INTELLIGENT INTEGRATED PROPULSION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150005990A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Burns, Donald W., Zeller, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,156,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/10 of gas-turbine type jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/00 Power plant control systems; Arrangement of power plant control systems in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/14 Transmitting means between initiating means and power plants
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/36 Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H
• 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 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/06 to match engine to driven device
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/331 Mechanical loads
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/335 Output power or torque
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/44 active, predictive, or anticipative
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/00 Control of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 27/02 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

Control systems and methods for an aircraft propulsion system are disclosed in which the propulsion control system is integrated to intelligently control aircraft propulsion and minimize transient effects from the power demands of other aircraft subsystems.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one aircraft engine operable to generate a power output in response at least in part to an operator power request and sensed parameters from a flight sensor;

an engine control subsystem configured to control operation of the at least one aircraft engine;

an electrical power subsystem including at least one electrical power device that is operable to demand electric power during operation of the at least one aircraft engine; and

a propulsion controller connected to the engine control subsystem and to the electrical power subsystem with a propulsion system data bus, wherein the propulsion controller is configured to determine an anticipatory electric power demand of the at least one electrical device based on current operating conditions and provide control signals to the engine control subsystem to control the at least one aircraft engine to generate the power output to meet a total power demand, wherein the total power demand includes at least the anticipatory electric power demand and a nominal power demand based at least in part on the operator power request.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a thermal management subsystem including a heat source, wherein the thermal management subsystem is connected to the propulsion controller with the propulsion system data bus, wherein the propulsion controller is further configured to determine an anticipatory thermal power demand of the thermal management subsystem based on the current operating conditions, and the total power demand includes at least the anticipatory electric power demand, the anticipatory thermal power demand, and the nominal power demand.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a nozzle and thrust vectoring subsystem that is connected to the propulsion controller with the propulsion system data bus, wherein the propulsion controller is further configured to determine an anticipatory vectoring power demand of the nozzle and thrust vectoring subsystem based on current operating conditions, and the total power demand includes at least the anticipatory electrical power demand from the electrical power subsystem, the anticipatory thermal power demand from the thermal management subsystem, the vectoring power demand from the nozzle and thrust vectoring subsystems and the nominal power demand.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine control subsystem includes at least one smart actuator connected to the at least one aircraft engine and at least one smart fuel pump connected to the at least one aircraft engine.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the engine control subsystem further includes at least one smart sensor connected to the at least one aircraft engine and at least one fuel augmenter connected to the at least one aircraft engine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical power subsystem includes at least one energy storage device, at least one power distribution device, at least one embedded generator, and at least one embedded starter generator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electrical power subsystem includes an electric power controller connected to the propulsion system data bus, wherein each of the least one energy storage device, the at least one power distribution device, the at least one embedded generator, and the at least one embedded starter generator is connected to the electric power controller.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one aircraft engine includes two or more aircraft engines.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one aircraft engine is a gas turbine engine.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an aircraft including the at least one aircraft engine, the engine control subsystem, the electric power subsystem, and the propulsion controller.

11. A system comprising:

at least one propulsion control system including a propulsion controller connected via a first data bus to at least one flight condition sensor, wherein the propulsion controller is configured to determine a nominal power demand at least one aircraft engine according to parameters sensed by the flight condition sensor and an operator power request;

an engine control subsystem connected to the propulsion controller with a propulsion system data bus, wherein the engine control system is configured to receive signals from the propulsion controller to control operation of the at least one aircraft engine; and

at least one subsystem connected to the propulsion controller with the propulsion system data bus, wherein the propulsion controller is configured to at least one of determine an anticipatory power demand from current operating conditions of the at least one subsystem based on operational data received from the at least one subsystem over the propulsion system data bus or receive the anticipatory power demand from the at least one subsystem over the propulsion system data bus, wherein the propulsion controller is further configured to determine a total power demand that includes the nominal power demand and the anticipatory power demand and signal the total power demand to the engine control system to control the at least one aircraft engine to produce an output power that satisfies the total power demand.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one subsystem includes an electric power subsystem and the anticipatory power demand is an anticipatory electric power demand of the electric power subsystem.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the electric power subsystem includes at least one electric power controller and the electric power controller is configured to determine the anticipatory electric power demand and provide the anticipatory electric power demand to the propulsion controller via the propulsion system data bus.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one subsystem includes a thermal management subsystem and the anticipatory power demand is an anticipatory thermal power demand of the thermal management subsystem.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one subsystem includes a nozzle and thrust vectoring subsystem and the anticipatory power demand is an anticipatory vectoring power demand of the nozzle and thrust vectoring subsystem.

16. A method comprising:

determining a nominal power demand of at least one aircraft engine of an aircraft;

determining an anticipatory power demand from at least one subsystem of the aircraft, wherein the anticipatory power demand includes at least one of anticipatory electrical transient loads and anticipatory thermal loads from the at least one subsystem;

determining a total power demand that includes the nominal power demand and the anticipatory power demand; and

controlling the at least one aircraft engine to produce a power output that satisfies the total power demand.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising a propulsion controller configured to determine the nominal power demand, the anticipatory power demand, and the total power demand.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling the at least one aircraft engine includes providing control signals to an engine control subsystem, wherein the engine control system is configured to control fueling and actuation of the at least one aircraft engine to produce the output power that satisfies the total power demand.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the anticipatory power demand includes anticipatory electrical transient loads from an electric power subsystem.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the anticipatory power demand includes anticipatory transient and steady state thermal loads from a thermal management subsystem.