AIRCRAFT HAVING A GAS TURBINE GENERATOR WITH POWER ASSIST

• US 20180058330A1
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc. (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Munevar, Erik A.
• Granted Patent: US 11,022,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/14 Gas-turbine plants having means for storing energy, e.g. for meeting peak loads
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/26 Starting; Ignition
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/275 Mechanical drives
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/32 Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries
• 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: F02K 3/06 with front fan
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/76 an electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/42 Storage of energy

Abstract

A system platform includes a gas turbine engine coupled to a generator. The generator, driven by the gas turbine engine, supplies power to subsystems of the platform.

Claims

1. A system platform for an aircraft, the system platform comprising

a gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the combustor adapted to combine air received from the compressor with fuel and to burn the fuel to supply high pressure gasses toward the turbine to rotate an output shaft of the gas turbine engine,

a generator coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine and adapted to generate electricity when driven by the gas turbine engine,

an energy storage unit coupled to the generator and configured to store the electricity generated by the generator, and

a control system configured to selectively operate a starter of the gas turbine engine during flight in an aircraft to apply mechanical energy to the gas turbine engine such that a mass flow through the gas turbine engine is increased without increasing a fuel flow rate to the combustor.

2. The system platform of claim 1, further comprising a high pressure shaft concentric with and independently rotatable relative to the output shaft, wherein the turbine includes a high pressure turbine rotor coupled to the compressor and the high pressure shaft and a low pressure turbine rotor coupled to the output shaft.

3. The system platform of claim 2, wherein the starter is coupled to the energy storage unit and is configured to draw electricity from the energy storage unit.

4. The system platform of claim 3, wherein the starter is coupled to an accessory gearbox, and wherein the accessory gearbox is configured to transfer mechanical energy from the starter to the high pressure shaft.

5. The system platform of claim 1, wherein the starter is selectively operated when a surge margin of the gas turbine engine is below a threshold level.

6. The system platform of claim 2, further comprising a gearbox coupled to the output shaft and the generator, wherein the gearbox is configured to transfer rotation of the output shaft to the generator.

7. The system platform of claim 6, further comprising a fan coupled to the gearbox, wherein the gearbox is configured to transfer rotation of the output shaft to the fan.

18. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising a high pressure shaft concentric with and independently rotatable relative to the output shaft, wherein the turbine includes a high pressure turbine rotor coupled to the compressor and the high pressure shaft and a low pressure turbine rotor coupled to the output shaft.

19. The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the starter is coupled to an accessory gearbox, wherein the accessory gearbox is configured to transfer mechanical energy from the starter to the high pressure shaft, and wherein the starter is coupled to the energy storage unit and is configured to draw electricity from the energy storage unit.

8. A method of operating a system platform used in an aircraft, the method comprising

rotating a generator with a gas turbine engine to produce electricity, the gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the combustor adapted to combine air received from the compressor with fuel and to burn the fuel to supply high pressure gasses toward the turbine to rotate an output shaft of the gas turbine engine,

storing the electricity produced by the generator in an energy storage unit, and

selectively applying mechanical energy to the gas turbine engine using electricity from the energy storage unit during flight of the aircraft such that a mass flow through the gas turbine engine is increased without increasing a fuel flow rate to the combustor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a surge margin of the gas turbine engine.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein mechanical energy is selectively applied to the gas turbine engine when a surge margin of the gas turbine engine is below a threshold level.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the gas turbine engine further includes a high pressure shaft concentric with and independently rotatable relative to the output shaft, and wherein the turbine includes a high pressure turbine rotor coupled to the compressor and the high pressure shaft and a low pressure turbine rotor coupled to the output shaft.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a gearbox is coupled to the output shaft and the generator and configured to transfer rotation of the output shaft to the generator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a fan is coupled to the gearbox, and wherein the gearbox is configured to transfer rotation of the output shaft to the fan.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively applying mechanical energy to the gas turbine engine includes selectively operating a starter of the gas turbine engine to transfer mechanical energy from the starter to the high pressure shaft.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the starter is coupled to the energy storage unit and is configured to draw electricity from the energy storage unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the starter is coupled to an accessory gearbox, and wherein the accessory gearbox is configured to transfer mechanical energy from the starter to the high pressure shaft.

17. An aircraft comprising

an airframe adapted for flight, and

a system platform coupled to the airframe and comprising:

a gas turbine engine including a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, the combustor adapted to combine air received from the compressor with fuel and to burn the fuel to supply high pressure gasses toward the turbine to rotate an output shaft of the gas turbine engine,

a generator coupled to the output shaft of the gas turbine engine and adapted to generate electricity when driven by the gas turbine engine,

an energy storage unit coupled to the generator and configured to store the electricity generated by the generator,

a fan coupled to the output shaft and configured to provide thrust when driven by the gas turbine engine to propel the airframe,

a gearbox coupled to the output shaft, the generator, and the fan, the gearbox configured to transfer rotation of the output shaft to the generator and the fan, and

a control system configured to selectively operate a starter of the gas turbine engine to apply mechanical energy to the gas turbine engine during flight such that a mass flow through the gas turbine engine is increased without increasing a fuel flow rate to the combustor.

20. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the starter is selectively operated when a surge margin of the gas turbine engine is below a threshold level.