Patents Examined by Craig Kim
  • Patent number: 11952946
    Abstract: A turbine engine has: a compressor; a combustor; a turbine; a gaspath passing downstream from the compressor through the combustor and then through the turbine; a fuel source; a fuel flowpath from the fuel source to the combustor; and a heat exchanger for transferring heat from the gaspath to the fuel flowpath The heat exchanger has: an inner wall in heat transfer relation with the gaspath; an outer wall; tubes between the inner wall and the outer wall bounding respective segments of the fuel flowpath; and a heat transfer fluid between the inner wall and the outer wall and in heat transfer relation with the tubes and the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Marc J. Muldoon
  • Patent number: 11952944
    Abstract: Jet engine thermal transport bus pumps are disclosed. Disclosed herein is an aircraft comprising a gas turbine engine configured to burn fuel at a fuel flow rate to generate an engine power (Pengine), the fuel characterized by a first specific heat capacity (cp_fuel) and a net heat of combustion (NHCfuel); and a thermal management system configured to transfer heat from a working fluid to the fuel, the working fluid characterized by a second specific heat capacity (cp_pump) and a first density (?pump), the thermal management system including a pump configured to generate a pump power (Ppump) to pressurize the working fluid, and wherein P ? O ? W = P p ? u ? m ? p ( c p_pump c p_water ) ? ( ? w ? a ? t ? e ? r ? p ? u ? m ? p ) 2 , F ? F ? R = ( P e ? n ? g ? i ? n ? e N ? H ? C f ? u ? e ? l ) ? ( c p_fuel c p_pump ) 0.008?POW/FFR5/3?12, FFR is between 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel A. Niergarth, Giridhar Jothiprasad, Rodrigo Rodriguez Erdmenger, Adam Joseph Wangler
  • Patent number: 11946811
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This turbine engine assembly includes a turbine engine structure and a sensor system. The sensor system includes a probe and an optical sensor. The probe is connected to the turbine engine structure. The probe projects into a gas path of the turbine engine. The sensor system is configured to measure a temperature of the probe using the optical sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Issam Al-Khairy
  • Patent number: 11933246
    Abstract: An aircraft turbojet engine extending along an X axis and comprising a blower configured to provide a reverse thrust and a nacelle comprising an air intake which comprises at least one deflection member movably mounted between a deployed position in which the deflection member projects from the inner wall or from the lip of the air intake in a radially inward direction of deployment facing the X axis or in a longitudinal direction of deployment with respect to the X axis, in order to allow a release of the reverse air flow from the inner wall to support the reverse thrust phase, and a retracted position in which the air intake has an aerodynamic profile so as to guide the internal air flow along the inner wall in order to support the thrust phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Daniel-Ciprian Mincu, Jean-Loïc Hervé Lecordix, Nicolas Joseph Sirvin, Frédéric Dautreppe, Anthony Binder, Eva Julie Lebeault
  • Patent number: 11927134
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided, having a turbomachine and a rotor assembly driven by the turbomachine and operable at a first blade passing frequency (f1) greater than or equal to 2,500 hertz and less than or equal to 5,000 hertz during a high power operating condition; a heat exchanger positioned within an annular duct and extending substantially continuously along the circumferential direction, wherein an effective transmission loss (ETL) for the heat exchanger positioned within the annular duct is between 5 decibels and 1 decibels for a high power operating condition, and wherein the heat exchanger comprises a heat transfer section defining an acoustic length (Li), and wherein an Operational Acoustic Reduction Ratio (OARR) is greater than or equal to 0.75 to achieve the ETL at the high power operating condition, the OARR equal to: sin ? ? ( 2 × ? × f 1 a 1 × L i ) 2 wherein a1 is equal to 13,200 inches per second during the high power operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Alan Schimmels, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Timothy Richard DePuy, Steven B. Morris
  • Patent number: 11927402
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods relating to heat transfer devices having nested layers of helical fluid channels. In some examples, a device for transferring heat includes a set of nested tubular walls and a plurality of helical walls intersecting each of the nested tubular walls to form one or more first channel layers nested with one or more second channel layers. Each of the first and second channel layers includes a plurality of helical fluid channels. A first intake and a first outtake are in fluid communication with one another via the plurality of helical fluid channels of each first channel layer, for flow of a first fluid through the device. A second intake and a second outtake are in fluid communication with one another via the plurality of helical fluid channels of each second channel layer, for flow of a second fluid through the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Douglas H. Van Affelen, Arun Muley, Michael F. Stoia
