Patent GB-1059465-A (GB)
Title: Control system for the variable aperture air inlet of an air breathing engine
Inventor: MARCUS MILTON
IPC: F02C7/057
Filed: 1964-05-15
Abstract: 1,059,465. Gas turbine jet engines. UNITED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION. May 15, 1964, No.20259/64. Heading F1G. [Also in Division G3] The invention relates to an air intake control of an air breathing engine such as a gas turbine jet engine with exhaust reheat for use in an aircraft designed for supersonic flight, the system comprising essentially a spike valve which is movable axially within the intake so as to vary the throat area thereof, a spike actuator with an altitude sensor, means to lock the spike against movement with manual over-rides, a valve-controlled by-pass through which air may be spilled from the intake, a by-pass valve actuator with manual over-ride, also a main control unit which comprises a local Mach number sensor and servo, an attitude sensor and servo, a shock expulsion sensor and servo, a shock position sensor, a shock position traversing probe valve and servo and an afterburner anticipator sensor. The system also includes an emergency system to assure safe operating conditions in the event of failure of the hydraulic power supply. In Fig. 1 is shown the air intake 10 of a gas turbine jet engine 12 having reheat equipment 14, a spike valve 16 being disposed within the intake for axial movement therein so as to vary the throat area of the intake. A valve-controlled by-pass 21 is provided whereby air in excess of engine requirements may be spilled. The spike is movable by means of an actuator 18 and the bypass valve is movable by means of an actuator 20. The main control unit is shown at 22 and various signals are supplied to this from the engine. The control unit is shown in section in Fig. 2 and comprises firstly a local Mach number sensor 30 which comprises a bellows 32 the interior of which is supplied with static pressure from the outer surface of the intake through line 28, and the exterior of which is supplied with local Mach number Pitot pressure from probe 34 through line 36. Movement of the bellows moves lever 38 about pivot point 40 and so causes angular movement of jet nozzle 47 which is secured to the lower end of the lever 38. Accordingly high pressure fluid is supplied to either one of lines 48, 50 and so to spaces "above" one of pistons 58, 60. A lever 63 is caused to pivot upon movement of the rod interconnecting pistons 58 and 60, the lever bearing at its free end against a roller 64 carried by a lever 66, this lever being pivotally connected at a mid point to a pilot valve 102 which constitutes part of the system controlling axial movements of the spike 16. A roller 67 carried by the other end of the lever 66 bears against the surface of a three-dimensional cam 24. A lever 56 pivots about point 62 upon movement of the rod interconnecting pistons 58, 60, the movement of the lever acting back through linkage 46, 42 and rollers 43 on the pivoted lever 38, this assembly constituting a feedback arrangement. One roller 43 bears against an abutment carried by an evacuated capsule 44. The control unit comprises also an attitude sensor 23 which comprises an attitude probe 68, see Figs. 1 and 2 in the form of a casing 70 mounted for free rotation and having a vane 73 and two pitot probes 72, 74 which connect through lines 84, 86, the first to the space interiorly of the bellows 82 and the second exteriorly thereof. The bellows 82 thus receives a signal which is indicative of the attitude of the intake with respect to air flow past the engine. The bellows causes movement of lever 87 and so of the jet nozzle 90 so that high pressure fluid is supplied to one or other of the lines 91, 93 and so to the space "above" either the upper or the lower piston formed on the rod 92. A feedback arrangement 88 is provided similar to that of the Mach number sensor. The piston rod 92 is formed with a rack 83 which engages a gear 94 formed on the three-dimensional cam 24. Thus the rotational movement of the cam 24 is a function of the attitude of the intake with respect to the moving airstream. The longitudinal movement of the cam 24 is a direct function of the actual spike position, this being achieved by means of a feedback link 104 from the spike actuator 18, see Fig. 3a, the link 104 acting to cause rotation of the member 110 which is in screwed engagement with the cam 24. The control unit 22 comprises also a traversing probe valve 152 which comprises a toroidal chamber 466 see Fig. 5 divided by radially extending plates 468 having apertures 470, a rotary member 474 being disposed within the inner periphery formed by the plates. Pressure probes 150, 153 ... are disposed so as to sense pressure at points along the air intake 10 and these pressures are communicated through lines 150', 152'... to points 450, 452... disposed circumferentially round the probe unit so that the pressures around the toroidal chamber 466 are similar to those along the intake. Two of these pressures are