Disclosed are systems and methods for active inlet turbine control. The systems and methods may include receiving a plurality of signals, determining a temperature gradient across an inlet of a gas turbine engine, and transmitting an activation signal to a modulating valve. Each of the plurality of signals may correspond to a temperature measured by one of a plurality of sensors located proximate the inlet of the gas turbine engine. The temperature gradient across the inlet of the gas turbine engine may be determined based on the plurality of signals. The activation signal may be operative to open or close the modulating valve based on the temperature gradient.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for operating a combined cycle power plant (CCPP). The method may include generating a power plant model for operating the CCPP, determining whether at least two gas turbines in the power plant model generate a power output, and modeling a fuel consumption of the CCPP for a baseline split ratio between the at least two gas turbines. The method may also include determining whether the variant split ratio meets a quality threshold for the CCPP, and adjusting the CCPP to use the variant split ratio in response to the variant split ratio meeting the quality threshold.

The present disclosure concerns the communication between electronic systems in an aircraft subassembly such as a propulsion unit. This communication is at least partially carried out by light signals transmitted through at least one interior volume of the sub-assembly, this interior volume defining an optical channel. To this end, at least one of these systems includes an emitter arranged to emit a light signal and modulate it depending on data to be transmitted generated by this system, and at least one other of these systems includes at least one receiver capable of receiving this light signal.

A system includes a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout a machine, each of the sensing/control/identification devices associated with at least one sub-system component of the machine and operable to communicate through a plurality of electromagnetic signals. Shielding surrounds at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component. A communication path is integrally formed in a component of the machine to route a portion of the electromagnetic signals through the component and a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the electromagnetic signals, wherein at least a portion of the sensing/control/identification devices comprise a wide band gap semiconductor device and wherein at least a portion of the sensing/control/identification devices comprise an on-chip antenna.

Disclosed are systems and methods for active inlet turbine control. The systems and methods may include receiving a plurality of signals, determining a temperature gradient across an inlet of a gas turbine engine, and transmitting an activation signal to a modulating valve. Each of the plurality of signals may correspond to a temperature measured by one of a plurality of sensors located proximate the inlet of the gas turbine engine. The temperature gradient across the inlet of the gas turbine engine may be determined based on the plurality of signals. The activation signal may be operative to open or close the modulating valve based on the temperature gradient.

Systems and methods for controlling a gas turbine engine are provided. The system comprises an interface to a fuel flow metering valve for controlling a fuel flow to the engine in response to a fuel flow command and a controller connected to the interface and configured for outputting the fuel flow command to the fuel flow metering valve in accordance with a required fuel flow. The controller comprises a feedforward controller configured for receiving a requested engine speed and acceleration, obtaining a steady-state fuel flow for the requested engine speed and a relationship between fuel flow and gas generator speed, and determining the required fuel flow to obtain the requested engine acceleration as a function of the requested engine speed, the steady-state fuel flow, and the relationship between fuel flow and gas generator speed.

An oil system for a gas turbine engine and a method of supplying oil to the system. The oil system includes a main oil tank connected by oil lines with a supplementary oil storage tank, which has an actuator, and that are connected to one oil pump for supplying oil to the gas turbine engine. The supplementary oil storage tank is equal in size or larger than a steady state oil gulp of the system. The method includes supplying oil from a main oil tank through a pipe line using an oil pump, detecting the oil level in the oil system and determining if additional oil is required or requires removing using a sensor and an electronic controller, and transmitting a signal to an actuator to supply or remove oil to and from the pipe lines in the oil system from or into a supplementary oil storage tank.

Control systems and methods for controlling an engine. The control system includes a computation module and an input/output (I/O) module attached to the engine. The computation module is located in an area of the engine, or off-engine, that provides a more benign environment than the environment that the I/O module is subject to during operation of the engine. The I/O module includes a first processor and a first network interface device. The computation module includes a second processor with higher processing power than the first processor, and a second network interface device. The control system also includes a sensor configured to provide sensor readings to the first processor. The first processor transmits data based on the sensor readings to the second processor. The control system also includes an actuator operably coupled to the I/O module and that is controlled by the first processor based on commands from the second processor.

Control systems and methods for controlling an engine. The control system includes a computation module and an input/output (I/O) module attached to the engine. The computation module is located in an area of the engine, or off-engine, that provides a more benign environment than the environment that the I/O module is subject to during operation of the engine. The I/O module includes a first processor and a first network interface device. The computation module includes a second processor with higher processing power than the first processor, and a second network interface device. The control system also includes a sensor configured to provide sensor readings to the first processor. The first processor transmits data based on the sensor readings to the second processor. The control system also includes an actuator operably coupled to the I/O module and that is controlled by the first processor based on commands from the second processor.

A control system for a gas turbine includes a controller. The controller includes a processor configured to receive a plurality of signals from sensors disposed in the gas turbine engine system, wherein the gas turbine system engine comprises a compressor section fluidly coupled to a gas turbine section. The processor is additionally configured to derive a vanadium content in a gas turbine engine fuel based on at least one of the plurality of signals. The processor is also configured to determine if a control curve should be adjusted based on the vanadium content in the gas turbine engine fuel, and if it is determined that the control curve should be adjusted, then deriving an adjustment to the control curve based on the vanadium content, and applying the adjustment to the control curve to derive an adjusted control curve.