Abstract: Systems and methods for high bandwidth control of thrust response for turbofan or turboprop engines are provided. Such systems and methods include an engine control system that processes a rate command and a feedback signal from an engine to generate separate fuel and electric machine control signals that respectively control fuel and electric machine dynamics of the engine to produce engine dynamics that result in desired thrust response.

Abstract: A control system and method obtain a stress profile of a device disposed onboard industrial equipment. The stress profile represents a stress characteristic of the device over time during operation of the industrial equipment. The system and method determine a smooth zero crossing function based on the stress profile. The smooth zero crossing function includes spikes that represent reversals of the stress characteristic. The system and method generate a control signal based on the smooth zero crossing function.

Abstract: An aircraft engine includes a low pressure spool, a high pressure spool, and an alternative power source. The alternative power source is configured to add power to the high pressure spool. A controller is configured to determine a noise sensitive condition; and control, in response to determining the noise sensitive condition, the alternative power source to add power to the high pressure spool.

Abstract: A vehicle control system and method may include one or more processors that may receive a data set associated with plural waypoint locations along one or more routes. The data set may indicate plural waypoint locations, target arrival time windows for a vehicle system to reach the plural waypoint locations, and priority ranks of the plural waypoint locations. The processors may create and/or adjust a pacing trip plan based on the data set. The pacing trip plan may designate one or more operational settings of the vehicle system as a function of time, distance, and/or location. The pacing trip plan may be created and/or adjusted to direct the vehicle system to reach one or more of the plural waypoint locations within the corresponding target arrival time windows.

Abstract: A method and control system includes controlling operation of a vehicle system according to a first set of operating conditions while the vehicle system is moving along a route. The vehicle system including plural vehicles with two or more vehicles of the vehicle system contributing a predetermined amount of effort to propel the vehicle system to move along the route based on the first set of operating conditions. Responsive to determining a revised amount of effort that at least one of the two or more vehicles of the vehicle system needs to contribute to propel the vehicle system to control one or more performance variables of the vehicle system, the vehicle system may be automatically controlled according to a second set of operating conditions. At least one vehicle may contribute the revised amount of effort while the vehicle system operates according to the second set of operating conditions.

Abstract: An engine control system may be configured to perform a method of controlling thermal bias in a turbomachine. An exemplary method may include determining a thermal bias-value for the turbomachine, and performing a cooling treatment based at least in part on the thermal bias-value. The thermal bias-value may include a difference between an upward temperature-value corresponding to a first one or more temperature measurements of an upward portion of the turbomachine and a downward temperature-value corresponding to a second one or more temperature measurements of a downward portion of the turbomachine. The cooling treatment may include at least one of: circulating air through at least a portion of the turbomachine, and rotating a shaft of the turbomachine with a motoring system.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0.1 r ? ? 1 < ? r r < K r ? ? 4 / 3 . wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

Abstract: An intersection management system and method for reducing or avoiding potential collisions between vehicles are provided. The system may use a wireless signal, with or without a circuit, to traverse an intersection. The system may use, at least in part, a positive vehicle control system.

Abstract: Clearance control schemes for controlling a clearance defined between a first component and a second component of a gas turbine engine are provided. In one aspect, an engine controller of the gas turbine engine implements a clearance control scheme, which includes receiving data indicating a clearance between the first component and the second component, the clearance being at least one of a measured clearance captured by a sensor and a predicted clearance specific to the gas turbine engine at that point in time; comparing the clearance to an allowable clearance; determining a clearance setpoint for a clearance adjustment system based on a clearance difference determined by comparing the clearance to the allowable clearance; and causing the clearance adjustment system to adjust the clearance to the allowable clearance based on the clearance setpoint.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining one or more images of a segment of a route from a camera while a vehicle is moving along the route. The segment of the route includes one or more guide lanes. The method also includes comparing, with one or more computer processors, the one or more images of the segment of the route with a benchmark visual profile of the route based at least in part on an overlay of the one or more images onto the benchmark visual profile or an overlay of the benchmark visual profile onto the one or more images. The one or more processors identify a misaligned segment of the route based on one or more differences between the one or more images and the benchmark visual profile and respond to the identification of the misaligned segment of the route by modifying an operating parameter of the vehicle.

Abstract: A first electrical machine is operated according to a first mode and a second electrical machine is operated according to a second mode. A power split of operation of the first electrical machine and the second electrical machine is determined. The operation of the first electrical machine and the second electrical machine are controlled according to the power split. The power split is optimized to protect operating constraints of the components of the engine and the aircraft while delivering required thrust to the aircraft.

