Rtx Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

United Technologies Corporation

Ramesh Rajagopalan

Stephen A Witalis

Subhradeep Chowdhury

Coy Bruce Wood

Daniel Bernard Kupratis

Joseph V Mantese

David L Lincoln

Timothy J Crowley

James W Fuller

Zubair Ahmed Baig

Joshua Adams

Sorin Bengea

Manuj Dhingra

William C Lamberti

Danbing Seto

Bradley C Schafer

Andre M Ajami

Orin G Avidane

Aircraft control architectures include a triplex sensor configured to output three signals. First and second channels are configured to receive respective signals of the three output signals, with each channel having a respective processor and are configured to output respective control signals. A remote interface device is configured to receive a third signal of the three output signals and an effector is configured to receive the first and second control signals and perform an action in response to the control signals. An output from the remote interface device is transmitted to the first and second channels and an output from each channel is received at the other channel. The control signals are based on the received signals, the received outputs from the remote interface device, and the received output from the other channel.

Aircraft hybrid duplex-triplex control architecture

A combustion assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor, a monochromator, and a photodetector assembly. The combustor forms a combustion chamber. The monochromator is disposed outside the combustion chamber. The monochromator is configured to receive an optical input from the combustion chamber and direct an optical output. The optical input has a range of light wavelengths. The optical output has a subset of the range of light wavelengths. The photodetector assembly is disposed outside the combustion chamber. The photodetector assembly is configured to receive the optical output from the monochromator and generate an output signal representative of one or more optical characteristics of the optical output.

Optical detection system for a gas turbine engine combustion assembly

An engine system for an aircraft includes a gas turbine engine and a control system. The control system is configured to motor the gas turbine engine, absent fuel burn, during a taxi mode of the aircraft. The control system is further configured to accelerate a motoring speed of the gas turbine engine, absent fuel burn, above an idle speed of the gas turbine engine to provide propulsion during the taxi mode. The control system is configured to decrease the motoring speed of the gas turbine engine, absent fuel burn, based on a change in a starting mode of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft reaching a targeted new position.

Ground-based aircraft movement

A system for neural network compensated aero-thermodynamic gas turbine engine parameter/inlet condition synthesis. The system includes an aero-thermodynamic engine model configured to produce a real-time model-based estimate of engine parameters, a machine learning model configured to generate model correction errors indicating the difference between the real-time model-based estimate of engine parameters and sensed values of the engine parameters, and a comparator configured to produce residuals indicating a difference between the real-time model-based estimate of engine parameters and the sensed values of the engine parameters. The system also includes an inlet condition estimator configured to iteratively adjust an estimate of inlet conditions based on the residuals and adaptive control laws configured to produce engine control parameters for control of gas turbine engine actuators based on the inlet conditions.

Machine learned aero-thermodynamic engine inlet condition synthesis

An engine system for an aircraft includes a first gas turbine engine, a second gas turbine engine, and a control system. The control system is configured to operate the first gas turbine engine with a sub-idle fuel burn schedule based on detecting landing of the aircraft, where the sub-idle fuel burn schedule includes a reduction of an idle fuel burn schedule. The control system is configured to operate the second gas turbine engine with the idle fuel burn schedule based on detecting landing of the aircraft.

Gas turbine engine system wear reduction

An engine parameter estimation tuning system includes an engine parameter estimator unit and a gas path analysis (GPA) unit. The engine parameter estimator unit includes an onboard model (OBM) configured to output estimated parameters based on operation of a gas turbine engine. The gas path analysis (GPA) unit includes a performance health monitor unit configured to adjust a long-term deterioration parameter independently from adjustment of a short-term tuning parameter to tune one or more targeted estimation parameters included in the estimated engine parameter. In this manner, the engine parameter estimation tuning system can realize the different time scales associated with uncertainties in an engine and accommodate them separately so that the estimated engine parameters become much more accurate.

Tuning engine parameter estimator using gas path analysis data

A gas turbine engine includes a generator that is configured to be driven by a turbine section, an electric motor that is configured to receive at least a portion of electric power from the generator, a gearbox that is mechanically coupled to both the electric motor and the generator, and a control system that has an operational amplifier that is configured to synchronize operation of the electric motor and the generator. The operational amplifier electrically couples the electric motor to the generator and is configured to define an electrical gain that matches a mechanical gain that is defined by the gearbox.

Gear and electric amplification of generator motor compressor and turbine drives

An engine system for an aircraft includes a first gas turbine engine, a second gas turbine engine, and a control system. The control system is configured to operate the first gas turbine engine with an idle fuel burn schedule in a taxi mode of the aircraft and operate the second gas turbine engine with a sub-idle fuel burn schedule in the taxi mode of the aircraft. The sub-idle fuel burn schedule includes a reduction of the idle fuel burn schedule. A fuel flow of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine is increased above the idle fuel burn schedule prior to takeoff of the aircraft.

An engine system for an aircraft includes a first gas turbine engine, a second gas turbine engine, and a control system. The control system is configured to operate the first gas turbine engine with an idle fuel burn schedule in a taxi mode of the aircraft and dry crank the second gas turbine engine in a first pre-takeoff portion of the taxi mode to cool the second gas turbine engine absent fuel burn by the second gas turbine engine. The control system operates the second gas turbine engine with a sub-idle fuel burn schedule in a second pre-takeoff portion of the taxi mode of the aircraft. The sub-idle fuel burn schedule includes a reduction of the idle fuel burn schedule. A fuel flow of the first gas turbine engine and the second gas turbine engine is increased above the idle fuel burn schedule prior to takeoff of the aircraft.

Gas turbine engine system bowed rotor start mitigation and wear reduction

A method for controlling a gas turbine engine includes: generating model parameter data as a function of prediction error data, which model parameter data includes at least one model parameter that accounts for off-nominal operation of the engine; at least partially compensating an on-board model for the prediction error data using the model parameter data; generating model term data using the on-board model, wherein the on-board model includes at least one model term that accounts for the off-nominal operation of the engine; respectively updating one or more model parameters and one or more model terms of a model-based control algorithm with the model parameter data and model term data; and generating one or more effector signals using the model-based control algorithm.

Adaptive control for a gas turbine engine

An electronic engine controller includes a commanded rotor speed input, an altitude input, and a current rotor speed input, a computer processor, and a memory storing a prediction logic. The prediction logic is operable to cause the processor to determine a predictive value representative of a closed loop transient response of a propulsion system's actual corrected low rotor speed in response to a commanded change in low rotor speed.

Growing community of inventors

Glastonbury, CT, United States of America

Ramesh Rajagopalan