WO2020078921A1 - Variable demand fuel pump - Google Patents

Variable demand fuel pump Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2020078921A1
WO2020078921A1 PCT/EP2019/077814 EP2019077814W WO2020078921A1 WO 2020078921 A1 WO2020078921 A1 WO 2020078921A1 EP 2019077814 W EP2019077814 W EP 2019077814W WO 2020078921 A1 WO2020078921 A1 WO 2020078921A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pump
fuel
output pressure
engine
sensor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2019/077814
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
John Parker
Original Assignee
Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Eaton Intelligent Power Limited filed Critical Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
Publication of WO2020078921A1 publication Critical patent/WO2020078921A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
    • F02C9/00—Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants
    • F02C9/26—Control of fuel supply
    • F02C9/30—Control of fuel supply characterised by variable fuel pump output
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
    • F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
    • F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
    • F02C7/00—Features, components parts, details or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart form groups F02C1/00 - F02C6/00; Air intakes for jet-propulsion plants
    • F02C7/22—Fuel supply systems
    • F02C7/236—Fuel delivery systems comprising two or more pumps
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
    • F02C9/00—Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants
    • F02C9/26—Control of fuel supply
    • F02C9/42—Control of fuel supply specially adapted for the control of two or more plants simultaneously
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02C—GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS
    • F02C9/00—Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants
    • F02C9/26—Control of fuel supply
    • F02C9/46—Emergency fuel control
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D15/00—Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems
    • F04D15/0066—Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
    • F04D—NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
    • F04D15/00—Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems
    • F04D15/0088—Testing machines

