Governor checkout apparatus and method
AssigneeSundstrand Corporation
InventorsJeffrey D. Metcalf, John C. Layer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An overspeed governor for adjusting the blade pitch of a propulsor in an unducted fan aircraft engine to prevent propulsor overspeed comprises a flyweight governor which is rotated in response to rotation of the propulsor, a governor pilot valve with a valve spool which is axially moved in response to actuation of the flyweight governor for adjusting the blade pitch of the propulsor, and a governor checkout apparatus which sensitizes the flyweight governor so that it is actuated to maintain a substantially lower propulsor rotative speed during a start-up operation of the engine as compared with during normal operation, whereby the operation of the governor can be checked out during start-up operation of the aircraft engine.
Claims12
An overspeed governor for adjusting the blade pitch of a propulsor of an aircraft engine to prevent propulsor overspeed comprising a flyweight governor which is rotated in response to rotation of said propulsor, a governor pilot valve with a valve spool which is axially moved in response to actuation of said flyweight governor for adjusting the blade pitch of the propulsor, and means for checking out the operation of the governor during a start-up operation of the aircraft engine, said means for checking out comprising means for sensitizing the flyweight governor so that it is actuated to maintain a substantially lower propulsor rotative speed during the start-up operation as compared with during normal operation, whereby the operation of the governor can be checked out during start-up operation of the aircraft engine.
In a governor for maintaining the rotative speed of a device rotated by a prime mover, the improvement comprising a governor checkout apparatus for checking out the operation of the governor during start-up operation of said prime mover, said checkout apparatus including means for sensitizing the governor so that it is actuated to maintain a substantially lower rotative speed during the start-up operation of said prime mover as compared with during normal operation.
A method of checking out the operation of a governor for maintaining the rotative speed of a device rotatably driven by a prime mover, comprising the steps of sensitizing the governor so that it will be actuated for maintaining rotative speed at a substantially lower speed during a start-up operation of said prime mover as compared with during normal operation of said prime mover, and checking to determine if the governor is operating during said start-up operation.
A governor checkout apparatus for checking out the operation of a governor during start-up operation of a prime mover which rotatably drives a device whose rotative speed is maintained by said governor, comprising means for adjusting a governor so that it is operable in either a first, checkout mode where the governor is actuated to maintain a substantially lower device rotative speed as compared with during normal operation, and a second, operating mode where the governor is actuated to maintain a substantially higher device rotative speed for normal operation of said device, and means for automatically operating said adjusting means for operating said governor in said first, checkout mode during a start-up operation of said prime mover so that the operation of the governor can be checked out during start-up operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.