Propulsion System Control Requirements, Capabilities and Opportunities 700827

Propulsion system controls have been steadily increasing in complexity to meet the regulation and limiting requirements of current and future turbine engines. With the need to provide improved transient and steady state engine performance during all phases of flight operations, the control functions of the inlet, engine and exhaust nozzle must be integrated to insure engine-airframe compatibility and stability. This requirement further increases the sensing, computational and regulation functions of the propulsion system control. In the past, electronic controls have played a subordinate role because of the severe turbine engine flight environment and the computational needs of the engine could usually be met by hydromechanical components. With future trends for increased complexity and system integration, the computational capabilities of electronic controls will find increased utilization to optimize thrust and fuel consumption and to maintain inlet-engine compatibility. This paper describes the environmental and functional requirements of engine mounted control components and discusses the opportunities new control technologies have for consideration during the evolution of an advanced engine. With this insight, more timely planning and execution of state-of-the-art advances in propulsion system control technology can be accomplished to meet the functionability, performance, and confidence goals of future propulsion system hardware.