Mode blending and tuning system for turbine engines

Abstract

A control unit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a multiplicity of regulators (Ki) and generates an output corresponding to blended and tuned actuator values. More particularly, and in the exemplary embodiment, the control unit includes a plurality of regulators (Ki), and each regulator (Ki) corresponds to a mode of operation or operating conditions. Each regulator (Ki) is configured to receive engine parameters as input and to generate output values for at least one actuator command uj. Respective gain schedulers are coupled to each regulator (Ki), and each scheduler receives, as input, an operating point which corresponds to at least one of a power setting parameter and an inlet temperature or pressure. Based on the operating point, each scheduler selects a gain to supply to its respective regulator (Ki). The control unit further includes a mode selector which receives as its input at least one of control inputs, control errors, and control error rates, and generates as its outputs a plurality of blending gain values Ai and tuning gain values Bj. The blending outputs Ai are supplied to respective multiplication units which multiply the respective gains Ai by the respective regulator outputs. Outputs from the multiplication units are supplied to separate summation units which combine the respective gain-adjusted outputs for each parameter. The tuning outputs Bj are supplied to multiplication units which multiply the respective gains Bj by the outputs of the respective summation units.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.