Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Richard C Oppmann

Albert H Bell, Iii

Larry L Schwartz

A gas turbine power plant, particularly adapted for powering motor vehicles. The engine includes a gas generator made up of a compressor, combustion apparatus, and a turbine driving the compressor. It also includes a power turbine energized by the flow from the gas generator rotatable independently of the gas generator. The power turbine is connected through a suitable transmission to the driving wheels of the vehicle and also drives accessory loads such as the engine fuel and oil pumps, an alternator, air conditioning, a power steering pump, and the like in the vehicle. The gas generator is substantially free of any accessory drive load, which improves the acceleration characteristics of the engine. The engine fuel control includes an underspeed governor which responds to power turbine speed and increases fuel flow as required to maintain power turbine speed at a minimum value high enough to power the accessory devices satisfactorily. A vehicle operator's engine speed request from an accelerator pedal is added to the underspeed governor output signal for operation above idle. The fuel flow to the engine is limited by a function of engine inlet air temperature and power turbine speed to limit power turbine torque so as not to overload the transmission.

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Kokomo, IN, United States of America

Richard C Oppmann