IP Library Granted Patent US 11,585,283
Granted Patent B2
US 11,585,283 · App. 17/094,340 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Gas generator speed limit and power recovery

Inventor: Alan Hisashi Steinert (Fort Worth, TX)
Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
F02C9/42B64C27/06B64C27/12B64C27/82B64D27/10B64D27/24B64D31/04B64D37/00B64D41/00F02C6/20B64C2027/8209B64D2027/026F05D2220/323F05D2220/76F05D2270/053
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,585,283
App. No.
17/094,340
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

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.

Claims (29)

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.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2021
From: BELL TEXTRON INC.
To: BELL TEXTRON RHODE ISLAND INC.
Reel/Frame 055602/0698 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2021
From: BELL TEXTRON RHODE ISLAND INC.
To: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 055603/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2020
From: STEINERT, ALAN HISASHI
To: BELL TEXTRON INC.
Reel/Frame 054327/0933 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220145810A1 · May 12, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,637,225