Patents Examined by Craig Kim
  • Patent number: 11680526
    Abstract: The gas turbine system includes: a first gas turbine element 2; a second gas turbine element 3; a single combustor 4; a first supply pipe 61 which connects the first compressor 21 to the combustor 4; a second supply pipe 62 which connects the second compressor 31 to the combustor 4; a first discharge pipe 66 and a second discharge pipe 67 which discharge a fluid discharged from the combustor 4 to the outside; and a heat exchanger 5. The heat exchanger 5 allows each of a low-temperature fluid flowing through the first supply pipe 61 and the second supply pipe 62 and a high-temperature fluid flowing through the first discharge pipe 66 and the second discharge pipe 67 to flow therethrough and exchanges heat between the low-temperature fluid and the high-temperature fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shunichiro Tamada
  • Patent number: 11680495
    Abstract: A variable exhaust nozzle for use with a gas turbine engine includes an outer shroud and an inner plug that can move relative to the outer shroud. The relative movement of the inner plug and the outer shroud changes the shape of the variable exhaust nozzle from one that converges in area to one that converges and then diverges in area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Sanderson, David L. Sutterfield, Bryan H. Lerg
  • Patent number: 11680522
    Abstract: A direct-fired gas turbine heater comprises a gas turbine engine, a main blower that receives cold air from the ambient, a mixing plenum that receives cold air from the main blower and hot gas from the turbine and delivers warm air, an air blower plenum that that receives cold air from the main air blower and delivers air to the mixing plenum, and an air intake plenum that receives cold air from the ambient and the air blower plenum and delivers cold air to a turbine compressor, an air intake valve, and an air starter valve. The gas turbine engine comprises the compressor that receives cold air, a fuel manifold that receives combustible fuel, a combustor that receives compressed air from the compressor and fuel from the fuel manifold, a turbine that receives hot gas from the combustor, and a shaft connecting the compressor and turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Dynamo IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Jason How-Ring Ethier, German Lakov, Ivan Wang
  • Patent number: 11674446
    Abstract: A torch ignitor system includes a torch wall defining a combustion chamber therein with a flame outlet passing out of the torch wall downstream of the combustion chamber. A fuel nozzle is mounted to the torch wall to issue fuel into the combustion chamber. An ignitor is mounted to the torch wall, extending into the combustion chamber to ignite fuel issued from the fuel nozzle. A cooling passage is in thermal communication with the ignitor for cooling the ignitor with fluid passing through the cooling passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11674442
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes; a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine in serial flow relationship; a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having an inlet, an outlet, and an internal surface coated with a catalyst, the heat exchanger being located upstream of the compressor; a source of hydrocarbon fuel in fluid communication with the inlet of the heat exchanger; a source of oxygen in fluid communication with the inlet of the heat exchanger; and a distribution system for receiving reformed hydrocarbon fuel from the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lawrence Bernard Kool, Brandon Flowers Powell, Narendra Digamber Joshi
  • Patent number: 11674445
    Abstract: A torch ignitor system includes a torch wall defining a combustion chamber therein with a flame outlet passing out of the torch wall downstream of the combustion chamber. A fuel injector is mounted to the torch wall to issue fuel into the combustion chamber. At least one ignitor is mounted to the torch wall, positioned to ignite fuel issued from the fuel injector. A film cooler is defined through the torch wall and is operative to issue a film of cooling air from outside the torch wall along an interior surface of the combustion chamber for cooling the torch wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11674452
    Abstract: A bleed valve for an air plenum includes a valve body having a poppet seat, a poppet supported by the valve body and movable relative to the poppet seat, and piston slideable relative to the poppet and movable relative to the poppet between an extended position and a retracted position. Gas turbine engines and methods of bleeding fluid from gas turbine engines are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Myles R. Kelly, James S. Elder
  • Patent number: 11668253
    Abstract: A method and a system for providing in-flight reverse thrust for an aircraft are provided. The aircraft comprises an engine having a rotor, a compressor mechanically coupled to the rotor, and a variable geometry mechanism provided upstream of the compressor and configured to modulate an amount of compression work performed by the compressor. The method comprises operating the rotor with the variable geometry mechanism in a first position, receiving a request to increase reverse thrust for the rotor, in response to the request, adjusting the variable geometry mechanism from the first position towards a second position, the variable geometry mechanism having a greater opening angle in the second position than in the first position, and operating the rotor with the variable geometry mechanism in the second position for causing an increase in the amount of compression work performed by the compressor and an increase in reverse thrust for the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Charles Cormier, Daniel Coutu
