United Technologies Corporation

Brian G Donnelly

Gerald P Dyer

Charles E Reuter

Charles F Stearns

Carl S Dudash

Robert H Perkinson

John P Nikkanen

Robert L Gukeisen

Donald E Army, Jr

Gerald J Gorneault

Charles E Wiesner

John S Jenkins

Premix nozzles and gas turbine engine systems involving such nozzles are provided. In this regard, a representative industrial gas turbine engine includes: a combustion section having a nozzle assembly operative to provide a fuel-air mixture for combustion, the nozzle assembly having an array of shuttered nozzles and non-shuttered nozzles; each of the shuttered nozzles being operative in an open position, in which air is directed through the shuttered nozzle for mixing with fuel, and a closed position, in which a reduced amount of air is directed through the shuttered nozzle; each of the shuttered nozzles being inoperative to independently alter an amount of air being directed therethrough.

Premix nozzles and gas turbine engine systems involving such nozzles

The invention is a valve system particularly useful as a bleed valve system in a gas turbine engine. The valve system includes a valve ring or partition (44) that bounds a plenum (52). The valve ring has a set of two or more fluid flow regulating apertures (46), and one or more chains (60L, 60R) of metering plates (56). Each metering plate is pivotably supported relative to one of the apertures (46) to regulate fluid flow through the aperture. A coupling system that includes a series of transfer links (76) extending between neighboring metering plates successively conveys pivotal motion and angular orientation from each metering plate to the successive metering plate in the chain. An actuation system (90) includes a drive system (94) responsive to an actuator (92) for governing the angular orientation of the metering plates.

Bleed valve system

A baffle insert or sleeve is disclosed for the integration of the downstream pressure tap into a pressure regulation valve ('PRY') for an aircraft environmental control system ('ECS'). The purpose of this insert is to return the flow, disturbed by the pivoting disk of a butterfly valve, to a more normal distribution within the length of the valve body. This allows the PRV downstream pressure tap to be part of the valve, instead of it (along with additional plumbing) being located four more pipe diameters beyond the valve housing.

Pressure regulation valve with integrated downstream pressure tap

A novel centrifugal pumping system is disclosed for supplying fuel to aircraft gas turbines. The system has a common rotor with two different sets of impeller blades on opposite sides. A regenerative/liquid-ring starting pump is located on one side of the rotor, and a centrifugal impeller is located on the other. During engine start-up, the regenerative/liquid-ring pump is capable of priming itself and supplies engine fluid and pressure. The starting pump delivers fuel until the main pump reaches a speed sufficient to provide adequate pressure for fuel delivery. At that time, the starting pump is switched off, via a valving system.

Centrifugal pump with starting stage

A fuel control system independently meters fuel flow to a first and a second set of pilot fuel nozzles, and to a set of main fuel nozzles. A pilot coaxial metering and pressure regulating valve is coupled between a primary fuel inlet line and the first and second sets of pilot nozzles, and a main coaxial metering and pressure regulating valve is coupled between the primary fuel inlet line and the set of main fuel nozzles. Each coaxial metering and pressure regulating valve maintains a substantially constant pressure drop across the respective valve, and includes a metering window. The size of each metering window is controlled by an engine electronic control unit based on the signals transmitted by a respective LVDT, in order to precisely meter the fuel flow through the valve and to the respective sets of fuel nozzles. A control pressure regulating valve maintains a minimum pressure differential between the fuel inlet line and the downstream sides of the coaxial metering and pressure regulating valves, in order to provide sufficient pressure to operate the valves, and directs excess fuel from the fuel pump into a return line. A minimum pressure and shut-off valve is coupled between each coaxial metering and pressure regulating valve and the respective fuel nozzles, in order to maintain a minimum fuel pressure level, and to terminate fuel flow to the nozzles. A sequence valve is coupled to the minimum pressure and shut-off valves to control actuation of the valves.

