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US3579992A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Power plant variable geometry control

Assignee: RTX Corp
•
Filing: 1969-01-03
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Granted: 1971-05-25
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Expires: 1989-01-03
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Abstract

Abstract Means for controlling the variable geometry of a gas turbine engine having a mechanism for varying the power turbine stator geometry or the gas generator exhaust nozzle geometry to achieve maximum acceleration time by matching the geometry of the engine to the acceleration and droop schedules of the fuel control.

Inventors

  • 👤 Louis A Urban
  • 👤 Charles F Stearns

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 17:02
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02K; F02K1/00; F02K1/06; F02K1/15; F02K1/16; F02K1/17

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 282 words
Means for controlling the variable geometry of gas turbine engine having a mechanism for varying the power turbine stator geometry or the gas generator exhaust nozzle geometry and having a fuel control for regulating the flow of fuel thereto, comprising: actuating means connected to said mechanism for changing the variable geometry; first computing means for selecting the higher of two pressure signals fed thereto; second computing means for selecting the lower of two pressure signals fed thereto, the output of said second computing means being fed to said first computing means as one of said two pressure signals; feedback valve means responsive to the position of said actuating means for metering hydraulic fluid pressure to said second computing means as one of said two pressure signals; a first control valve responsive to the position of a servovalve for metering hydraulic fluid; a second control valve responsive to the speed error between the actual corrected speed and the desired corrected speed of the gas turbine engine for metering hydraulic fluid, said second control valve disposed in series with said first control valve, the fluid pressure between said control valves being fed to said second computing means as the other of said two pressure signals; normally open solenoid valve means for metering hydraulic fluid pressure to said first computing means as the other of said two pressure signals, said solenoid valve closing in response to deceleration of the gas turbine engine; and servovalve means responsive to a function of the acceleration fuel flow to the gas turbine engine and to a signal, which is the higher of the two pressure signals, from said first computing means for controlling the position of said actuating means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 282 words
Means for controlling the variable geometry of gas turbine engine having a mechanism for varying the power turbine stator geometry or the gas generator exhaust nozzle geometry and having a fuel control for regulating the flow of fuel thereto, comprising: actuating means connected to said mechanism for changing the variable geometry; first computing means for selecting the higher of two pressure signals fed thereto; second computing means for selecting the lower of two pressure signals fed thereto, the output of said second computing means being fed to said first computing means as one of said two pressure signals; feedback valve means responsive to the position of said actuating means for metering hydraulic fluid pressure to said second computing means as one of said two pressure signals; a first control valve responsive to the position of a servovalve for metering hydraulic fluid; a second control valve responsive to the speed error between the actual corrected speed and the desired corrected speed of the gas turbine engine for metering hydraulic fluid, said second control valve disposed in series with said first control valve, the fluid pressure between said control valves being fed to said second computing means as the other of said two pressure signals; normally open solenoid valve means for metering hydraulic fluid pressure to said first computing means as the other of said two pressure signals, said solenoid valve closing in response to deceleration of the gas turbine engine; and servovalve means responsive to a function of the acceleration fuel flow to the gas turbine engine and to a signal, which is the higher of the two pressure signals, from said first computing means for controlling the position of said actuating means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 141 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant having variable area geometry and having a fuel cOntrol that includes means responsive to power plant operating conditions including a power lever, said fuel control having a speed droop on area control responsive to said power lever for scheduling the steady state and acceleration operation thereof, in combination with: closed loop control means including means responsive to said acceleration schedule and said speed droop on area control for producing a first control signal for controlling the area of said variable geometry of the power plant; and feedback means responsive to the geometry change of said power plant for producing a second signal, said second signal modifying said first signal to limit nozzle area so as to maintain the operating conditions of the power plant at a predetermined value relative to said acceleration schedule.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 141 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant having variable area geometry and having a fuel cOntrol that includes means responsive to power plant operating conditions including a power lever, said fuel control having a speed droop on area control responsive to said power lever for scheduling the steady state and acceleration operation thereof, in combination with: closed loop control means including means responsive to said acceleration schedule and said speed droop on area control for producing a first control signal for controlling the area of said variable geometry of the power plant; and feedback means responsive to the geometry change of said power plant for producing a second signal, said second signal modifying said first signal to limit nozzle area so as to maintain the operating conditions of the power plant at a predetermined value relative to said acceleration schedule.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 55 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 2 in which the steady state operation is obtained by a speed droop on fuel flow control and said closed loop control means responds to said area droop control, said area droop control being matched to said droop schedule of said fuel control.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 2 wherein said power plant operating conditions includes a function of turbine inlet temperature.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 42 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 4 wherein said power plant operating conditions includes the power plant inlet temperature, the speed in revolutions per minute of the power plant and another condition of said power plant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 48 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 3 wherein said speed droop control includes means responsive to the difference between the actual speed in revolutions per minute of said power plant and the desired speed in revolutions per minute of said power plant.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 3 wherein the variable geometry is the turbine stator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 3 wherein the variable geometry is the power plant exhaust nozzle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 83 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 3 including a hydraulic circuit, a source of high pressure and a drain, an actuator connected to the variable area geometry, valve means being positioned by a pressure signal indicative of said acceleration schedule and an opposing pressure signal indicative of the area of said variable area geometry for regulating the egress and ingress of flow from said source to drain to and from said actuator for controlling the position thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 46 words
For a gas turbine type of power plant as claimed in claim 9 including a droop valve connected to said valve means for further adjusting said opposing pressure signal to further control said valve means so as to effectuate changes of the position of said actuator.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1974-05-24 1974-11-23 1975-05-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1978-05-24 1978-11-23 1979-05-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1982-05-24 1982-11-23 1983-05-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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