The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2013
Filed:
May. 22, 2012
Brandon Phillip Williams, Urbandale, IA (US);
Jerry Lee Goeke, West Des Moines, IA (US);
Brandon Phillip Williams, Urbandale, IA (US);
Jerry Lee Goeke, West Des Moines, IA (US);
Delavan Inc, West Des Moines, IA (US);
Abstract
A method of actively controlling pattern factor in a gas turbine engine includes the steps of issuing fuel into a combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine through one or more circumferentially disposed fuel injectors, determining an initial circumferential pattern factor in the combustion chamber, and adjusting fuel flow through one or more selected fuel injectors based on the initial circumferential pattern factor, to yield a modified circumferential pattern factor in the combustion chamber. The step of determining the circumferential pattern factor can include the steps of detecting a chemiluminescent signature within the combustor, correlating the chemiluminescent signature to an equivalence ratio, and computing the initial circumferential pattern factor based on the equivalence ratio. Alternatively, the step of determining the circumferential pattern factor can include the steps of measuring temperatures at a plurality of circumferential positions at the combustor exit and computing the initial circumferential pattern factor based on the measured temperatures.