Twin-spool gas turbine power plant with means to spill compressor interstage airflow
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorWilliam H. Sens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In order to take advantage of the efficient utilization of fuel occasioned by operating a turbine type power plant of the multiple spool design at very high overall pressure ratios, the high pressure spool is operated at substantially full speed and substantially full pressure ratio at low altitude and the high pressure compressor exit temperature is maintained at or near the value for which the engine was designed to operate at the climb or altitude cruise condition by controlling the pressure of the air admitted to the high pressure compressor.
Claims5
An aircraft twin spool gas turbine power plant having a high and low compressor,
- and high and low turbine for driving said high and low compressors, respectively,
- a combustor disposed between said compressors and said turbines for generating hot gases for driving said turbines,
- fuel control means for regulating the flow of fuel to said combustor so as to operate said high compressor said high compressor at a predetermined speed and compression ratio,
- means for controlling the high compressor inlet pressure by spilling air exhausting from said low compressor such that at all aircraft altitudes, when the compressor operates at said predetermined rotational speed and compression ratio, the compressor discharge pressure and temperature are substantially the same for all conditions of said power plant over the flight envelope of the aircraft.
A method of operating a multiple spool gas turbine power plant for powering aircraft, including the steps of operating the high spool of said power plant at substantially the same, predetermined compression ratio at all altitudes and
- controlling the pressure of the air entering said high spool such that at all aircraft altitudes when said high spool compresses the air by said predetermined compression ratio, the temperature of the air discharging from said high spool is substantially the same as at aircraft climb or cruise condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.