MULTI-ENGINE PERFORMANCE MARGIN SYNCHRONIZATION ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140283527A1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ling, Richard, Gordon, Grant, Moeckly, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,458,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/793
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/28 Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/42 specially adapted for the control of two or more plants simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/02 to control rotational speed (n)
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/052 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/13 to control two or more engines simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/303 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/44 active, predictive, or anticipative

Abstract

A system and method of adaptively synchronizing the performance margin of a multi-engine system includes continuously, and in real-time, determining the performance margin of a first engine and the performance margin of the second engine. A difference between the performance margins of the first and second engines is calculated, and the first and second engines are controlled to attain a predetermined difference between the performance margins of the first and second engines.

Claims

1. A method of adaptively synchronizing performance margin of a multi-engine system, the method comprising the steps of:

continuously, and in real-time, determining the performance margin of a first engine and the performance margin of the second engine;

calculating a difference between the performance margins of the first and second engines; and

controlling the first and second engines to attain a predetermined difference between the performance margins of the first and second engines.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuously determining a control parameter of the first engine and of the second engine;

calculating a difference between the control parameters of the first and second engines.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second engines are controlled based in part on the control parameter difference.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a bias signal from the calculated difference between the performance margins.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

limiting the bias signal to a maximum allowable split between the first and second engines.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second engines are controlled based on the calculated control parameter difference and the bias signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second engines are controlled to selectively create a load imbalance between the first and second engines.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second engines are controlled to create a load imbalance between the first and second engines whenever the calculated difference between the performance margins of the first and second engines is non-zero.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of turbine inlet temperature at a predefined power condition or turbine speed at a predefined power condition is used as a measure of the performance margins of the first and second engines.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the control parameter is one or more of torque, turbine inlet temperature, and turbine speed.

11. A system for adaptively synchronizing performance margin of a multi-engine system, comprising:

a first engine configured to generate a first torque and having a determinable first engine performance margin;

a second engine configured to generate a second torque and having a determinable second engine performance margin;

a first engine controller coupled to, and associated with, the first engine, the first engine controller configured to continuously, and in real-time, determine the first engine performance margin; and

a second engine controller coupled to, and associated with, the second engine, the second engine controller configured to continuously, and in real-time, determine the second engine performance margin,

wherein the first and second engine controllers are in operable communication with each other, and each is further configured to;

calculate a difference between the first engine performance margin and the second engine performance margin; and

control its associated engine to attain a predetermined difference between the first and second engine performance margins.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each:

coupled to receive a first signal representative of a control parameter of the first engine and a second signal representative of the control parameter of the second engine; and

further configured to calculate a difference between the control parameters of the first and second engines.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each configured to control its associated engine based in part on the calculated torque difference.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each further configured to generate a bias signal from the calculated difference between the performance margins.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each further configured to limit the bias signal to a maximum allowable split between the first and second engines.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each further configured to control its associated engine based on the calculated control parameter difference and the bias signal.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each configured to control its associated engine to selectively create a load imbalance between the first and second engines.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second engine controllers are each configured to control its associated engine to create a load imbalance between the first and second engines whenever the calculated difference between the performance margins of the first and second engines is non-zero.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of turbine inlet temperature at a predefined power condition or turbine speed at a predefined power condition is used as a measure of the performance margins of the first and second engines.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control parameter is one or more of torque, turbine inlet temperature, and turbine speed.