Pratt-whitney Canada Corp

James Robert Jarvo

Ella Yakobov

Thomas Trevor Ricci

Philippe Beauchesne-Martel

Cédric Saintignan

Kian McCaldon

Dana Tomescu

David Waddleton

Reza Pedrami

Yusuf Razi Syed

Joseph Daniel Maxim Cirtwill

Marc-Andre Tremblay

Benjamin James Renaud

Jonathan Miller

Mario Guerra

Dariusz Chmiel

Bryan Chen

Hytham Mokhtar

Simon Sai-Ming Lam

Keith Morgan

Patrick Manoukian

Poi Loon Tang

Brant Duke

Michael R Mark

Jagoda Krzywon

Kenneth Matheson

Benoit Lachance

Joseph Ernesto Marone

Roja Tabar

Frederic Fortin

Mark Iacobacci

Mert Cevik

Bjorn Stickling

Daniel D'Anjou

Eric Martel

Jean-Philippe Royer

Elizabeth Gioia

Phillippe Beauchesne-Martel

Michael Mark

Ella Yakabov

Benjamin Renaud

Joseph Cirtwill

Kian Mccaldon

A hybrid electric propulsion system for an aircraft is provided that includes a thermal engine, an electric motor, a gearbox, an electric power storage unit, a propulsion unit, and a controller. The thermal engine has a main oil pump configured to be driven by the thermal engine. The gearbox is in communication with the thermal and electric motors. The propulsion unit includes a propeller having propeller blades, and a pitch change mechanism. The controller is in communication with the thermal and electric motors, the propulsion unit, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions when executed cause the controller to control the electric motor to operate using electrical power from the electric power storage unit to cause the main oil pump to actuate and produce a flow of engine oil to the pitch change mechanism for a period of time sufficient to feather the propeller blades.

Hybrid electric propulsion system with pitch change mechanism operation

A propeller control unit for an aircraft propulsion system including a propeller is provided. The propeller control unit includes an actuator, a pump, a flow regulator, a pressure sensor, and a controller. The actuator is configured to control a pitch of each of the propeller blades. The pump is configured to direct hydraulic fluid to the actuator. The flow regulator is in fluid communication with the pump and configured to control a hydraulic fluid pressure of the hydraulic fluid downstream of the pump. The pressure sensor is disposed downstream of the pump and upstream of the actuator. The pressure sensor is configured to measure the hydraulic fluid pressure and generate a hydraulic fluid pressure signal. The controller includes a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to monitor the hydraulic fluid pressure signal.

Systems and methods for controlling propeller control unit fluid pressure

An aircraft propeller control system for an aircraft propeller with adjustable blade angle has a blade angle feedback ring and a sensor, one of which is mounted for rotation with the propeller. The blade angle feedback ring moves longitudinally along with adjustment of the blade angle and has position markers circumferentially spaced apart at distances that vary along a longitudinal axis. The sensor is positioned adjacent the feedback ring for producing signals indicative of passage of the position markers. Intervals between signals are indicative of circumferential distances between position markers. A controller measures longitudinal position of the feedback ring based on the intervals and is configured to produce a warning signal if the longitudinal position is outside a first threshold range.

Apparatus and methods for aircraft propeller control

A hybrid-electric powerplant (HEP) of an aircraft comprises a thermal engine providing a first torque input to the HEP and an electric motor providing a second torque input to the HEP. A power management system connected to one or both of the thermal engine and the electric motor comprises an engine control unit (ECU) connected to the thermal engine. The ECU controls fuel supplied to the thermal engine. An electric propulsion control (EPC) is connected to the electric motor and controls power supplied to the electric motor. The EPC includes an EPC protection module in communication with a power source for the electric motor. The EPC protection module disables power supplied to the electric motor upon receipt of a signal indicative of one or more of an over-speed condition and an over-torque condition detected in the HEP.

Overspeed and/or overtorque protection for hybrid electric aircraft propulsion system

A method of and system for operating a hybrid electric propulsion system for an aircraft in a start sequence is provided. The hybrid electric propulsion system includes a thermal engine, an electric motor, a gearbox, an electric power storage unit, and a propulsion unit having a propeller having propeller blades. The method includes: driving the propeller from a static state to a target rotational speed within a predetermined range of speeds using the electric motor; transitioning the propeller blades from a feathered mode to an unfeathered mode while the propeller is being driven at the target rotational speed solely by the electric motor; starting the thermal engine; and transitioning the driving of the propeller using the electric motor to driving the propeller using the thermal engine.

