Gas turbine engine fuel system prognostic algorithm
First Claim
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1. A method of calculating a fuel pump life expectancy in a fuel burning engine, the method comprising:
- outputting fuel using a fuel pump operating at a fuel pump speed;
tracking the fuel pump speed of the fuel burning engine;
adjusting a position of the at least one fuel actuated actuator according to a baseline point of the fuel pump speed so as to reach a valve opening position within a valve adjustment time period;
tracking a position value indicating the position of at the least one fuel actuated actuator in the fuel burning engine;
delivering the fuel, via at least one fuel actuated actuator, to the fuel burning engine until the at least one fuel actuated actuator reaches a predetermined position;
changing the fuel pump speed to a second fuel pump speed as the fuel pump wears, thereby increasing the baseline point of the fuel pump and the valve adjustment time period;
calculating a fuel pump life expectancy value based on the fuel pump speed, the change in the valve adjustment time period, and the position value of the at least one fuel actuated actuator;
detecting when the fuel pump exceeds the fuel pump life expectancy in response to at least one of the baseline point and the valve adjustment time period exceeding a threshold value; and
replacing the fuel pump in response to the fuel pump exceeding the fuel pump life expectancy.
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Abstract
A system and method of calculating a fuel pump life expectancy in a fuel burning engine is provided. The method includes tracking a fuel pump speed of the fuel burning engine, tracking a position value of at least one fuel actuated actuator in the fuel burning engine, and calculating a fuel pump life expectancy value based on the fuel pump speed and the position value of the at least one fuel actuated actuator.
5 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of calculating a fuel pump life expectancy in a fuel burning engine, the method comprising:
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outputting fuel using a fuel pump operating at a fuel pump speed; tracking the fuel pump speed of the fuel burning engine; adjusting a position of the at least one fuel actuated actuator according to a baseline point of the fuel pump speed so as to reach a valve opening position within a valve adjustment time period; tracking a position value indicating the position of at the least one fuel actuated actuator in the fuel burning engine; delivering the fuel, via at least one fuel actuated actuator, to the fuel burning engine until the at least one fuel actuated actuator reaches a predetermined position; changing the fuel pump speed to a second fuel pump speed as the fuel pump wears, thereby increasing the baseline point of the fuel pump and the valve adjustment time period; calculating a fuel pump life expectancy value based on the fuel pump speed, the change in the valve adjustment time period, and the position value of the at least one fuel actuated actuator; detecting when the fuel pump exceeds the fuel pump life expectancy in response to at least one of the baseline point and the valve adjustment time period exceeding a threshold value; and replacing the fuel pump in response to the fuel pump exceeding the fuel pump life expectancy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product for calculating a fuel pump life expectancy in a fuel burning engine, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
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output fuel using a fuel pump operating at a fuel pump speed; track a fuel pump speed of the fuel burning engine; track a position value of at least one fuel actuated actuator in the fuel burning engine; adjust a position of the at least one fuel actuated actuator according to a baseline point of the fuel pump speed so as to reach a valve opening position within a valve adjustment time period; deliver the fuel, via at least one fuel actuated actuator, to the fuel burning engine when the at least one fuel actuated actuator reaches the open position; change the fuel pump speed to a second fuel pump speed as the fuel pump wears, thereby increasing the baseline point of the fuel pump and the valve adjustment time period; calculate a fuel pump life expectancy value based on the fuel pump speed, the change in the valve adjustment time period, and the position value of the at least one fuel actuated actuator; detect when the fuel pump exceeds the fuel pump life expectancy in response to at least one of the baseline point and the valve adjustment time period exceeding a threshold value; and replace the fuel pump in response to the fuel pump exceeding the fuel pump life expectancy. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for determining a fuel pump life expectancy, the system comprising:
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a fuel actuated actuator, wherein a fuel pump speed of the fuel burning engine is tracked and a position value of the fuel actuated actuator is tracked; a fuel pump configured to provide fuel to the fuel burning engine; and a controller configured to receive the fuel pump speed and the position value of the fuel actuated actuator and configured to calculate a fuel pump life expectancy value based on the fuel pump speed and the position value of the at least one fuel actuated actuator. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification