Shaft decouple logic for gas turbine engine
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a turbine engine containing first and second coaxial rotatable shafts, a first row of blades connected to the first shaft and a second row of blades connected to the second shaft downstream of the first row of blades, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) sensing the rotational speed of the first row of blades;
ii) sensing the rotational speed of the second row of blades;
iii) processing the signals received from the sensing steps of i) and ii); and
iv) determining the shutting of fuel flow to the engine if the signal of one of i) and ii) indicates that the speed of one of the first row of blades and the second row of blades decelerates below a minimum required level relative to the speed of the other of the first and second row of blades.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is addressed to a control logic for determining the occurrence of shaft decoupling in a gas turbine engine. The control logic in the preferred embodiment receives inputs for shaft rotational speed and/or compressor pressure and uses these parameters for making a determination of shaft decoupling in fractions of a second, before serious damage to the gas turbine engine can occur. The control logic also utilizes multiple interval sampling, and sampling over multiple channels to verify any determination of shaft decoupling. Once a shaft decouple has been verified, fuel flow to the engine is cut off, thus shutting down the engine.
-
Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A method for controlling a turbine engine containing first and second coaxial rotatable shafts, a first row of blades connected to the first shaft and a second row of blades connected to the second shaft downstream of the first row of blades, the method comprising the steps of:
-
i) sensing the rotational speed of the first row of blades;
ii) sensing the rotational speed of the second row of blades;
iii) processing the signals received from the sensing steps of i) and ii); and
iv) determining the shutting of fuel flow to the engine if the signal of one of i) and ii) indicates that the speed of one of the first row of blades and the second row of blades decelerates below a minimum required level relative to the speed of the other of the first and second row of blades. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. An apparatus for controlling a turbine engine containing first and second coaxial rotatable shafts, a first row of blades connected to the first shaft and a second row of blades connected to the second shaft downstream of the first row of blades, characterized by;
-
a speed sensor to sense rotational speed of the first row of blades;
a speed sensor to sense rotational speed of the second row of blades;
a processor to receive signals received from the speed sensors; and
a fuel controller adapted to shut off fuel flow to the engine in response to a signal received from the processor indicating a rate of change of rotational speeds of one of the first and second shafts caused by decelerating of one shaft below a minimum speed level in proportion to the rotational speed of the other of the first and second shafts. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
Specification