Singular stator vane control
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorRichard J. Skertic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for controlling stators of a compressor of a gas turbine engine are provided. The stators and rotatable blades may be included in a stage of the compressor. The rotatable blades may be configured to rotate about an axial axis of the compressor, and each of the stators is rotatable about a corresponding vane axis that extends radially outward from the axial axis of the compressor. Electric motors may be coupled to the stators, where each of the electric motors is configured to individually rotate a corresponding one of the stators in the compressor. A motor controller may be configured to cause the electric motors to rotate the stators in unison or individually.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a plurality of stators in a compressor for a gas turbine engine, the stators and a plurality of rotatable blades included in a stage of the compressor, the rotatable blades configured to rotate about an axis of the compressor, and each of the stators is rotatable about a corresponding vane axis that extends radially outward from the axis of the compressor;
- a plurality of electric motors, each of the electric motors is configured to individually rotate a corresponding one of the stators in the compressor;
- and
- a motor controller configured to cause the electric motors to rotate the stators in unison.
An axial compressor for a gas turbine engine, the axial compressor comprising:
- a plurality of blades configured to rotate about a rotation axis of the axial compressor;
- a plurality of stators disposed in the compressor downstream from and adjacent to the blades, wherein the blades are configured to accelerate a fluid toward the stators when the blades rotate about the rotation axis, the stators are configured to redirect the fluid accelerated by the blades and to convert a circumferential component of the flow of the fluid into pressure, and wherein each of the stators is rotatable about a corresponding vane axis that extends radially outward from the rotation axis of the compressor;
- a plurality of gear trains, each of the gear trains directly coupled to a corresponding one of the stators via a shaft positioned on the corresponding vane axis;
- and
- a plurality of electric motors, each of the electric motors directly coupled to a corresponding one of the gear trains, each of the electric motors configured to individually rotate the corresponding one of the stators via the corresponding one of the gear trains.
A method to control stators, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of stators in a compressor of a gas turbine engine and/or in a turbine of the gas turbine engine, each of the stators is rotatable about a corresponding vane axis that extends radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the compressor and/or the turbine;
- providing a plurality of electric motors, each of the electric motors is configured to individually rotate a corresponding one of the stators in the compressor;
- and
- causing the electric motors to rotate the stators in unison during operation of the gas turbine engine thereby affecting power output by the gas turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.