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11920514
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a fuel delivery system arranged to provide fuel; a combustor arranged to combust at least a proportion of the fuel; a primary fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to have up to 100% of the fuel provided by the fuel delivery system flow therethrough; and a secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to have a proportion of the fuel from the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger flow therethrough. Fuel is arranged to flow from the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger to the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger whereas oil is arranged to flow from the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger to the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger. The method includes using at least one of the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger and the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger to heat the fuel so as to adjust the fuel viscosity to a maximum of 0.58 mm2/s on entry to the combustor at cruise conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Craig W Bemment, Benjamin J Keeler, Kevin R McNally, Andrea Minelli
  • Patent number: 11904387
    Abstract: Piece comprising a first metal part and a second part in organic matrix composite material, wherein the first part has a first connecting portion and the second part has a second connecting portion, the second connecting portion having at least one through-hole, the second connecting portion being totally or partially sandwiched between the first connecting portion and a metal fastening element, the fastening element being fastened on the first part both onto the first connecting portion via the through-hole of the second connecting portion and onto a portion other than the first connecting portion, whereby the first part and the second part are fastened to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ARIANEGROUP SAS
    Inventors: Alban Du Tertre, Didier Guichard
  • Patent number: 11898491
    Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a hydrogen fuel system, a water recovery system and a water pressure and quantity monitoring system. The water recovery system uses a condenser to extract water from an exhaust gas flow. The water pressure and quantity monitoring system measures water pressures and quantities at various locations in the water recovery system to assess the health and efficiency of the water recovery/supply system and the propulsion system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward Thomas Rocco, Danbing Seto, Coy Bruce Wood, Liang Tang
  • Patent number: 11891185
    Abstract: A nacelle for a propulsion assembly, the nacelle including a front internal structure having a framework formed of longitudinal beams and including removable, dismountable or retractable panels which are provided to facilitate the access for maintenance to the parts of the motor shrouded by these panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN NACELLES
    Inventors: Patrick André Boileau, Jean-Philippe Joret, Vincent Jean-François Peyron, Gina Ferrier
  • Patent number: 11885315
    Abstract: Disclosed is a radio-frequency plasma generating system including a radio-frequency generator and a plasma source, the radio-frequency generator being inductively or capacitively coupled to the plasma source through a resonant electric circuit, the radio-frequency generator being adapted to receive direct current power from a direct current power supply and for generating radio-frequency power at a frequency f, the radio-frequency power including a reactive radio-frequency power oscillating in the resonant electric circuit and an active radio-frequency power absorbed by the plasma. The radio-frequency plasma generating system includes a unit for measuring an efficiency of conversion E of direct-current power to active radio-frequency power absorbed by the plasma and a unit for adjusting the frequency f as a function of the measured efficiency of conversion E to maintain the efficiency of conversion E in a predetermined range within a RF plasma operational range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: THRUSTME
    Inventors: Stanislav Dudin, Dmytro Rafalskyi
  • Patent number: 11885283
    Abstract: A seal interposed between a turbojet engine and a movable part of a nacelle includes a tubular body delimiting an inner cavity interposed between at least one fixing part and a platform. The platform includes a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge and a planar surface extending from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge. The seal includes a protuberance arranged on the platform. The protuberance is centered on the platform or extends from the first lateral edge to the second lateral edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Safran Nacelles
    Inventors: Cédric Renault, Arnaud Bonny
  • Patent number: 11879385
