SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AIRCRAFT MAIN ENGINE SPEEDS
First Claim
1. An aircraft engine system, comprising:
- a main engine having a main engine speed;
a starter coupled to the main engine and configured to drive the main engine with compressed air; and
an auxiliary power unit (APU) system coupled to the starter and configured to provide the compressed air to the starter, the APU system comprisingan APU with a compressor to generate the compressed air,an APU electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the APU, the APU ECU configured to receive the engine speed of the main engine and to control operation of the APU to modify an amount of the compressed air to the starter based on the main engine speed.
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Abstract
An aircraft engine system includes a main engine having a main engine speed; a starter coupled to the main engine and configured to drive the main engine with compressed air; and an auxiliary power unit (APU) system coupled to the starter and configured to provide the compressed air to the starter. The APU system includes an APU with a compressor to generate the compressed air, and an APU electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the APU, the APU ECU configured to receive the engine speed of the main engine and to control operation of the APU to modify an amount of the compressed air to the starter based on the main engine speed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An aircraft engine system, comprising:
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a main engine having a main engine speed; a starter coupled to the main engine and configured to drive the main engine with compressed air; and an auxiliary power unit (APU) system coupled to the starter and configured to provide the compressed air to the starter, the APU system comprising an APU with a compressor to generate the compressed air, an APU electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the APU, the APU ECU configured to receive the engine speed of the main engine and to control operation of the APU to modify an amount of the compressed air to the starter based on the main engine speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating an aircraft engine system, comprising the following steps:
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receiving, at an auxiliary power unit (APU) electronic control unit (ECU), a main engine cold motoring command; receiving, at the APU ECU, a main engine speed of a main engine; and controlling operation of an auxiliary power unit (APU) based on the main engine speed and the engine cold motoring command until a predetermined main engine speed of the main engine is achieved. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An auxiliary power unit (APU) system to assist a main engine during a start operation, the APU system comprising:
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an APU compressor with inlet guide vanes, the APU compressor configured to receive ambient air through the inlet guide vanes and to compress the ambient air to generate compressed air; and an APU electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the inlet guide vanes and configured to adjust a position of the inlet guide vanes based on a main engine speed of the main engine. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification