ENGINE CONTROL
SYSTEM
Prepared by: Engr. Nathaniel Kleio E. Mallare
Topic Outline
● Introduction to Engine Control System
● Engine Technology and Principles of Operation
● The Control Problem
● Example Systems
● Design Criteria
● Engine Starting
● Engine Indications
● Engine Oil Systems
● Engine Offtakes
● Reverse Thrust
● Engine Control on Modern Civil Aircraft
Introduction to Engine Control System
The early jet engines based on a centrifugal compressor used a method of
controlling fuel to the engine combustion chamber that used a fuel pump, a
relief valve and a throttle valve. As gas turbine engine technology developed,
demands for improved performance required substantial increases in
pressure ratios and turbine inlet temperatures placing much more stress on
the internal components. New developments such as the axial compressor
and reheat (afterburning) created a demand for more complex methods of
controlling airflow, fuel flow and exhaust gas flow.
Introduction to Engine Control System
Early gas turbine control systems were initially entirely hydro-mechanical. As
engine and materials development continued a need arose to exercise greater
control of turbine speeds and temperatures to suit prevailing atmospheric
conditions and to achieve surge-free operation. The latter was particularly
important in military engines where handling during rapid acceleration tended
to place the engine under severe conditions of operation.
Introduction to Engine Control System
In support of the needed improvements, limited authority electronic trimmers
sometimes referred to as ‘supervisory controls’ were developed to provide
added functions such as temperature limiting and thrust management thus
relieving the flight crew of this workload. This became important as new
aircraft entering service eliminated the flight engineer position on the flight
deck. Further developments in engine design led to the need to control more
parameters and eventually led to the use of full authority analogue control
systems with electrical signalling from the throttle levers.
Engine / Airframe Interfaces
The engine is a major, high value item in any aircraft procurement
programme. Often an engine is especially designed for a new aircraft this is
particularly true of military projects where a demanding set of requirements
forces technology forward in propulsion and airframe areas. There is,
however, a trend to make use of existing powerplant types or variant of
types in an effort to reduce the development costs of a new project.
Engine / Airframe Interfaces
Whatever the case, control of the interfaces between the engine and the
airframe is essential to allow the airframe contractor and the engine
contractor to develop their products independently. The interface may be
between the engine and a nacelle in the case of a podded, under-wing engine,
as is common in commercial aircraft; or between the engine and the fuselage
as is common in fast jet military aircraft types.
Engine / Airframe Interfaces
When full authority control systems were introduced in analogue form,
semiconductor technology demanded that the electronic control units were
mounted on the airframe. This led to a large number of wire harnesses and
connectors at the engine–airframe interface. Together with the mechanical,
fluid and power offtake interfaces, this was a measure of complexity that had
the potential for interface errors that could compromise an aircraft
development programme.
Engine / Airframe Interfaces
Although the emergence of rugged electronics, data buses and bleedless
engines has simplified this interface, nevertheless it needs to be controlled.
What often happens is that an Interface Control Document or ICD is
generated that enables the major project contractors to declare and agree
their interfaces. The nature of the interfaces and the potential for rework
usually means that the ICD becomes an important contractual document.
Typical of the interfaces declared are the following.
Engine Technology and Principles of Operation
The emergence of digital technology and serial data transmission systems, as
well as higher performance electronic devices led to the introduction of the
FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control). This, in turn led to the
opportunity to integrate the control systems with the aircraft avionics and
flight control systems, and to consider the mounting of complex electronic
control units on the engine itself. When mounting these electronic controls
on the engine, great care must be taken to isolate the units from the hostile
environment by providing anti-vibration mounts and forced-air (or sometimes
fuel) cooling.
Engine Technology and Principles of Operation
Engine Technology and Principles of Operation
As implied by the figure, most of the thrust is generated by the fan since most
of the high energy gas from the gas generator section is dissipated in the
turbine connected to the fan. In the turbofan engine, thrust is generated by
imparting a relatively small increase in velocity to a very large air mass flow
through the fan while, in the older turbojet engines, the total air mass flow
through the engine is much smaller and therefore, to achieve the same thrust,
the velocity of the exhaust gasses must be much greater, i.e.
The Control Problem
The basic control action is to control a flow of fuel and air to the engine to
allow it to operate at its optimum efficiency over a wide range of forward
speeds, altitudes and temperatures while allowing the pilot to handle the
engine without fear of malfunction. The degree of control required depends
to a large extent upon the type of engine and the type of aircraft in which it is
installed.
