Method of and apparatus for preventing compressor stall in a gas turbine engine
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorFaulkner C. Thomson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of and apparatus for detecting air distortion at the inlet of a turbine engine and adjusting fuel flow to anticipate and prevent compressor stall. A plurality of pressure taps are arranged in a spaced relation around the periphery of the engine inlet. A distortion detector senses the differential pressure between the instantaneous pressure at each pressure tap and the ambient pressure of a reference pressure chamber which communicates with the plurality of pressure taps. At a predetermined pressure differential the distortion detector activates a solenoid-operated fuel bypass valve which reduces fuel flow to the fuel nozzles of the gas turbine engine.
Claims5
In a gas turbine engine having a compressor and an air inlet, a compressor stall prevention system comprising:
- a plurality total of pressure sensing means in said inlet for sensing the air pressure at spaced locations about the periphery of said inlet;
- means connected to each of said pressure sensing means for producing a reference pressure proportional to the steady state pressure of said plurality of pressure sensing means;
- means for sensing the pressure differential between said reference pressure and the pressure at each of said pressure sensing means;
- means for generating a signal when said differential pressure exceeds a predetermined magnitude, said predetermined magnitude being indicative of air distortion in said inlet sufficient to cause compressor stall;
- and
- control means responsive to said signal for altering the operating conditions of said gas turbine engine to thereby prevent compressor stall.
In a gas turbine engine having a compressor and an air inlet, a compressor stall prevention system comprising:
- a plurality of pressure taps arranged in a spaced relation about the periphery of said air inlet;
- air distortion detection means comprising;
- a housing enclosing a reference pressure chamber;
- a plurality of differential pressure sensors associated with said chamber and, arranged such that one side of each of said sensors communicates with the ambient pressure in said chamber;
- a plurality of conduits corresponding in number to the number of pressure sensors, each one of said conduits individually connecting one of said pressure taps to the other side of one of said sensors;
- and
- an exhaust conduit connected to said housing and communicating with said chamber;
- means connected to each of said differential pressure sensors for producing a signal when the pressure differential across any one of said sensors exceeds a predetermined magnitude, said predetermined magnitude being indicative of air distortion in said inlet sufficient to cause compressor stall;
- and
- control means responsive to said signal for reducing fuel flow to said gas turbine engine.
A method of anticipating and preventing compressor stall caused by air distortion in the air inlet of a gas turbine engine comprising the steps of:
- sensing the total air pressure at a plurality of spaced locations about the periphery of said inlet;
- producing a reference pressure proportional to the steady state pressure in said inlet;
- generating a signal when the differential pressure between the pressure at any one of said spaced locations exceeds said reference pressure by a predetermined magnitude, said predetermined magnitude being indicative of air distortion in said inlet sufficient to cause compressor stall;
- and
- altering the operating conditions of said gas turbine engine in response to said signal to thereby prevent compressor stall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.