Abstract
Improvements in reliability, safety, and operational efficiency of aeroengines can be brought in a cost-effective way using advanced control concepts, thus requiring only software updates of their digital control systems. The article presents a comprehensive approach in modular control system design suitable for small gas turbine engines. The control system is based on the methodology of situational control; this means control of the engine under all operational situations including atypical ones, also integrating a diagnostic system, which is usually a separate module. The resulting concept has been evaluated in real-world laboratory conditions using a unique design of small turbojet engine iSTC-21v as well as a state-of-the-art small turbojet engine TJ-100. Our results show that such advanced control system can bring operational quality of an engine with old turbocompressor core iSTC-21v on par with state-of-the-art engines.
Highlights
From the cybernetic point of view, aeroengines are nonlinear systems with complex dynamics operating in stochastic environment in a broad range of conditions as principally described in traditional handbooks [1, 2]
The idea of utilizing small turbojet engines for rapid prototyping of algorithms and construction has been pursued by other authors, Pecinka and Jilek designing a cost-effective test cell for small turbojet engines [6], application of small turbojet engines in education described in the works [7, 8]
The situational control system with intelligent switching can fluently switch between those controllers and even have them operate in cooperative mode to further enhance control quality in order to remove any transients, which could appear during a switch between the acceleration and constant speed controllers
Summary
From the cybernetic point of view, aeroengines are nonlinear systems with complex dynamics operating in stochastic environment in a broad range of conditions as principally described in traditional handbooks [1, 2]. Small gas turbine aeroengines are characterized by compact dimensions weighing from 0.5 to 50 kilograms and relatively high static thrust outputs in the range up to 1500 N, producing very high power to weight ratios as defined in [3]. Such engines represent a great potential for commercial applications in different areas of aviation for propulsion of drones and small UAVs described in [4], as well as small airplanes or helicopters [5]. This research review shows that small gas turbine engines are a rapidly developing technology, which is usable for specific propulsion of different aerial vehicles and for usable testbeds for rapid prototyping of components for normal-sized gas turbine engine
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