The Control Problem
The military aircraft is usually specified to operate in worldwide conditions,
and is expected to experience a wide range of operating temperatures. To be
successful in combat the aircraft must be manoeuvrable. The pilot, therefore,
expects to be able to demand minimum or maximum power with optimum
acceleration rates, as well as to make small adjustments with equal ease,
without fear of surge, stall, flame-out, over-speed or over-temperature. The
pilot also needs a fairly linear relationship between throttle lever position
and thrust.
The Control Problem
To obtain these objectives, control can be exercised over the following
aspects of engine control:
● Fuel flow – to allow varying engine speeds to be demanded and to allow
the engine to be handled without damage by limiting rotating assembly
speeds, rates of acceleration and temperatures
● Air flow – to allow the engine to be operated efficiently throughout the
aircraft flight envelope and with adequate safety margins
● Exhaust gas flow – by burning the exhaust gases and varying the nozzle
area to provide additional thrust
The Control Problem
Electronic control has been applied in all these cases with varying degrees of
complexity and control authority. Such control can take the form of simple
limiter functions through to sophisticated multi-variable, full authority
control systems closely integrated with other aircraft systems.
Fuel Flow Control
Control of power or thrust is achieved by regulating the fuel flow into the
combustor. On turbo jet or turbo fan engines thrust can be controlled by setting an
engine pressure ratio or, in the case of the larger commercial fan engines, by
controlling fan speed, while on shaft power engines the speed of the gas generator is
a measure of the power delivered to the propeller or to the rotor.
When changing the thrust or power setting the fuel control system must
limit the rate of acceleration and deceleration of the engine rotating assemblies in
order to prevent compressor surge or flame out. This control process is further
complicated by the change in engine inlet conditions, i.e. inlet temperature, inlet
pressure and Mach number that can occur as the aircraft moves around the flight
envelope.
Fuel Flow Control
Airflow modulation through the compressor may also be necessary by the use
of variable vanes and/or bleed valves to provide adequate surge margin under all
operating conditions. The control of power or thrust of the gas turbine engine is
obtained by regulating the quantity of fuel injected into the combustion system.
When a higher thrust is required the throttle is opened and the fuel pressure to
the burners increases due to the higher fuel flow. This has the effect of increasing
the gas temperature which, in turn, increases the acceleration of the gases through
the turbine to give a higher engine speed and correspondingly greater air flow,
resulting in an increase in thrust.
Fuel Flow Control
When a higher thrust is required the throttle is opened and the fuel pressure to
the burners increases due to the higher fuel flow. This has the effect of increasing
the gas temperature which, in turn, increases the acceleration of the gases through
the turbine to give a higher engine speed and correspondingly greater airflow,
resulting in an increase in thrust.
The relationship between the air flow induced through the engine and the fuel
supplied is, however, complicated by changes in altitude, air temperature and aircraft
speed. These variables change the density of the air at the engine intake and
consequently the mass of air flowing through the engine.
Fuel Flow Control
Failure to do so would mean that the pilot would constantly need to make
minor adjustments to throttle lever position, increasing his work load and distracting
his attention from other aspects of aircraft operation.
The usual method of providing such control is by means of a fuel control unit
(FCU) or fuel management units (FMU). The FCU/FMU is a hydro-mechanical device
mounted on the engine. It is a complex engineering mechanism containing valves to
direct fuel and to restrict fuel flow, pneumatic capsules to modify flows according to
prevailing atmospheric conditions, and dashpot/spring/damper combinations to
control acceleration and deceleration rates.
Fuel Flow Control
The engine speed must be controlled from idle to maximum rating. Overspeed
must be avoided to reduce stresses in the rotating assemblies, and over temperature
must be avoided to prevent blade damage and to reduce thermal creep. The engine
must be allowed to accelerate and decelerate smoothly with no risk of surge.
Such control influences are difficult to achieve manually. Therefore the FCU has,
over the generations of jet engines, been designed to accommodate control inputs
from external electronic devices. Electrical valves in the FCU can be connected to
electronic control units to allow more precise and continuous automatic control of
fuel flows in response to throttle demands, using measurements derived from the
engine, to achieve steady state and transient control of the engine without fear of
malfunction.
Fuel Flow Control
A typical fuel control circuit is shown in Figure 2.2. This circuit also shows the
way in which fuel is used as a cooling medium for oil by passing it through a Fuel
Cooled Oil Cooler (FCOC).
On some military aircraft the fuel system receives a demand from the weapon
release switch or gun trigger to preempt weapon release. This allows fuel flow to the
engines to be modified to prevent an engine surge resulting from disturbance of the
intake conditions from missile exhaust, shock from the gun muzzle or smoke from the
gun breech. This facility is known as ‘fuel dip’.
