Active control of unsteady motion phenomena in turbomachinery
First Claim
1. In a turbomachine, a control system for actively controlling the dynamics of at least one mode of at least one unsteady motion phenomenon associated with the blading of said turbomachine, said control system having a control bandwidth which is at least partly coextensive with the bandwidth of said unsteady motion phenomenon and comprising:
- (a) an array of sensors located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon for continuously producing from each of said sensors sensor signals related to said unsteady motion phenomenon;
(b) signal processing means connected to receive said sensor signals from each of said sensors and having at least one channel for continuously processing said sensor signals and continuously outputting control signals; and
(c) actuator means located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon, said actuator means being adapted to be continuously driven by said control signals;
wherein said signal processing means comprises;
(i) means for summing sensor signals from each of said sensors in predetermined combinations thereof and weighing said sums to obtain signals representing at least one independent measure of said at least one mode in said at least one channel; and
(ii) means for modifying said signals representing said at least one independent measure in said at least one channel to obtain said control signals in controlled phase and amplitude relationship to said at least one mode, said actuator means thereby producing outputs effective to change said dynamics of said at least one mode so as to minimize the physical effects of said dynamics on said turbomachine,said turbomachine being a turbocompressor, said at least one unsteady motion phenomenon being unsteady fluid flow in said turbocompressor with at least some of said array of sensors being disposed to detect the unsteady fluid flow and produce said sensor signals.
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Abstract
A control system actively controls at least one troublesome mode of an unsteady motion phenomenon in turbomachinery in order to enable an increase in the operating range of the turbomachinery. For example, rotor blade flutter or rotating stall may be controlled in a turbocompressor. The control system has a control bandwidth which is at least partly coextensive with the bandwidth of the unsteady motion phenomenon and operates by passing sensor signals related to the unsteady motion phenomenon from a sensor array in the turbomachine to a mode filter which produces a signal or signals which are related to the troublesome mode or modes. The selected mode signals are amplified and phase-shifted by time-variable amounts so as to produce control signals having controlled amplitude and phase relationship to the troublesome mode. Actuators in an actuator array are continuously driven by the control signals and produce physical effects in the turbomachine which act counter to the troublesome mode without exciting others.
118 Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a turbomachine, a control system for actively controlling the dynamics of at least one mode of at least one unsteady motion phenomenon associated with the blading of said turbomachine, said control system having a control bandwidth which is at least partly coextensive with the bandwidth of said unsteady motion phenomenon and comprising:
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(a) an array of sensors located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon for continuously producing from each of said sensors sensor signals related to said unsteady motion phenomenon; (b) signal processing means connected to receive said sensor signals from each of said sensors and having at least one channel for continuously processing said sensor signals and continuously outputting control signals; and (c) actuator means located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon, said actuator means being adapted to be continuously driven by said control signals; wherein said signal processing means comprises; (i) means for summing sensor signals from each of said sensors in predetermined combinations thereof and weighing said sums to obtain signals representing at least one independent measure of said at least one mode in said at least one channel; and (ii) means for modifying said signals representing said at least one independent measure in said at least one channel to obtain said control signals in controlled phase and amplitude relationship to said at least one mode, said actuator means thereby producing outputs effective to change said dynamics of said at least one mode so as to minimize the physical effects of said dynamics on said turbomachine, said turbomachine being a turbocompressor, said at least one unsteady motion phenomenon being unsteady fluid flow in said turbocompressor with at least some of said array of sensors being disposed to detect the unsteady fluid flow and produce said sensor signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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9. In a gas turbine engine having combustor means, turbine means, turbocompressor means driven by said turbine means, and a fuel system for delivering fuel to said combustor means, a control system for actively controlling surge in said turbocompressor means, comprising:
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(a) an array of sensors for sensing unstable fluid flow associated with surge in said turbocompressor and continuously producing from each of said sensor'"'"'s sensor signals related to said unstable flow; (b) signal processing means connected to receive said sensor signals from each of said sensors for continuously processing said sensor signals and continuously outputting control signals; and (c) actuator means associated with said fuel system and comprising means for modulating fuel flow to said combustor thereby to modulate the gas flow in said turbocompressor, said actuator means being driven by said control signals, wherein said signal processing means comprises; (i) means for summing sensor signals from each of said sensors in predetermined combinations thereof and weighing said sums to obtain signals representing at least one independent measure of said unstable flow; and (ii) means for modifying said signals representing said at least one independent measure to obtain said control signals in controlled phase and amplitude relationship to said unstable flow, said actuator means thereby modulating said gas flow in said turbocompressor so as to minimize the physical effects of said unstable flow on said turbomachine. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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15. In a turbomachine, a control system for actively controlling the dynamics of at least one mode out of a plurality of modes of at least one unsteady motion phenomenon associated with the blading of said turbomachine, said control system having a control bandwidth which is at least partly coextensive with the bandwidth of said unsteady motion phenomenon and comprising:
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(a) an array of sensors located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon for continuously producing from each of said sensors sensor signals related to said unsteady motion phenomenon; (b) signal processing means connected to receive said sensor signals from each of said sensors and having a plurality of channels for continuously processing said sensor signals and continuously outputting control signals, said plurality of channels being at least equal in number to said plurality of modes; and (c) an array of actuators located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon, said actuators being adapted to be continuously driven by said control signals; said signal processing means comprising means (V) for obtaining a set of independent measures of said plurality of modes by obtaining a plurality of differentially weighted sums of said sensor signals, means (D) for differentially weighing said set of independent measures of said plurality of modes, and means (U) for differentially weighing said differentially weighted set of independent measures thereby producing said control signals, whereby said actuators have outputs which are weighted with respect to each other thereby to counter said at least one mode without causing said other modes to become unstable; wherein each actuator in said array of actuators comprises a fluid injector means arranged to inject additional fluid into a turbocompressor, valve means arranged to modulate the flow of fluid out of the injector means, and drive means connected to said valve means to vary the state thereof independently of other valve means in said array in accordance with said control signals thereby to cause said additional fluid to be injected to counter said unsteady motion phenomenon.
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16. In a turbomachine, a control system for actively controlling the dynamics of at least one mode out of a plurality of modes of at least one unsteady motion phenomenon associated with the blading of said turbomachine, said control system having a control bandwidth which is at least partly coextensive with the bandwidth of said unsteady motion phenomenon and comprising:
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(a) an array of sensors located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon for continuously producing from each of said sensors sensor signals related to said unsteady motion phenomenon; (b) signal processing means connected to receive said sensor signals from each of said sensors and having a plurality of channels for continuously processing said sensor signals and continuously outputting control signals, said plurality of channels being at least equal in number to said plurality of modes; and (c) an array of actuators located in said turbomachine in predetermined relationship to said unsteady motion phenomenon, said actuators being adapted to be continuously driven by said control signals; said signal processing means comprising means (V) for obtaining a set of independent measures of said plurality of modes by obtaining a plurality of differentially weighted sums of said sensor signals, means (D) for differentially weighing said set of independent measures of said plurality of modes, and means (U) for differentially weighing said differentially weighted set of independent measures thereby producing said control signals, whereby said actuators have outputs which are weighted with respect to each other thereby to counter said at least one mode without causing said other modes to become unstable; wherein each actuator in said array of actuators comprises a fluid bleed means arranged to extract fluid from a turbocompressor, valve means arranged to modulate the flow of fluid through the bleed means, and drive means connected to said valve means to vary the state thereof independently of other valve means in said array in accordance with said control signals thereby to cause said fluid to be extracted to counter said unsteady motion phenomenon.
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Specification