Torsional damping for gas turbine engines

• US 9,938,853 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gemin, Paul Robert, Becker, Thomas Lee, Steen, Tod Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Gerald L
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORD, RENE D
• Application Number:
  US15/018,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20170114665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/04 Antivibration arrangements
• 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 7/04 Air intakes for gas-turbine plants or jet-propulsion plants
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 7/22 Fuel supply systems
• 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: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/35 Combustors or associated equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/00 Suppression of vibrations in systems damping of non-rotary systems using inertia effect F16F7/10; prevention or isolation of vibrations in machine tools B23Q11/0032; suppression of driveline vibrations in hybrid vehicle transmissions B60W30/20 ; vehicle seat suspension devices B60N2/50; methods or devices for protecting against, or damping of, acoustic waves, e.g. sound G10K11/16; Means or arrangements for avoiding or reducing out-of-balance forces, e.g. due to motion vibration absorbing or balancing means for aircraft propellers B64C11/008, for rotorcraft rotors B64C27/001 ; testing static and dynamic balance of machines or structures G01M1/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/12 using elastic members or friction-damping members, e.g. between a rotating shaft and a gyratory mass mounted thereon F16F15/14 , F16F15/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/14 using masses freely rotating with the system, i.e. uninvolved in transmitting driveline torque, e.g. rotative dynamic dampers compensation of inertia forces F16F15/22; weights for balancing rotating bodies F16F15/32
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/16 using a fluid or pasty materialF16F9/53, F16F15/13157 take precedence; devices connecting input and output members F16D
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/18 using electric, magnetic or electromagnetic means suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of non-rotating magnetic or electromagnetic means F16F15/03; dynamo-electric devices H02K; control effected upon generator excitation circuit to reduce harmful effects of overloads or transients H02P9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/24 specially adapted for suppression or reduction of noise or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/05 specially adapted for damping motor oscillations, e.g. for reducing hunting
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/04 specially adapted for damping motor oscillations, e.g. for reducing hunting
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/26 Power factor control [PFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/007 Control circuits for doubly fed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine assembly having a compressor configured to increase pressure of incoming air, a combustion chamber, at least one turbine coupled to a generator, a torsional damper, and a controller. The combustion chamber is configured to receive a pressurized air stream from the compressor. Further, fuel is injected into the pressurized air in the combustion chamber and ignited so as to raise a temperature and energy level of the pressurized air. The turbine is operatively coupled to the combustion chamber so as to receive combustion products that flow from the combustion chamber. The generator is coupled to the turbine via a shaft. Thus, the torsional damper is configured to dampen torsional oscillations of the generator. Moreover, the controller is configured to provide additional damping control to the generator.

Claims

1. A method of damping torsional oscillations of a shaft system of a gas turbine engine assembly, comprising:

providing pressurized air to a combustion chamber;

injecting fuel into the pressurized air within the combustion chamber and igniting the fuel so as to raise a temperature and energy level of the pressurized air;

providing combustion products from the combustion chamber to a turbine coupled via a shaft system to a generator; and

generating, via the generator, AC voltage;

converting, via a power converter, the AC voltage into DC voltage;

converting, via the power converter, the DC voltage to another AC voltage;

damping torsional oscillations of the shaft system via an electrical damper that includes at least one resistor, wherein the electrical damper is configured to operate on the DC voltage and is integral to the converter; and

controlling, via a controller, the at least one resistor so to prohibit the generator from having a constant power load.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising pressurizing the air via a compressor of the gas turbine engine assembly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical damper is further configured to provide damping for forced excitations introduced to the turbine engine assembly.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a power factor of the generator so as to provide additional torsional damping of the generator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling the power factor of the generator so as to provide additional torsional damping of the generator further comprises decreasing the power factor and creating losses internal to windings of the generator and connecting cables.

6. A method of damping torsional oscillations of a shaft system of a gas turbine engine assembly, comprising:

generating, via a generator connected via the shaft system, a first AC voltage;

converting, via a power converter, the first AC voltage into DC voltage;

converting, via the power converter, the DC voltage into a second AC voltage;

damping torsional oscillations of the shaft system via an electrical damper that includes at least one resistor, wherein the electrical damper is configured to operate on the DC voltage and is integral to the converter;

controlling, via a controller, the at least one resistor so to prohibit the generator from having a constant power load; and

controlling, via the controller, a power factor of the generator so as to provide additional torsional damping of the generator by creating losses internal to the generator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the shaft system operably couples a gas turbine engine and the generator.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising integrating the electrical damper into one or more electrical circuits of the power converter.