Air Flow Control
It is sometimes necessary to control the flow of air through to the engine to ensure
efficient operation over a wide range of environmental and usage conditions to
maintain a safe margin from the engine surge line. Most modern commercial engines
have variable compressor vanes and/or bleed valves to provide optimum
acceleration without surge though it is not a feature usually associated with military
applications.
Air Flow Control
Figure 2.3 also shows where air is bled from the engine for various purposes,
including engine stability reasons and also to provide a source of air for conditioning
systems and bleed air systems such as wing leading edge anti-icing. Control of bleed
air on the Trent 800 engine is shown in
Control Systems
A throttle movement causes a change in the fuel flow to the combustion
chamber spray nozzles. This, in turn, causes a change in engine speed and in exhaust
gas temperature. Both of these parameters are measured; engine speed by means of
a gearbox mounted speed probe and Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT), or Turbine Gas
Temperature (TGT), by means of thermocouples, and presented to the pilot as
analogue readings on cockpit-mounted indicators. The pilot can monitor the readings
and move the throttle to adjust the conditions to suit his own requirements or to
meet the maximum settings recommended by the engine manufacturer. The FCU,
with its internal capsules, looks after variations due to atmospheric changes.
Control System Parameters
To perform any of the control functions electrically requires devices to sense engine
operating conditions and to perform a controlling function.
Example Systems
Example Systems
Example Systems
Example Systems
Example Systems
Engine Starting
To start the engines a sequence of events is required to allow fuel flow, to
rotate the engine and to provide ignition energy. For a particular type of aircraft this
sequence is unvarying, and can be performed manually with the pilot referring to a
manual to ensure correct operation, or automatically by the engine control unit.
Before describing a typical sequence of events, an explanation of some of the
controls will be given.
Fuel Control
Fuel from the tanks to the engine feed line is interrupted by two shut-off cocks.
The first is in the low pressure feed lines, at which fuel pressure is determined by the
fuel boost pumps (see Chapter 3 – Fuel Systems). The valve, known as the LP cock or
firewall shut-off cock, is situated close to the engine firewall. Its primary purpose is
to isolate the engine in the event of a fire. It is usually a motor-driven valve
controlled by a switch in the cockpit and, once opened, cannot be shut except by
means of the switch. The switch is usually covered by a guard so that two actions are
needed to select the switch to either open or close the cock. This helps to prevent
inadvertent actions that may lead to accidental engine shutdown.
Fuel Control
The second valve is in the high-pressure fuel line, in which the fuel pressure is
determined by an engine-driven pump. The function of this valve is to open and
close the fuel feed close to the engine inlet at the fuel control unit. It is opened
manually by the pilot, or automatically by the engine control unit at an appropriate
stage in the engine start cycle. The location of these valves is shown in Figure 2.18.
Fuel Control
Engine Rotation
During the starting cycle the engine needs to be rotated until the fuel has
ignited and the temperature of combustion is sufficient for the engine to rotate
without assistance. At this point the engine is said to be self-sustaining. A number of
methods are in current use for providing assistance by means of air, electrical energy
or chemical energy. The most common method in modern use is to use an external
air source or an internal auxiliary power unit to start the first engine, and to cross
drive start the remaining engines. Some smaller engines and the More-Electric B787
use electrical engine start.
Engine Rotation
Air at high pressure can be provided by an external air compressor trolley connected
to the engine by ground crew, or by air supplied by an onboard Auxiliary Power Unit
(APU). This is a small gas turbine that is started prior to engine start. It has the
advantage of making the aircraft independent of ground support and is useful at
remote airfields. It is also used to provide electrical and hydraulic energy for other
aircraft services. An example APU is shown in Figure 2.21, this has its own intake
concealed beneath an opening hatch and its own exhaust positioned so as not to
present a hot gas hazard to ground crew.
Engine Rotation
Engine Rotation
Engine Indications
Reverse Thrust
A mechanism is provided on most engines to assist in decelerating the aircraft.
On a turbo-prop engine this mechanism is to apply reverse pitch to the propeller
blades. On a turbo-fan engine the usual mechanism is to deploy spoilers or buckets
into the exhaust gas stream. Both of these methods have the effect of reversing the
thrust provided by the engines to assist the brakes and shorten the landing distance.
Reverse thrust is commanded by the crew by a mechanism in the throttle levers,
usually by pulling the levers back to idle, selecting reverse thrust and then increasing
the throttle lever position towards maximum to achieve the required braking effect.
The effect is often combined with lift dumping, in which air brakes and spoilers are
deployed at the same time to provide a combined deceleration effect.