Gas generator speed limit and power recovery
An exemplary aircraft includes a turbine engine having a gas generator spool and a power spool, the power spool operational to drive a rotor, a first generator coupled to the gas generator spool, and a controller operable to increase a load on the gas generator spool when the gas generator spool is on a speed limit thereby increasing a speed limit margin in order to increase power available from the turbine engine.
1. A vehicle, comprising:
a turbine engine having a gas generator spool and a power spool, the power spool operational to drive a rotor;
a first generator coupled to the gas generator spool;
a second generator coupled to the power spool;
an electrical system, in operation, drawing a first electrical load from the first generator and a second electrical load from the second generator; and
a controller operable, in response to an input for an increase in power demand when the turbine engine is on a gas generator speed limit and not on a temperature limit, to increase an electrical load on the gas generator spool thereby increasing a speed limit margin and power available from the turbine engine;
wherein the controller is operable to increase the electrical load on the gas generator spool by transferring at least a portion of the second electrical load to the first generator whereby the electrical load on the gas generator spool includes the first electrical load and the at least a portion of the second electrical load.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the vertical take-off and landing aircraft is a helicopter.
4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the gas generator speed limit is a mechanical limit.
5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the gas generator speed limit is a corrected gas generator speed limit.
6. A turbine engine power recovery method, the method comprising:
operating a turbine engine in an aircraft, comprising a high-speed spool, a low-speed spool, a high-speed generator coupled to the high-speed spool and providing a first electrical load to an aircraft electrical system, and a low-speed generator coupled to the low-speed spool and providing a second electrical load to the aircraft electrical system;
boosting power of the turbine engine in response to a pilot input for additional power when the turbine engine is on a gas generator speed limit and not on a temperature limit, the boosting comprising;
increasing a speed limit margin of the turbine engine by increasing an electrical load on the high-speed spool, wherein the increasing the electrical load comprises transferring at least a portion of the second electrical load from the second generator to the first generator; and
adding fuel to the high-speed spool thereby increasing the turbine engine power.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the increasing the electrical load comprises communicating electrical power from the first generator to an electrical storage.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second electrical load includes electrically powering an electric motor that is driving an anti-torque rotor.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second electrical load comprises charging an electrical storage device.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the aircraft is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft comprising a main rotor coupled to the low-speed spool and an anti-torque fan driven by an electric motor powered by the second electrical load.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gas generator speed limit is a mechanical limit.
12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the gas generator speed limit is a corrected gas generator speed limit.
13. A turbine engine power recovery method, comprising:
detecting that a turbine engine is operating on a gas generator speed limit, wherein the turbine engine comprises a high-speed spool, a low-speed spool, a first generator coupled to the high-speed spool and supplying a first electrical load to an electrical system, and a second generator coupled to the low-speed spool and supplying a second electrical load to the electrical system;
receiving a demand for additional turbine engine power while at the gas generator speed limit;
increasing, responsive to the demand for additional power and while on the gas generator speed limit, an electrical load on the high-speed spool thereby reducing a speed of the high-speed spool from the gas generator speed limit, wherein the increasing the electrical load comprises transferring at least a portion of the second electrical load from the second generator to the first generator; and
adding, responsive to the demand for additional power, additional fuel to the high-speed spool thereby increasing the speed of the high-speed spool and producing additional power.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gas generator speed limit is a mechanical limit.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gas generator speed limit is a corrected gas generator speed limit.