Operation of an aircraft engine after emergency shutdown
AssigneePratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
InventorRichard Ullyott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of emergency operation of an aircraft turbofan engine during an aircraft flight is provided. The engine includes a fan shaft with a fan, and an electric motor/generator mounted for rotation therewith. The method includes shutting down the engine while allowing the engine to windmill, operating the electric motor/generator to rotate the shaft at a determined windmilling speed which is desired for the fan shaft, and operating the engine at the desired windmilling speed for substantially a remainder of the aircraft flight.
Claims18
A method of emergency operation of an aircraft turbofan engine during an aircraft flight, the engine having a fan shaft with a fan and an electric motor/generator mounted for rotation therewith, the method comprising the steps of:
- shutting down the engine while allowing the engine to windmill;
- determining a desired windmilling speed for the fan shaft, the desired windmilling speed being different from at least one shaft speed determined to be avoided;
- operating the electric motor/generator to rotate the shaft at said desired windmilling speed;
- and
- operating the engine at the desired windmilling speed for substantially a remainder of the aircraft flight.
A method of operating a turbofan engine, the engine having a fan shaft with a fan and an electric motor/generator mounted thereto, the method comprising the steps of:
- shutting down the engine while allowing the engine to windmill;
- determining at least one shaft speed to be avoided;
- and
- operating the electric motor/generator to change a speed of the shaft to a desired windmilling speed which is different from said at least one shaft speed to be avoided.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.