Coordinated main and afterburner fuel controls for gas turbine engines

Claim 1

FUEL FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE PROVIDED WITH A COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AN AFTERBURNER AND A CONTROL LEVER FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF THE ENGINE, SAID FUEL FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS COMPRISING: A SOURCE OF FUEL; A FIRST CONDUIT INCLUDING FUEL PRESSURIZING MEANS CONNECTED TO DELIVER FUEL FROM SAID SOURCE TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER; FIRST VALVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST CONDUIT FOR CONTROLLING FUEL FLOW THERETHROUGH; GOVERNOR MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ENGINE SPEED AND THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL LEVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION THEREOF AND THUS FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE TO MAINTAIN PREDETERMINED SPEED CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL LEVER; A SECOND CONDUIT INCLUDING FUEL PRESSURIZING MEANS CONNECTED TO DELIVER FUEL FROM SAID SOURCE TO THE AFTERBURNER; SECOND VALVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND CONDUIT FOR CONTROLLING FUEL FLOW THERETHROUGH; CONTROL MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE RATIO OF FLUID PRESSURES UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE GAS TURBINE AND THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL LEVER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION THEREOF AND THUS THE FUEL FLOW TO THE AFTERBURNER AS A FUNCTION OF CONTROL LEVER POSITION AND SAID FLUID PRESSURE RATIO, AND GOVERNOR RESET MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID GOVERNOR MEANS AND SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR MODIFYING THE GOVERNOR SETTING CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITION OF THE CONTROL LEVER IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREDETERMINED VARIATION IN SAID FLUID PRESSURE RATIO.