  • Patent number: 11661906
    Abstract: An integrated propulsion system according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan section, a gas turbine engine, a geared architecture, a nacelle assembly and a mounting assembly. The nacelle assembly includes a fan nacelle and an aft nacelle, the fan nacelle arranged at least partially about a fan and the engine, and the fan nacelle arranged at least partially about a core cowling to define a bypass flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher A. Eckett, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Patent number: 11661905
    Abstract: A two-dimensional variable area plug (2D VAP) nozzle assembly for a high-speed flight vehicle. In one embodiment, a 2D VAP nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle including a plurality of sidewalls; a plug body within the nozzle, the plug body abutting at least two of the plurality of sidewalls; a first convergent flap hingedly connected to at least one of the plurality of sidewalls; and a second convergent flap hingedly connected to at least one of the plurality of sidewalls. In one embodiment, the nozzle assembly includes only a first convergent flap and a second convergent flap, without diverging flaps. The 2D VAP nozzle assembly has a simplified design with reduced sidewall length, which results in reduced manufacturing and maintenance costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Ress, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11655761
    Abstract: A heat exchange system for a turbomachine includes a heat exchanger that has a support wall extending along a longitudinal direction L and a plurality of fins each extending along a radial direction from a radially external surface of the support wall. The heat exchanger further includes a first profiled wall arranged upstream from the fins and configured to guide and slow down the flow of air entering the heat exchanger through the fins. A second profiled wall is arranged downstream from the fins and configured to accelerate the flow of air leaving the heat exchanger. Each first and second profiled wall is attached to the support wall via support elements extending radially from the radially external surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Ephraïm Toubiana, Samer Maalouf, Etienne Yung Tang
  • Patent number: 11649062
    Abstract: A forward part of an aircraft propulsion unit nacelle, comprising an air intake lip, an acoustic panel, and a rigid connection between the acoustic panel and the air intake lip. The acoustic panel has a resistive surface and a back skin, and the rigid connection is formed between the air intake lip and the back skin of the acoustic panel to form a propagation path for forces between the air intake lip and the back skin. This configuration gives freedom from design constraints, which enables an increase in the acoustic treatment region toward the front of the nacelle. An aircraft propulsion unit comprising a nacelle having such a forward part is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Alain Porte, Jacques Lalane, Julien Sentier
  • Patent number: 11649767
    Abstract: A turbofan gas turbine engine includes, in axial flow sequence, a heat exchanger module, a fan assembly, a compressor module, a turbine module, and an exhaust module. The fan assembly includes a plurality of fan blades defining a fan diameter (D). The heat exchanger module is in fluid communication with the fan assembly by an inlet duct, and the heat exchanger module includes a plurality of radially-extending hollow vanes arranged in a circumferential array with a channel extending axially between each pair of adjacent hollow vanes. An airflow entering the heat exchanger module is divided between a set of vane airflows through each of the hollow vanes and a set of channel airflows through each of the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephen J Bradbrook, Martin N Goodhand, Paul M Hield, Andrew Parsley, Natalie C Wong, Robert J Corin, Thomas S Binnington
  • Patent number: 11643971
    Abstract: A torch igniter for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes an igniter body and an igniter head. The igniter body is disposed within a high-pressure case of a gas turbine engine and extends primarily along a first axis, and includes an annular wall and an outlet wall. The annular wall surrounds the first axis and defines a radial extent of a combustion chamber therewithin. The outlet wall is disposed at a downstream end of the annular wall, defines a downstream extent of the combustion chamber, and includes an outlet fluidly communicating between the combustion chamber and an interior of the combustor. The igniter head is removably attached to the igniter body at an upstream end of the annular wall, wherein the igniter head defines an upstream extent of the combustion chamber, and includes an ignition source and a fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev Alexander Prociw, Steve Myers, Andy M. Tibbs, Brandon P. Williams
  • Patent number: 11619172
