Patents Examined by Alyson Joan Harrington
  • Patent number: 11142329
    Abstract: An aspect includes a system for pre-start motoring control for multiple engines of an aircraft. The system includes a first engine starting system of a first engine and a controller. The controller is operable to control a motoring time of the first engine starting system relative to one or more other engine starting systems of one or more other engines of the aircraft by adjusting the motoring time of the first engine starting system within a tolerance of the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems in a pre-start motoring sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew D. Teicholz, James W. Dunn, Christopher P. Kmetz, Louis A. Celiberti
  • Patent number: 11143110
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine starting system that includes a shaft coupling a compressor and a turbine. An annular housing extends circumferentially around the shaft such that the annular housing defines a compartment. A flange extends radially outward from the annular housing for mounting the annular housing to a stationary wall. A starter is positioned in the compartment. A collar rotatably couples to the annular housing and selectively couples to the starter. The collar includes a radially inner surface having a plurality of splines for engaging the shaft. The starter, when activated, rotates the collar, which rotates the shaft to start the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Pawel Szczepanowski, Mateusz Goldyn
  • Patent number: 11125436
    Abstract: A floating collar assembly is configured to receive a fuel nozzle or an igniter projecting through an opening defined in a combustor shell lined with heat shields having studs projecting through the combustor shell for engagement with corresponding fasteners outside the combustor shell. A floating collar is mounted outside the combustor shell with an opening in alignment with the opening in the combustor shell for receiving the fuel nozzle or the igniter. An external retaining bracket is mounted to the heat shield studs or other studs projecting outwardly from the combustor shell so as to trap the floating collar between the combustor shell and the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Maximilian Baranowicz, Si-Man Amy Lao, Oleg Morenko
  • Patent number: 11118513
    Abstract: A first duct segment may include a first flange including a first planar mating face and a first recess. A second duct segment may include a second flange including a second planar mating face and a second recess. The first duct segment and the second duct segment may be installed in a gas turbine engine. A first E-seal may be inserted in the first recess, and a second E-seal may be inserted in the second recess. A gap may be measured between the first flange and the second flange. A flat shim may be selected based on the size of the gap. The flat shim may be inserted between the first flange and the second flange. A plurality of bolts may be inserted through the first flange, the flat shim, and the second flange to seal the first duct segment to the second duct segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard Winkler
  • Patent number: 11112116
    Abstract: The present invention reduces thermal stress that is applied to the weld zone of a cavity formed in the structural material of a burner. The burner includes the cavity distributing a fuel to fuel nozzles. The cavity is demarcated by a groove formed in the structural material of the burner so as to create a level difference at an opening, and a cover fitted into the level difference to close the groove. The cover is formed by a web covering the opening in the groove and a flange extending in the depth direction of the groove to be fitted into the level difference, and is joined by welding to the structural material in such a manner as to have an L-shaped cross-section. When viewed in a cross-section orthogonal to the groove, a cover-side inner surface that is an inner surface of the flange forming a lateral surface of the cavity is flush with a groove-side inner surface that is an inner surface of the groove forming a lateral surface of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Power, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Tsukidate, Kunihiro Oga, Yoshitaka Terada, Koichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 11112113
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component assembly including: a first component having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; and a second component having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface of the second component, and an impingement slot extending from the second surface of the second component to the first surface of the second component, the second surface of the first component and the first surface of the second component defining a cooling channel therebetween in fluid communication with the impingement slot, wherein the impingement slot is in fluid communication with the second surface of the first component, wherein the impingement slot includes a slot tab configured to direct airflow into the cooling channel at least partially in a lateral direction parallel to the second surface of the first component such that a cross flow is generated in the cooling channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeremy Styborski, Corey D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11092084
