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US 12,276,230 B2Granted
Variable transmission driven fuel pump for a gas turbine engine
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorNeal R. Herring
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel system for a gas turbine engine includes a fuel pump to provide fuel flow during engine operation and a transmission system that includes an output shaft coupled to drive the fuel pump, and an input shaft driven through a mechanical link to a shaft of the gas turbine engine. The output shaft drives the fuel pump at a variable speed that is independent of a rotational speed of the input shaft.
Claims6
A fuel system for a turbine engine comprising:
- a fuel pump providing fuel flow during engine operation;
- a hydraulic fluid reservoir where a hydraulic fluid is stored;
- a hydraulic control valve controlling a hydraulic fluid flow from the hydraulic fluid reservoir;
- and
- an integrated drive system including a gear system driven by a hydraulic drive supported in a common housing, the hydraulic drive including an output shaft coupled to drive the gear system at a variable speed independent of a rotational input provided to the integrated drive system by an input shaft, wherein the gear system is coupled to drive the fuel pump, wherein the rotational speed of the output shaft is related to the flow of hydraulic fluid provided by the hydraulic control valve such that an increase in the hydraulic fluid flow provides an increase in the rotational speed of the output shaft and a decrease in the hydraulic fluid flow provides a decrease in the rotational speed of the output shaft independent of the rotational speed of the input shaft;
- and
- a controller that controls the hydraulic control valve to control an output speed of the output shaft of the hydraulic drive, wherein the speed of the output shaft is controlled responsive to a fuel flow demand of the turbine engine.
4 more elements
A turbine engine comprising:
- a fan rotatable within a fan nacelle;
- a core engine including a compressor communicating compressed air to a combustor where the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-energy gas flow expanded through a turbine;
- a hydraulic fluid reservoir where hydraulic fluid is stored;
- an integrated drive system including a gear system driven by a hydraulic drive supported within a common housing, the hydraulic drive configured to drive the gear system at a variable speed independent of a rotational input provided to the integrated drive system by an input shaft;
- a hydraulic control valve controlling a hydraulic fluid flow provided to the hydraulic drive, wherein the rotational speed of the gear system is related to the flow of hydraulic fluid provided by the hydraulic control valve such that an increase in the hydraulic fluid flow provides an increase in the rotational speed of the gear system and a decrease in the hydraulic fluid flow provides a decrease in the rotational speed of the gear system independent of the rotational speed of the input shaft;
- a controller that controls the hydraulic control valve to control an output speed of the output shaft of the hydraulic drive, wherein the speed of the output shaft is controlled responsive to a fuel flow demand of the turbine engine;
- and
- a fuel system including a fuel pump providing fuel flow during engine operation, the fuel pump coupled to an output shaft of the gear system such that, the output shaft drives the fuel pump at a variable speed that is independent of a rotational speed of the input shaft.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.