Hybrid electric propulsion system with start sequence and shutdown sequence

A method of operating a hybrid engine for an aircraft, the hybrid engine having a thermal engine and an electric motor. The method includes verifying, using an engine control unit of the hybrid engine, that a selected power level is under a predetermined threshold for operation of the hybrid engine in a sub-idle hybrid mode. The method further includes operating the hybrid engine in the sub-idle hybrid mode, using the engine control unit, by controlling the thermal engine to operate in a standby mode, and by controlling the electric motor to operate in an active mode wherein the electric motor provides a majority of a propulsive power to the aircraft, wherein in the standby mode the thermal engine operates in a sub-idle condition to provide at most minimal propulsive power to the aircraft.

Sub-idle hybrid operation mode for hybrid electric propulsion system

Methods and system are described for operating an aircraft powerplant comprising an engine coupled to a variable-pitch propeller. The method comprises receiving a request to change a propeller rotational speed from a first setting to a second setting, determining a power need for the engine, when the power need corresponds to the second setting, modifying a command for at least one of fuel flow to the engine and oil flow to the propeller to govern the powerplant in accordance with the second setting for the propeller rotational speed, and when the power need does not correspond to the second setting, overriding the request to change the propeller rotational speed from the first setting to the second setting.

Method and system for operating an aircraft powerplant

Methods and systems of operating a gas turbine engine in a low-power condition are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes supplying fuel to a combustor by supplying fuel to a first fuel manifold and a second fuel manifold of the gas turbine engine. The method also includes, while supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold: stopping supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold; and supplying pressurized air to the second fuel manifold to flush fuel in the second fuel manifold into the combustor and hinder coking in the second fuel manifold and associated fuel nozzles.

System and method for purging a fuel manifold of a gas turbine engine through a flow divider valve

Fuel systems of gas turbine engines of aircraft, and associated methods are provided. The fuel systems and methods can permit reverse purging of one or more fuel manifolds of a gas turbine engine to prevent coking in some modes of operation. A fuel system includes first and second fuel manifolds fluidly connectable to a combustor of the gas turbine engine. A valve is operatively disposed between the second fuel manifold and a fuel supply line for controlling fuel supply to the second fuel manifold. A reservoir includes a movable piston disposed therein and dividing the reservoir into a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is fluidly connectable to the fuel supply line or to a fuel purge line via the valve. The second chamber is in fluid communication with the second fuel manifold to receive residual fuel from the second fuel manifold.

Systems and methods for purging a fuel manifold of a gas turbine engine

There is provided a blade angle feedback system for an aircraft-bladed rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and having an adjustable blade pitch angle. A feedback device is coupled to rotate with the rotor and to move along the axis with adjustment of the blade pitch angle. The feedback device comprises a body having position marker(s) embedded therein, the body made of a first material having a first magnetic permeability and the position marker(s) comprising a second material having a second magnetic permeability greater than the first. Sensor(s) are positioned adjacent the feedback device and configured for producing, as the feedback device rotates about the axis, sensor signal(s) in response to detecting passage of the position marker(s). A control unit is communicatively coupled to the sensor(s) and configured to generate a feedback signal indicative of the blade pitch angle in response to the sensor signal(s) received from the sensor(s).

Blade angle position feedback system with embedded markers

Systems and method for filling a fuel manifold comprising at least a primary and a second manifold of a gas turbine engine are described. The method comprises providing fuel flow to the secondary manifold of the gas turbine engine, the secondary manifold being partly or completely empty; monitoring at least one engine operational parameter of the gas turbine engine as fuel fills the secondary manifold; and accelerating the engine when a transition threshold is reached, the transition threshold being associated with the engine operational parameter and indicative that fuel has reached the combustor.

Systems and methods for filling a fuel manifold of a gas turbine engine

Systems and methods for operating an engine are described herein. The engine is operated at low power by supplying fuel to a combustor through a first set of fuel nozzles of at least one first manifold and without supplying fuel to the combustor through a second set of fuel nozzles of at least one second manifold. An amount of fuel to at least in part fill the at least one second manifold to impede fuel coking of the second set of fuel nozzles is determined. The amount of fuel is periodically supplied to the at least one second manifold.

Method and system for operating an engine

Systems and methods for configuring operation of an engine are described herein. A computer-readable label associate with the engine is read by a mobile device to obtain label information having at least one trim value for the engine encoded therein. The at least one trim value is extracted from the label information on the mobile device. The at least one trim value is wirelessly transmitted from the mobile device to a data transmission unit of the engine. The data transmission unit is configured for instructing an electronic engine controller to trim the engine with the at least one trim value during operation of the engine.

Method and system for configuring operation of an engine

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St. Bruno, Canada

James Robert Jarvo