Patents Examined by Jason H Duger
  • Power modules with regenerative compressor wheels
    Patent number: 11359635
    Abstract: A power module includes a turbine arranged along a rotation axis, an interconnect shaft fixed in rotation relative to the turbine, and a compressor with a regenerative compressor wheel. The regenerative compressor wheel is fixed in rotation relative to the interconnect shaft supported for rotation with the turbine about the rotation axis. Generator arrangements, unmanned aerial vehicles, and methods of generating electrical power are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard A. Himmelmann
  • Hybrid tiltrotor drive system
    Patent number: 11358729
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft with a hybrid drive system includes a first propulsion system having a first engine and a first supplemental driver operably coupled to a first proprotor that is operable between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode and a second propulsion system having a second engine and a second supplemental driver operably coupled to a second proprotor that is operable between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Colton James Gilliland, Mark Alan Przybyla, Eric Stephen Olson
  • Dual drive electro-aero-thermal turbine engine
    Patent number: 11326467
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes integrated electric machines in the compressor section and the turbine section to supplement power produced from fuel with electric power. The compressor section includes a compressor electric motor that is electrically coupled to a compressor generator. The example turbine section includes a turbine electric motor that is coupled to a geared architecture to supplement power driving the fan section. A turbine generator driven by a portion of the turbine section provides electric power to the turbine electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Zubair Ahmed Baig, Gary Collopy, Coy Bruce Wood
  • Support structure for combustor components and method of using same
    Patent number: 11320145
    Abstract: A method for forming a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes additively manufacturing a combustor wall of the combustor. The combustor wall includes a component, projecting from a surface of the combustor wall, and a support structure in communication with the component and the surface of the combustor wall. The support structure is a lattice structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Binek, Sean R. Jackson, Evan J. Butcher
  • Compressor surge control
    Patent number: 11319963
    Abstract: A compressor surge control system includes a rotor system with at least one compressor section and at least one turbine section operably coupled to a shaft. The compressor surge control system also includes one or more rotor system sensors configured to collect a plurality of sensor data from the rotor system, an electric motor operably coupled to the rotor system, and a controller. The controller is operable to monitor the one or more rotor system sensors while the rotor system is rotating. The controller determines whether the plurality of sensor data from the one or more rotor system sensors is indicative of an early-stage compressor surge oscillation. A surge control torque is determined to diminish the early-stage compressor surge oscillation of the rotor system. The electric motor is commanded to apply the surge control torque to the rotor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Alan H. Epstein
  • Gas turbine engine with minimal tolerance between the fan and the fan casing
    Patent number: 11313325
    Abstract: A turbofan having a dilution rate of at least 10 and including a fan having a disc provided with blades at the periphery thereof, a distance between the head of the blades and the housing of the fan being less than or equal to ten millimeters; a primary flow space and secondary flow space that are concentric; a turbine, housed in the primary flow space and in fluid communication with the fan; and a reduction mechanism coupling the turbine and the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Jeremy Dievart, Yanis Benslama, Nathalie Nowakowski
  • Concentric turbomachine with electric machine
    Patent number: 11313327
    Abstract: An axial flow turbomachine (102) for producing thrust to propel an aircraft is shown. The turbomachine has an inner duct (202) and an outer duct (204), both of which are annular and concentric with one another. An inner fan (206) is located in the inner duct, and is configured to produce a primary pressurised flow (P). An outer fan (207) is located in an outer duct, and is configured to produce a secondary pressurised flow (S). The outer fan has a hollow hub (208) through which the inner duct passes. The outer fan has a diameter of from 2.5 to 3.5 times a diameter of the inner fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Giles E Harvey
  • Concentric turbomachine with trailing edge
    Patent number: 11306682
    Abstract: An axial flow turbomachine (102) for producing thrust to propel an aircraft is shown. The turbomachine has an inner duct (202) and an outer duct (204), both of which are annular and concentric with one another. An inner fan (206) is located in the inner duct, and is configured to produce a primary pressurised flow (P). An outer fan (207) is located in an outer duct, and is configured to produce a secondary pressurised flow (S). The outer fan has a hollow hub (208) through which the inner duct passes. A swept area of the outer fan is from 2 to 20 times greater than a swept area of the inner fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Giles E Harvey
  • Chilled working fluid generation and separation for an aircraft
    Patent number: 11299279
    Abstract: A system for an aircraft includes an engine bleed source of a gas turbine engine. The system also includes a means for chilling an engine bleed air flow from the engine bleed source to produce a chilled working fluid. The system further includes a means for providing the chilled working fluid for an aircraft use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael Winter
  • Gear train for gas geared gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11300057
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a fan and an oil pump operatively connected to the fan by a main input drive gear, the drive gear rotating when the fan rotor rotates in either a first or second direction of the fan. Further included is a gear train intermediate the main input drive gear and the oil pump, the gear train including a first and second pinion gear, the first and second pinion gear each driven by the main input drive gear, the first pinion gear driving a first gear through a first clutch, the second pinion gear driving a second gear through a second clutch. Only one of the clutches transmits rotation from the respective pinion gear to the respective gear when the fan is rotating in the first direction, with the only the other clutch transmitting rotation when the fan is rotating in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Arrangement of two turboshaft engines
