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Batterton, P. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Batterton, P. G..

Energy efficient engine program contributions to aircraft fuel conservation

Significant advances in high bypass turbofan technologies that enhance fuel efficiency have been demonstrated in the NASA Energy Efficient Engine Program. This highly successful second propulsion element of the NASA Aircraft Energy Efficiency Program included major contract efforts with both General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. Major results of these efforts will be presented including highlights from the NASA/General Electric E3 research turbofan engine test. Direct application of all the E3 technologies could result in fuel savings of over 18% compared to the CF6-50 and JT9D-7. Application of the E3 technologies to new and derivative engines such as the CF6-80C and PW 2037, as well as others, will be discussed. Significant portions of the fuel savings benefit for these new products can be directly related to the E3 technology program. Finally, results of a study looking at far term advanced turbofan engines will be briefly described. The study shows that substantial additional fuel savings over E3 are possible with additional turbofan technology programs.

Batterton, P. G.

Description and test results of a digital supersonic propulsion system integrated control

A digitally implemented integrated inlet/engine control system was developed and tested on a mixed compression, Mach 2.5, supersonic inlet and augmented turbofan engine. The control matched engine airflow to available inlet airflow so that in steady state, the shock would be at the desired location, and the overboard bypass doors would be closed. During engine induced transients, such as augmentor lights and cutoffs, the inlet operating point was momentarily changed to a more supercritical point to minimize unstarts. The digital control also provided automatic inlet restart.

Batterton, P. G.

Flight experience with a digital integrated propulsion control system on an F-111E airplane

A digital integrated propulsion control system (IPCS) installed in the left side of an F-111 E aircraft was tested in flight. The F-111 aircraft was selected for the IPCS program because it incorporated a variable geometry inlet and an afterburning turbofan engine and had two engines, one of which could remain in the normal configuration to ensure flight safety. Flight data were compared with results of tests run in an altitude test chamber. The digital system was found to be capable of duplicating the standard engine and inlet control systems. Instabilities such as inlet buzz and afterburner rumble were detected and controlled. The usefulness of an altitude chamber for developing a software and testing hardware was proven. The flexibility of IPCS was demonstrated when an autothrottle, an in-flight thrust calculation, and a coannular noise study capability were added at the end of the flight tests.

Burcham, F. W., Jr.

Effect of afterburner lights and inlet unstarts on a mixed compression inlet turbofan engine operating at Mach 2.5

Data are presented to show the response of an uncontrolled inlet to afterburner lightoff disturbances when a mixed-compression inlet is coupled to a turbofan engine. The results show a significant upstream shock excursion when the afterburner lights which is a result of the direct communication between the afterburner region and the inlet by means of the fan duct and fan stages. In addition results of a waveform analysis on the inlet pressure response to the afterburner light is presented. Inlet unstarts and their effect on operation of the propulsion system is also discussed.

Baumbick, R. J.

Digital implementation of the TF30-P-3 turbofan engine control

The standard hydromechanical control modes for TF30-P-3 engine were implemented on a digital process control computer. Programming methods are described, and a method is presented to solve stability problems associated with fast response dynamic loops contained within the exhaust nozzle control. A modification of the exhaust nozzle control to provide for either velocity or position servoactuation systems is discussed. Transient response of the digital control was evaluated by tests on a real time hybrid simulation of the TF30-P-3 engine. It is shown that the deadtime produced by the calculation time delay between sampling and final output is more significant to transient response than the effects associated with sampling rate alone. For the main fuel control, extended update and calculation times resulted in a lengthened transient response to throttle bursts from idle to intermediate with an increase in high pressure compressor stall margin. Extremely long update intervals of 250 msec could be achieved without instability. Update extension for the exhaust nozzle control resulted in a delayed response of the afterburner light-off detector and exhaust nozzle overshoot with resulting fan oversuppression. Long update times of 150 msec caused failure of the control due to a false indication by the blowout detector.

