Deceleration of a gas turbine
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorCaroline L TURNER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprises a high-pressure (HP) spool comprising an HP compressor and a first electric machine driven by an HP turbine; a low-pressure (LP) spool comprising an LP compressor and a second electric machine driven by an LP turbine; a combustion system comprising a fuel metering unit; and an engine controller configured to, in response to a change of a power lever angle setting indicative of a deceleration event, reduce fuel flow to the combustion system by the fuel metering unit, and to operate the first electric machine in a generator mode to reduce the HP spool rotational speed and engine core mass flow.
Claims15
A gas turbine engine for an aircraft, comprising:
- a high-pressure (HP) spool comprising an HP compressor and a first electric machine driven by an HP turbine;
- a low-pressure (LP) spool comprising an LP compressor and a second electric machine driven by an LP turbine;
- a combustion system comprising a fuel metering unit;
- and
- an engine controller configured to, in response to a change of a power lever angle setting indicative of a deceleration event, reduce fuel flow to the combustion system by the fuel metering unit, and to operate the first electric machine in a generator mode to reduce the HP spool rotational speed and engine core mass flow.
A method of operating a gas turbine engine of the type having a high-pressure (HP) spool comprising an HP compressor and a first electric machine driven by an HP turbine;
- a low-pressure (LP) spool comprising an LP compressor and a second electric machine driven by an LP turbine;
- a combustion system comprising a fuel metering unit;
- and an engine controller, the method comprising, in response to a change of a power lever angle setting indicative of a deceleration event;
- reducing fuel flow to the combustion system by the fuel metering unit, and
- operating the first electric machine in a generator mode to reduce the HP spool rotational speed and engine core mass flow.
A method of controlling weak extinction in a gas turbine engine combustor, comprising:
- identifying a condition to the effect that the current fuel-air ratio in the combustor is indicative of the onset of weak extinction,
- extracting mechanical shaft power from a high pressure spool to prevent a further drop in fuel-air ratio in the combustor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.