Flow control system for liquid fuel engine having stage-specific control of fuel flow to several groups of nozzles in the engine

Abstract

A fuel flow control system for directing fuel within a combustion engine having a plurality of fuel introduction nozzles arranged in a plurality of operationally-distinct groups is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of pumping assemblies each corresponding to one of the nozzle groups. Each pumping assembly includes several fuel motivation elements, each in fluid communication with a fuel supply and a corresponding one of said nozzles. Drive elements, such as variable speed motors, are operatively associated with the pumping assemblies, and direct the motivation elements to transmit fuel to the nozzles. A control assembly independently controls the drive elements, so that fuel flow to each nozzle group is independently controllable. In one embodiment, the motivation elements in each pumping assembly are mechanically linked and operate as discrete groups of elements, thereby delivering uniform fuel flow to each nozzle within a given group of nozzles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.