# US 12,006,880 B2 · High bandwidth control of turbofan/turboprop thrust response using embedded electric machines > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,880 B2 - Document ID: US12006880B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/942,525 - Filed: 2022-09-12 - Published: 2024-03-14 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-12 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr.; Stefan Joseph Cafaro; Brendon Leeker; Kevin Graziano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006880B2 ## CPC - F02C 9/26: Control of fuel supply (F02C9/48 takes precedence; fuel valves F02C7/232) - F02C 6/00: Plural gas-turbine plants; Combinations of gas-turbine plants with other apparatus; Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for special use - 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) - F02C 9/48: Control of fuel supply conjointly with another control of the plant (with nozzle section control F02K1/17) - F02C 9/56: with power transmission control - F05D 2220/76: an electrical generator - F05D 2260/81: Modelling or simulation - 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) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract Systems and methods for high bandwidth control of thrust response for turbofan or turboprop engines are provided. Such systems and methods include an engine control system that processes a rate command and a feedback signal from an engine to generate separate fuel and electric machine control signals that respectively control fuel and electric machine dynamics of the engine to produce engine dynamics that result in desired thrust response. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An engine control system comprising: a fuel controller that directs supply of fuel to a turbine engine based on a first error signal; an electric machine controller that directs one or more electric machines to apply positive torque to the turbine engine based on an electric machine control signal; and a disturbance observer electrically coupled to the electric machine controller, wherein the disturbance observer generates a second error signal, the second error signal being for an expected response of the turbine engine to the fuel controller, and wherein the disturbance observer generates the electric machine control signal from the second error signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the disturbance observer receives a feedback signal from the turbine engine and generates the second error signal by subtracting the feedback signal from the expected response. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the disturbance observer generates the expected response by processing the first error signal through a linearized model of operation of the turbine engine by the fuel controller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the disturbance observer generates the second error signal by: processing a feedback signal from the turbine engine through an inverse linearized model of operation of the turbine engine by the fuel controller to generate the expected response; and subtracting the first error signal from the expected response. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the disturbance observer generates the second error signal by: processing a feedback signal from the turbine engine through an inverse linearized model of operation of the turbine engine by the fuel controller to generate the expected response; and subtracting the first error signal as sent through a first filter from the expected response as sent through a second filter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the electric machine controller receives an electricity demand, and wherein the electric machine controller directs the one or more electric machines to apply negative torque to the turbine engine to generate sufficient electricity to satisfy the electricity demand. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The engine control system of claim 6 wherein the electric machine controller utilizes leftover electrical capacity from the application of the negative torque to apply the positive torque to the turbine engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the one or more electric machines are physically geared to one or more spools of the turbine engine. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the one or more electric machines include a low-pressure electric machine geared to a low-pressure spool of the turbine engine and a high-pressure electric machine geared to a high-pressure spool of the turbine engine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the disturbance observer eliminates between about 5% and about 30% of higher bandwidth errors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the electric machine controller and the fuel controller mange a power split between the one or more electric machines so as to minimize the first error signal while maintaining a constant total electrical load being demanded. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The engine control system of claim 1 wherein the electric machine controller and the fuel controller mange a power split between the one or more electric machines and an energy storage device so as to minimize the first error signal while maintaining a constant total electrical load being demanded. ### Claim 13 A method for controlling engine thrust, the method comprising: generating a fuel control signal and an electric machine control signal from a rate command and a feedback signal from a turbine engine by: subtracting the feedback signal from the rate command to generate a first error signal; passing the first error signal to a fuel controller of the turbine engine as the fuel control signal; processing the feedback signal through an inverse linearized model of operation of the turbine engine by the fuel controller to generate an expected response; subtracting the first error signal as sent through a first filter from the expected response as sent through a second filter to generate a second error signal; and passing the second error signal to an electric machine controller as the electric machine control signal; directing, via the fuel control signal sent to the fuel controller, supply of fuel to the turbine engine based on the fuel control signal; and directing, via the electric machine control signal sent to the electric machine controller, an electric machine to apply positive torque to the turbine engine based on the electric machine control signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the rate command is generated as a function of a thrust currently being output the turbine engine and a newly demanded thrust to be output by the turbine engine, the newly demanded thrust being received from one or more aircraft control interfaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the rate command is calculated based on one or more of a thrust, fan, or core speed trajectory of the turbine engine so as to avoid stalling or other dangerous conditions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the rate command takes a form of one or more of a thrust, fan, or core speed trajectory. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein electric machines is physically geared to one or more spools of the turbine engine.