Air turbine start system
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsKeith E. Short, Daniel Richard Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air turbine starter device includes a gear assembly, a rotor arranged in a cavity of a housing and operably connected the gear assembly, a first manifold having a cavity with a first manifold port operative to direct compressed air to the rotor, and a second manifold having a cavity with a second manifold port operative to direct compressed air to the rotor. The first manifold is larger than the second manifold, the second manifold is fluidly connected in parallel with the first manifold, and the first manifold port and the second manifold port are operative to drive the rotor in a common direction for starting a gas turbine connected to the gear assembly. Air turbine starter systems and methods of starting gas turbine engines are also described.
Claims19
An air turbine starter device comprising:
- a gear assembly;
- a rotor arranged in a cavity of a housing, wherein the rotor is operably connected the gear assembly;
- a first manifold having a cavity with a first manifold port operative to direct compressed air to the rotor;
- and
- a second manifold having a cavity with a second manifold port operative to direct compressed air to the rotor,
- wherein the first manifold is larger than the second manifold, wherein the second manifold is fluidly connected in parallel with the first manifold, and wherein the first manifold port and the second manifold port are operative to drive the rotor in a common direction.
A method for controlling an air turbine starter system, the method comprising:
- at an air turbine starter device including a gear assembly;
- a rotor arranged in a cavity of a housing, wherein the rotor is operably connected the gear assembly;
- a first manifold having a cavity with a first manifold port operative to direct compressed air to the rotor;
- and a second manifold having a cavity with a second manifold port operative to direct compressed air to the rotor, wherein the first manifold is larger than the second manifold, wherein the second manifold is fluidly connected in parallel with the first manifold, and wherein the first manifold port and the second manifold port are operative to drive the rotor in a common direction
- closing a first valve that is operative to control a flow of compressed air to a first manifold of an air turbine starter device;
- opening a second valve that is operative to control a flow of compressed air to a second manifold of an air turbine starter device, such that the flow of compressed air to the second manifold is operative to drive a rotor of the air turbine starter system to a first speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.