System and method for gas turbine engine rotor bow mitigation
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorBradley C. Schafer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rotor bow mitigation system for a gas turbine engine includes a control system in communication with an actuator, the control system actuates a power source to repeatedly actuate the actuator for a duration of time to intermittently rotate a rotary component such as a high spool of the gas turbine engine. A method of rotor bow mitigation for a gas turbine engine includes intermittently actuating an actuator of a rotor bow mitigation system in selective mechanical connection with a gear within an accessory gearbox to intermittently rotate the rotary component of the gas turbine engine to mitigate rotor bow conditions.
Claims18
A rotor bow mitigation system for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- an actuator;
- a power source;
- and
- a control system in communication with the actuator, wherein the control system actuates the power source to repeatedly actuate the actuator for a duration of time to intermittently rotate a rotary component of the gas turbine engine, and wherein the control system is configured to obtain temperature data from a sensor located adjacent to an upper portion of the rotary component at an axial position along the rotary component and a sensor located adjacent to a lower portion of the rotary component at the axial position along the rotary component to obtain a temperature difference therebetween, and to actuate the actuator based upon the temperature difference.
A gas turbine engine, comprising:
- a rotary component;
- an external gearbox;
- a towershaft mechanically connected to the rotary component and the external gearbox and configured to operate at least one accessory during normal operation of the gas turbine engine;
- and
- a rotor bow mitigation system in selective mechanical connection with the external gearbox, wherein the rotor bow mitigation system is configured to repeatedly actuate an actuator mounted on or within the external gearbox to intermittently rotate the towershaft such that the towershaft intermittently rotates the rotary component of the gas turbine engine to mitigate rotor bow conditions, and further comprising a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) in communication with the rotor bow mitigation system to actuate a power source in communication with the rotor bow mitigation system to repeatedly actuate the linear actuator for a duration of time to intermittently rotate the rotary component of the gas turbine engine, wherein the FADEC is configured to obtain temperature data from a sensor located adjacent to an upper portion of the rotary component and a sensor located adjacent to a lower portion of the rotary component to obtain a temperature difference therebetween, and to actuate the actuator based upon the temperature difference.
A method of rotor bow mitigation for a gas turbine engine, comprising:
- identifying a potential rotor bow condition;
- determining a duration for a rotor bow mitigation cycle;
- and
- intermittently actuating an actuator of a rotor bow mitigation system in selective mechanical connection with a gear within an accessory gearbox to intermittently rotate a rotary component of the gas turbine engine to mitigate rotor bow conditions, wherein identifying the potential rotor bow condition comprises obtaining temperature data from a sensor located adjacent to an upper portion of the rotary component at an axial position along the rotary component and a sensor located adjacent to a lower portion of the rotary component at the axial position to obtain a temperature difference therebetween, and wherein the intermittently actuating step comprises actuating the actuator based upon the temperature difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.