    Abstract: A detonation combustion system includes a detonation combustor. The detonation combustor includes a detonation manifold and one or more detonation chamber walls defining a detonation chamber. The detonation manifold includes a plurality of detonation fluid pathways defined by a monolithic structure of the detonation manifold, and a plurality of detonation orifice groups respectively including a plurality of detonation orifices disposed about a surface of the detonation manifold. Respective ones of the plurality of detonation orifice groups provide fluid communication from a corresponding one of the plurality of detonation fluid pathways to the detonation chamber through the plurality of detonation orifices corresponding to the respective one of the plurality of detonation orifice groups. The plurality of detonation orifices may be symmetrically oriented about a reference element of the detonation combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hannah Erin Bower, Daniel Louis Depperschmidt, Kapil Kumar Singh, Sarah Marie Monahan, Arin Elspeth Lastufka Cross
  • Patent number: 11614036
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a propulsor including a circumferential array of blades, a low pressure compressor section including a low pressure compressor section inlet with a low pressure compressor section inlet annulus area and a low pressure turbine section. The low pressure turbine section includes a maximum gas path radius, the blades include a maximum radius, and a ratio of the maximum gas path radius to the maximum radius of the blades is equal to or greater than 0.35, and is less than 0.55.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul R. Adams, Shankar S. Magge, Joseph B. Staubach, Wesley K. Lord, Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Patent number: 11608781
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air intake of an aircraft turbojet engine nacelle, extending along an axis X, in which an air flow circulates from upstream to downstream, the air intake comprising an inner wall facing the axis X and an outer wall for guiding an external air flow, the walls being connected by a leading edge and an inner partition so as to delimit an annular cavity. The air intake comprises means for injecting at least one hot air flow into the inner cavity and at least one ventilation orifice formed in the outer wall to allow the hot air flow to escape after heating the inner cavity, the ventilation orifice comprising an upstream edge, the circumferential profile of which is discontinuous in order to generate turbulences, and a downstream edge, the radial profile of which is aerodynamic in order to limit the formation of pressure fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN NACELLES
    Inventors: Sébastien Laurent Marie Pascal, Jean-Michel Paul Ernest Nogues, Marc Versaevel, François Chauveau
  • Patent number: 11603993
    Abstract: A lean burn combustor includes a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors, each including a fuel feed arm and a lean burn fuel injector head with a lean burn fuel injector head tip, wherein the lean burn fuel injector head tip has a lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter, the lean burn fuel injector head including a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the main fuel injector being arranged coaxially and radially outwards of the pilot fuel injector; and a combustor chamber extending along an axial direction for a length and including a radially inner annular wall, a radially outer annular wall, and a meter panel defining the size and shape of the combustor chamber, wherein the combustor chamber includes primary and secondary combustion zones. A ratio of the combustor chamber length to the lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter is less than 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi
  • Patent number: 11598287
    Abstract: A disclosed gas turbine engine includes a gas generator section for generating a gas stream flow and a propulsor section for generating propulsive thrust as a mass flow rate of air through a bypass flow path. The propulsor section includes a fan driven by a power turbine through a speed reduction device at a second rotational speed lower than a first rotational speed of the power turbine. An Engine Unit Thrust Parameter (“EUTP”) defined as net engine thrust divided by a product of the mass flow rate of air through the bypass flow path, a tip diameter of the fan and the first rotational speed of the power turbine is between 0.05 and 0.13 during operation of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Jayant Sabnis
  • Patent number: 11597504
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an architecture of a propulsion system of a multi-engine helicopter comprising turboshaft engines connected to a power transmission gearbox, characterized in that it comprises: at least one hybrid turboshaft engine capable of operating in at least one standby mode during a stable cruise flight of the helicopter; at least two systems for controlling each hybrid turboshaft engine, each system comprising an electric machine connected to the hybrid turboshaft engine and suitable for rotating the gas generator thereof, and at least one source of electrical power for the electric machine, each reactivation system being configured such that it can drive the turboshaft engine in at least one operating mode among a plurality of predetermined modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES, SAFRAN ELECTRICAL & POWER
    Inventors: Philippe Vallart, Jean-Michel Bazet, Loic LeDuigou