Patents Examined by Gerald L Sung
  • Geared turbofan engine mount arrangement
    Patent number: 11512612
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades; a gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft, and a front mount and a rear mount, the front and rear mounts being configured to connect the gas turbine engine to the aircraft, wherein the front mount is coupled to a casing of the engine core and the front mount is located at substantially the same axial position as a centre of gravity (CG) of the gas turbine engine or forward of the centre of gravity of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: David R. Coles, Gavin M. Rowntree, Matthew J. Willshee, Zubair Ahmed
  • Turbofan engine front section
    Patent number: 11506084
    Abstract: A turbofan gas turbine engine includes, among other things, a fan section including a fan hub and an outer housing, the fan hub including a hub diameter supporting a plurality of fan blades, a turbine section including a fan drive turbine, and a geared architecture that interconnects the fan drive turbine and the fan hub, the geared architecture including a gear volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, William G. Sheridan
  • System and method for acoustic dampers with multiple volumes in a combustion chamber front panel
    Patent number: 11506382
    Abstract: An acoustic damper for a rotary machine includes at least one wall, at least one inlet, at least one outlet, at least one separating wall, and at least one neck. The wall extends from the back side of a combustor front panel and defines a damping chamber. The inlet is defined within the wall and is oriented to channel a flow of air into the damping chamber. The outlet is defined within the back side of the front panel. The separating wall is oriented to separate the damping chamber into a first volume and a second volume. The first volume of the damping chamber is configured to damp an acoustic pressure oscillation at a first frequency. The second volume of the damping chamber is configured to damp the acoustic pressure oscillation at a second frequency. The neck extends through the separating wall and is axially offset from the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Layal Hakim Doisneau, Dariusz Oliwiusz Palys
  • Attachment for suspending an aircraft engine
    Patent number: 11498689
    Abstract: An attachment for attaching an aircraft engine with a first receiving element to an aircraft structure with a second receiving element may include at least three fasteners and a stacked layer. Stacked layer may include at least two sheets, at least three holes through the stacked layer, a first connecting portion that includes a first hole of the at least three holes, a second connecting portion that includes second and third holes of the at least three holes, and a suspension portion that is located between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Blacha, Marc Schelcher, Adriana Garcia Rios
  • Air delivery system for a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11499479
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having an improved air delivery system that includes features for pressurizing and/or cooling various components of the engine while minimizing the impact to the cycle efficiency of the engine, reducing the weight of the engine, and reducing the specific fuel consumption of the engine is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignees: General Electric Company, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY POLSKA SP. ZO.O
    Inventors: Kenneth Arthur Gould, Abdus Shamim, Jaroslaw Henryk Dekowski, Piotr Sebastian Hance, Przemyslaw Slawomir Tkaczyk, Marcin Pawel Faber, Adam Krysztopa, Piotr Lech Bar, Krzysztof Chelstowski, Craig Alan Gonyou, Robert John Parks
  • Gas turbine engine buffer system
    Patent number: 11499476
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a buffer system that communicates a buffer supply air to a portion of the gas turbine engine. The buffer system includes a first bleed air supply having a first pressure, a second bleed air supply having a second pressure that is greater than the first pressure, and a valve that selects between the first bleed air supply and the second bleed air supply to communicate the buffer supply air to the portion of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter M. Munsell, Philip S. Stripinis
  • System for startup support of externally heated turbine engine
    Patent number: 11499474
    Abstract: A power generation system for a nuclear reactor includes an externally-heated turbine engine, a reactor heat exchanger, and a heat recuperating system. The externally-heated turbine engine produces compressed air that is heated by the reactor heat exchanger. The heat recuperating system includes a heat exchanger thermally connected to the externally-heated turbine engine to transfer heat to the compressed air to supplement the reactor heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Michalik, Daniel G. Edwards, Andrew J. Eifert, Brian T. Spangler
  • Extended gas turbine process having an expander
    Patent number: 11492963
    Abstract: A power plant including a compressor, a combustion chamber and a turbine, and a compressor air line, which connects the compressor to the combustion chamber, a first heat exchanger connected into the compressor air line and into an exhaust line branching off the turbine. A first expander is arranged between the first heat exchanger and the combustion chamber in the compressor air line, and the first expander and the compressor are arranged on a common shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Carsten Graeber, Uwe Juretzek
  • Fuel injection for integral combustor and turbine vane
    Patent number: 11480337
    Abstract: A system includes a combustor. The combustor has a combustor wall with a combustor dome at an upstream end of the combustor wall, and an outlet at a downstream end of the combustor wall opposite the upstream end. The combustor wall includes an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion defining an interior of the combustor therebetween. Each of the inner wall portion and outer wall portion extends from the combustor dome to the downstream end of the combustor wall. The combustor wall includes an air cooling passage embedded inside at least one of the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion. The air cooling passage extends from the upstream end of the combustor wall to the downstream end of the combustor wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Lev A. Prociw, Jason Ryon
  • Turbine clutch control process
    Patent number: 11480066
    Abstract: A gas turbine power plant comprises a gas turbine, a power turbine, a clutch, an electrical generator and a controller. The power turbine is fluidly connected to the gas turbine without any mechanical connection. The clutch comprises an input mechanically connected to the power turbine and an output mechanically connected to the electric generator. The controller can identify that a speed of the electric generator is greater than a speed of the power turbine, determine a difference between the speed of the electric generator and the power turbine, in response to the difference being greater than a threshold, control the gas turbine to a first maximum acceleration of the power turbine, and in response to the difference being equal or less than to the threshold, control the gas turbine to a second maximum acceleration of the power turbine that is less than the first maximum acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Energy Services LLC
