MULTI-ENGINE COORDINATION DURING GAS TURBINE ENGINE MOTORING

• US 20180023413A1
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• 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: Chowdhury, Subhradeep, Bostwick, David M., Gelwan, David, Schwarz, Frederick M.
• Granted Patent: US 11,047,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2041/002 Mounting arrangements for auxiliary power units (APU's)
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/12 within, or attached to, wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/34 for starting propulsion plant
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/364 Mobile units
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 19/02 dependent on temperature of component parts, e.g. of turbine-casing
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/34 Turning or inching gear
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 3/04 having a turbine driving a compressor power transmission arrangements F02C7/36; control of working fluid flow F02C9/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/20 Adaptations of gas-turbine plants for driving vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/277 the starter being a separate turbine
• 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 2220/323 for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/50 for auxiliary power units (APU's)
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/303 Temperature

Abstract

A system is provided for multi-engine coordination of gas turbine engine motoring in an aircraft. The system includes a controller operable to determine a motoring mode as a selection between a single engine dry motoring mode and a multi-engine dry motoring mode based on at least one temperature of a plurality of gas turbine engines and initiate dry motoring based on the motoring mode.

Claims

1. A system for multi-engine coordination of gas turbine engine motoring in an aircraft, the system comprising:

a controller operable to determine a motoring mode as a selection between a single engine dry motoring mode and a multi-engine dry motoring mode based on at least one temperature of a plurality of gas turbine engines and initiate dry motoring based on the motoring mode.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature is a measured core engine temperature or an oil temperature.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein dry motoring is inhibited when the aircraft is not on the ground.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein the motoring mode is further determined based on a plurality of performance parameters that are based on one or more of:

an ambient condition, performance limitations of a compressed air source and each air turbine starter driven by the compressed air source, engine drag, and parasitic factors.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein the performance parameters are determined based on one or more of:

an ambient air temperature, an ambient pressure, and an oil temperature.

6. The system as is claim 1, wherein the compressed air source is an auxiliary power unit of the aircraft, a ground cart, or a cross engine bleed.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to monitor a speed of each of the gas turbine engines when dry motoring is active and switch from the multi-engine dry motoring mode to the single engine dry motoring mode based on one or more of the gas turbine engines failing to reach or maintain a dry motoring threshold speed for a predetermined time limit.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the dry motoring threshold speed is dynamically adjusted to match a dry motoring profile.

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

a compressed air source operable to supply compressed air;

a first engine system comprising a first gas turbine engine, a first air turbine starter, a first starter air valve, and a first controller operable to command the first starter air valve to control delivery of the compressed air to the first air turbine starter during motoring of the first gas turbine engine;

a second engine system comprising a second gas turbine engine, a second air turbine starter, a second starter air valve, and a second controller operable to command the second starter air valve to control delivery of the compressed air to the second air turbine starter during motoring of the second gas turbine engine; and

at least one engine control interface operable to determine a motoring mode as a selection between a single engine dry motoring mode and a multi-engine dry motoring mode based on at least one temperature of the first and second gas turbine engines and initiate dry motoring based on the motoring mode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein dry motoring is inhibited when the aircraft is not on the ground.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the motoring mode is further determined based on a plurality of performance parameters that are based on one or more of:

an ambient condition, performance limitations of a compressed air source and each air turbine starter driven by the compressed air source, engine drag, and parasitic factors.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the compressed air source is an auxiliary power unit of the aircraft, a ground cart, or a cross engine bleed.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one engine control interface is further operable to monitor a speed of the first and second gas turbine engines when dry motoring is active and switch from the multi-engine dry motoring mode to the single engine dry motoring mode based the first or second gas turbine engine failing to reach or maintain a dry motoring threshold speed for a predetermined time limit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the dry motoring threshold speed is dynamically adjusted to match a dry motoring profile.

15. A method for multi-engine coordination during gas turbine engine motoring, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller, at least one temperature of a plurality of gas turbine engines;

determining, by the controller, a motoring mode as a selection between a single engine dry motoring mode and a multi-engine dry motoring mode based on the at least one temperature of the plurality of gas turbine engines; and

initiating dry motoring based on the motoring mode.

16. The method as in claim 15, further comprising inhibiting dry motoring when the aircraft is not on the ground.

17. The method as in claim 15, wherein the motoring mode is further determined based on a plurality of performance parameters that are based on one or more of:

an ambient condition, performance limitations of a compressed air source and each air turbine starter driven by the compressed air source, engine drag, and parasitic factors.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein the compressed air source is an auxiliary power unit of the aircraft, a ground cart, or a cross engine bleed.

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

monitoring a speed of each of the gas turbine engines when dry motoring is active; and

switching from the multi-engine dry motoring mode to the single engine dry motoring mode based on one or more of the gas turbine engines failing to reach or maintain a dry motoring threshold speed for a predetermined time limit.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein the dry motoring threshold speed is dynamically adjusted to match a dry motoring profile.