The United Engine Corporation (UEC, part of Rostec) has created a standalone fault-tolerant power supply system for the digital control system of an aircraft gas turbine engine. The patent has been registered in the FIPS database.
The development solves an important problem: previously, in the event of a complete failure of the +28 V onboard network, the electronic engine regulator did not receive power, which made it impossible to automatically start the unit in the air.
The new system is based on a magneto-electric generator. It provides power to the regulator and engine sensors even at the minimum rotor speed in autorotation modes when fuel is not supplied.
The power supply unit generates a stabilized voltage of at least 18 V, guaranteeing the operability of the control systems.
Two installation options are provided for the generator — integral and non-integral. In the first case, the system is mounted directly on the gear wheel shaft of the engine gearbox and develops up to 22,000 rpm.
The second option uses a splined coupling (rotor speed up to 12,500 rpm), while generator failure does not lead to engine shutdown in flight.
The system also includes two independent channels of the generator and the onboard network, a rectification and conversion unit, as well as a redundant channel of the electronic regulator. This provides quadruple power redundancy and increases the reliability of the engine in all operating conditions.