load mechanically coupled with the gas turbine engine;
- determine, by executing an aggressive control module, a second fuel flow demand based at least in part on i) a power turbine speed error associated with a power turbine of the gas turbine engine;
- and ii) a power turbine speed error rate derived from the power turbine speed error;
- determine, by executing a power turbine governor module, a third fuel flow demand based at least in part on the power turbine speed error;
- determine a composite fuel flow demand based at least in part on the first fuel flow demand, the second fuel flow demand, and the third fuel flow demand;
- and
- control a fuel flow to the gas turbine engine based at least in part on the composite fuel flow demand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.