Redundant speed summing actuators
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsFloyd R. Emmons, Gregory DiVincenzo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for use with actuation system to control a plurality of vanes disposed within a turbine engine, wherein a vane position sensor provides a vane position signal corresponding to a vane position of the plurality of vanes, the actuation system includes a plurality of motors engaged in response to the vane position signal, and a differential gearbox having a plurality of inputs operatively coupled to the plurality of motors and an output operatively coupled to the plurality of vanes, wherein an output speed of the output is a sum of a plurality of input speeds of the plurality of inputs.
Claims18
An actuation system to control a plurality of vanes disposed within a turbine engine, wherein a vane position sensor provides a vane position signal corresponding to a vane position of the plurality of vanes, the actuation system comprising:
- a plurality of motors engaged in response to the vane position signal;
- and
- a differential gearbox having a plurality of inputs operatively coupled to the plurality of motors and an output operatively coupled to the plurality of vanes, wherein an output speed of the output is a sum of a plurality of input speeds of the plurality of inputs.
A method for controlling a plurality of vanes disposed within a turbine engine, wherein a vane position signal corresponding to a vane position of the plurality of vanes is provided via a vane position sensor, the method comprising:
- engaging a plurality of motors in response to the vane position signal;
- providing a plurality of input speeds to a plurality of inputs of a differential gearbox via the plurality of motors;
- providing an output speed to an output operatively coupled to the plurality of vanes via the differential gearbox, wherein the output speed of the output is a sum of the plurality of input speeds of the plurality of inputs.
A multiple redundant actuation system to control a plurality of vanes disposed within a turbine engine, wherein a vane position sensor provides a vane position signal corresponding to a vane position of the plurality of vanes, the multiple redundant actuation system comprising:
- a plurality of actuation systems, wherein each actuation system comprises:
- a plurality of motors engaged in response to the vane position signal;
- and
- a differential gearbox having a plurality of inputs operatively coupled to the plurality of motors and an output operatively coupled to the plurality of vanes, wherein an output speed of the output is a sum of a plurality of input speeds of the plurality of inputs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.