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EP-4223997-B1 - METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING COMPRESSOR BLEED FLOW

EP4223997B1EP 4223997 B1EP4223997 B1EP 4223997B1EP-4223997-B1

Inventors

  • DROLET, MARTIN
  • Beauchesne-Martel, Philippe
  • NG, KEVIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230206

Claims (10)

  1. A gas turbine engine (10) comprising: a compressor (32; 38) which is rotatable about a longitudinal centerline (26) of the gas turbine engine (10), the compressor (32; 38) configured to drive a core fluid flow along a core flow path (21) of the gas turbine engine (10); an annular casing (44) surrounding the compressor (32; 38), the annular casing (44) including an exterior side (46) and an interior side (48), the interior side (48) surrounding a compressor bleed cavity (50) located downstream of at least a portion of the compressor (32; 38); a bleed flow adapter (56) mounted on the exterior side (46) of the annular casing (44), the bleed flow adapter (56) in fluid communication with the compressor bleed cavity (50), the bleed flow adapter (56) including an inlet end (62), an outlet end (64), and an inner diameter surface (66) extending between the inlet end (62) and the outlet end (64), the inner diameter surface (66) defining a bleed passage (68) extending from the inlet end (62) to the outlet end (64), the bleed flow adapter (56) further including a fluid port (76) formed through the inner diameter surface (66); and a bleed flow measurement system (80) including a first pressure sensor (84) in fluid communication with the bleed passage (68) of the bleed flow adapter (56) via the fluid port (76), characterized in that the bleed flow measurement system (80) further includes a second pressure sensor (86) and a temperature sensor (88), and the second pressure sensor (86) and the temperature sensor (88) are positioned downstream of the outlet end (64) of the bleed flow adapter (56).
  2. The gas turbine engine (10) of claim 1, wherein the bleed flow measurement system (80) further includes a controller (96) in signal communication with the first pressure sensor (84), the second pressure sensor (86), and the temperature sensor (88), the controller (96) configured to determine a bleed mass flow rate of bleed fluid flowing through the bleed flow adapter (56) based on a first pressure signal from the first pressure sensor (84), a second pressure signal from the second pressure sensor (86), and a temperature signal from the temperature sensor (88).
  3. The gas turbine engine (10) of claim 2, wherein the controller (96) is configured to determine a percentage value of the bleed mass flow rate with respect to a core mass flow rate of the core fluid flow along a core flow path (21) of the gas turbine engine (10).
  4. The gas turbine engine (10) of claim 3, wherein the gas turbine engine (10) further comprises a combustor (42) configured to receive the core fluid flow from the compressor (32; 38) along the core flow path (21), wherein the controller (96) is configured to control a fuel flow rate to the combustor (42) based on the bleed mass flow rate as the percentage value.
  5. The gas turbine engine (10) of any preceding claim, wherein the bleed flow adapter (56) includes a seal seat (70) formed in the inner diameter surface (66) downstream of the fluid port (76).
  6. A method (800) for determining bleed fluid flow supplied by a gas turbine engine (10), the method (800) comprising: supplying (802) bleed fluid from a compressor (32; 38) to an external load via a bleed flow adapter (56); measuring (804) a first pressure of the bleed fluid within the bleed flow adapter (56) with a first pressure sensor (84) in fluid communication with the bleed flow adapter (56); determining (808) a bleed mass flow rate of the bleed fluid through the bleed flow adapter (56) using the measured pressure; and measuring (806) a second pressure and a temperature of the bleed fluid, with a second pressure sensor (86) and a temperature sensor (88) respectively, the second pressure sensor (86) and the temperature sensor (88) being positioned downstream of the bleed flow adapter (56).
  7. The method (800) of claim 6, wherein the second pressure is a static pressure and the temperature is a static temperature, the method (800) further comprising approximating a total pressure using the static pressure and approximating a total temperature using the static temperature.
  8. The method (800) of claim 6 or 7, wherein the step of determining (808) the bleed mass flow rate includes determining the bleed mass flow rate of the bleed fluid through the bleed flow adapter (56) using the measured temperature.
  9. The method (800) of any of claims 6 to 8, further comprising: determining (810) a core mass flow rate of a core fluid flow along a core flow path (21) of the gas turbine engine (10); and determining (812) a percentage value of the bleed mass flow rate with respect to the core mass flow rate of the core fluid flow.
