Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

United Technologies Corporation

Charles H Falke

Leo J Veilleux, Jr

Douglas A Parsons

Jason S Pettengill

Barry L Priest

A fuel system for a turbine engine is provided. The fuel system includes a positive displacement pump driven by an electric motor. The pump is rotated in a first direction to deliver fuel to the turbine engine, and a second direction for evacuating fuel from the turbine engine. A shut-off check valve is open in a first direction in response to a first differential pressure created by the pump in the first direction. The shut-off check valve is biased to a closed position when the pump is rotating in the second direction. An ecology check valve is biased to a closed position in the first direction and open in the second direction in response to a second differential pressure created by the pump. The check valves open and close automatically in response to the pressures generated by the positive displacement pump in each of the first and second rotational directions. In this manner, simple, reliable valves are utilized to regulate the flow of fuel in the fuel system.

Gas turbine fuel metering unit

A method for reliably starting a gas turbine engine includes commanding a rapid transient enrichment of the fuel quantity delivered to the engine combustion chamber, maintaining the fuel quantity at the enriched level while operating the engine's ignition system, and, upon the expiration of a fixed time interval or an indication of successful ignition, commanding a derichment to a fuel quantity equal to that which would be obtained during a conventional startup procedure. The degree of transient enrichment depends on the operating environment and operational state of the engine. In one embodiment of the invention the rate of enrichment corresponds to a virtual step change in the commanded fuel quantity and the rate of derichment is less than the rate of enrichment.

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Union, CT, United States of America

Charles H Falke