Surge recovery system and methods
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsMichael M. Romero, Gary Collopy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surge control system includes a rotor system with at least one compressor section and at least one turbine section operably coupled to a shaft. The surge control system also includes sensors configured to collect sensor data from the rotor system, an electric motor operably coupled to the rotor system, and a controller. The controller is operable to detect surge event from the sensor data, determine an amount of power to apply to the rotor system, and increase the amount of power provided to the rotor system to recover from the surge event.
Claims12
A gas turbine engine comprising:
- a power source;
- a first compressor section;
- a first turbine section;
- a combustor section between the first compressor section and the first turbine section;
- a first spool comprising a first shaft, the first shaft operably coupling the first compressor section and the first turbine section, wherein the first compressor section, the first turbine section, and the first shaft provide a first rotor system;
- a controller configured to collect or synthesize data from a sensor from at least one of the first rotor system and the combustor section;
- a first electric motor operably coupled to the first rotor system, the first electric motor configured to provide a power assist to the first shaft in response to a surge event in the first compressor section, wherein the controller is configured to:
- detect the surge event for the first compressor section of the gas turbine engine;
- determining, by a predefined multivariable table dependent on at least one of sensed engine parameters, synthesized engine parameters, or time elapsed since detecting the surge event, an amount of power to apply to the first spool of the gas turbine engine;
- increasing a power provided to the first spool by a power extraction from a second spool of the gas turbine engine, the second spool comprising a second compressor section, the power increased by the amount of power determined by the predefined multivariable table;
- monitoring a magnitude of the power commensurate with a severity of the surge event and loss in thrust due to the power extraction;
- adjusting the magnitude of the power commensurate with the severity of the surge event and loss in thrust due to the power extraction;
- and
- increasing a stability margin of the first compressor section in response to the adjusting.
A method of recovering from a surge event, the method comprising:
- detecting the surge event for a first compressor of a first spool of a gas turbine engine;
- determining, by a predefined multivariable table dependent on at least one of sensed engine parameters, synthesized engine parameters, or time elapsed since detecting the surge event, an amount of power to apply to the first spool of the gas turbine engine;
- increasing a power provided to the first spool by a power extraction from a second spool of the gas turbine engine, the second spool comprising a second compressor, the power increased by the amount of power determined by the predefined multivariable table;
- monitoring a magnitude of the power commensurate with a severity of the surge event and loss in thrust due to the power extraction;
- adjusting the magnitude of the power commensurate with the severity of the surge event and loss in thrust due to the power extraction;
- and
- increasing a stability margin of the first compressor in response to the adjusting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.