PRE-START MOTORING SYNCHRONIZATION FOR MULTIPLE ENGINES

• US 20180022463A1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Teicholz, Matthew D., Dunn, James W., Kmetz, Christopher P., Celiberti, Louis A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,618,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/02 Aircraft characterised by the type or position of power plants fuselages specially adapted for mounting power plants B64C1/16; wings specially adapted for power plants B64C3/32
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/12 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/02 Initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 13/003 with at least two independent shafts, i.e. cross-compound
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 19/00 Starting of machines or engines; Regulating, controlling, or safety means in connection therewith warming-up before starting F01D25/10; turning or inching gear F01D25/34
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/003 Arrangements for testing or measuring for measuring vibrations G01H
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/34 Turning or inching gear
• 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: F02C 7/275 Mechanical drives
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/42 specially adapted for the control of two or more plants simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/13 to control two or more engines simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/14 to control thermoacoustic behaviour in the combustion chambers counteracting noise or vibration F05D2260/96

Abstract

An aspect includes a system for pre-start motoring synchronization for multiple engines of an aircraft. The system includes a first engine starting system of a first engine and a controller. The controller is operable to synchronize a motoring time of the first engine starting system with one or more other engine starting systems of one or more other engines of the aircraft by extending the motoring time of the first engine starting system to match, within a synchronization tolerance, the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems in a pre-start motoring sequence.

Claims

1. A system for pre-start motoring synchronization for multiple engines of an aircraft, the system comprising:

a first engine starting system of a first engine; and

a controller operable to synchronize a motoring time of the first engine starting system with one or more other engine starting systems of one or more other engines of the aircraft by extending the motoring time of the first engine starting system to match, within a synchronization tolerance, the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems in a pre-start motoring sequence.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the motoring time of the first engine starting system is synchronized with the one or more other engine starting systems by comparing an initial value of the motoring time of the first engine starting system with an initial value of the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems and selecting a largest value as the motoring time for the first engine starting system and the one or more other engine starting systems.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the controller provides the initial value of the motoring time of the first engine starting system to one or more other controllers and receives the initial value of the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems from the one or more other controllers.

4. The system as in claim 2, wherein the controller maintains the motoring time of the first engine starting system as the initial value of the motoring time of the first engine starting system based on determining that the initial value of the motoring time of the first engine starting system is greater than or equal to the initial value of the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein the pre-start motoring sequence comprises simultaneous motoring of the first engine and the one or more other engines.

6. The system as is claim 1, wherein the pre-start motoring sequence comprises sequential motoring of the first engine and the one or more other engines.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control the first engine starting system to maintain a starting spool speed of the first engine below a resonance speed during the motoring time of the first engine starting system.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to validate the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems and range limit the motoring time of the first engine starting system prior to performing motoring of the first engine during the pre-start motoring sequence.

9. A system of an aircraft, the system comprising:

a first engine system comprising a first gas turbine engine, a first starter, and a first controller operable to control the first starter to perform motoring of the first gas turbine engine in a pre-start motoring sequence; and

a second engine system comprising a second gas turbine engine, a second starter, and a second controller operable to control the second starter to perform motoring of the second gas turbine engine in the pre-start motoring sequence, wherein a motoring time of the first gas turbine engine is synchronized to match, within a synchronization tolerance, a motoring time of the second gas turbine engine by extending a lesser of the motoring time of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one engine control interface coordinates synchronization of the motoring time of the first gas turbine engine with the motoring time of the second gas turbine engine.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first controller and the second controller exchange initial values of the motoring time of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine and select a largest value as the motoring time of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the pre-start motoring sequence comprises simultaneous motoring of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the pre-start motoring sequence comprises sequential motoring of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the motoring time of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine is validated and range limited prior to performing motoring of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine during the pre-start motoring sequence.

15. A method for pre-start motoring synchronization for multiple engines of an aircraft, the method comprising:

determining, by a controller, a motoring time of a first engine starting system of a first engine;

comparing, by the controller, the motoring time of the first engine starting system with a motoring time of one or more other engine starting systems of one or more other engines of the aircraft; and

synchronizing the motoring time of the first engine starting system to match, within a synchronization tolerance, the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems by extending a lesser of the motoring time of the first engine starting system and the one or more other engine starting systems in a pre-start motoring sequence.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the controller maintains the motoring time of the first engine starting system as an initial value of the motoring time of the first engine starting system based on determining that the initial value of the motoring time of the first engine starting system is greater than or equal to an initial value of the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems.

17. The method as in claim 15, wherein the pre-start motoring sequence comprises simultaneous motoring of the first engine and the one or more other engines.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein the pre-start motoring sequence comprises sequential motoring of the first engine and the one or more other engines.

19. The method as in claim 15, further comprising controlling the first engine starting system to maintain a starting spool speed of the first engine below a resonance speed during the motoring time of the first engine starting system.

20. The method as in claim 15, further comprising:

validating the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems; and

range limiting the motoring time of the first engine starting system prior to performing motoring of the first engine during the pre-start motoring sequence.