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustion section, the combustion section including a plurality of fuel nozzles. A fuel delivery system for the gas turbine engine includes a feed tube and a fuel manifold fluidly connected to the feed tube for receiving fuel from the feed tube. The fuel delivery system also includes a pigtail fuel line fluidly connected to the fuel manifold and configured to fluidly connect to a fuel nozzle of the plurality of fuel nozzles when the fuel delivery system is installed in the gas turbine engine. In order to reduce an amount of hydraulic instability of a fuel flow through the fuel delivery system, at least one of the fuel manifold or the pigtail fuel line includes a means for damping a hydraulic instability within the fuel delivery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kwanwoo Kim, Raymond Floyd Martell, Alfred Albert Mancini, Clayton S. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11078843
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan rotor, a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section. The turbine section is positioned downstream of the combustor section. A fan drive turbine in the turbine section, and a shaft connects the fan drive turbine to the fan rotor. An inlet duct is connected to a cooling air source and connected to a cooling compressor downstream of the fan drive turbine. The cooling compressor is connected to an air source, and connected to a turning duct for passing compressed air in an upstream direction through the shaft. A method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gary D. Roberge, Jorn Axel Glahn
  • Patent number: 11073286
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a trapped vortex combustor and a method for operating trapped vortex combustor. In one embodiment, the trapped vortex combustor comprises a trapped vortex combustion zone and at least one secondary combustion zone disposed downstream of the trapped vortex combustion zone. The trapped vortex combustion zone is operable to receive and combust a first fuel and a first air and produce a first combustion product flowing toroidally therein. The at least one secondary combustion zone is operable to receive and combust the first combustion product and at least one second injection consisting of fuel and/or air and produce at least one second combustion product therein. The combustor may reduce the residence time of the highest temperature combustion products and achieve the lower NOx emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Joseph Zelina, Eric John Stevens
  • Patent number: 11067003
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a housing circumferentially surrounding an electric machine. The electric machine is supported within the housing. The housing defines a cooling passage proximate to the electric machine. The cooling passage circumferentially surrounds the electric machine and is extended at least partially along a lengthwise direction of the electric machine. The cooling passage provides a flow of fluid therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Sean Christopher Binion, Patrick Michael Marrinan
  • Patent number: 11067278
    Abstract: A fuel system includes a fuel supply system. A plurality of fuel nozzles are connected in fluid communication with the fuel supply system to supply fuel from a fuel source to be issued for combustion from the fuel nozzles. A cooling system is included, wherein at least one of the fuel nozzles includes a cooling circuit in addition to a fuel circuit for issuing fuel from the fuel supply system for combustion. The cooling circuit includes an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is in fluid communication with the cooling system for circulation of coolant through the cooling circuit and back to the cooling system out the outlet of the cooling circuit for cooling the fuel circuit with the fuel circuit staged off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Lev Alexander Prociw, Timothy Griffith
  • Patent number: 11060418
    Abstract: A casing is provided, for example, an exhaust casing for a turbomachine. The casing generally includes an inner hub having an axis of rotation and an outer annular ferrule extending around the hub, the ferrule configured to define, with the hub, an annular flow path for a gas stream. In some examples, the ferrule is rigidly connected to the hub by arms. The hub generally includes, at one longitudinal end, a scalloped annular flange comprising solid portions distributed at regular intervals about said axis and spaced apart from each other by hollow portions. The hub is produced by assembling several angular hub sectors arranged circumferentially end to end around the axis, each hub sector connected to an adjacent hub sector by a longitudinal weld bead that extends over substantially the entire axial extent of the hub and that is substantially aligned axially with a hollow portion of said flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Benoit Argémiro Matthieu Debray, Dominique Michel Fouquet, Grégory Ghosarossian-Prillieux, Guillaume Sevi, Patrick Sultana, Guy Vieillefond
  • Patent number: 11053888
    Abstract: An ultrashort nacelle configuration employs a fan cowl having an exit plane and a serrated trailing edge. A variable pitch fan is housed within the fan cowl. The variable pitch fan has a reverse thrust position inducing a reverse flow through the exit plane and into the fan cowl. The serrated trailing edge forms a plurality of vortex generators configured to induce vortices in the reverse flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John C. Vassberg, Mark DeHaan, Dino Roman
