System and method for starting gas turbine engines
First Claim
1. A system for starting a gas turbine engine, said system comprising:
- a controller communicatively coupled to a starter, to an ignitor, and to at least one sensor, said controller comprising a processor programmed to;
determine an abnormal shutdown condition during operation of the gas turbine engine;
determine a first set of lightoff parameters for the gas turbine engine, wherein determining the first set of lightoff parameters comprises determining a flow rate of fuel into a combustor of the gas turbine engine and an operational status of the ignitor coupled to the combustor;
determine a temperature of a flow of exhaust gas exiting the gas turbine engine, wherein a first set of operational parameters includes at least one of the exhaust gas temperature being greater than a predetermined temperature value, a temperature rate of change value being greater than a predetermined temperature rate of change value, and a rate of change of a rotational velocity of a rotor of the gas turbine engine being greater than a predetermined rate of change value;
restart the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters, wherein said controller is configured to restart the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters comprises;
i) when a first condition is met, determining the rotational velocity of the rotor and increasing the rotational velocity, the first condition including the rotational velocity being at least one of;
substantially equal to a windmill speed value and less than a first predetermined rotational velocity value;
ii) when a second condition is met, injecting fuel into the combustor at a first flow rate and energizing the ignitor, the second condition including the rotational velocity being greater than a second predetermined rotational velocity value;
iii) when a third condition is met, turning off a starter, the third condition including;
the first set of operational parameters not being maintained for a first predetermined amount of time; and
the rotational velocity value being greater than a third predetermined velocity value for the first predetermined amount of time, the third predetermined rotational velocity value greater than the second predetermined rotational velocity value; and
iteratively, determine subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters and restarting the gas turbine engine using a respective subsequent first set of the determined subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters until the gas turbine engine maintains the first set of operational parameters, the first set of operational parameters representative of a robust lightoff of the gas turbine engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of starting a gas turbine engine includes determining an abnormal shutdown condition during operation of the gas turbine engine and determining a first set of lightoff parameters for the gas turbine engine. The method also includes restarting the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters. The method further includes iteratively determining subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters and restarting the gas turbine engine using a respective subsequent first set of the determined subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters until the gas turbine maintains a first set of operational parameters, where the first set of operational parameters is representative of a robust lightoff of the gas turbine engine.
28 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for starting a gas turbine engine, said system comprising:
- a controller communicatively coupled to a starter, to an ignitor, and to at least one sensor, said controller comprising a processor programmed to;
determine an abnormal shutdown condition during operation of the gas turbine engine; determine a first set of lightoff parameters for the gas turbine engine, wherein determining the first set of lightoff parameters comprises determining a flow rate of fuel into a combustor of the gas turbine engine and an operational status of the ignitor coupled to the combustor; determine a temperature of a flow of exhaust gas exiting the gas turbine engine, wherein a first set of operational parameters includes at least one of the exhaust gas temperature being greater than a predetermined temperature value, a temperature rate of change value being greater than a predetermined temperature rate of change value, and a rate of change of a rotational velocity of a rotor of the gas turbine engine being greater than a predetermined rate of change value; restart the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters, wherein said controller is configured to restart the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters comprises; i) when a first condition is met, determining the rotational velocity of the rotor and increasing the rotational velocity, the first condition including the rotational velocity being at least one of;
substantially equal to a windmill speed value and less than a first predetermined rotational velocity value;ii) when a second condition is met, injecting fuel into the combustor at a first flow rate and energizing the ignitor, the second condition including the rotational velocity being greater than a second predetermined rotational velocity value; iii) when a third condition is met, turning off a starter, the third condition including;
the first set of operational parameters not being maintained for a first predetermined amount of time; and
the rotational velocity value being greater than a third predetermined velocity value for the first predetermined amount of time, the third predetermined rotational velocity value greater than the second predetermined rotational velocity value; anditeratively, determine subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters and restarting the gas turbine engine using a respective subsequent first set of the determined subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters until the gas turbine engine maintains the first set of operational parameters, the first set of operational parameters representative of a robust lightoff of the gas turbine engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- a controller communicatively coupled to a starter, to an ignitor, and to at least one sensor, said controller comprising a processor programmed to;
