Turbofan synchrophaser
A synchronizing system for an aircraft having a master turbofan engine and at least one slave turbofan engine, each of the engines having a fan rotor which rotates independently from a core rotor, the system is described comprising: fuel control means for modulating the fuel flow rate to the slave engine to synchronize the operation of the fan rotors; variable stator vane control means for modulating the position of variable stator vanes within the slave engine to synchronize the operation of the core rotors; means for synchronizing the fan rotors prior to synchronizing the core rotors; the variable rotor vane control means includes means responsive to a core rotor speed error signal having a magnitude indicative of the difference in the core rotor rotational speeds of the master engine and the slave engine to the rotational speed of the slave engine's core rotor through modulation of the position of variable stator vanes within the slave engine; the fuel control means further includes means for altering the phase relationship between the fan rotors of the slave engine and the master engine; the variable stator vane control means further includes means for altering the phase relationship between the core rotors of the slave engine and the master engine; and the means for altering the phase relationship between the core rotors is responsive to a core rotor vibrational phase signal having a magnitude indicative of the difference in the core rotor vibration of the master engine and slave engine to modulate the rotational speed of the drive engine's core rotor through modulation of the position of variable stator vanes within the slave engine.
- Assignee:
- General Electric Co., Cincinnati, OH (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5224340; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-691251
- OSTI ID:
- 6356085
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 25 Apr 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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