Control apparatus for angling guide vanes of a torque converter

• US 9,297,313 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Fuller, Jason Dean, Allen, Justin Aaron, Minto, Karl Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Wongwian, Phutthiwat
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mantyla, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US13/231,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20130061601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 607/78, 607/88, 607/87, 607/18, 607/93, 607/86, 603/54, 603/55, 603/56, 603/57, 603/58, 603/59, 603/60, 603/32, 477/53.168, 477/53, 477/168, 192/3.29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/262 Restarting after flame-out
• 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 7/27 Fluid drives turbine starters F02C7/277
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/275 Mechanical drives
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/28 Regulating systems responsive to plant or ambient parameters, e.g. temperature, pressure, rotor speed F02C9/30 - F02C9/38, F02C9/44 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/35 Combustors or associated equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/402 through friction drives
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/85 Starting

Abstract

A control apparatus for angling guide vanes of a torque converter is provided and includes a modeling unit configured to receive current condition data, to determine a current input power supplied by a starting motor from the current condition data and to output a result of the determination as a control signal and a controller, which is coupled to the modeling unit and thereby receptive of the control signal. The controller is configured to execute a comparison of the current input power with a rating of the starting motor and to angle the guide vanes of the torque converter at an angle in accordance with a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for angling guide vanes of a torque converter, the control apparatus comprising:

a modeling unit configured to receive current condition data, to determine a current input power supplied by a starting motor from the current condition data and to output a result of the determination as a control signal; and

a controller, which is coupled to the modeling unit and thereby receptive of the control signal,

the controller being configured to execute a comparison of the current input power with a rating of the starting motor and to angle the guide vanes of the torque converter at an angle in accordance with a result of the comparison, wherein the current condition data comprise at least one of;

a current rotational speed of an input shaft to which the starting motor and the torque converter are coupled;

a current guide vane angle of the guide vanes of the torque converter; and

a current rotational speed of an output shaft to which the torque converter and a compressor of a gas turbine engine are coupled,

wherein the torque converter and the starting motor form a first pair and an additional starting motor and an additional torque converter form a second pair to apply torque to the output shaft, the control apparatus controlling respective operations of the first and second pairs.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modeling unit is further configured to determine current output torque and power supplied by the torque converter and to determine an efficiency of the torque converter.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rating of the starting motor of the first pair relates to an allowable starting motor power.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rating of the starting motor of the first pair relates to an allowable starting motor speed.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rating of the starting motor of the first pair relates to an allowable starting motor acceleration.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to execute a comparison of current torque converter output torque with a torque rating of the torque converter of the first pair and to angle the guide vanes of the torque converter of the first pair at an angle in accordance with a result of the comparison.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the additional starting motor of the second pair runs, the starting motor of the second pair is electrically disconnected.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control loop unit configured to protect at least the starting motor of the first pair from damages occurring due to the starting motor of the first pair being run beyond a rating thereof.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rating of the starting motor of the first pair relates to one or more of an allowable starting motor power, an allowable starting motor speed and an allowable starting motor acceleration and the control loop unit:

takes as an input any one or more of a plurality of control signals, and

selects a minimum of the plurality of control signals as the control signal.