Fuel system with boosted and cooled variable displacement main fuel pump and electromechanical actuators
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorNaison Mastrocola
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid system includes a boost pump and a variable displacement pump along a main leg configured to output fluid within a pressure range and at variable flow rates. An auxiliary leg of the fluid system includes an auxiliary pump configured to receive a portion of the fluid from the main leg and to output pressurized fluid to a control valve of the variable displacement pump and multiple actuator modules. Each actuator module includes an electromechanical actuator and a collocated control unit.
Claims18
A fluid system comprising:
- an inlet line;
- a boost pump connected to the inlet line to receive input flow;
- a boost line connected to an outlet of the boost pump;
- a variable displacement pump connected to the boost line to receive the input flow, the variable displacement pump comprising:
- a valve element operable to vary an output of the variable displacement pump;
- and
- a valve actuator connected to the valve element;
- an auxiliary pump connected to the boost line and configured to output an actuator pressure;
- a control valve connected to the auxiliary pump and to control lines of the variable displacement pump, wherein the control valve is operable to vary a position of the valve element via displacement of the valve actuator;
- and
- a plurality of actuator modules, each actuator module comprising a control unit collocated with an actuator.
The fluid system of 7, further comprising:
- a control line fluidly connecting the control valve to the auxiliary pump;
- a sensor configured to output a control pressure signal indicative of a fluid pressure within the control line;
- and
- a controller configured to vary a rotational speed of the auxiliary drive and the auxiliary pump based on the control pressure signal.
The fluid system of 8, wherein the controller varies the rotational speed of the auxiliary drive to maintain the pressure within the control line constant.
A fluid system comprising:
- an inlet line;
- a boost pump connected to the inlet line to receive input flow;
- a boost line connected to an outlet of the boost pump;
- a variable displacement pump connected to the boost line to receive the input flow, the variable displacement pump comprising:
- a valve element operable to vary an output of the variable displacement pump;
- and
- a valve actuator connected to the valve element;
- an auxiliary pump connected to the boost line and configured to output an actuator pressure, wherein the auxiliary pump is operable independently of the boost pump and the variable displacement pump;
- a control valve connected to the auxiliary pump and to control lines of the variable displacement pump, wherein the control valve is operable to vary a position of the valve element via displacement of the valve actuator;
- and
- a plurality of actuator modules, each actuator module comprising a control unit collocated with an actuator, wherein at least one actuator module of the plurality of actuator modules is located in a high temperature environment having a temperature that exceeds a temperature rating of the at least one actuator module.
The fluid system of 11, further comprising:
- a control line fluidly connecting the control valve to the auxiliary pump;
- a sensor configured to output a control pressure signal indicative of a fluid pressure within the control line;
- and
- a controller configured to vary a rotational speed of the auxiliary drive and the auxiliary pump based on the control pressure signal.
The fluid system of 16, wherein the controller varies the rotational speed of the auxiliary drive to maintain the pressure within the control line constant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.