	US 12,258,911 B2
	Fuel unit health monitoring system
Andrew Lee, Indianapolis, IN (US); Mihir Desai, Yorba Linda, CA (US); Govindaraj Kalyanasamy, Indianapolis, IN (US); and Mark Collett, Derby (GB)
Assigned to Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US); and Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Rolls-Royce Corporation, Indianapolis, IN (US); and Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Aug. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/453,017.
Prior Publication US 2025/0067222 A1, Feb. 27, 2025
Int. Cl. F02C 9/26 (2006.01); F02C 7/22 (2006.01); F02C 7/26 (2006.01); F02C 9/28 (2006.01)

CPC F02C 9/263 (2013.01) [F02C 7/26 (2013.01); F02C 9/28 (2013.01); F02C 7/22 (2013.01)]

14 Claims

1. A method of monitoring a fuel system in a gas turbine engine, the method comprising:

pumping fuel to a combustor from a fuel tank with a pump;

controlling a flow of the fuel to the combustor with a metering valve disposed downstream of the pump;

closing a spill valve disposed downstream of the pump, wherein the spill valve is closed in fixed increments and closing the spill valve increases a pressure in the fuel system;

opening a pressure valve in response to the pressure in the fuel system being equal to or greater than a predetermined value;

capturing a degree of closing of the spill valve when the pressure valve opens; and

storing and comparing, via a controller, the respective degree of closing of the spill valve when the pressure valve opens during a plurality of startups of the gas turbine to determine a health of the fuel system or the pump.