Method and system for regulating a non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine

Abstract

A method for controlling a non-propulsive power generation turbine engine configured to supply power to a plurality of propulsion rotors of an aircraft, each propulsion rotor being connected to a power distribution module through at least one power supply bus, the turbine engine supplying each power supply bus via the power distribution module at a supply rate, the control method comprising a step of determining the power requirement of each power supply bus depending on the power requirement of each propulsion rotor, a step of determining the basic power requirement of each power supply bus, a step of determining the overall power requirement based on all the basic power requirements of the power supply buses and a step of determining an anticipation parameter based on the overall power requirement.

Claims

1. A method for regulating a non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine configured to supply electrically a plurality of propulsion rotors of an aircraft, each propulsion rotor being connected to an energy distribution module by at least one supply bus, the turbomachine supplying each supply bus via the energy distribution module according to a supply rate, the turbomachine comprising a high-pressure shaft and having a high-pressure rotation speed N1, and a low-pressure shaft, having a low-pressure rotation speed N2, the regulation method comprising: a step of determining the power requirement of each propulsion rotor, a step of determining the power requirement of each supply bus as a function of the power requirement of each propulsion rotor, a step of determining the elementary power requirement of each supply bus as a function of the supply rate and the power requirement of each supply bus, a step of determining the overall power requirement from all of the elementary power requirements of the supply buses, a step of determining an anticipation parameter from the overall power requirement, a step of determining a high-pressure rotation speed set point from a low-pressure rotation speed set point and from a measurement of the low-pressure rotation speed of the turbomachine and of said anticipation parameter, and a step of determining a fuel flow rate set point of the turbomachine from the high-pressure rotation speed set point and from a measurement of the high-pressure rotation speed.

2. The method for regulating according to claim 1, wherein the energy distribution module is configured to supply each supply bus by the turbomachine and by a battery.

3. The method for regulating according to claim 1, wherein the power requirement of a propulsion rotor is determined as a function of at least one of the following parameters of said propulsion rotor: the thrust, the rotation speed and the pitch of said propulsion rotor.

4. The method for regulating according to claim 1, wherein at least two propulsion rotors are electrically connected to the energy distribution module by the same supply bus.

5. The method for regulating according to claim 4, wherein, the supply bus supplying at least two propulsion rotors as a function of predetermined sharing rates, the method comprises a step of determining the elementary power requirement of said supply bus as a function of the power requirement of each propulsion rotor connected to said supply bus, the predetermined sharing rates and the supply rate of said supply bus.

6. The method for regulating according to claim 1, wherein the anticipation parameter is determined from a database receiving in input the overall power requirement.

7. A system for regulating a non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine configured to supply electrically a plurality of propulsion rotors of an aircraft, each propulsion rotor being connected to an energy distribution module by at least one supply bus, the turbomachine supplying each supply bus via the energy distribution module according to a supply rate, the turbomachine comprising a high-pressure shaft, having a high-pressure rotation speed N1, and a low-pressure shaft, having a low-pressure rotation speed N2, the regulation system comprising: a power determination module configured to determine the power requirement of each propulsion rotor, an anticipation module configured to determine: i. a power requirement of each supply bus as a function of the power requirement of each propulsion rotor, ii. an elementary power requirement of each supply bus as a function of the supply rate and the power requirement of each supply bus, iii. an overall power requirement from all of the elementary power supply requirements of the supply buses, iv. an anticipation parameter from the overall power requirement, a regulation module configured to determine: i. a high-pressure rotation speed set point from a low-pressure rotation speed set point and from a measurement of the low-pressure rotation speed of the turbomachine and of said anticipation parameter, and ii. a fuel flow rate set point of the turbomachine from the high-pressure rotation speed set point and from a measurement of the high-pressure rotation speed.

8. A non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine configured to supply electrically a plurality of propulsion rotors of an aircraft, the turbomachine comprising a high-pressure shaft, having a high-pressure rotation speed N1, and a low-pressure shaft, having a low-pressure rotation speed N2, the turbomachine comprising the system for regulating according to claim 7.

9. An aircraft comprising a plurality of propulsion rotors, at least one energy distribution module, at least one supply bus connecting each propulsion rotor to the energy distribution module, the turbomachine according to claim 8 supplying each supply bus via the energy distribution module according to a supply rate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood after reading the following description, given as an example and with reference to the following figures given as non-limitative examples, wherein identical references are given to similar objects and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system for regulating a propulsion turbomachine according to the prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a system for regulating a non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine for supplying a plurality of propulsion rotors according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an anticipation module of a regulation system; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an anticipation module for several propulsion rotors shared on a same supply bus.