Cwynar, D. S.

Propulsion systems technology

The selection of components, control design, simulation, and tests are examined for designing supersonic propulsion systems. Inlet-engine combination under electronic control are shown. Design and test results from the integrated control for afterburning turbofan and supersonic cruise inlet are presented.

Hiller, K. W.

Digital integrated control of a Mach 2.5 mixed-compression supersonic inlet and an augmented mixed-flow turbofan engine

A digitally implemented integrated inlet-engine control system was designed and tested on a mixed-compression, axisymmetric, Mach 2.5, supersonic inlet with 45 percent internal supersonic area contraction and a TF30-P-3 augmented turbofan engine. The control matched engine airflow to available inlet airflow. By monitoring inlet terminal shock position and over-board bypass door command, the control adjusted engine speed so that in steady state, the shock would be at the desired location and the overboard bypass doors would be closed. During engine-induced transients, such as augmentor light-off and cutoff, the inlet operating point was momentarily changed to a more supercritical point to minimize unstarts. The digital control also provided automatic inlet restart. A variable inlet throat bleed control, based on throat Mach number, provided additional inlet stability margin.

Batterton, P. G.

Terminal-shock and restart control of a Mach 2.5, mixed compression inlet coupled to a turbofan engine

Results of an experimental program conducted on a mixed-compression inlet coupled to a turbofan engine are presented. Open-loop frequency response data are presented that show the response of shock position (as measured by an average inlet static pressure) to sinusoidal airflow disturbances produced at the compressor face station. Also presented are results showing the effect of different passive terminations (a choke plate or a long duct) on the characteristics of the inlet. Transfer functions obtained by using experimental data are presented and compared to the experimental data. Closed-loop frequency response of shock position (with a proportional-plus-integral controller) is presented. In addition, transient data are presented that show the unstart-restart characteristics of the inlet.

Baumbick, R. J.

Dynamic response of Mach 2.5 axisymmetric inlet with 40 percent supersonic internal area contraction

Results of experimental tests conducted on a supersonic, mixed compression, axisymmetric inlet are presented. The inlet is designed for operation at Mach 2.5 with a turbofan engine (TF-30). The inlet was terminated with either a choked-orifice plate or a long pipe with variable area choked exit plug. Frequency responses were obtained for selected static pressures in the diffuser. These pressures were selected as potential control signals for terminal shock control. Frequency responses were obtained for the Mach 2 and 2.5 conditions for different terminations. Responses also were obtained with and without cowl bleed. Internal disturbances were produced by sinusoidally varying the inlet overboard bypass doors at frequencies out to 100 hertz.

Baumbick, R. J.

Experimental test results of a generalized parameter fuel control

Considerable interest has been generated recently in low cost jet propulsion systems. One of the more complicated components of jet engines is the fuel control. Results of an effort to develop a simpler hydromechanical fuel control are presented. This prototype fuel control was installed on a J85-GE-13 jet engine. Results show that the fuel control provided satisfactory engine performance at sea level static conditions over its normal nonafterburning operating range, including startup. Results of both bench and engine tests are presented; the difficulties encountered are described.

Batterton, P. G.

Analytical and experimental performance of optimal controller designs for a supersonic inlet

The techniques of modern optimal control theory were applied to the design of a control system for a supersonic inlet. The inlet control problem was approached as a linear stochastic optimal control problem using as the performance index the expected frequency of unstarts. The details of the formulation of the stochastic inlet control problem are presented. The computational procedures required to obtain optimal controller designs are discussed, and the analytically predicted performance of controllers designed for several different inlet conditions is tabulated. The experimental implementation of the optimal control laws is described, and the experimental results obtained in a supersonic wind tunnel are presented. The control laws were implemented with analog and digital computers. Comparisons are made between the experimental and analytically predicted performance results. Comparisons are also made between the results obtained with continuous analog computer controllers and discrete digital computer versions.

Zeller, J. R.