  • Patent number: 11008942
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a lubrication oil piping gutter of an aircraft turbomachine. The lubrication oil piping gutter can be used for a sun gear train reducer of the turbomachine. The gutter may include two lateral annular walls connected at their outer periphery by an annular bottom wall. In some embodiments, the annular bottom wall may include at least one oil evacuation opening in which is located a deflector configured to facilitate the flow of oil radially from the inside to the outside of the gutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Christophe Paul Jacquemard, Didier Gabriel Bertrand Desombre, Serge René Morreale
  • Patent number: 10988265
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for protecting an engine of an aircraft to prevent an inlet of an engine of an aircraft from being damaged. The apparatus includes: a protective net attached to an inlet arranged at a front of the engine of the aircraft; and hangers configured to fix the protective net along a side surface of the engine, wherein the protective net includes a plurality of circular fibers concentrically arranged while forming a circle, and a fixing fiber configured to fix an outer peripheral surface of the circular fibers to an outer surface of the engine while being bound to inner surfaces of the circular fibers and passing through a center of the circular fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventors: Yoon-ki Baek, Yu-dam Baek
  • Patent number: 10976053
    Abstract: A combustor assembly includes a volute wall extended annularly around a combustor centerline, extended at least partially as a spiral curve from a circumferential reference line around the combustor centerline, and defining a combustion chamber therewithin, an annular inner wall extended at least partially along a lengthwise direction from the volute wall, an annular outer wall extended at least partially along the lengthwise direction from the volute wall, the annular inner wall and the annular outer wall being separated along a radial direction from the combustor centerline, and a primary flow passage being defined between the annular inner wall and the annular outer wall in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and a flow passage wall extending between a portion of the volute wall and a portion of the annular outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Pradeep Naik, Joseph Zelina, Clayton Stuart Cooper
  • Patent number: 10975770
    Abstract: A heat exchanging arrangement is integrated within a gas turbine engine case that at least partially encloses a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine has an upstream end and a downstream end which are defined by a core fluid flow through the gas turbine engine. The heat exchanging arrangement includes at least one flow passage defined within the gas turbine engine case having an inlet port and an outlet port. The at least one flow passage is configured to direct at least a portion of a fluid flowing through the gas turbine engine from between a downstream position and an upstream position while traveling between the inlet port and the outlet port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Christopher Simpson
  • Patent number: 10934938
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an inner housing surrounding a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, with an inlet leading into the compressor, and a cooling sleeve defined radially outwardly of the inlet to the compressor for receiving cooling air radially outward of the compressor inlet. The cooling sleeve extends along a length of the engine, and radially outwardly of the inner housing, with the cooling air in the cooling sleeve being ejected at a downstream end to mix with products of combustion downstream of the turbine. An aircraft is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Wesley K. Lord, Jesse M. Chandler, Steven H. Zysman
  • Patent number: 10928068
    Abstract: An annular Helmholtz damper for a gas turbine can combustor, the annular Helmholtz damper having an axis; an inner wall and an outer wall concentrically arranged with respect to the axis to define an annular damping volume arranged around a can combustor; a front and rear circumferential plates for closing the annular damping volume upstream and downstream; at least one intermediate circumferential plate arranged between the front and the rear plates for dividing the annular damping volume in a main and a secondary volume; and a plurality of intermediate drain holes passing the intermediate circumferential plate and configured for draining collected liquid from the main volume to the secondary volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jost Imfeld, Paul Marlow
  • Patent number: 10926883
    Abstract: An aircraft includes a first engine that generates first bleed air flow and a second engine that generates second bleed air flow. The aircraft further includes an aircraft environmental control system (ECS) with a bleed manifold to collect the first bleed air flow and the second bleed air flow, and one or more air cycle machines to perform air conditioning consuming bleed air flow from the bleed manifold. The ECS balances the first bleed air flow and the second bleed air flow output from the first engine and second engine, respectively, based on a bleed manifold pressure of the bleed manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffry K. Kamenetz, Erin G. Kline, Jeffrey Ernst, James Joyce, Kevin R. DeRoy