IP Library › Granted Patent US 12687464
Granted Patent B2
US 12687464 · App. 18/717,895 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Method for estimating a drift of a turbine engine fuel pump

Inventors: Loïc Pora (Moissy-Cramayel, FR); Virgile Nicolas Bastien Garnier (Moissy-Cramayel, FR)
Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
G01M15/14F02C7/232F23R3/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687464
App. No.
18/717,895
Filed
Jun 7, 2024
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2685
USPC
73/112.01
Abstract

The invention relates to a method which comprises the following steps: —measuring a pressure difference at terminals of a metering device ( 22 ) supplied with fuel by a pump ( 20 ); —calculating a position of a valve ( 24 ) regulating the pressure difference; —determining at least one estimated position of the valve from the pressure difference and at least one reference function giving the pressure difference as a function of the position; —calculating at least one value representing a drift of the pump ( 20 ) using the calculated position and the estimated position; and —comparing the value with a predetermined threshold.

Claims (28)

1 . A method for estimating a drift of a turbine engine fuel pump,

the method comprising performing the following steps:

measuring a pressure difference at terminals of a metering device supplied with fuel by a turbine engine fuel pump;

calculating a position of a valve regulating the pressure difference;

determining at least one estimated position of the valve based on the pressure difference and on at least one reference function giving the pressure difference as a function of the position;

calculating at least one value representing a drift of the pump by means of the calculated position and of the estimated position; and

comparing the value with a predetermined threshold.

2 . The method according to claim 1 which comprises a determination of the reference function.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the determination of the function occurs after a delivery of the turbine engine and prior to a commercial exploitation of the turbine engine.

4 . The method according to claim 1 wherein:

two estimated positions of the valve are determined based on the pressure difference and on two reference functions giving the pressure difference as a function of the position;

two values are calculated representing the drift of the pump by means of the calculated position and of the estimated positions; and

at least one of the values is compared with the predetermined threshold.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

at least one instantaneous value is calculated by means of the calculated position and of the estimated position; and

at least one average value representing the drift of the pump is updated by means of the instantaneous value.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

two instantaneous values are calculated by means of the calculated position and of the estimated positions; and

two average values representing the drift of the pump are updated by means of the instantaneous values.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the or each average value is a moving average.

8 . A turbine engine fuel circuit,

the circuit comprising:

at least one pump,

one metering device, the circuit being configured for supplying the metering device with fuel by the pump, the metering device comprising a sensor of a pressure difference at terminals of the metering device,

one valve configured to regulate a pressure difference at the terminals, and

means able configured to control the implementation of a method according to claim 1 .

9 . The circuit according to claim 8 wherein the pump is a positive displacement pump.

10 . A turbine engine comprising a fuel circuit according to claim 8 .