Turbine overspeed protection
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsAndrew Parsley, Natalie C Wong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for reducing a pressure differential across a turbine 19 of a gas turbine engine 10 during a shaft break event, comprises a pressure equalization apparatus 200 configured to introduce a pressurised fluid into a core airflow A at a region downstream of the turbine 19 in the event of a shaft break to directly increase a local pressure at the downstream region 29 of the turbine 19 and thereby reduce the pressure differential across the turbine 19. The pressure equalization apparatus comprises a sensor 216 configured to directly detect a shaft break event. The reduction in the pressure differential may result in a reduction in the acceleration of the turbine 19.
Claims15
An apparatus for reducing a pressure differential across a turbine of a gas turbine engine during a shaft break event in which a shaft of the gas turbine engine breaks, the apparatus comprising:
- a pressure equalization apparatus configured to introduce a pressurized fluid into a core airflow at a region (i) downstream of the turbine and (ii) forward of an exhaust nozzle in the event of the shaft break event to, without combustion of the pressurized fluid, directly and near-instantaneously increase a local pressure at the downstream region of the turbine and thereby reduce the pressure differential across the turbine;
- a sensor configured to directly detect the shaft break event;
- and
- a control system connected to the sensor,
- wherein the control system is configured to activate the pressure equalization apparatus when the sensor directly detects the shaft break event.
A method for reducing a pressure differential across a turbine of a gas turbine engine during a shaft break event in which a shaft of the gas turbine engine breaks, the method comprising:
- providing a pressure equalization apparatus configured to introduce a pressurized fluid into a core airflow at a region (i) downstream of the turbine and (ii) forward of an exhaust nozzle in the event of the shaft break event to, without combustion of the pressurized fluid, directly and near-instantaneously increase a local pressure at the downstream region of the turbine and thereby reduce the pressure differential across the turbine;
- providing a sensor configured to directly detect the shaft break event;
- and
- providing a control system connected to the sensor,
- wherein the control system is configured to activate the pressure equalization apparatus when the sensor of the pressure equalization apparatus directly detects the shaft break event.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.