Prime-mover dynamo plants – Plural prime mover – Plural prime movers with fluid interconnection
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2001-11-13
Enad, Elvin (Department: 2834)
Prime-mover dynamo plants
Plural prime mover
Plural prime movers with fluid interconnection
C290S00400D, C290S00400D, C062S091000, C062S236000, C062S239000, C062S331000, C244S118500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316841
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to environmental control and emergency power for vehicles carrying at least one gas turbine engine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common for vehicles, such as aircraft, that carry at least one gas turbine engine to include an environmental control system (ECS) for providing temperature conditioned, pressurized air to the pilot, passengers, and heat generating electronics; an auxiliary power unit (APU) to supply auxiliary power for the aircraft; and an emergency power unit (EPU) to provide emergency power from a self-contained fuel and/or oxidizer supply commonly known as a stored energy system (SES), which, typically, is insensitive to altitude and can be activated quickly for rapid starting of the EPU.
Typically, the APU, EPU and ECS are turbo machines. There is a continuing desire to integrate the functions of these various systems into a single turbo machine to reduce components and weight. However, some prior attempts to integrate these various systems have created unacceptable performance penalties, such as unacceptable rates of fuel usage, because the optimum turbo machines of each of the various functions are of different size, speed and configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved system for providing environmental control and emergency power to a vehicle carrying at least one gas turbine engine.
According to one aspect of the invention, environmental control and electric power are provided for a vehicle carrying at least one gas turbine engine having a power turbine and a compressor, a stored energy device, a first turbine powered by the stored energy device, an expansion turbine for an air-cooling cycle, and an electric generator rotatably driven by the first turbine and the expansion turbine. The electric generator has a minimum speed required to generate electric power for the vehicle. The environment control and electric power are provided by a method including the steps of normally rotating the expansion turbine with bleed air from the compressor of the at least one gas turbine engine to generate temperature conditioned, pressurized air for the environmental control of the vehicle, driving the electric generator above the minimum speed with the expansion turbine to provide electric power for the vehicle, and, in the absence of sufficient power from the expansion turbine, maintaining the electric generator above the minimum speed by powering the first turbine with the stored energy device to provide electric power for the vehicle.
According to another aspect of the invention, a combined power and environmental control system is provided for a vehicle carrying at least one gas turbine propulsion engine having a turbine and a compressor mounted for rotation about a first axis. The system includes an auxiliary power gas turbine engine having a turbine and a compressor mounted for rotation about a second axis, a mechanical transmission connectable to the propulsion engine and the auxiliary power gas turbine engine to transmit mechanical power between the propulsion engine and the auxiliary power gas turbine engine, at least one of a hydraulic pump and an electric generator rotatably driven by said mechanical transmission, a stored energy system, and an emergency power cooling unit. The emergency power cooling unit includes an expansion turbine rotatable about a third axis by bleed air from at least one of the compressors of the propulsion engine and the auxiliary power gas turbine engine, a power turbine fixed for rotation with the expansion turbine about the third axis and connected to the stored energy system to be powered thereby, and an electric generator including a rotor fixed for rotation with the expansion and power turbines about the third axis. The rotor and the expansion and power turbines are rotatable about the third axis independent of rotation of the turbines and compressors of the propulsion and auxiliary power gas turbine engines about their respective first and second axes.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Integrated Power Systems for Future Transport Aircraft (1997) by Kenneth R. Williams.
T/EMM/Engine Integration.
Integrated Power Package In-Flight Mode, Fan Make-Up.
Enad Elvin
Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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