Patents Assigned to RTX Corporation
  • Patent number: 11937031
    Abstract: A system includes a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout a machine, each of the sensing/control/identification devices associated with at least one sub-system component of the machine and operable to communicate through a plurality of electromagnetic signals. Shielding surrounds at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component. A communication path is integrally formed in a component of the machine to route a portion of the electromagnetic signals through the component and a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the electromagnetic signals, wherein at least a portion of the sensing/control/identification devices comprise a wide band gap semiconductor device and wherein at least a portion of the sensing/control/identification devices comprise an on-chip antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph V. Mantese, Kurt J. Sobanski
  • Patent number: 11933218
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a compressor section, a turbine section, a first engine and a second engine. The compressor section includes a compressor rotor. The turbine section includes a turbine rotor configured to drive rotation of the compressor rotor. The first engine includes a first engine inlet, a first engine outlet and a first engine combustion zone fluidly coupled with and between the first engine inlet and the first engine outlet. The first engine inlet is fluidly coupled with and downstream of the compressor section. The first engine outlet is fluidly coupled with and upstream of the turbine section. The second engine includes a second engine inlet, a second engine outlet and a second engine combustion zone fluidly coupled with and between the second engine inlet and the second engine outlet. The second engine inlet is fluidly coupled with and downstream of the compressor section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven W. Burd
  • Patent number: 11936091
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for signal communication. This signal communication apparatus includes a waveguide with an internal channel. The internal channel includes a plurality of channel segments interconnected at a junction. The waveguide includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface partially form a peripheral boundary of the internal channel at the junction. The first surface meets the second surface at a first corner. The first surface is angularly offset from the second surface by an obtuse angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Binek, Gurkan Gok
  • Patent number: 11933223
    Abstract: An attritable engine includes an engine case, which includes an outer wall and a fuel rail integral with the outer wall. The fuel rail includes a fuel line integral with the outer wall, a fuel ring configured to receive fuel from the fuel line, and an injector throat configured to receive aerated fuel from the fuel ring. The engine case includes counter distortion webbing defining the injector throat and is integral with the fuel rail and the outer wall. The engine case includes a combustion chamber configured to receive fuel from the injector throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lawrence Binek, Matthew B. Kennedy, Jesse R. Boyer
  • Patent number: 11933226
    Abstract: A heat shield includes a first wall defined between a first end and a second end; a second wall defined between the first end and the second end, the second wall connected to the first wall at the first and second ends; a space defined between the first wall and the second wall; and thermal insulation disposed in the space. A gas turbine engine and a method of installing a heat shield in a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. White, III
  • Patent number: 11933767
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the characterization of a potential microtexture region (MTR) of a sample, component, or the like. The methods may include determining a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for an actual MTR, characterizing a potential MTR as an actual MTR or a defect, characterizing an actual MTR as an acceptable MTR or not, and/or characterizing various components with potential MTRs as defective or not. The characterization may include calculating a width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or a spatial correlation coefficient slope of the potential MTR and comparing the width of spatial correlation coefficient to a threshold width of spatial correlation coefficient and/or comparing the spatial correlation coefficient slope to a threshold spatial correlation coefficient slope for the potential MTR to be characterized as an actual MTR or a defect (crack).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: RTX CORPORATION, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
    Inventors: Yong Tian, Ronald Roberts, Dan Barnard
  • Patent number: 11933196
    Abstract: An airfoil vane assembly includes a vane piece defining a first vane platform, a second vane platform, and a hollow airfoil section joining the first vane platform and the second vane platform. The first vane platform defines a collar projection therefrom. A spar piece defines a spar platform and a spar extends from the spar platform into the hollow airfoil section. The spar platform includes a radial opening defined by first and second axial faces. The radial opening is configured to receive the collar projection, and a groove in the first axial face. A seal is situated in the groove. The seal seals against the collar projection and a biasing member is configured to bias the seal towards the collar projection. A method of assembling a vane is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Robert White, III
  • Patent number: 11933190
    Abstract: A gear reduction reduces a speed of a fan rotor relative to a speed of a fan drive turbine. A rigid connection between a fan case and an inner core housing includes a plurality of A-frames connected at a connection point to the fan case. Legs in the A-frames extend away from the connection point in opposed circumferential directions to be connected to a compressor wall of the inner core housing. The rigid connection also includes a plurality of fan exit guide vanes rigidly connected to the fan case. A lateral stiffness ratio of the lateral stiffness of the plurality of fan exit guide vanes and a lateral stiffness of a combination of the plurality of A-frame, the compressor wall, and a fan intermediate case which is forward of the low pressure compressor being greater than or equal to 0.6 and less than or equal to 2.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Marc J. Muldoon, Michael E. McCune, Keith B. Allyn
  • Patent number: 11933219
    Abstract: A stator configuration for a gas turbine engine including: a splitter segment, the splitter segment extending from a forward end to a rearward end; a forward most first stator extending radially outwardly from the splitter segment, the forward most first stator being completely located downstream from the forward end of the splitter segment; and a forward most second stator extending radially inwardly from the splitter segment, the splitter segment, the forward most first stator and the forward most second stator being formed as a single, integrally formed structure, the forward most first stator positioned closer to the forward end relative to a distance between the forward most second stator and the forward end and the forward most second stator positioned closer to the rearward end relative to a distance between the forward most first stator and the rearward end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Colin G. Amadon, Michael C. Firnhaber
  • Patent number: 11933217
    Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft is disclosed and includes a water recovery system and a water monitoring system. The water recover system includes a condenser that is arranged along the core flow path and is configured to extract water from an exhaust gas flow. The water monitoring system includes a sensor and a controller programed to determine a condition of water and generate a prompt based on information communicated from the at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward Thomas Rocco, Danbing Seto, Coy Bruce Wood, Liang Tang
  • Patent number: 11933221
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a core having a compressor section fluidly connected to a combustor via a primary flowpath and a turbine section connected to the combustor via the core flow path. An assembly is disposed within the gas turbine engine and includes a first part connected to a second part via a radial stack joint. The first part includes a radially inward facing surface contacting a corresponding radially outward facing surface of the second part. A fastener protrudes through the first part and the second part and is configured to maintain the relative positions of the first part and the second part. A channel is disposed on at least one of the radially inward facing surfaces and is positioned between the fastener and a circumferential edge of the first part. The channel is connected to at least one cooling air source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Corey D. Anderson, Edward Boucher, Rebecca R. Dunnigan, Nicholas Broulidakis, Matthew Murakami, Daniel R. Brandt, Konrad Kuc, Victoria M. Imlach, Sushruth G. Kamath, Manuel A. Casares Rivas, Eric G. Leamon, Adam Castles, Edmond Cheung, Kyra A. Thole-Wilson, Javier Nebero Johnson
  • Publication number: 20240083821
    Abstract: A space filler for forming a fibrous preform may comprise an additively manufactured ceramic material. The additively manufactured ceramic material may define a plurality of pores. A shape of the additively manufactured ceramic material may complement a shape of a void formed by fibrous regions of the fibrous preform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Kathryn S. Read
  • Patent number: 11927140
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a propulsor delivering air into a core engine inward of an outer core panel. The core engine has a compressor section, a combustor and a turbine section. A compressor bleed system includes a bleed valve on a conduit communicating with compressed air from the compressor section. The bleed valve is configured to deliver air into a chamber where it can flow outwardly of the core engine at an exit location radially inward of the outer core panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Marc J. Muldoon
  • Patent number: 11927132
    Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a core engine that includes a core flow path where air is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with a hydrogen based fuel and ignited to generate a core gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section. The propulsion system includes a hydrogen fuel system that is configured to supply hydrogen fuel to the combustor through a fuel flow path, a condenser that is arranged along the core flow path and configured to condense water within the core gas flow, and a separator that includes an inlet, a primary water outlet and an exit that includes a plurality of exit guide vanes for straightening the core gas flow that proceeds through the exit. The exit guide vanes include a secondary water outlet for removing condensed water in the core gas flow that proceeds through the exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Abbas A. Alahyari
  • Patent number: 11928811
    Abstract: A method for determining structural vibration mode characteristics includes preparing a digital image correlation (DIC) dataset for the component, applying a dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) technique to the DIC dataset to determine a plurality of DMD modes, selecting at least one dominant DMD mode from the plurality of DMD modes, classifying each of the at least one selected dominant DMD mode as a standing wave or a traveling wave, and determining structural vibration mode characteristics of the component by extracting the structural vibration mode characteristics from each of the at least one selected dominant DMD mode having a standing wave classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Amit Surana, Sudarshan N. Koushik, Kenji Homma
  • Patent number: 11927138
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan section that includes a fan drive shaft. A star gear system for driving the fan section has a carrier mounted to a static structure to prevent the carrier from rotating. A ring gear is attached to a ring gear attachment point on the fan drive shaft. A first fan section support bearing supports a fan drive shaft and is mounted forward of the ring gear attachment point. A second fan section bearing supports the fan drive shaft and is mounted aft of the ring gear attachment point on the fan drive shaft. An outer race of the second fan section bearing is fixed relative to an engine static structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 11926109
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite vessel assembly (20) includes the steps of filling a first chamber defined by a first liner (28,30,32) with a first granulated material (96) through a first orifice (98) in the first liner. A vacuum is then applied to the first chamber, and the first orifice is plugged. The first liner may then be enveloped with a first layer (84) for structural rigidity followed by relief of the vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andrzej Ernest Kuczek, Ellen Y. Sun, Wenping Zhao
  • Patent number: 11927113
    Abstract: A fan blade comprises interleaved plies, where interleaving comprises distributing wide plies within narrow plies and short plies within long plies in the fan blade; wherein the interleaving is defined as an actual intersection of a plurality of plies of different variable dimensions that extend in the chordwise direction with another plurality of plies of different variable dimensions that extend in the spanwise direction such that their respective longitudinal axes intersect with one another at angles of 5 to 175 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xuetao Li, Peter Finnigan, Nicholas D. Stilin
  • Patent number: 11927348
    Abstract: An aerodynamic component of a gas turbine engine is provided and is fittable to a shell having a shell shape. The aerodynamic component includes a body having a component shape initially deviating from the shell shape prior to an assembly operation in which the aerodynamic component is to be fit to the shell. Deviation of the component shape from the shell shape aids in an establishment of a final desired shape of the aerodynamic component following the assembly operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Jon E. Sobanski
  • Patent number: 11927136
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine, including a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section positioned within a core flow path of the gas turbine engine; a bypass splitter positioned radially outward of the core engine and configured to house the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section; a bypass duct positioned radially outward of the bypass splitter; a fan section positioned axially upstream of the compressor section, the fan section including a fan and an inlet cone positioned upstream of the fan; an inlet duct configured to house the fan section; an inlet precooler disposed within the inlet duct; and a heat exchange system configured to provide a cooling fluid to the inlet precooler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven W. Burd