General Electric Company

Lance Kenneth Blakeman

Mark Anthony Mueller

Mark David Durbin

David Albin Lind

Brian Francis Nestico

Peter Thomas Gibbs

Methods and systems for identifying rub events of a gas turbine engine are provided. In one exemplary aspect, one or more power level changes of the turbine engine are identified from engine operating data. For a particular identified power level change, a magnitude of the power level change and a rate of the power level change are calculated. The calculated magnitude and rate of the given power level change define a data point that is plotted on a chart of the magnitude versus the rate of power level change. The data points are filtered based on one or more operating parameters, such as flight phase, to obtain a severity threshold specific to the operating conditions of the engine/aircraft at the time the power level change was performed. One or more data points are then compared to the severity threshold to identify possible rub events.

Method and system for identifying rub events

A system and method for flame stabilization is provided that forestalls incipient lean blow out by improving flame stabilization. A combustor profile is selected that maintains desired levels of power output while minimizing or eliminating overboard air bleed and minimizing emissions. The selected combustor profile maintains average shaft power in a range of from approximately 50% up to full power while eliminating overboard air bleed in maintaining such power settings. Embodiments allow for a combustor to operate with acceptable emissions at lower flame temperature. Because the combustor can operate at lower bulk flame temperatures during part power operation, the usage of inefficient overboard bleed can be reduced or even eliminated.

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Mason, OH, United States of America

Lance Kenneth Blakeman