Fuel metering system

In a fuel staging system, metered fuel from a fuel metering unit is directed into a fuel inlet line coupled to a sequence valve. A minimum pressure valve maintains the pressure of the fuel flowing through the fuel inlet line at a minimum pressure above the low pressure of the system in order to ensure sufficient force margins to stroke the sequence valve. A main fuel manifold is coupled downstream of the sequence valve, and a plurality of main fuel nozzles are each coupled to the main fuel manifold through a respective main nozzle shut-off valve. A first set of pilot nozzles is coupled to the main fuel manifold through the sequence valve, and a second set of pilot nozzles is coupled to the main fuel manifold through the sequence valve. At low engine speeds, in the first and/or second pilot open positions, fuel flows to either pilot nozzle through the main fuel manifold, and the main fuel nozzles are isolated from the main fuel manifold by the main nozzle shut-off valves. Then, at higher engine speeds, the main nozzle shut-off valves are opened, and the sequence valve splits the fuel flow from the fuel inlet line between the main fuel manifold and the first and second pilot nozzles. The fuel in the main fuel manifold flows to the main fuel nozzles, and the remainder of the fuel split off by the sequence valve flows to the first and second pilot nozzles.

Fuel staging system

A fuel delivery system (10) incorporates a fuel splitter valve assembly (30) including a first valve (40) having a selectively positionable spool (42) disposed therein for controllably metering fuel flow therethrough for delivery to a first combustion chamber (22) and a second valve (50) operative to pass a second portion of the fuel flow to a second combustion chamber (24) while maintaining at least a desired minimum pressure upstream of the first valve (40) whenever the second combustion chamber is in operation, and to shut-off fuel flow to the second combustion chamber whenever the second combustion chamber is not in operation.

Fuel splitter valve assembly for gas turbine

A plate valve comprises a first and third plate which enclose a second plate, the second plate including a metering element having a lesser thickness than the second plate such that the metering element does not contact either of the first or third plates. The valve element is disposed within the second plate such that the valve element stokes without contacting the first and third plate regardless of the fluid pressure of the fluid being metered. The valve element is suspended by a pair of arms arranged perpendicularly to the flow of the fluid being supplied to the valve to be metered thereby.

Frictionless plate valve

A fuel control is provided having a metering means for metering a weight flow of fuel, a control for controlling the metering means, a valve for determining a change in fluid pressure of the weight flow of fuel downstream of the metering means, the valve having; a pressure reaction surface disposed in the weight flow downstream of the metering means, the surface controlling an area of a window passing the weight flow of fuel therethrough, a spring attaching to the pressure reaction surface for balancing the change in fluid pressure of the weight flow of fuel against the pressure reaction surface, and a position sensor for continuously determining a position of the pressure reaction surface and continuously sending a signal of the position to the control means, wherein the control means determines the weight flow of fuel through the valve means according to the equation: ##EQU1## whereby K is a constant, F(X) is equal to an area of the window as a function of X, X is equal to a position of the reaction surface which controls the area of the window, Fo is a preload force of the spring, Ks is equal to a spring rate of the spring, and Av equals the area of the reaction surface.

Fuel control utilizing a multifunction valve

Fuel is directed to the stages of an afterburner by metering flow to the stages with a single metering valve and by controlling the flow to each stage by means of an integral shutoff and regulating valve. Each shutoff valve opens and closes the fuel flow to a stage as required. Each regulating valve, which is housed within a respective shutoff valve, regulates flow to each segment as a function of the pressure drop across the metering valve so that a constant weight flow to the segment is achieved.

Shutoff and pressure regulating valve

A pressure measuring device is provided with an indicator such as a bourdon tube (10) for indicating the absolute value of the difference in pressure between fluids applied to the indicator through first and second conduits (15) and (20). Valve means (25) including an element (100) actuable in response to the pressure in conduits (15) and (20) consistently applies the higher pressure fluid to that portion of the indicator adapted to receive such higher pressure fluid and the lower pressure fluid to that portion of the indicator adapted to receive the lower pressure fluid. Optical means such as transmitter (115) and receiver (120) are provided for indication of the sign (positive or negative) of the pressure difference.

Pressure measuring device

A digital vortex shedding flow measuring transducer (10) includes an optical conductor (20) cantilevered to a conduit (15) accommodating the flow and an optical receiver (35) which intercepts an optical signal from the conductor as the conductor vibrates in response to vortices shed therefrom due to fluid flow thereover.

Vortex shedding flow measuring transducer

Variations in pressure drop set by an inline pressure regulating valve (70) are minimized by a spring (97) having a rate which is a select function of certain characteristics of the geometry of the flow controller and the fluid flows required to be handled thereby.

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Suffield, CT, United States of America

Brian G Donnelly