System and method for controlling fuel flow to a gas turbine engine
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsTimothy D. Mahoney, David D. Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for controlling the flow of fuel to a gas turbine engine is operable in at least two modes. In a first mode, the flow rate of fuel supplied from a fuel source to the combustors of the turbine engine is controlled by modulating the position of a metering valve. A controller determines the controllability of the metering valve and, if it is determined to be non-controllable, then the system is operated in the second mode. In the second mode, the flow rate of fuel supplied to the combustors is controlled by modulating the position of a bypass valve.
Claims19
A system for delivering fuel from a fuel source to a gas turbine engine combustor, comprising:
- a fuel supply line having an inlet coupled to the fuel source and an outlet coupled to the combustor;
- a metering valve positioned in flow-series in the supply line;
- a bypass flow line coupled between an inlet of the metering valve and the fuel supply line inlet for bypassing a portion of the fuel in the supply line back to the inlet;
- a bypass valve positioned in flow-series in the bypass flow line;
- and
- a controller operable to selectively adjust one of the metering valve and the bypass valve to control fuel flow rate from the fuel source to the combustor.
A controller for controlling the flow rate of fuel from a pressurized fuel source to a gas turbine engine combustor via a metering valve, comprising:
- a first valve driver circuit portion operable to generate a first valve driver signal;
- a second valve driver circuit portion operable to generate a second valve driver signal;
- at least one processor operable to determine whether the metering valve is controllable or non-controllable and, based on the determination, to enable one of the first and second valve driver circuits and disable the other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.