    Inventors: William Harms, John J. Henderson, Anthony Maiorana, Ralph David Turley
  • Fire mitigation system for gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11459955
    Abstract: A method of deactivating a liquid distribution system of a gas turbine engine in the event of a fire condition includes introducing a quantity of air into the liquid distribution system at a location upstream of a liquid pump of the liquid distribution system. The quantity of air is greater than a liquid discharge capacity of the liquid pump, thereby starving the liquid pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Thomas Trevor Ricci
  • Compression ring for exhaust nozzle and center body attachment
    Patent number: 11459980
    Abstract: An attachment system for an exhaust component is disclosed. In various embodiments, the attachment system includes a radial attachment flange of the exhaust component; and a radial ring having at least one of a radially outer surface configured for engagement with a radially inner surface of the radial attachment flange or a radially inner surface configured for engagement with a radially outer surface of the radial attachment flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryce Tyler Kelford, Adam Saunders, Richard Scott Alloway, Vijay V. Pujar
  • Power assisted engine start bleed system
    Patent number: 11454175
    Abstract: A system for bleeding air from a core flow path of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes a bleed valve having a bleed valve inlet configured to receive a bleed air from a first access point to the core flow path and a bleed valve outlet; and an air motor having a first air motor inlet configured to receive the bleed air from the bleed valve outlet and a first air motor outlet configured to exhaust the bleed air, the air motor configured to pump the bleed air from the core flow path of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Richard Amari
  • Thermal resistant air caps
    Patent number: 11454395
    Abstract: An air cap is configured to be affixed to a nozzle assembly as a downstream facing component of the nozzle assembly. The air cap includes a plurality of air wipe passages with outlets defined in a circumferential direction around a downstream facing surface of the air cap. A nozzle assembly can include an outer wall wherein the air cap is connected to the nozzle assembly outboard of the outer wall. An inner wall can be connected to the outer wall by a plurality of air swirl vanes. One or more fuel circuit components can be connected to the nozzle assembly inboard of the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventor: Steve J. Myers
  • Geared turbofan engine with a high ratio of thrust to turbine volume
    Patent number: 11448124
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine turbine has a high pressure turbine configured to rotate with a high pressure compressor as a high pressure spool in a first direction about a central axis and a low pressure turbine configured to rotate with a low pressure compressor as a low pressure spool in the first direction about the central axis. A power density is greater than or equal to about 1.5 and less than or equal to about 5.5 lbf/cubic inches. A fan is connected to the low pressure spool via a speed changing mechanism and rotates in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Daniel Bernard Kupratis
  • Semiconductor body for a spark plug of a turbine engine
    Patent number: 11441486
    Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor body revolving around a main axis (A) for a spark plug of a turbine engine, the semiconductor body comprising a baseplate and an upper portion extending from the baseplate along the main axis, the baseplate comprising a bottom surface substantially defined in a plane perpendicular to the main axis and a first conical surface intended to cooperate by form-fitting at least partially with a contact surface of an outer electrode of the spark plug. According to the invention, the upper portion comprises an interface located opposite the bottom surface along the main axis (A) and featuring a profile that is at least partially corrugated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas Gérard Daniel Riviere, Guillaume Thierry Richen, David Gino Stifanic
  • Stand-off device for double-skin combustor liner
    Patent number: 11435078
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine comprises a combustor chamber defined at least partially by an outer combustor skin and an inner combustor skin. A plurality of stand-off devices have a body including a first end and a second end, the second end of the body retained in an opening in the outer combustor skin, the first end spaced apart from the second end and abutting the inner combustor skin to space the inner combustor skin apart from the outer combustor skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Tin-Cheung John Hu, Oleg Morenko
  • Flange stress-reduction features
    Patent number: 11428124
    Abstract: A flange includes a flange body annularly disposed about a longitudinal axis. The flange body includes a first radial side and a second radial side radially opposite the first radial side. The flange body defines a first fastener hole and a circumferentially adjacent second fastener hole formed through the flange body. A first shielding zone has at least a portion of the first shielding zone located between the first and second fastener holes. A first shielding feature is disposed in the first shielding zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Pedro Rivero, Brian Craig, Aaron T. Goldman
  • Electric machine assistance for multi-spool turbomachine operation and control
    Patent number: 11428171
    Abstract: A multi-spool turbomachine having an electric machine that can be controlled to input power to one of the spools of the turbomachine is provided. In one aspect, the multi-spool turbomachine can be a hybrid electric gas turbine engine for an aircraft. The hybrid electric gas turbine engine can include a first spool, a second spool, and an electric machine operatively coupled with the first spool. In response to an increase in thrust demand, the electric motor receives electrical power from an electrical power source. In turn, the electric machine applies a torque to the first spool, causing the first spool to increase in rotational speed. In this manner, the electric machine can electrically assist the turbomachine to meet the increase in thrust demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas William Brown, Justin Paul Smith, Dominic Barone
  • Gas turbine engine with interdigitated turbine and gear assembly
    Patent number: 11428160
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having an interdigitated turbine assembly including a first turbine rotor and a second turbine rotor, wherein a total number of stages at the interdigitated turbine assembly is between 3 and 8, and an average stage pressure ratio at the interdigitated turbine assembly is between 1.3 and 1.9. A gear assembly is configured to receive power from the interdigitated turbine assembly, and a fan assembly is configured to receive power from the gear assembly. The interdigitated turbine assembly and the gear assembly are together configured to allow the second turbine rotor to rotate at a second rotational speed greater than a first rotational speed at the first turbine rotor. The fan assembly and the gear assembly are together configured to allow the fan assembly to rotate at a third rotational speed less than the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Pranav Kamat, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Vaibhav Madhukar Deshmukh