US 11,988,159 B2
Electric machine power assist of turbine engine during idle operation
Gregory L. Detweiler, Cincinnati, OH (US); Thomas William Brown, Cincinnati, OH (US); Robert Charles Hon, Walton, KY (US); and Alan Gregory Murphy, Apple Valley, CA (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/380,524.
Prior Publication US 2023/0021937 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. F02C 9/48 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 9/48 (2013.01) [F05D 2220/323 (2013.01); F05D 2270/053 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hybrid-electric propulsion system for an aircraft, comprising:
a propulsor having a gas turbine engine and an electric machine mechanically coupled with a spool of the gas turbine engine; and
a computing system having one or more processors configured to:
receive a power command indicating the gas turbine engine is to operate in an idle condition; and
in response to the power command, cause electrical power to be provided to the electric machine to cause the electric machine to apply torque to the spool;
receive data indicating one or more operating conditions associated with the aircraft or hybrid-electric propulsion system;
determine whether the gas turbine engine is operating in a ground idle mode or a flight idle mode based at least in part on the data; and
cause an amount of fuel to be provided to a combustor of the gas turbine engine and a rate of electrical power to be provided to the electric machine based at least in part on whether the gas turbine engine is operating in the ground idle mode or the flight idle mode so that a predetermined margin is present between the torque applied to the spool by the electric machine and a maximum torque output of the electric machine wherein the predetermined margin of the flight idle mode is different than the predetermined margin of the ground idle mode.