Gas turbine engine bowed rotor avoidance system

• US 10,443,507 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwarz, Frederick M., Grace, Amy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sutherland, Steven M
• Application Number:
  US15/042,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20170234238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/00 Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/34 Turning or inching gear
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/36 using electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/268 Starting drives for the rotor , acting directly on the rotor of the gas turbine to be started
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/00 Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/20 Heat transfer, e.g. cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/114 by limiting mechanical stresses
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/54 by electronic means, e.g. electronic tubes, transistors or IC's within an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A bowed rotor prevention system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft is provided. The bowed rotor prevention system includes a bowed rotor prevention motor operable to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine through an engine accessory gearbox. The bowed rotor prevention system also includes a controller operable to engage the bowed rotor prevention motor and drive rotation of the starting spool until a bowed rotor prevention threshold condition is met or a bowed rotor prevention shutdown request to halt rotation of the starting spool is received.

Claims

1. A bowed rotor prevention system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the bowed rotor prevention system comprising:

a bowed rotor prevention motor operable to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine through an engine accessory gearbox; and

a controller operable to engage the bowed rotor prevention motor and drive rotation of the starting spool until a bowed rotor prevention threshold condition is met or a bowed rotor prevention shutdown request to halt rotation of the starting spool is received, wherein after detecting the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request, the controller is operable to resume driving rotation of the starting spool based on determining that the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is no longer detected and the bowed rotor prevention threshold condition has not been met.

2. The bowed rotor prevention system as in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to engage the bowed rotor prevention motor and drive rotation of the starting spool based on one or more measured temperatures of the gas turbine engine, wherein the one or more measured temperatures are used to determine one or more of a time and a speed of rotation of the starting spool based on a mapping function or lookup table that selects one or more of a longer time and a higher speed for higher values of the one or more measured temperatures.

3. The bowed rotor prevention system as in claim 1, wherein the bowed rotor prevention motor is an electric motor powered by an energy storage source.

4. The bowed rotor prevention system as in claim 1, wherein the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is detected based on one or more of:

a detected opening of a nacelle of the gas turbine engine, a shutoff switch accessible to maintenance personnel on the nacelle or the gas turbine engine, a computer interface command on the aircraft, a detected fault condition, a time limit, a temperature limit, or a start command of the gas turbine engine.

5. The bowed rotor prevention system as is claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to determine a bowed rotor prevention shutdown period defined as a time from when the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is detected until the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is no longer detected, and the controller resumes driving rotation of the starting spool based on the bowed rotor prevention shutdown period after rotation of the starting spool has been halted.

6. The bowed rotor prevention system as in claim 5, wherein the controller is operable to select between using the bowed rotor prevention motor and a dry motoring system comprising a starter valve configured to control a starter of the gas turbine engine to resume driving rotation of the starting spool based on the bowed rotor prevention shutdown period, a minimum resume time limit, and a start command of the gas turbine engine.

7. The bowed rotor prevention system as in claim 6, wherein the dry motoring system is configured to drives rotation of the starting spool at a continuously increasing speed up to an engine start speed.

8. The bowed rotor prevention system as in claim 6, wherein the dry motoring system is configured to drives rotation of the starting spool at a predetermined speed range below a critical rotor speed for a motoring time period.

9. A gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the gas turbine engine comprising:

a starting spool coupled to an engine accessory gearbox;

an energy storage device; and

a bowed rotor prevention system comprising;

a bowed rotor prevention motor operable to drive rotation of the starting spool through the engine accessory gearbox based on energy received from the energy storage device; and

a controller operable to engage the bowed rotor prevention motor and drive rotation of the starting spool until a bowed rotor prevention threshold condition is met or a bowed rotor prevention shutdown request to halt rotation of the starting spool is received, wherein after detecting the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request, the controller is operable to resume driving rotation of the starting spool based on determining that the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is no longer detected and the bowed rotor prevention threshold condition has not been met.

10. The gas turbine engine of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to determine a bowed rotor prevention shutdown period defined as a time from when the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is detected until the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is no longer detected, and the controller drives rotation of the starting spool based on the bowed rotor prevention shutdown period.

11. The gas turbine engine of claim 9, further comprising a dry motoring system comprising a starter valve configured to control a starter of the gas turbine engine, wherein based on detecting a fault associated with the bowed rotor prevention motor or a start command of the gas turbine engine is received prior to the bowed rotor prevention threshold condition being met, the dry motoring system is used to drive rotation of the starting spool until the bowed rotor prevention threshold condition is met.

12. A method for bowed rotor prevention for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the method comprising:

engaging a bowed rotor prevention motor with a starting spool of the gas turbine engine through an engine accessory gearbox of the gas turbine engine;

driving rotation of the starting spool by the bowed rotor prevention motor until a bowed rotor prevention threshold condition is met or a bowed rotor prevention shutdown request to halt rotation of the starting spool is received; and

after detecting the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request, resuming the driving of rotation of the starting spool based on determining that the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is no longer detected and the bowed rotor prevention threshold condition has not been met.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein the bowed rotor prevention motor is engaged and driven to rotate the starting spool based on one or more measured temperatures of the gas turbine engine, wherein the one or more measured temperatures are used to determine one or more of a time and a speed of rotation of the starting spool based on a mapping function or lookup table that selects one or more of a longer time and a higher speed for higher values of the one or more measured temperatures.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is detected based on one or more of:

a detected opening of a nacelle of the gas turbine engine, a shutoff switch accessible to maintenance personnel on the nacelle or the gas turbine engine, a computer interface command on the aircraft, a detected fault condition, a time limit, a temperature limit, or a start command of the gas turbine engine.

15. The method as in claim 12, further comprising:

determining a bowed rotor prevention shutdown period defined as a time from when the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is detected until the bowed rotor prevention shutdown request is no longer detected; and

resuming driving rotation of the starting spool based on the bowed rotor prevention shutdown period after rotation of the starting spool has been halted.

16. The method as in claim 15, further comprising:

selecting between using the bowed rotor prevention motor and a dry motoring system comprising a starter valve configured to control a starter of the gas turbine engine to resume driving rotation of the starting spool based on the bowed rotor prevention shutdown period, a minimum resume time limit, and a start command of the gas turbine engine.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the dry motoring system is selected to resume driving rotation of the starting spool based on detecting a fault associated with the bowed rotor prevention motor or a start command of the gas turbine engine is received prior to the minimum resume time limit being met.