    Abstract: A power-generation system for a nuclear reactor includes a power unit, a reactor heat exchanger, and an auxiliary combustion system. The power unit produces compressed air that is heated by the reactor heat exchanger. The auxiliary combustion system includes an auxiliary combustor located external to the power unit and fluidly connected with the compressed air to increase the temperature of the compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew J. Eifert
  • Patent number: 11873994
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system comprising a recuperated gas turbine engine with a catalytic combustor, and methods of operating the same, the catalytic combustor comprising: (a) an upstream section comprising an electrical heater and (b) a downstream catalyst section, wherein the upstream section and the downstream catalyst section are disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company, Delta Motorsport Limited
    Inventors: Nick Carpenter, Guy Chandler, Jeremy Gidney, Scott Herring, Chris Morgan, Timothy O'Connell, Mark Wilksch
  • Patent number: 11867122
    Abstract: A propulsion assembly having a propulsion system including an exhaust nozzle fastened to the nozzle wall on the outside thereof so as to define between them a chamber, and a heat exchanger system ensuring an exchange of heat energy between the hot combustion gases circulating in the exhaust nozzle and the colder fuel circulating in the supply pipe at least in part by thermal radiation through the nozzle wall. The heat exchanger system has a pipe portion arranged in the chamber and the exchange of heat energy takes place at this pipe portion. With such an arrangement, the heat energy of the combustion gases is transferred to the fuel for better combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: Airbus SAS, Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Jorge Alejandro Carretero Benignos, Lionel Czapla
  • Patent number: 11867120
    Abstract: A turbine engine gas-inlet cooling system and a turbine engine apparatus are disclosed. The turbine engine includes a gas-inlet end and a gas-outlet end, and the turbine engine gas-inlet cooling system includes a gas-inlet cooling device. The gas-inlet cooling device includes a gas-input end and a gas-output end, and is configured to cool working gas being input from the gas-input end. The gas-output end is connected with the gas-inlet end of the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Yantai Jereh Petroleum Equipment & Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rikui Zhang, Xincheng Li, Peng Zhang, Zhijie Liu
  • Patent number: 11867139
    Abstract: A modular damper plug forming a multi-volume acoustic resonator in an acoustic liner of a rocket engine is provided. In one aspect, the damper plug includes a main body including a top surface spaced from a bottom surface by a first height, a left surface spaced from a right surface by a width, and an exterior surface spaced from an interior surface by a length. A chamber within the main body extends along a part of the height, a part of the width, and a part of the length, and communicates with the top surface through an opening. The chamber also communicates with the interior surface through one or more ducts. The main body is sized and shaped to be received in any one of a plurality of cavities in the acoustic liner. The chamber includes an upstream volume of the acoustic resonator, and the one or more ducts communicate with a downstream volume of the acoustic resonator when the damper plug is received in any one of the plurality of cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Blue Origin, LLC
    Inventors: Owen Stewart Graham, Stephen Wuest, Nicholas James Keleshian, Warren Godwin Lamont
  • Patent number: 11867400
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a liner surrounding a fuel and air mixing body. A gaseous fuel supply passage delivers gaseous fuel into the mixing body. A wall of the mixing body has air openings to communicate air into mixing passages. At least one fuel opening in each of the mixing passages allows fuel to flow into the mixing passages and mix with the air. There are passage sections downstream of a location of the fuel openings, such that the mixed air and fuel travel downstream of the location and into a combustion chamber. The passage sections have baffles that create a tortuous path. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Tin Cheung John Hu
  • Patent number: 11859821
    Abstract: An injection system includes an inner nozzle body defining a first air path along a longitudinal axis. The first air path defines a converging-diverging section between an upstream portion of the first air path and an outlet orifice of the first air path. A main orifice is defined at a narrowest portion of the converging-diverging section. A fuel circuit wall is outboard of the inner nozzle body. A fuel path is defined between the fuel circuit wall and the inner nozzle body. An outer nozzle body outboard of the fuel circuit wall has a second air path defined through the inner nozzle body for communication of air from the outer nozzle body into the first air path, wherein the second air path meets the first air path at a second orifice in the first air path downstream of the main orifice of the inner nozzle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason A. Ryon, Lev A. Prociw, Brandon P. Williams