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a fuel pump, and more particularly to a fuel pump that can modulate its speed to deliver the correct amount of fuel to satisfy demand.
  • Fuel pumps are used in aircraft for a number of purposes, such as transferring fuel from one tank to another.
  • a principal use of fuel pumps is to supply fuel to the engines. Under normal conditions, a specific pump will supply fuel to one particular engine; however, each pump can supply fuel to more than one engine, to provide redundancy in the event of a pump failure. Further, the pump is often specified to supply fuel to more than one engine operating at maximum thrust (in case a pump fails during a period where maximum thrust is required).
  • fuel pumps are arranged to run at full capacity (supplying enough fuel for multiple engines at maximum thrust) all of the time, with excess fuel being returned to the tank.
  • This mode of operation increases power consumption (as fuel that is not required by the engines is being pumped around the fuel system), and can reduce the life of the pump, requiring more frequent replacement.
  • a pump having a sensor for detecting output pressure of the pump and a controller for controlling a speed of the pump depending on the detected output pressure, wherein the controller is arranged to control the speed of the pump so as to maintain the output pressure at a desired level.
  • the output pressure may be sensed in any suitable manner.
  • the output pressure is sensed directly by a pressure sensor.
  • the output pressure may be sensed indirectly by a flow rate sensor or similar.
  • the pump may also include a sensor for detecting motor power of the pump. Correlating motor power and output pressure allows the efficiency of the pump to be determined, and this efficiency may be monitored so that degradation or wear of the pump can be detected.
  • the invention also extends to an aircraft having multiple engines and a pump as described above associated with each engine, wherein each pump is arranged to supply fuel to its associated engine, and is also arranged to supply fuel to another engine if the pump associated with that other engine fails.
  • a single pump is arranged to supply a single engine under normal circumstance, but can also supply other engines if their pump fails.
  • its associate engine will seek fuel from another (still-working) pump, and the output pressure at the outlet of this pump will drop (as fuel is now being demanded by two engines rather than one). This drop in pressure can be sensed, and the controller can then increase the speed of the pump to maintain output pressure at a desired level, so that fuel can be supplied to both engines.
  • the invention also extends to a method of operating a pump, comprising the steps of:
  • Figure 1 is a schematic view of a prior art fuel pump arrangement
  • Figure 2 is a schematic view of a fuel pump arrangement according to the currently preferred embodiment.
  • a prior art fuel pump arrangement includes a fuel tank, a fuel pump connected to the fuel tank, and an engine (usually a jet engine) connected to the fuel pump.
  • the fuel pump pumps fuel from the fuel tank to the jet engine.
  • the fuel pump as operated at a sufficient rate to pump enough fuel to for supply fuel to multiple engines operating at maximum thrust, to allow for pump failure during take-off.
  • the pump will normally only be supplying a single engine operating at cruise, which requires less fuel. Accordingly, the pump normally supplies more fuel than is needed, and the fuel which is not needed is returned through a fuel return line to the fuel tank.
  • the pump includes a sensor and a controller, which controls the output of the pump and allows the output of the pump to be varied.
  • a sensor such as a pressure sensor or a flow rate sensor
  • a controller can determine the output pressure of the pump from this signal, and can in turn vary the pump motor speed depending on the received signal.
  • the controller can be a microcontroller.
  • the pump senses the hydraulic load by monitoring the output pressure of the pump, whether directly, with a pressure sensor, or indirectly, by sensing the flow rate or some other parameter. It is also possible to provide both direct and indirect sensors, which allows a cross-check to be made on the detected pressure.
  • the pump normally supplies fuel sufficient for a single engine operating at cruise, and as fuel consumption for a single engine at cruise is quite steady, the output pressure of the pump will be relatively constant. However, if the engine demands more fuel for any reason, or if the pump is demanded to supply an additional engine as a result of failure of the pump which normally supplies that engine, the output pressure of the pump will fall. This drop in pressure will be detected by the sensor, and the controller can then modulate the motor speed (in this case, increase it) to maintain the output pressure.
  • the controller can decrease motor speed to again maintain the output pressure.
  • the pump Since the controller is a part of the pump, the pump is effectively self-controlling (or self- determining). Thus, there is no need for the pump to be controlled by the aircraft, and so no need for the pump to be connected to any pre-existing communication structure in the aircraft. This means that the pump is suitable to be used with a large number of aircraft.
  • further data can be gathered from the motor control system, such as motor power, speed, ambient temperature, and so on, to determine additional operating data points.
  • the output pressure can be compared with motor power measurements to allow the efficiency of the pump to be monitored (although this may require additional
  • Controlling the pump in this way reduces the power consumption of the pump, as the pump is only supplying the amount of fuel that is required at any particular time.
  • all power consumed must eventually come from the fuel carried by the aircraft, and so reducing power consumption reduces the amount of fuel required.
  • the applicant has estimated that for a typical wide-body application, making two eight-hour flights per day, the use of the pumps of the invention would save around 74 litres of fuel per day. This estimate does not include the amount of fuel required to carry the additional 74 litres, and so is conservative.
  • the pump has been described in the context of supplying fuel to the engines of an aircraft with multiple engines, it will be appreciated that the pump can be used in any situation where autonomous operation of a pump would be desirable.
  • the invention allows multiple physically identical pumps to supply different output pressures as required (for example, to allow preferential emptying of one fuel tank of an aircraft over another), by setting different output pressures of the pumps.
  • This behaviour can be "programmed" when the pumps are installed, using for example a wire link in the connector, a software parameter loaded by a maintenance tool or a message received from the aircraft over a communications bus such as AFDX, CAN or the like.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Control Of Non-Positive-Displacement Pumps (AREA)

Abstract

A pump having a sensor for detecting output pressure of the pump and a controller for controlling a speed of the pump depending on the detected output pressure, wherein the controller is arranged to control the speed of the pump so as to maintain the output pressure at a desired 5 level.

