Exciter controlled by FADEC system
OwnerPierre Côté, Antonio Hernani Nobreinventors
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Abstract
The present invention is addressed to an exciter circuit used as part of an engine ignition system which is controlled by a full authority digital engine control or FADEC. Two channels of the FADEC system are connected to two channels on the exciter system in a cross talk arrangement. This permits any one channel on the FADEC to control both channels on the exciter for redundancy purposes. The establishment of a FADEC control of an exciter system also permits selective use of the exciters and reduces wear on the exciter circuitry and ignition system components.
Claims4
A method of controlling and managing use of a set of exciters in an ignition system of an aircraft turbine engine controlled by a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) system having two isolated FADEC channels powered from separate power supply buses, the method comprising:
- a) providing two trigger control signal switches in each one of said two FADEC channels, said two trigger control signal switches being controlled and powered by their respective FADEC channel;
- b) providing an exciter system having two exciter channels, each exciter channel being connected to a free-standing exciter circuit including an exciter plug in said turbine engine;
- c) connecting a first one of said two trigger control signal switches of both said FADEC channels to a first one of said exciter channels;
- d) connecting a second one of said two trigger control signal switches of both said FADEC channels to a second one of said exciter channels;
- e) alternately selecting one of said two trigger control signal switches in one of said FADEC channels to operate during ground starts so as to balance wear on said exciter plug of each of said two exciter channels;
- and
- f) selecting both of said two trigger control signal switches in one of said FADEC channels to operate during in-flight engine failures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.