  10. The method (800) of claim 9, further comprising varying a fuel flow rate to a combustor (42) of the gas turbine engine (10) to operate the gas turbine engine (10) with one or both of a predetermined engine power or a predetermined thrust as a function of the percentage value.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to instrumentation systems for aircraft gas turbine engines and more particularly to bleed fluid measurement systems and methods for determining bleed fluid flow supplied by a gas turbine engine to external loads. BACKGROUND OF THE ART In addition to providing power to an aircraft for propulsion, modern gas turbine engines are often used to provide compressor bleed fluid (e.g., air) to various external loads associated with the aircraft such as cabin air pressure systems, environmental control systems (ECS), and de-icing and/or anti-icing systems for aircraft wings and/or nacelles. Extracting compressor bleed fluid is detrimental to the engine thermodynamic cycle of the gas turbine engine because the extracted bleed fluid does not produce work in the downstream turbines. As such, bleed fluid extraction may generally be accounted for when defining aircraft power settings and when performing engine power assurance checks. For example, gas turbine engines may conventionally be operated using pre-defined sets of assumptions regarding the amount of bleed fluid used by the aircraft external loads, and the impact of the bleed fluid extraction on the associated gas turbine engine. Conservative margins regarding bleed fluid extraction have been applied in the operation of gas turbine engines in order to guarantee engine safety, but these conservative margins have also limited engine performance and operational capabilities. Accordingly, improved systems and methods for providing compressor bleed fluid to gas turbine engine external loads are needed. US-4380893-A, CN-112211726-B and US-2018/334962-A1 disclose prior art gas turbine engines. SUMMARY It should be understood that any or all of the features or embodiments described herein can be used or combined in any combination with each and every other feature or embodiment described herein unless expressly noted otherwise. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas turbine engine according to claim 1. In an embodiment, the bleed flow measurement system may further include a controller in signal communication with the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor, and the temperature sensor. The controller may be configured to determine a bleed mass flow rate of bleed fluid flowing through the bleed flow adapter based on a first pressure signal from the first pressure sensor, a second pressure signal from the second pressure sensor, and a temperature signal from the temperature sensor. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the controller may be configured to determine a percentage value of the bleed mass flow rate with respect to a core mass flow rate of the core fluid flow along a core flow path of the gas turbine engine. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the gas turbine engine may further include a combustor configured to receive the core fluid flow from the compressor along the core flow path. The controller may be configured to control a fuel flow rate to the combustor based on the bleed mass flow rate as the percentage value. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the bleed flow adapter may include a seal seat formed in the inner diameter surface downstream of the fluid port. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for determining bleed fluid flow supplied by a gas turbine engine according to claim 6. In an embodiment, the second pressure may be a static pressure and the temperature may be a static temperature. The method may further include approximating a total pressure using the static pressure and approximating a total temperature using the static temperature. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the step of determining the bleed mass flow rate may include determining the bleed mass flow rate of the bleed fluid through the bleed flow adapter using the measured temperature. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the method may further include determining a core mass flow rate of a core fluid flow along a core flow path of the gas turbine engine and determining a percentage value of the bleed mass flow rate with respect to the core mass flow rate of the core fluid flow. In any of the aspects or embodiments described above and herein, the method may further include controlling a fuel flow rate to a combustor of the gas turbine engine based on the percentage value. The present invention, and all its aspects, embodiments and advantages associated therewith will become more readily apparent in view of the detailed description provided below, including the accompanying drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a side schematic view of a gas turbine engine, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 2 illustrates perspective view of an annular casing for a compres