Description

VARIABLE DEMAND FUEL PUMP
The invention relates to a fuel pump, and more particularly to a fuel pump that can modulate its speed to deliver the correct amount of fuel to satisfy demand.
Fuel pumps are used in aircraft for a number of purposes, such as transferring fuel from one tank to another. A principal use of fuel pumps is to supply fuel to the engines. Under normal conditions, a specific pump will supply fuel to one particular engine; however, each pump can supply fuel to more than one engine, to provide redundancy in the event of a pump failure. Further, the pump is often specified to supply fuel to more than one engine operating at maximum thrust (in case a pump fails during a period where maximum thrust is required).
Maximum thrust is normally only required during take-off and climb (a relatively small part of the flight). Further, pump failures are infrequent, and so a pump will spend a significant proportion (greater than 90%) of its operational life supplying fuel to a single engine operating at cruise.
Currently, fuel pumps are arranged to run at full capacity (supplying enough fuel for multiple engines at maximum thrust) all of the time, with excess fuel being returned to the tank. This mode of operation increases power consumption (as fuel that is not required by the engines is being pumped around the fuel system), and can reduce the life of the pump, requiring more frequent replacement.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a pump having a sensor for detecting output pressure of the pump and a controller for controlling a speed of the pump depending on the detected output pressure, wherein the controller is arranged to control the speed of the pump so as to maintain the output pressure at a desired level.
The output pressure may be sensed in any suitable manner. In a preferred form, the output pressure is sensed directly by a pressure sensor. Alternatively or additionally, the output pressure may be sensed indirectly by a flow rate sensor or similar. The pump may also include a sensor for detecting motor power of the pump. Correlating motor power and output pressure allows the efficiency of the pump to be determined, and this efficiency may be monitored so that degradation or wear of the pump can be detected.
The invention also extends to an aircraft having multiple engines and a pump as described above associated with each engine, wherein each pump is arranged to supply fuel to its associated engine, and is also arranged to supply fuel to another engine if the pump associated with that other engine fails.
With this arrangement, a single pump is arranged to supply a single engine under normal circumstance, but can also supply other engines if their pump fails. In the event of failure of a pump, its associate engine will seek fuel from another (still-working) pump, and the output pressure at the outlet of this pump will drop (as fuel is now being demanded by two engines rather than one). This drop in pressure can be sensed, and the controller can then increase the speed of the pump to maintain output pressure at a desired level, so that fuel can be supplied to both engines.
The invention also extends to a method of operating a pump, comprising the steps of:
sensing an output pressure of the pump; and controlling the speed of the pump so as to maintain the output pressure at a desired level.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a prior art fuel pump arrangement; and
Figure 2 is a schematic view of a fuel pump arrangement according to the currently preferred embodiment.
As shown in Figure 1, a prior art fuel pump arrangement includes a fuel tank, a fuel pump connected to the fuel tank, and an engine (usually a jet engine) connected to the fuel pump. The fuel pump pumps fuel from the fuel tank to the jet engine. As mentioned above, the fuel pump as operated at a sufficient rate to pump enough fuel to for supply fuel to multiple engines operating at maximum thrust, to allow for pump failure during take-off. Flowever, the pump will normally only be supplying a single engine operating at cruise, which requires less fuel. Accordingly, the pump normally supplies more fuel than is needed, and the fuel which is not needed is returned through a fuel return line to the fuel tank. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the pump includes a sensor and a controller, which controls the output of the pump and allows the output of the pump to be varied. In the specific arrangement shown in Figure 2, a sensor (such as a pressure sensor or a flow rate sensor) is provided at or near the pump outlet, and supplies a signal corresponding to the sensed pressure or the sensed flow rate to a controller. The controller can determine the output pressure of the pump from this signal, and can in turn vary the pump motor speed depending on the received signal. The controller can be a microcontroller.
The pump senses the hydraulic load by monitoring the output pressure of the pump, whether directly, with a pressure sensor, or indirectly, by sensing the flow rate or some other parameter. It is also possible to provide both direct and indirect sensors, which allows a cross-check to be made on the detected pressure.
The pump normally supplies fuel sufficient for a single engine operating at cruise, and as fuel consumption for a single engine at cruise is quite steady, the output pressure of the pump will be relatively constant. However, if the engine demands more fuel for any reason, or if the pump is demanded to supply an additional engine as a result of failure of the pump which normally supplies that engine, the output pressure of the pump will fall. This drop in pressure will be detected by the sensor, and the controller can then modulate the motor speed (in this case, increase it) to maintain the output pressure.
Similarly, if the engine demands less fuel (for example, as the aircraft enters cruise after climbing), the output pressure of the pump will increase, and the controller can decrease motor speed to again maintain the output pressure.
Since the controller is a part of the pump, the pump is effectively self-controlling (or self- determining). Thus, there is no need for the pump to be controlled by the aircraft, and so no need for the pump to be connected to any pre-existing communication structure in the aircraft. This means that the pump is suitable to be used with a large number of aircraft.
In addition to the output pressure, further data can be gathered from the motor control system, such as motor power, speed, ambient temperature, and so on, to determine additional operating data points. The output pressure can be compared with motor power measurements to allow the efficiency of the pump to be monitored (although this may require additional
communication between the pump and the aircraft). Any change in efficiency can be detected and flagged as a potential issue, so degradation or wear of the pump can be detected quickly. It is also possible to monitor the health of the pump through frequency analysis of the pressure signal; for example, cavitation can be detected through frequency analysis in this way.
Controlling the pump in this way reduces the power consumption of the pump, as the pump is only supplying the amount of fuel that is required at any particular time. In an aircraft, all power consumed must eventually come from the fuel carried by the aircraft, and so reducing power consumption reduces the amount of fuel required. The applicant has estimated that for a typical wide-body application, making two eight-hour flights per day, the use of the pumps of the invention would save around 74 litres of fuel per day. This estimate does not include the amount of fuel required to carry the additional 74 litres, and so is conservative.
Although the pump has been described in the context of supplying fuel to the engines of an aircraft with multiple engines, it will be appreciated that the pump can be used in any situation where autonomous operation of a pump would be desirable.
In addition, the invention allows multiple physically identical pumps to supply different output pressures as required (for example, to allow preferential emptying of one fuel tank of an aircraft over another), by setting different output pressures of the pumps. This behaviour can be "programmed" when the pumps are installed, using for example a wire link in the connector, a software parameter loaded by a maintenance tool or a message received from the aircraft over a communications bus such as AFDX, CAN or the like.

Claims

1. A pump having a sensor for detecting output pressure of the pump and a controller for controlling a speed of the pump depending on the detected output pressure, wherein the controller is arranged to control the speed of the pump so as to maintain the output pressure at a desired level.
2. A pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output pressure is sensed directly by a pressure sensor.
3. A pump as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the output pressure is sensed indirectly by a flow rate sensor or similar.
4. A pump as claimed in any preceding claim, additionally having a sensor for detecting motor power of the pump.
5. An aircraft having multiple engines and a pump as claimed in any preceding claim associated with each engine, wherein each pump is arranged to supply fuel to its associated engine, and is also arranged to supply fuel to another engine if the pump associated with that other engine fails.
6. A method of operating a pump, comprising the steps of:
sensing an output pressure of the pump; and
controlling the speed of the pump so as to maintain the output pressure at a desired level.
PCT/EP2019/077814 2018-10-15 2019-10-14 Variable demand fuel pump WO2020078921A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1816771.8 2018-10-15
GB1816771.8A GB2578106A (en) 2018-10-15 2018-10-15 Variable demand fuel pump

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2020078921A1 true WO2020078921A1 (en) 2020-04-23

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Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2019/077814 WO2020078921A1 (en) 2018-10-15 2019-10-14 Variable demand fuel pump
PCT/GB2019/052927 WO2020079413A1 (en) 2018-10-15 2019-10-14 Variable demand fuel pump

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2019/052927 WO2020079413A1 (en) 2018-10-15 2019-10-14 Variable demand fuel pump

Country Status (2)

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GB (1) GB2578106A (en)
WO (2) WO2020078921A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20230417236A1 (en) * 2022-06-27 2023-12-28 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation Motor driven pump with prognostic health monitoring based on motor characteristics

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070163929A1 (en) * 2004-08-26 2007-07-19 Pentair Water Pool And Spa, Inc. Filter loading
US20100189572A1 (en) * 2009-01-23 2010-07-29 Grundfos Pumps Corporation Pump assembly having an integrated user interface
CN107963227A (en) * 2017-11-08 2018-04-27 中国航空工业集团公司金城南京机电液压工程研究中心 A kind of double hair helicopter fuel system display control panels
WO2018138456A1 (en) * 2017-01-30 2018-08-02 Safran Aircraft Engines Circuit for supplying fuel to a turbomachine

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3179077B1 (en) * 2015-12-11 2018-09-12 Airbus Operations, S.L. Fuel control system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft
FR3062422B1 (en) * 2017-01-30 2021-05-21 Safran Aircraft Engines TURBOMACHINE FUEL SUPPLY SYSTEM

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070163929A1 (en) * 2004-08-26 2007-07-19 Pentair Water Pool And Spa, Inc. Filter loading
US20100189572A1 (en) * 2009-01-23 2010-07-29 Grundfos Pumps Corporation Pump assembly having an integrated user interface
WO2018138456A1 (en) * 2017-01-30 2018-08-02 Safran Aircraft Engines Circuit for supplying fuel to a turbomachine
CN107963227A (en) * 2017-11-08 2018-04-27 中国航空工业集团公司金城南京机电液压工程研究中心 A kind of double hair helicopter fuel system display control panels

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2578106A (en) 2020-04-22
WO2020079413A1 (en) 2020-04-23
GB201816771D0 (en) 2018-11-28

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