Systems, methods, and apparatus for piezoelectric-based fuel metering and flow control for aircraft engines

A gas turbine engine for an aircraft, the gas turbine engine comprising:

• a combustion section;
• and
• a fuel system to provide a fuel to the combustion section, the fuel system including:
• a pump;
• a nozzle fluidly connected to the pump;
• a first piezoelectric metering device fluidly coupled between the pump and the nozzle and arranged in series with a second piezoelectric metering device;
• a measuring system fluidly coupled between the pump and the first piezoelectric metering device, the measuring system including a flow meter and a temperature sensor;
• and
• at least one processor circuit configured to:
• determine a mass flow rate based on a pressure of the fuel, a first output of the flow meter, and a second output of the temperature sensor;
• and
• actuate the first piezoelectric metering device based on the mass flow rate and a target mass flow rate.

A method for metering a fuel in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

• determining, by at least one processor circuit, a first mass flow rate of the fuel based on a first pressure of the fuel upstream of a piezoelectric metering device, a first output of a first flow meter, and a second output of a first temperature sensor, wherein the first pressure of the fuel is based on a speed of a motor of a pump;
• actuating, by one or more of the at least one processor circuit, the piezoelectric metering device based on the first mass flow rate and a target mass flow rate, the piezoelectric metering device fluidly coupled to the first flow meter and the first temperature sensor, wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to increase or decrease to the speed of the motor based on the first output;
• determining a second mass flow rate based on a second pressure of the fuel downstream of the piezoelectric metering device, a third output of a second flow meter, and a fourth output of a second temperature sensor, the second flow meter and the second temperature sensor fluidly coupled to the piezoelectric metering device;
• determining that a difference between the second mass flow rate and the target mass flow rate exceeds a threshold;
• and
• adjusting, in response to the determination that the difference exceeds the threshold, the piezoelectric metering device based on the difference.