tapped off by the rotor unit 474 and passed through lines 164, 166 Fig.2b to the shock position sensor 31 which comprises a bellows 170 and the pressures are caused to act one on either side of the bellows. Movement of the bellows is transmitted to pivoted lever 172 which causes pivotal movement of jet nozzle 174 whereby high pressure fluid is discharged either to line 178 or line 180. The fluid then passes through valve 228, assuming this to be in the null position shown, to one of the lines 182, 184 and hence to the by-pass actuator 20 shown in Fig. 3b. A traversing probe servo 142 and pilot valve 140 are also shown in Fig.2b, the piston of the servo having a rack which engages a gear carried on shaft 150 on which the rotary member of the probe valve also a feedback cam are mounted. A feedback arm 132 is pivotally connected to the pilot valve 140 and has a roller engaging the cam. A pivotally mounted lever 130 engages at one end against the three-dimensional cam 24 and at the other end against the feedback lever 132. The control unit 22 comprises also a shock expulsion sensor 25 which comprises a bellows 214 the interior of which is subject to static pressure from a forward point 150 in the air intake through line 212, and the exterior of which is subject to static pressure from a rearward point 149 in the intake through line 216. Movement of the bellows in the event of shock expulsion causes pivotal movement of lever 218 and hence pivotal movement of jet nozzle 222 whereupon high pressure fluid is passed to act on the left-hand end of the shock expulsion servo piston 228 which is thereby moved to the right to a non-operative position. Flow of servo-fluid to the piston 228 is controlled by a shock expulsion arming valve 230 which is provided so as to avoid opening of the by-pass at low Mach number when the internal normal shock has not been established. The arming valve is actuated by the local Mach sensor 30 by means of the lever 232 integral with the feedback lever 56. The shock expulsion sensor over-rides the effect of the three-dimensional cam 24. The control unit comprises also an afterburner anticipator sensor 26 which comprises a bellows 200 to the interior and exterior of which pressure within the reheat section 14 is transmitted through probe 192 and line 194. A restriction 202 is disposed in the line by which this pressure is transmitted to the exterior of the bellows so that the increase in pressure resulting from light-up in the reheat section will cause the bellows to expand. The lever 204 will thus move thereby causing the valve 206 to open the line 208 and close the line 166. The pressure tap feeding line 208 is located downstream of the normal shock position so that this pressure will always be higher than the pressure normally admitted to the interior of the bellows 170. The bellows 170 will therefore contract causing movement of the jet nozzle 174 which will result in opening movement of the intake by-pass valve in anticipation of any disturbance in the inlet. The spike actuator is shown in Fig.3 and comprises a second stage valve 248 to which pressure is transmitted through line 252, shock expulsion servo valve 228 and line 250 from the first stage valve 102, see Fig.2. The second stage valve 248 controls flow of high pressure fluid to one side or other of the piston 260, the rod 320 of which is connected to the spike valve 16. The rod 320 has a link 322 connected thereto, the link in turn being connected to the feedback cable 104 which acts to cause rotation of the three-dimensional cam 24, Fig.2. Two locking members 300, 302 are provided to co-operate with a flange 318 on the piston rod 320 whereby the spike may be locked in its forward, extended position when the aircraft is operating below a certain altitude. Static pressure sensed in the air inlet is communicated through line 314 to act exteriorly of the evacuated bellows 312 so that when a pre-determined altitude is reached the bellows 312 will expand to the position shown causing the jet nozzle 304 to discharge high pressure fluid to the line 310 and so to the spaces "below" the pistons 296, 298 whereby the locking members move to the retracted positions shown so that the spike can now be moved under control of unit 22. The by-pass actuator is also shown in Fig.3, the two lines 182, 184 emanating from the control unit 22 being connected to the spaces above and below the integrating servo-piston 360 movement of which produces corresponding movement of the by-pass control valve 366 by way of the lever 362. The valve 366 acts to cause flow of high pressure fluid to one side or other of the actuator piston 368 which acts through rod 398 to open or close the valve member in the inlet by-pass 21. Movement of the rod 398 acts through a feedback arrangement 400, 402 to re-position the control valve 366. Two manual over-ride solenoid valves 382, 386 are provided one to cause opening of the by-pass and the other to cause closing thereof. A manual control in the form of a solenoid valve 292 is provided whereby the spike valve 16 m