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7. A system for starting a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine including a rotor and a combustor having an ignitor configured to ignite a fuel in the combustor, said system comprising:
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a starter in torque communication with the rotor; a fuel flow valve in serial flow communication with the combustor and configured to inject the fuel into the combustor; at least one sensor coupled to the gas turbine engine, wherein said at least one sensor comprises a speed sensor configured to measure a rotational velocity of the rotor and a plurality of sensors comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a flow of exhaust gas exiting the gas turbine engine; and a controller communicatively coupled to said starter, to said ignitor, and to said at least one sensor, said controller comprising a processor programmed to; determine an abnormal shutdown condition of the gas turbine engine; determine a first set of lightoff parameters for the gas turbine engine, wherein a first set of operational parameters includes at least one of the exhaust gas temperature being greater than a predetermined temperature value, a temperature rate of change value being greater than a predetermined temperature rate of change value, and a rate of change of the rotational velocity being greater than a predetermined rate of change value, and wherein the first set of lightoff parameters further includes a flow rate of the fuel through said fuel flow valve into the combustor and an operational status of the ignitor; restart the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters, wherein in restarting the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters, the processor is programmed to; i) transmit, when a first condition is met, a starter signal having a first value to said starter to facilitate increasing, using said starter, the rotational velocity, the first condition including the rotational velocity being at least one of;
substantially equal to a windmill speed value and less than a first predetermined rotational velocity value;ii) transmit, when a second condition is met, a valve signal having a first value to said fuel flow valve to facilitate injecting the fuel at a first flow rate and an ignitor signal having a first value to the ignitor to facilitate energizing the ignitor, the second condition including the rotational velocity being greater than a second predetermined rotational velocity value; iii) transmit, when a third condition is met, the starter signal having a second value, the second value different from the first value, to said starter to facilitate turning off said starter, the third condition including;
the first set of operational parameters not being maintained for a first predetermined amount of time and the rotational velocity value being greater than a third predetermined rotational velocity value for the first predetermined amount of time, the third predetermined rotational velocity value greater than the second predetermined rotational velocity value; anditeratively, determine subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters and restart the gas turbine engine using a respective subsequent first set of the determined subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters until the gas turbine engine maintains the first set of operational parameters, the first set of operational parameters representative of a robust lightoff of the gas turbine engine. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A non-transitory computer-readable memory having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by a computing device, the computer-executable instructions cause the computing device to:
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determine an abnormal shutdown condition during operation of a gas turbine engine; determine a first set of lightoff parameters for the gas turbine engine; determine a temperature of a flow of exhaust gas exiting the gas turbine engine, wherein a first set of operational parameters includes at least one of the exhaust gas temperature being greater than a predetermined temperature value, a temperature rate of change value being greater than a predetermined temperature rate of change value, and a rate of change of a rotational velocity of a rotor of the gas turbine engine being greater than a predetermined rate of change value; restart the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters, wherein restarting the gas turbine engine using the first set of lightoff parameters comprises; i) when a first condition is met, determining the rotational velocity of the rotor and increasing the rotational velocity, the first condition including the rotational velocity being at least one of;
substantially equal to a windmill speed value and less than a first predetermined rotational velocity value;ii) when a second condition is met, injecting fuel into the combustor at a first flow rate and energizing the ignitor, the second condition including the rotational velocity being greater than a second predetermined rotational velocity value; iii) when a third condition is met, turning off a starter, the third condition including;
the first set of operational parameters not being maintained for a first predetermined amount of time; and
the rotational velocity value being greater than a third predetermined velocity value for the first predetermined amount of time, the third predetermined rotational velocity value greater than the second predetermined rotational velocity value; anditeratively, determine subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters and restart the gas turbine engine using a respective subsequent first set of the determined subsequent first sets of lightoff parameters until the gas turbine engine maintains the first set of operational parameters, the first set of operational parameters representative of a robust lightoff of the gas turbine engine. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification