Bumpless Transfer Control Strategies for Turbofan Engine Systems
Summary
Bumpless transfer control refers to the seamless switching between different control laws or operating regimes in a turbofan engine without inducing undesirable transients or performance degradations. In modern engine systems, controllers must negotiate highly nonlinear dynamics, wide variations in thrust demand and environmental conditions, and evolving engine health states. Traditional gain-scheduling schemes, while effective across an operating envelope, can introduce jolts or overshoots when switching between linearised controllers at distinct operating points. Bumpless transfer strategies address this by incorporating interpolation methods, filter-based transition layers or observer-assisted estimates that ensure continuity in control signals. These approaches enhance engine safety, extend component life by mitigating thermal and mechanical stress during mode changes, and improve fuel efficiency by maintaining optimal compressor and turbine operation during transients such as throttle bangs or rapid deceleration.
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Bumpless Transfer Control Strategies for Turbofan Engine Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bumpless transfer control strategies for turbofan engine systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Bumpless transfer: A control strategy ensuring smooth switching between different controllers or modes without generating transients or disturbances.
Gain scheduling: A method that adjusts controller parameters in real time according to measured operating variables to handle nonlinear system behaviour.
Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) model: A representation of a nonlinear system as a family of linear models whose matrices change continuously with certain scheduling parameters.
Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model: A modelling approach in which a nonlinear system is described by a weighted sum of linear submodels, governed by fuzzy membership functions.
Parallel Distributed Compensation (PDC): A control design methodology for T-S fuzzy systems that employs the same fuzzy rule structure for both modelling and controller synthesis to ensure seamless transitions.
References
- Aeroengine Robust Gain-Scheduling Control Based on Performance Degradation. IEEE Access (2020).
- Improved Gain Scheduling Control and Its Application to Aero-Engine LPV Synthesis. Energies (2020).
- T–S Fuzzy Modeling for Aircraft Engines: The Clustering and Identification Approach. Energies (2019).
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