Patent Application
20160138415
The present disclosure relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to control of guide vanes.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section for compressing air. Air entering the compressor section may not enter at a constant angle. It is desirable to optimize the flow of air into the compressor section. In order to optimize the flow of air, the gas turbine engine may include guide vanes.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.
What is described is a system for controlling an angular position of a component of an aircraft. The system includes a component having a shaft that includes at least one magnet. The system also includes a housing configured to receive the shaft and including at least one coil configured to generate a magnetic field based on a current through the at least one coil.
Also described is a system for controlling an angular position of a component of an aircraft. The system includes a component having a shaft having a longitudinal axis. The shaft includes a first row of magnets that includes a first plurality of magnets equally spaced about a circumference of the shaft. The system also includes a first power supply configured to generate a first current. The system also includes a housing configured to receive the shaft and including a first coil coupled to the first power supply. The first coil is configured to receive the first current and generate a first magnetic field based on the first current. The system also includes a controller coupled to the first power supply and configured to control the first current.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way of illustration and their best mode. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not necessarily limited to the order presented. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact.
Vane 100 may be used to direct a flow of air. In various embodiments, vane 100 may be a variable vane within a compressor or a turbine of a turbine system, such as a guide vane within a compressor of a gas turbine engine. In various embodiments, vane 100 may be any other airfoil or component that is to be controlled in an angular fashion, such as an aileron, a flap, a fan blade, a position valve or the like.
Shaft 104 and/or shaft 106 may be positioned within a housing, such as housing 350, with brief reference to
It is desirable to be able to determine the angular position of vane 100 as well as be able to control the angular position of vane 100. In order to determine and adjust the angular position, vane 100 may include magnets. Because shaft 104 and/or shaft 106 may be positioned in a housing, the housing may include position sensors and/or position control devices, such as coils connected to a power supply.
A housing (e.g., housing 350 of
With reference to
Housing 350 may include any number of coils. In the embodiment illustrated in
Position sensor 306 may include a plurality of sensors capable of detecting magnetic fields. In this fashion, position sensor 306 may be capable of detecting an angular position of shaft 104 based on detection of the magnets of shaft 104. For example, a number of sensors may be positioned within position sensor 306 that are capable of detecting a magnetic force of the magnets of shaft 104. Position sensor 306 may be adapted to transmit the detected magnetic fields to processor 312. Processor 312 may be adapted to convert the detected magnetic fields into an angular position of shaft 104.
Each power supply may be adapted to supply an independent current to each coil. Power supply 307 may be adapted to provide a variable current to coil 300 as alternating current or direct current. The current may be variable in amount and direction. Coil 300 may generate a magnetic field based on the amount and direction of current supplied by power supply 307. The greater the current, the greater the magnetic field will be, and the direction of the current determines the polarity of the magnetic field. The magnetic field generated by coil 300 may attract or repel magnets positioned on shaft 104, based on the polarity of the nearest magnet(s) and the direction of current through coil 300. This attraction or repulsion of the magnets may create a torque upon shaft 104, possibly rotating shaft 104 within housing 350.
Just as one coil can generate a torque on shaft 104, multiple coils may increase the accuracy and total torque on shaft 104. In order for coil 300, coil 302 and coil 304 to create an optimal torque on shaft 104, the coils may be spaced from each other in a manner different from the spacing than the magnets. In
A distance 352 may be present between shaft 104 and housing 350. Distance 352 may be selected based on a desired amount of torque on shaft 104. The greater distance 352 is the less torque will be applied to shaft 104 by the coils. Likewise, the smaller distance 352 is, the more torque will be applied to shaft 104 by the coils.
In various embodiments, position sensor 306 may encompass any area of housing 350. Similarly, coil 300, coil 302 and coil 304 may be positioned over any area of housing 350. As illustrated in
It is desirable for the coils to be positioned a certain distance from position sensor 306. Magnetic fields generated by the coils may cause position sensor 306 to detect a false measurement if the coils are positioned too close to position sensor 306. By positioning coils and position sensor 306 as illustrated in
Each power supply may be connected to processor 312. Processor 312 may be adapted to determine an ideal direction and amount of current to be supplied by power supply 307, power supply 308 and power supply 310 that will cause shaft 104 to be positioned at a specified angle within housing 350. In
By changing the amount of current and the direction of current flow within coil 300, coil 302 and coil 304, a torque may be applied to shaft 104 causing shaft 104 to rotate, as seen in
In block 400 it is determined whether a request has been received to rotate the shaft. This request may be received from a control system, an operator or determined by the processor. For example, the processor may determine a status of the flight, such as takeoff, airborne, landing, etc. and determine a desired position of shaft based on the flight status. In various embodiments, another control system may determine an optimal position of the shaft based on certain factors. Block 400 may also include a determination of whether the shaft is in a desired position. If the shaft is in a desired position, then no request to rotate the shaft will be determined. However, if the shaft is not in a desired position, that may be indicative of a request to rotate the shaft.
If no request has been made to rotate the shaft, the method proceeds to block 402. In block 402, the currents through each coil of the housing may be kept constant such that the shaft does not rotate. If a request has been received to rotate the shaft, then the method proceeds to block 404. In block 404, the current is adjusted through each coil. This adjustment may include changing the polarity through each coil or changing the amount of current through each coil. Block 404 may also include generating a current through a coil that previously had no current running through it or terminating current flow in a coil which previously had a current flow.
In block 406, it is determined whether the shaft is in a desired position. This may be determined based on readings from a position sensor, such as position sensor 306 of
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “various embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
