Aircraft engine management for fuel conservation method and apparatus
OwnerHal Gerard Wickinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes controlling an aircraft during descent, and controlling the engine pressure ratio of a jet engine so that the engine has a substantially equal pressure at the exhaust, and at the front of the engine during the descent.
Claims24
A system comprising:
- a jet engine on an airplane, the jet engine further including:
- a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end,
- a compressor for compressing gases, the compressor located between the inlet end and the outlet end,
- a speed control communicatively coupled to the compressor for controlling a speed of the compressor,
- a first pressure sensor positioned near the inlet end of the jet engine and configured to measure a first pressure, and
- a second pressure sensor positioned near the outlet end of the jet engine and configured to measure a second pressure;
- and
- a controller that is operatively coupled to the speed control and configured to control the speed control to maintain a ratio of the second pressure divided by the first pressure at a controlled first value in a range of 0.9 to 1.15 at a plurality of descent altitudes at which the jet engine, if set to idle, would have a ratio of the second pressure divided by the first pressure of less than the first value in order to minimize the jet engine acting as a speed brake for the airplane during a descent of the airplane.
A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer to execute a method for controlling engine speed of a jet engine of an aircraft during a descent of the aircraft, the method comprising:
- measuring engine pressure near a front of the jet engine;
- measuring the engine pressure near a rear of the jet engine;
- determining an engine pressure ratio (EPR) by dividing the engine pressure near the rear of the jet engine by the engine pressure near the front of the jet engine;
- and
- controlling the engine speed to maintain the engine pressure ratio at a controlled first EPR value in a range of 0.9 to 1.1 at a plurality of descent altitudes at which the jet engine, if set to idle, would have an engine pressure ratio of less than the first EPR value in order to reduce the jet engine acting as a speed brake for the aircraft during the descent of the aircraft.
A system comprising:
- a jet engine on an airplane, the jet engine further including a front and a rear;
- means for determining an engine pressure ratio (EPR) by dividing a first engine pressure near the rear of the jet engine by a second engine pressure near the front of the jet engine;
- and
- means for controlling an engine speed of the jet engine during a descent of the airplane to maintain the engine pressure ratio at a controlled first EPR value in a range between 0.9 and 1.15 at a plurality of descent altitudes at which the jet engine, if set to idle, would have an engine pressure ratio of less than the first EPR value in order to reduce the jet engine acting as a speed brake for the airplane during the descent of the airplane.
A system for use in an aircraft during a flight of the aircraft, wherein the flight of the aircraft includes a plurality of time periods including a first time period being a portion of the flight commencing at takeoff and continuing until an initial cruising altitude is reached, a second time period being a portion of the flight during which the aircraft cruises at one or more cruising altitudes and continuing until an initial descent is commenced, a third time period having a duration and being during a portion of the flight commencing when the initial descent is commenced from a last cruising altitude of the one or more cruising altitudes and continuing until the aircraft reaches an altitude between approximately 9,000 and 11,000 feet, and a fourth time period being a portion of the flight for approaching a destination airport commencing when the aircraft descends from the altitude between approximately 9,000 and 11,000 feet and continuing until the aircraft lands, comprising:
- a jet engine operably attached to the aircraft, the jet engine further including a front and a rear;
- and
- means for maintaining an engine pressure ratio (EPR), of a first engine pressure near the rear of the jet engine divided by a second engine pressure near the front of the jet engine, at a first EPR value in the range of 1.0 to 1.05 at a plurality of descent altitudes at which the jet engine, if set to idle, would have an engine pressure ratio of less than the first EPR value in order to that the jet engine does not act as a speed brake for the aircraft during the third time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.