Patents Assigned to RTX Corporation
  • Patent number: 11952905
    Abstract: A method is provided for an engine. During this method, a saturation current of a gas flow is measured. The gas flow includes combustion products generated by the engine. The saturation current is monitored to determine presence of debris entrained within the gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeremiah C. Lee, Daniel McMenamin, Alek Gavrilovski
  • Patent number: 11952947
    Abstract: A disclosed gas turbine engine includes a first electric motor assembly that provides a first drive input for driving fan blades about an axis. A geared architecture is driven by a turbine section and is coupled to the fan section to provide a second drive input for driving the fan blades. A second electric motor assembly is coupled to rotate the geared architecture relative to a fixed structure for controlling a speed of the fan blades provided by a combination of the first drive input and the second drive input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Christopher J. Hanlon, William G Sheridan
  • Patent number: 11952911
    Abstract: An airfoil include an airfoil wall that defines a leading end, a trailing end, a first side wall, and a second side wall. A rib connects the first and second side walls of the airfoil wall. The rib includes a first arm by which the rib is solely connected to the first side wall, and second and third arms by which the rib is solely connected to the second side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brandon W. Spangler, David R. Pack, JinQuan Xu
  • Patent number: 11946548
    Abstract: An apparatus has: a first member; a shaft rotatable relative to the first member about an axis; and a seal system. The seal system has: a seal carried by the first member and having a seal face; a seal housing; a seat carried by the shaft and having a seat face in sliding sealing engagement with the seal face; and a plurality of coil springs biasing the seal face against the seat face, each coil spring having a first end and a second end. The seal has a plurality of spring compartments. Each of the plurality of coil springs is partially within a respective associated compartment of the plurality of spring compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sonokawa, Jonathan F. Zimmitti, Nasr A. Shuaib, Sean P. McCutchan
  • Patent number: 11946383
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a first bearing compartment and a seal assembly within the first bearing compartment that includes a rotatable seal seat, a gutter radially outward of the seal seat and fixed against rotation. The gutter includes a channel on its radially inner face. A second bearing compartment is also included. A scavenge pump is in communication with a first supply line configured to supply the first bearing compartment and a second supply line configured to supply the second bearing compartment. The gutter is in communication with the scavenge pump through a gutter scavenge line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Todd A. Davis, Christopher M. Valva
  • Patent number: 11946412
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a propulsor with a power turbine, a power turbine shaft extending forward therefrom defining a centerline axis, and a fan driven by the power turbine shaft. The fan is aligned with the centerline axis forward of the power turbine and is operatively connected to be driven by the power turbine through the power turbine shaft. A gas generator operatively connected to the propulsor is included downstream from the fan and forward of the power turbine, wherein the gas generator defines a generator axis offset from the centerline axis. The gas generator is operatively connected to the power turbine to supply combustion products for driving the power turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, James D. Hill
  • Patent number: 11946540
    Abstract: A fan drive gear system for a turbofan engine according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, among other possible things includes a sun gear that is rotatable about an axis, a plurality of intermediate gears driven by the sun gear, and a baffle that is disposed between at least two of the plurality of intermediate gears for defining a lubricant flow path from an interface between the sun gear and at least one of the plurality of intermediate gears. The baffle includes a channel with at least one ramp portion directing lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Janice Jabido, Michael E. McCune
  • Patent number: 11945063
    Abstract: A method of repairing a piston seal assembly comprises removing worn material from a piston seal groove to generate a worked seal groove, applying a groove buildup member to the worked seal groove, and disposing a seal member proximate the groove buildup member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Patrick Bowler
  • Patent number: 11945025
    Abstract: A casting method includes passing a metallic spacer through respective apertures in at least two ceramic cores to an installed condition wherein the spacer defines a minimum local separation between the at least two cores. The spacer has a shank and at least one arm extending from the shank. A sacrificial pattern material is molded over the metallic spacer and the at least two ceramic cores and then shelled and fired. An alloy is cast in the shell the shell is removed from the cast alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan C. Breneman, Markian Stephan Blazejowskyj, Blake Matthew Wilmore
  • Publication number: 20240102391
    Abstract: A turbine engine airfoil element has a plurality of main body passageways along a camber line and having two or more chordwise distributed protuberant portions with necks between the protuberant portions. A plurality of skin passageways include: at least one first skin passageway each nested between a first of the pressure side and the suction side and two adjacent main body passageways; and a plurality of second skin passageways each nested between first of the pressure side and the suction side and two said protuberant portions of a corresponding main body passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Brandon W. Spangler, David R. Pack
  • Publication number: 20240105154
    Abstract: Acoustic structures for a gas turbine engine are disclosed. In various embodiments, the acoustic structures comprise a panel in the form of a cellular structure having a plurality of cells; and a housing configured to house the cellular structure, the housing including a first rail configured for attachment to a static structure within the gas turbine engine and a second rail configured for attachment to the static structure. In various embodiments, the acoustic structures comprise a liner in the form of a non-segmented or two-piece structure configured to extend about the inner barrel of a nacelle structure. The disclosed panels and liners are configured to maximize the operational area of the acoustic structures by eliminating obstructions from adjacent flow paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony R. Bifulco
  • Patent number: 11939919
