DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR STARTING A TURBINE ENGINE FITTED TO A HELICOPTER, MAKING USE OF AN ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE THAT INCLUDES DISCHARGE BOOSTER MEMBERS

• US 20100319357A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Lancelevee, Pierre Bertrand, Gazzino, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/778
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/26 Starting; Ignition
• 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: F05D 2220/329 in helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The invention provides a device and a method for starting at least one turbine engine (1) fitted to a helicopter. A starter (6) is fed with electrical energy from an electricity network (8) including at least one battery (9) and/or an electrical energy generator member. Discharge members (10) suitable for providing the starter (6) with a short-term boost of electrical energy in the form of a high-power pulse are incorporated in the network (8). The current pulse is delivered at a determined instant T starting from when the starter (6) is itself started, and/or from a determined threshold S for the speed and/or the variation in the speed with which the compressor (2) of the turbine engine (1) is driven, and/or from detecting D the ignition stage of the turbine engine (1), and/or from a manual control.

Claims

1. A device for starting at least one turbine engine fitted to a helicopter, the device comprising a starter that is powered with electrical energy from an electricity network including at least one source of electrical energy including at least one battery and/or an electrical energy generator member;

the source of electrical energy further including discharge members suitable for providing the starter with a short-term electrical energy boost in the form of a high-power pulse;

a plurality of the discharge members being grouped together in at least one module;

wherein the discharge members of a module are grouped together by the dozen, have individual capacitance of the order of 3000 F, and a unit voltage of about 2.7 Vdc, and are connected in series so as to make the module suitable for use on a network having a voltage of about 28 Vdc;

at least some of the discharge members forming an accessory for mounting in removable manner in the network on board the helicopter.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge members are mounted in the network either in series or in parallel relative to the battery and/or the electrical energy generator member.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein activation of the discharge members for delivering said electrical energy boost is made to depend on measurement means that may equally well be of the time-measuring type and/or of the dynamic type for detecting the drive speed of a compressor of the turbine engine and/or of the electrical type for detecting the ignition stage of the turbine engine and/or of the type for detecting climatic conditions.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein activation of the discharge members for delivering said electrical energy boost is made to depend on a control circuit for operating the starter.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the activation of the discharge members for delivering said electrical energy boost is made to depend on a manual control member.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge members are mounted in the network, being suitable for being recharged with energy from the battery and/or from the electrical energy generator member and/or from equipment external to the network for delivering electrical energy.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the network includes a DC/DC converter for regulating the current delivered by the discharge members and/or the current used for recharging them.

8. A method of starting a turbine engine fitted to a helicopter, the method making use of a device according to claim 1, wherein the method consists in feeding energy to the starter by delivering a high-power current pulse by means of discharge members to boost moderate current delivery by means of the battery and/or the current generator member.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the current pulse is delivered at an instant T determined from when the starter was itself started, and/or from a determined threshold S for the speed and/or the speed variation with which the compressor of the turbine engine is driven, and/or from detecting D the ignition stage of the turbine engine and/or from a manual control.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein it consists in extemporaneously recharging the discharge members from an energy source on board the helicopter and/or from a source that is external to the network.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein it consists in providing the energy power supply network of the starter with an optional booster source that is removable without affecting the operation of the network that is formed by at least one module grouping together a plurality of discharge members.