(6) It should be noted that the figures present the invention in a detailed manner so that the invention can be put into practice, obviously said figures can be used to better define the invention if necessary.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) With reference FIG. 2, a multi-rotor architecture of an aircraft, in particular, a helicopter, is represented in a schematic manner. In this example, the aircraft comprises a plurality of propulsion rotors R1-R4 electrically supplied by a distribution module 30 itself supplied by a non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine T and an electric battery 31. Electric battery 31 is taken to mean not just a single electric battery 31 but also a set of several batteries 31. In this example, 4 propulsion rotors R1-R4 are represented but it goes without saying that their number could be different. The aircraft comprises a flight control system to control the propulsion rotors R1-R4.

(8) Each propulsion rotor R1-R4 is connected to the energy distribution module 30 by one or more supply buses B1-B4. In the first embodiment of FIG. 2, each propulsion rotor R1-R4 is connected to the energy distribution module 30 by a single supply bus B1-B4.

(9) The distribution module 30 is supplied by a plurality of electrical generators GE driven by the turbomachine T. Each supply bus B1-B4 is supplied by the turbomachine as a function of the supply rate 1-4. In other words, for the first supply bus B1, the supply rate 1 corresponds to the share of the turbomachine T in the electrical supply of the first supply bus B1. In a reciprocal manner, the supply rate 1-1 corresponds to the share of the battery 31 in the electrical supply of the first supply bus B1. For each supply bus B1-B4, the supply rate 1-4 can vary over time and with the operating conditions. As an example, when the supply rate 1 is equal to 0, only the battery 31 supplies the first supply bus B1. Conversely, when the supply rate 1 is equal to 1, only the turbomachine T supplies the first supply bus B1. In addition, the turbomachine T can supply alone the first supply bus B1 but also recharge the battery 31. In other words, the turbomachine T can generate more energy than that demanded by the supply buses B1-B4 in order to recharge the battery 31.

(10) Still with reference to FIG. 2, a system for regulating the non-propulsion electrical generation turbomachine T according to an embodiment of the invention is represented. In a known manner, the turbomachine T comprises a high-pressure shaft having a high-pressure rotation speed N1 and a low-pressure shaft having a low-pressure rotation speed N2.

(11) In a known manner, the turbomachine comprises a compressor which is driven by the high-pressure shaft. The low-pressure shaft drives the plurality of electrical generators GE in order to supply the distribution module 30.

(12) In a manner analogous to the prior art, the regulation system of the turbomachine T comprises a regulation module 60 based on two nested control loops: a control loop of the low-pressure rotation speed N2 and a control loop of the high-pressure rotation speed N1.

(13) The regulation module 60 receives in input a rotation speed set point N2c which is compared with the low-pressure rotation speed N2 of the turbomachine T in order to determine a difference in low-pressure rotation speed N2. A preliminary high-pressure rotation speed N1pc is determined by a low-pressure corrector CN2, of the integral proportional type, from the difference in low-pressure rotation speed N2. A high-pressure rotation speed set point N1c is determined by adding the preliminary high-pressure parameter N1pc to an anticipation parameter N1ap. Then, the high-pressure rotation speed set point N1c is compared with the high-pressure rotation speed N1 of the turbomachine in order to determine a difference in high-pressure rotation speed parameter EN1. A quantity of fuel Qc is determined by a high-pressure corrector CN1, of the integral proportional type, from the difference in high-pressure rotation speed N1. Advantageously, the anticipation parameter N1ap is determined in such a way that the turbomachine T receives an optimal quantity of fuel Qc to limit the variation in low-pressure rotation speed N2.

(14) According to the invention, the anticipation parameter N1ap is a function of the overall power requirement Pglob which is determined from the elementary power requirements PB1e-PB4e of the supply buses B1-B4. Hereafter, elementary power is taken to mean the power taken from the turbomachine T by each supply bus B1-B4 as will be described hereafter.

(15) According to the invention, the regulation system comprises an anticipation module 40 configured to determine the anticipation parameter N lap from the power requirements P1-P4 of each propulsion rotor R1-R4.

(16) With reference to FIG. 3, the power requirements P1-P4 of each propulsion rotor R1-R4 are determined by a power determination module 50 from different parameters specific to each propulsion rotor R1-R4, in particular, the rotation speed, the pitch, the atmospheric conditions, the speed of the aircraft, etc. Preferably, the power determination module 50 is in the form of an electronic calculator connected to sensors measuring the specific parameters of each propulsion rotor R1-R4.