Abstract: Clearance control schemes for controlling a clearance defined between a first component and a second component of a gas turbine engine are provided. In one aspect, an engine controller of the gas turbine engine implements a clearance control scheme, which includes receiving data indicating a clearance between the first component and the second component, the clearance being at least one of a measured clearance captured by a sensor and a predicted clearance specific to the gas turbine engine at that point in time; comparing the clearance to an allowable clearance; determining a clearance setpoint for a clearance adjustment system based on a clearance difference determined by comparing the clearance to the allowable clearance; and causing the clearance adjustment system to adjust the clearance to the allowable clearance based on the clearance setpoint.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0 . 1 ? ( r ? ) - 1 < ? ? r r < K ? ( r ? ) - 4 / 3 , wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.

Abstract: A method that may include obtaining environmental parameters related to one or more routes of a trip for a first vehicle system, and determining one or more expenditure sections and one or more charging sections of the one or more routes by predicting where the first vehicle system will consume energy and where the first vehicle system will generate the energy, respectively, during the trip based on the environmental parameters. A first trip plan may be obtained for the trip based on the one or more expenditure sections and the one or more charging sections, the trip plan designating one or more operational settings for the first vehicle system for travel during the trip.

Abstract: An energy management system determines two or more fuel components that represent fuel consumption by a vehicle system completing a trip over one or more routes. A trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system at one or more of different locations, different distances along the one or more routes, or different times is generated or modified. The trip plan is based on the fuel components. The fuel components include a delta elevation component of the one or more routes, a delta speed component of the trip, a mean drag component of the vehicle system, a curvature component of the one or more routes, a base fuel component of the vehicle system, a minimum braking component of the vehicle system, a braking auxiliaries component of the vehicle system, and/or a drag variation of the vehicle system.

Abstract: An engine control system may be configured to perform a method of controlling thermal bias in a turbomachine. An exemplary method may include determining a thermal bias-value for the turbomachine, and performing a cooling treatment based at least in part on the thermal bias-value. The thermal bias-value may include a difference between an upward temperature-value corresponding to a first one or more temperature measurements of an upward portion of the turbomachine and a downward temperature-value corresponding to a second one or more temperature measurements of a downward portion of the turbomachine. The cooling treatment may include at least one of: circulating air through at least a portion of the turbomachine, and rotating a shaft of the turbomachine with a motoring system.

Abstract: An engine control system may be configured to perform a method of controlling thermal bias in a turbomachine. An exemplary method may include determining a thermal bias-value for the turbomachine, and performing a cooling treatment based at least in part on the thermal bias-value. The thermal bias-value may include a difference between an upward temperature-value corresponding to a first one or more temperature measurements of an upward portion of the turbomachine and a downward temperature-value corresponding to a second one or more temperature measurements of a downward portion of the turbomachine. The cooling treatment may include at least one of: circulating air through at least a portion of the turbomachine, and rotating a shaft of the turbomachine with a motoring system.

Abstract: A system includes one or more processors that are configured to obtain a constraint on movement for a first vehicle system along a route. The constraint is based on movement of a separate second vehicle system that is concurrently traveling along the same route. The processor(s) are configured to determine a speed profile that designates speeds for the first vehicle system according to at least one of distance, location, or time based on the constraint such that the first vehicle system maintains a designated spacing from the second vehicle system along the route.

Abstract: An energy management system determines two or more fuel components that represent fuel consumption by a vehicle system completing a trip over one or more routes. A trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system at one or more of different locations, different distances along the one or more routes, or different times is generated or modified. The trip plan is based on the fuel components. The fuel components include a delta elevation component of the one or more routes, a delta speed component of the trip, a mean drag component of the vehicle system, a curvature component of the one or more routes, a base fuel component of the vehicle system, a minimum braking component of the vehicle system, a braking auxiliaries component of the vehicle system, and/or a drag variation of the vehicle system.

Abstract: A method and system controller includes determining a power requirement for a vehicle system to complete a planned trip over a route. The method includes determining whether an amount of available power from the vehicle system is sufficient to propel the vehicle system to complete the planned trip by comparing the available power with the power requirement that is determined. The method includes changing one or more operational aspects of the planned trip based on the comparison between the amount of available power and the power requirement that is determined to generate a newly planned modified trip.