Powerplant and related control system and method
AssigneeAeroVironment, Inc.
InventorsAlexander Nelson Brooks, James Gallagher Daley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydrogen fueled powerplant including an internal combustion engine that drives a motor-generator, and has a two-stage turbocharger, for an aircraft. A control system controls the operation of the motor-generator to maintain the engine at a speed selected based on controlling the engine equivalence ratio. The control system controls an afterburner, an intercooler and an aftercooler to maximize powerplant efficiency. The afterburner also adds power to the turbochargers during high-altitude restarts. The turbochargers also include motor-generators that extract excess power from the exhaust.
Claims17
A powerplant, comprising:
- an engine configured to react a first reactant with a gaseous stream of second reactant to produce energy and an exhaust stream, the gaseous stream of second reactant being provided to the engine at a flow rate;
- and
- a control system configured to control the flow rate of the gaseous stream of second reactant based on the operating condition of the engine such that an exhaust stream temperature is maintained below a temperature limit.
A method of limiting the temperature of an exhaust stream of an engine configured to react a first reactant with a gaseous stream of second reactant to produce energy and the exhaust stream, the gaseous stream of second reactant being provided to the engine at a flow rate, comprising:
- monitoring information indicative of an exhaust stream temperature;
- and
- controlling the flow rate of the gaseous stream of second reactant based on the monitored information such that the exhaust stream temperature is maintained below a temperature limit.
An apparatus for limiting the temperature of an exhaust stream of an engine configured to react a first reactant with a gaseous stream of second reactant to produce energy and the exhaust stream, the gaseous stream of second reactant being provided to the engine at a flow rate, comprising:
- a means for monitoring information indicative of an exhaust stream temperature;
- and
- a means for controlling the flow rate of the gaseous stream of second reactant based on the monitored information such that the exhaust stream temperature is maintained below a temperature limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.