US 12,460,578 B2
Methods of control for management of hot fuel
Brandon W. Miller, West Chester, OH (US); Robert Jon McQuiston, Evendale, OH (US); Stefan Joseph Cafaro, Chapel Hill, NC (US); Eric Richard Westervelt, Niskayuna, NY (US); Michael A. Benjamin, West Chester, OH (US); Joel M. Haynes, Loveland, OH (US); and Hejie Li, Mason, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/913,857.
Application 18/913,857 is a division of application No. 18/310,386, filed on May 1, 2023, granted, now 12,116,935.
Application 18/310,386 is a division of application No. 17/350,932, filed on Jun. 17, 2021, granted, now 11,668,241, issued on Jun. 6, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0035041 A1, Jan. 30, 2025
Int. Cl. F02C 7/22 (2006.01); F02C 7/224 (2006.01); F02C 9/28 (2006.01)
CPC F02C 7/22 (2013.01) [F02C 7/224 (2013.01); F02C 9/28 (2013.01); F05D 2220/32 (2013.01); F05D 2240/35 (2013.01); F05D 2260/20 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling a fuel supply system of a gas turbine engine, the fuel supply system comprising:
a fuel delivery system including a fuel source, a plurality of fuel lines, and at least one fuel pump;
a thermal management system comprising at least one heat exchanger in engagement with a first portion of the plurality of fuel lines and configured to increase a temperature of the fuel in the first portion of the plurality of fuel lines;
a fuel manifold downstream of the thermal management system and in fluid communication with a second portion of the plurality of fuel lines, the first portion and the second portion being in fluid communication;
three or more sensors positioned within at least one of the fuel manifold or the second portion of the plurality of fuel lines, the three or more sensors being configured to identify respective fuel parameters;
a bypass system comprising:
one or more valves upstream of the first portion of the plurality of fuel lines; and
a third portion of the plurality of fuel lines that bypasses the thermal management system, the third portion of the plurality of fuel lines being in fluid communication with the second portion of the plurality of fuel lines; and
a fuel control system that is configured to receive data from the three or more sensors indicative of the respective fuel parameters and send a signal to the bypass system to open or close the one or more valves of the bypass system based on the received data from the three or more sensors,
wherein the three or more sensors comprise at least one temperature sensor and at least two pressure sensors and the fuel parameters comprise a temperature of the fuel and pressures of the fuel, and
wherein the fuel control system is in communication with the fuel delivery system, the thermal management system, and the bypass system, and is configured to:
determine a percentage of change of one or more of the fuel parameters, and
adjust a temperature of the fuel and/or a pressure of the fuel, via communication with one or more of the fuel delivery system, the thermal management system, and the bypass system, if the percentage of change of the one or more of the fuel parameters exceeds a predetermined percentage of change of the one or more of the fuel parameters:
the method comprising:
delivering fuel from the fuel source through the plurality of fuel lines by the at least one fuel pump;
determining the fuel parameters by obtaining data from the three or more sensors;
determining a fuel flow through a nozzle by obtaining data from a flow rate sensor;
determining a nozzle flow number based on the determined fuel flow through the nozzle and each of a fuel manifold pressure and a combustor pressure obtained from the three or more sensors; and
calculating a percentage of change of the nozzle flow number and determining whether the calculated percentage of change of the nozzle flow number exceeds a predetermined percentage of change of the nozzle flow number;
increasing or decreasing an amount of heat supplied to the fuel by the thermal management system when the calculated percentage of change of the nozzle flow number exceeds the predetermined percentage of change of the nozzle flow number.
 
8. A gas turbine engine fuel supply system comprising:
a fuel delivery system including a fuel source, a plurality of fuel lines, and at least one fuel pump;
a thermal management system comprising at least one heat exchanger in engagement with a first portion of the plurality of fuel lines and configured to increase a temperature of the fuel in the first portion of the plurality of fuel lines;
a fuel manifold downstream of the thermal management system and in fluid communication with a second portion of the plurality of fuel lines, the first portion and the second portion being in fluid communication;
two or more sensors positioned within at least one of the fuel manifold or the second portion of the plurality of fuel lines, the two or more sensors being configured to identify respective fuel parameters;
a bypass system comprising:
one or more valves upstream of the first portion of the plurality of fuel lines; and
a third portion of the plurality of fuel lines that bypasses the thermal management system, the third portion of the plurality of fuel lines being in fluid communication with the second portion of the plurality of fuel lines; and
a fuel control system that is configured to receive data from the two or more sensors indicative of the respective fuel parameters and send a signal to the bypass system to open or close the one or more valves of the bypass system based on the received data from the two or more sensors,
wherein the two or more sensors comprise at least one temperature sensor and at least one pressure sensor and the fuel parameters comprise a temperature of the fuel and a pressure of the fuel, and
wherein the fuel control system is in communication with the fuel delivery system, the thermal management system, and the bypass system, and is configured to:
determine a percentage of change of one or more of the fuel parameters, and
adjust a temperature of the fuel and/or a pressure of the fuel, via communication with one or more of the fuel delivery system, the thermal management system, and the bypass system, if the percentage of change exceeds a predetermined percentage of change.