System and method for driving a pump
AssigneeSolar Turbines Incorporated
InventorKevin D. Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for driving a pump includes a gas turbine engine having an output shaft, and a torque converter including an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine and an output shaft configured to be coupled to an input shaft of a pump. The system further includes a controller coupled to the torque converter, wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a pressure at at least one of a pump inlet and a pump outlet, and control a speed of the output shaft of the torque converter based on the signal indicative of pressure.
Claims19
A system for driving a pump configured to receive fluid at a pump inlet and discharge the fluid at a pump outlet, the system comprising:
- a gas turbine engine having an output shaft;
- a torque converter including an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine, and an output shaft configured to be coupled to an input shaft of the pump;
- and
- a controller coupled to the torque converter,
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a pressure at at least one of the pump inlet and the pump outlet,
- control a speed of the output shaft of the torque converter based on the signal indicative of pressure, and
- control the speed of the output shaft of the torque converter independent of a speed of the output shaft of the gas turbine engine.
A system for pumping fluid, the system comprising:
- a gas turbine engine having an output shaft;
- a pump configured to pump fluid, the pump including an inlet, an outlet, and an input shaft;
- a torque converter including an input shaft coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine and an output shaft coupled to the input shaft of the pump;
- and
- a controller coupled to the torque converter,
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- receive a signal indicative of a pressure at at least one of the pump inlet and the pump outlet,
- control a speed of the output shaft of the torque converter based on the signal indicative of pressure, and
- control the speed of the output shaft of the torque converter independent of a speed of the output shaft of the gas turbine engine.
A method for controlling output of a pump coupled to a gas turbine engine via a torque converter, the method comprising:
- operating the gas turbine engine at a relatively constant speed;
- controlling a speed of an output shaft of the torque converter based on a signal indicative of pressure at at least one of an inlet of the pump and an outlet of the pump;
- and
- controlling the speed of the output shaft of the torque converter independent of a speed of an output shaft of the gas turbine engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.