Patent ID: 11927142
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A system for controlling a rate of fuel coke formation in a fuel system of a turbine engine, the system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to measure an operating parameter of the fuel system at a first time, the operating parameter being associated with coke formation in the fuel system, wherein the at least one sensor generates a signal representative of the operating parameter; and
a controller operably connected with the at least one sensor for receiving the signal therefrom, wherein the controller is configured to determine a first amount of fuel coke formation for the fuel system using the signal representative of the operating parameter,
wherein the controller determines a current value for a rate of fuel coke formation in the fuel system by comparing the first amount of fuel coke formation to a second amount of coke formation for the fuel system, the second amount of coke formation being determined by the controller at a second time prior to the first time,
wherein the controller identifies a next scheduled maintenance event and a target amount of coke formation,
wherein, when the current value for the rate of fuel coke formation projects increases to the first amount of fuel coke formation that will exceed the target amount of coke formation before the next scheduled maintenance event, the controller generates a control signal for controlling the turbine engine, a thermal management system of the turbine engine, and/or the fuel system to adjust the rate of fuel coke formation in the fuel system to a new value that projects increases to the first amount of fuel coke formation that do not exceed the target amount of coke formation before the next scheduled maintenance event.