(17) As illustrated in FIG. 3, the anticipation module 40 comprises a first sub-module 41 configured to determine an elementary power requirement PB1e-PB4e of each supply bus PB1-PB4 from the supply rate 1-4 of said supply bus B1-B4 and the power requirement P1-P4 of said propulsion rotor R1-R4 according to the following formula:

(18) $P\mathrm{Be}=P*$

(19) The elementary power requirement PB1e-PB4e represents the impact in electrical power requirement of each propulsion rotor R1-R4. In this example, the elementary power requirement PB1e-PB4e of a supply bus PB1-PB4 corresponds to the power requirement P1-P4 of the propulsion rotor R1-R4 to which it is connected.

(20) The anticipation module 40 is configured to determine an overall power requirement Pglob from all of the elementary power requirements PBe1-PBe4. In this example, the overall power requirement Pglob is obtained by addition of the elementary power requirements PBe1-PBe4.

(21) Still with reference to FIG. 3, the anticipation module 40 comprises a database 42 configured to associate an overall power requirement Pglob with an anticipation parameter Nlap. Preferably, the database 42 is defined empirically or by calculation (mathematical model, mathematical function, etc.).

(22) The anticipation parameter N1ap is introduced into the regulation module 60 instead of the anticipation parameter according to the prior art that was defined from the collective pitch of the rotor of the aircraft. Advantageously, to regulate the turbomachine T, the regulation module 60 remains identical for a mono-rotor architecture and a multi-rotor architecture, only the anticipation parameter N1ap is adapted. Thus, any improvement to the regulation system benefits all architectures.

(23) The definition of the anticipation parameter N1ap is wise given that it corresponds to the power requirement demanded from the non-propulsion turbomachine T. Advantageously, such a parameter is analogous to the parameter calculated from the collective pitch for a propulsion turbomachine mechanically driving the rotor of the aircraft.

(24) When the aircraft is in flight, the flight control system of the aircraft controls the different propulsion rotors R1-R4 in order to displace the aircraft. The propulsion rotors R1-R4 are supplied by the turbomachine T and by the battery 31 as a function of their respective supply rates 1-4. The power determination module 50 makes it possible to determine the power requirement P1-P4. From these power requirements P1-P4, the anticipation module 40 determines the overall power requirement Pglob which impacts the turbomachine T and deduces therefrom an anticipation parameter N1ap which is used to regulate the low-pressure rotation speed N2 and limit variations in the latter. The turbomachine T is used in an optimal manner, which limits its fuel consumption.

(25) In a second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, several propulsion rotors R1-R4 are connected to the distribution module 30 by a same supply bus B1-B4. In addition, a same propulsion rotor R1-R4 is electrically connected to several supply buses B1-B4 in such a way as to enable redundancy, improving reliability in the event of failure.

(26) In an analogous manner to previously, the power determination module 50 determines the power requirement P1-P4 of each propulsion rotor R1-R4 from different parameters specific to each propulsion rotor R1-R4, in particular, the rotation speed, the pitch, the atmospheric conditions, the speed of the aircraft, etc.

(27) Hereafter, the example is described of a single supply bus B1 which is shared with two rotors R1, R2. It goes without saying that their number could be different.

(28) In this example, the supply bus B1 supplies the propulsion rotors R1, R2 as a function of predetermined sharing rates 11, 12. In this example, with reference to FIG. 4, the first supply bus B1 supplies to the first propulsion rotor R1 a power 11*P1 and to the second propulsion rotor R2 a power 12*P2. In other words, the total power of the supply bus PB1 is defined in the following manner:

(29) $\mathrm{PB}1=11*P1+12*P2$

(30) In an analogous manner to previously, each supply bus B1-B4 is supplied directly by the turbomachine T as a function of a supply rate 1-4 by driving of the electrical generators GE. The elementary power requirement PB1e-PB4e of each supply bus B1-B4 is determined as a function of the supply rate 1-4 and the power requirement of the bus PB1-PB4.

(31) In this example, with reference to FIG. 4, the elementary power requirement PB1e of the first supply bus PB1 is defined in the following manner:

(32) $\mathrm{PB}1e=1*\left(11*P1+12*P2\right)$

(33) In an analogous manner to previously, the overall power requirement Pglob is deduced by adding together the elementary power requirements PB1e-PB4e in order to determine the anticipation parameter N1ap.

(34) In other words, the invention makes it possible to determine a relevant anticipation parameter N1ap not just when the supply buses B1-B4 are independent but also when they are shared to increase redundancy.

(35) Thanks to the invention, a non-propulsion turbomachine T is regulated in an optimal manner by using in part the regulation system developed in the prior art for a propulsion turbomachine.