Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – With indicator or control of power plant
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-10
2002-08-13
Beaulieu, Yonel (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
With indicator or control of power plant
C701S104000, C060S239000, C477S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06434473
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control system for a gas turbine aeroengine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an aircraft engine, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,531, for example, a digitized electronic control unit including a microcomputer, i.e. FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control Unit) is widely used. The electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) determines a command value and sends the same to a fuel control unit (hereinafter referred to as “FCU”) interposed in a fuel supply system that pumps fuel from a fuel tank and supplies it to a fuel nozzle installed in a combustion chamber of the engine. Based on the command sent from the ECU, the FCU controls fuel supply to the engine.
The ECU and the FCU (constituting the control unit) are generally located separately at a position above or below the main engine unit and are connected with each other by wiring harnesses, connectors, etc. As a result, the control unit is likely to be large in size and heavy in weight. Moreover, in a case of a gas turbine engine, since it rotates at a high speed, the rigidity of components of the control unit must be enhanced so as to prevent resonance from occurring. This further increases the weight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is therefore to overcome the problems of the prior art by providing a control system for a gas turbine aeroengine in which the control units are configured to be reduced in size and weight and hence, reducing the occurrence of resonance which would otherwise be likely to occur.
For realizing this object, the present invention provides a system for controlling a gas turbine aeroengine having at least a turbine which is rotated by gas produced by the engine to rotate a rotor that sucks in air, having: turbine rotational speed detecting means for detecting a rotational speed of the turbine; desired power output detecting means for detecting a desired power output of the engine specified by an operator; an electronic control unit which calculates a fuel flow rate command value based at least on the detected rotational speed of the turbine and the desired power output; a fuel control unit including at least a fuel metering valve which meters fuel to be supplied to the engine based on the calculated fuel flow rate command value; and a fuel supplying system which supplies fuel to the engine through the fuel control unit; wherein the improvement comprises: the electronic control unit is integrally connected to the fuel control unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3894605 (1975-07-01), Savadorini
patent: 4056732 (1977-11-01), Martin
patent: 4716531 (1987-12-01), Saunders et al.
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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