    Abstract: A fluid supply system for a gas turbine engine includes a first component and a second component. A fluid fitting has a fluid junction. The fluid junction includes a first fluid port in fluid communication with and configured to supply a first cooling fluid to the first component. The fluid junction includes a second fluid port in fluid communication with and configured to supply a second cooling fluid to the second component. A primary pipe is fluidly connected to the fluid fitting. A flow meter is arranged upstream from the fluid junction and is configured to receive a cooling supply fluid from a fluid source. Thee flow meter is a wall having an orifice and a surface that is radiused and convex facing into the cooling supply fluid. A secondary pipe is secured to the fluid fitting and is configured to supply the second cooling fluid to the second component. A turbine section includes the first and second components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: John H. Mosley, Michelle Diana Stearns, Michael Luther Comeau, James P. Chasse
  • Patent number: 11939925
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core having a compressor section with a first compressor and a second compressor, a turbine section with a first turbine and a second turbine, and a primary flowpath fluidly connecting the compressor section and the turbine section. The first compressor is connected to the first turbine via a first shaft, the second compressor is connected to the second turbine via a second shaft, and a motor is connected to the first shaft such that rotational energy generated by the motor is translated to the first shaft. The gas turbine engine includes a takeoff mode of operation, a top of climb mode of operation, and at least one additional mode of operation. The gas turbine engine is undersized relative to a thrust requirement in at least one of the takeoff mode of operation and the top of climb mode of operation, and a controller is configured to control the mode of operation of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Charles E. Lents, Joseph B. Staubach, Larry W. Hardin, Jonathan Rheaume
  • Patent number: 11939875
    Abstract: A drive system of a gas turbine engine includes a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft operable to rotate within the gas turbine engine, a first sensor operable to detect rotation of the first drive shaft, a second sensor operable to detect rotation of the second drive shaft, and a processing system coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor. The processing system is operable to determine a timing variation based on output of the first sensor and output of the second sensor, determine a torsional deflection between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft based on the timing variation, and detect a health status of the drive system based on the torsional deflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sheridon Everette Haye
  • Patent number: 11939888
    Abstract: An assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of vanes having a radially outer platform with a flange that extends radially outward therefrom and a plurality of notches in the flange. A ring is located radially outward from the radially outer platform of the plurality of vanes. An axially extending projection extends through and corresponds with each of the plurality of notches on the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond Surace, Robert A. White, III
  • Patent number: 11939913
    Abstract: An engine system includes a turbine engine including a compressor section, a combustor section having a burner, a turbine section, and a nozzle in an open-loop configuration. The engine system also includes a bottom-cycle apparatus and an exhaust heat exchanger downstream of the turbine section of the turbine engine configured to reject heat from the turbine engine to the bottoming-cycle apparatus and create a cooled turbine exhaust in the turbine engine. The engine system further includes an exhaust compressor arranged downstream of the exhaust heat exchanger and upstream of the nozzle of the turbine engine configured to compress the cooled turbine exhaust stream and increase a pressure of the cooled turbine exhaust stream prior to exiting the nozzle of the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Joseph B. Staubach
  • Patent number: 11939926
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a flowpath extending sequentially through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The assembly also includes a rotating structure, a geartrain, a propulsor rotor and a turbine. The rotating structure includes a turbine rotor within the turbine section. The geartrain is coupled to the rotating structure. The propulsor rotor is coupled to the geartrain. The rotating structure is configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor through the geartrain. The turbine is coupled to the geartrain. The turbine is configured to receive bleed gas from the flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Paul R. Hanrahan
  • Patent number: 11939924
    Abstract: A system for modulating air flow in a gas turbine engine is provided. The system may include a seal wall comprising an opening, a seal door configured to slideably engage the seal wall, and an actuator configured to move the seal door over the opening. In various embodiments, the system may include a surface forward of the seal door. The seal door may be configured to seal a passage through the surface and the opening of the seal wall. A track may be disposed under the seal door. The track may comprise cobalt. Rollers may be coupled to the seal door with the rollers on the track. The seal door may comprise a nickel-chromium alloy. A sync ring may be coupled to the seal door. The actuator may be coupled through the sync ring to the seal door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas W. Kantany, Edward Boucher, Kristine Marie Carnavos, Robert Russell Mayer, Donald W. Peters
  • Patent number: 11939883
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil section that has an airfoil wall that defines a leading end, an arced trailing end, and first and second sides that join the leading end and the arced trailing end. The first and second sides span in a longitudinal direction between first and second ends. The airfoil wall circumscribes an internal core cavity that includes an exit region that spans between the first and second ends and that opens through the arced trailing end. The exit region includes pedestals arranged in a plurality of longitudinal pedestal rows. At least one of the longitudinal pedestal rows is straight and at least one of the longitudinal pedestal rows is arced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Allan N. Arisi, Ricardo Trindade, Dominic J. Mongillo, Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 11939871
    Abstract: An abradable material for a rub strip of a gas turbine engine component includes a polymer matrix, and an organic or inorganic filler distributed through the matrix, wherein the abradable material has a compression spring rate profile including: less than 50,000 lb/in at ?65° F., less than 35,000 lb/in at room temperature, and less than 35,000 lb/in at 200° F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Kerry E. Muenchow, Georgios S. Zafiris, Raymond P. Martina, Jr., John Harner, Imad Hanhan, Darin S. Lussier, Scott A. Smith, Mark W. Costa, Michael R. LaFavor