Gas turbine aircraft engine comprising an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan upstream of the engine core and driven by the turbine, the fan comprising a circumferential row of tandem fan blades. Each fan blade comprises a main blade and an auxiliary blade. Over substantially all of the auxiliary blade's radial span, the leading edge of the auxiliary blade is rearwards of the closest point on the trailing edge of the main fan blade, and on a given aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, the leading edge position of an aerofoil chordal section of the auxiliary fan blade lies on a rearwards extension of the camber line of the aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, and the main fan blade and the auxiliary fan blade are arranged to rotate in tandem.

The method can include determining a mass flow rate W of working fluid circulating through the compressor stage, determining a control parameter value associated to the geometrical configuration of the variable geometry element based on the determined value of mass flow rate W; and changing the geometrical configuration of the variable geometry element in accordance with the determined control parameter value.

The method can include determining a mass flow rate W of working fluid circulating through the compressor stage, determining a control parameter value associated to the geometrical configuration of the variable geometry element based on the determined value of mass flow rate W; and changing the geometrical configuration of the variable geometry element in accordance with the determined control parameter value.

A method and a system for providing in-flight reverse thrust for an aircraft are provided. The aircraft comprises an engine having a rotor, a compressor mechanically coupled to the rotor, and a variable geometry mechanism provided upstream of the compressor and configured to modulate an amount of compression work performed by the compressor. The method comprises operating the rotor with the variable geometry mechanism in a first position, receiving a request to increase reverse thrust for the rotor, in response to the request, adjusting the variable geometry mechanism from the first position towards a second position, the variable geometry mechanism having a greater opening angle in the second position than in the first position, and operating the rotor with the variable geometry mechanism in the second position for causing an increase in the amount of compression work performed by the compressor and an increase in reverse thrust for the rotor.

A method and a system for providing in-flight reverse thrust for an aircraft are provided. The aircraft comprises an engine having a rotor, a compressor mechanically coupled to the rotor, and a variable geometry mechanism provided upstream of the compressor and configured to modulate an amount of compression work performed by the compressor. The method comprises operating the rotor with the variable geometry mechanism in a first position, receiving a request to increase reverse thrust for the rotor, in response to the request, adjusting the variable geometry mechanism from the first position towards a second position, the variable geometry mechanism having a greater opening angle in the second position than in the first position, and operating the rotor with the variable geometry mechanism in the second position for causing an increase in the amount of compression work performed by the compressor and an increase in reverse thrust for the rotor.

A system for energy conversion that includes a propulsion system, a fuel circuit, a combustion device, a turbine, and a load device. The fuel circuit is in fluid communication with a fuel tank and a fuel flow control device that separates a flow of fuel into a first portion and a second portion. The combustion device receives a flow of oxidizer and the second portion of fuel to generate combustion gases. The turbine receives the combustion gases from the combustion device via a fluid circuit. The load device is operably coupled to the turbine via a driveshaft and is configured to receive torque from the driveshaft.

A system for energy conversion that includes a propulsion system, a fuel circuit, a combustion device, a turbine, and a load device. The fuel circuit is in fluid communication with a fuel tank and a fuel flow control device that separates a flow of fuel into a first portion and a second portion. The combustion device receives a flow of oxidizer and the second portion of fuel to generate combustion gases. The turbine receives the combustion gases from the combustion device via a fluid circuit. The load device is operably coupled to the turbine via a driveshaft and is configured to receive torque from the driveshaft.

A Raman scattered light acquisition device includes an emitting optical system configured to guide excitation light into a fluid, a scattered light window configured to define a part of a flow path of the fluid and through which Raman scattered light from the fluid irradiated with the excitation light passes, and a scattered light receiving device having a light receiving surface receiving Raman scattered light passed through the scattered light window. The scattered light window and the light receiving surface of the scattered light receiving device are disposed at a position in which they are separated from an optical axis in the fluid in a radial direction within a range in which an optical path of the excitation light in the fluid is present in an optical axis direction in which the optical axis in the fluid which is an optical axis of the excitation light in the fluid extends.

A Raman scattered light acquisition device includes an emitting optical system configured to guide excitation light into a fluid, a scattered light window configured to define a part of a flow path of the fluid and through which Raman scattered light from the fluid irradiated with the excitation light passes, and a scattered light receiving device having a light receiving surface receiving Raman scattered light passed through the scattered light window. The scattered light window and the light receiving surface of the scattered light receiving device are disposed at a position in which they are separated from an optical axis in the fluid in a radial direction within a range in which an optical path of the excitation light in the fluid is present in an optical axis direction in which the optical axis in the fluid which is an optical axis of the excitation light in the fluid extends.

A two-gas shaft turbine control system (31) is disclosed. The gas turbine control system comprises a fuel controller (35), which receives a speed error signal, indicating whether the low-pressure turbine wheel (11) of the gas turbine (1) is rotating at the desired target speed. The gas turbine control system (31) further comprises an NGV controller (41), which receives a speed error signal, indicating whether the high-pressure turbine wheel (9) of the gas turbine engine (1) is rotating at the desired target speed. Two cross channel controllers are further provided. On the basis of a gas turbine model, a first cross channel controller (43) provides a fuel control modification signal, which is added to a control signal generated by the fuel controller (35). A second cross channel controller (45) provides an NGV control modification signal. The modification signals are aimed at reducing or canceling the effect of mutual interaction between fuel control and NGV control. A two-shaft gas turbine engine system and a method of operation are further disclosed.