    Patent number: 11300048
    Abstract: Two turboshaft engines are interwoven so as to exchange thermal energy by heat exchangers which improve their efficiency, without greatly increasing head losses since the pipes imposed to serve the exchangers are short and include a single bend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventor: Radu Cirligeanu
  • Methods and assemblies for attaching airfoils within a flow path
    Patent number: 11286799
    Abstract: Flow path assemblies for gas turbine engines are provided. For example, a flow path assembly comprises an inner wall; a unitary outer wall; and a plurality of nozzle airfoils having an inner end radially opposite an outer end. The unitary outer wall defines a plurality of outer pockets each configured for receipt of the outer end of one of the nozzle airfoils, and the inner wall includes defines a plurality of inner pockets each configured for receipt of the inner end of one of the plurality of nozzle airfoils. A portion of each inner pocket is defined by a forward inner wall segment and an aft inner wall segment. In another embodiment, a flow path assembly comprises an inner wall defining a plurality of bayonet slots that each receive a bayonet included with each of a plurality of nozzle airfoils that are integral with a unitary outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jason David Shapiro, Donald Brett Desander, Edward Charles Vickers
  • Variable pitch for coordinated control
    Patent number: 11273921
    Abstract: A system is described that includes a turbine engine including an engine fan including one or more variable-pitch blades driven by a shaft, which rotates at a rotational speed which depends on a pitch of the one or more variable-pitch blades of the engine fan. The system further includes a generator configured to produce alternating-current (AC) electricity at a particular frequency relative to the rotational speed of the shaft. The system also includes a propulsor, which includes a propulsor motor and a propulsor fan. The propulsor motor is configured to drive, based on the AC electricity produced by the generator, the propulsor fan. The system includes a controller configured to control the particular frequency of the AC electricity by at least controlling the pitch of the one or more variable-pitch blades of the engine fan and thereby the rotational speed of the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael James Armstrong
  • Bowed rotor start mitigation in a gas turbine engine using aircraft-derived parameters
    Patent number: 11274604
    Abstract: A bowed rotor start mitigation system for a gas turbine engine of an aircraft is provided. The bowed rotor start mitigation system includes a motoring system and a controller coupled to the motoring system and an aircraft communication bus. The controller is configured to determine at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter based on at least one aircraft-based parameter received on the aircraft communication bus, where the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is based on data describing a history of the aircraft before an engine shutdown. The motoring system is controlled to drive rotation of a starting spool of the gas turbine engine below an engine idle speed based on determining that the at least one inferred engine operating thermal parameter is within a preselected range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Amy R. Grace
  • Takeoff power boost
    Patent number: 11248552
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to boosting aircraft engine performance for takeoff and critical mission segments by reducing airflow used for cooling exhaust gases. The airflow is reduced by stopping an accessory blower or by closing an external air vent. Eliminating the cooling airflow to the exhaust has the effect of lowering the backpressure on the engine, which thereby increases maximum engine power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: William Gons, Brett Partington
  • Turbomachine having inner and outer fans with hub-tip ratios
    Patent number: 11247780
    Abstract: An axial flow turbomachine (102) for producing thrust to propel an aircraft is shown. The turbomachine has an inner duct (202) and an outer duct (204), both of which are annular and concentric with one another. An inner fan (206) is located in the inner duct, and is configured to produce a primary pressurised flow (P). An outer fan (207) is located in an outer duct, and is configured to produce a secondary pressurised flow (S). The outer fan has a hollow hub (208) through which the inner duct passes. A hub-tip ratio of the outer fan is from 1.6 to 2.2 times a hub-tip ratio of the inner fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Giles E Harvey
  • Gas turbine engine with a microwave generator
    Patent number: 11236680
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine comprising: a combustion chamber; at least one fuel spray nozzle operable to deliver a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber, wherein during operation of the gas turbine engine the fuel-air mixture is combusted in the combustion chamber, thereby producing a combustion flame; a microwave generator coupled to a waveguide arranged to guide microwaves from the microwave generator into the combustion chamber such that the microwaves are incident on at least a portion of the combustion flame; and a detector operable to detect at least a portion of the microwaves reflected by the combustion flame and/or atomised fuel droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Stephen G. Dennison
  • Combustor cooled quench zone array
    Patent number: 11236906
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a combustor is disclosed. The combustor may include a shell and a liner disposed within the shell. The combustor may further include a grommet at least partially defining a hole communicating through the shell and liner and a cooling channel communicating through the grommet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, James B. Hoke
  • Combustion device and gas turbine
    Patent number: 11231176
    Abstract: A combustion device burns fuel ammonia with combustion air in a combustion chamber, and includes: a combustor liner which forms the combustion chamber; a burner which is installed at one end of the combustor liner; a deflection member which is provided on a downstream side of the combustor liner in a flow direction of a combustion gas, and is configured to deflect the flow direction of the combustion gas; and at least one ammonia injection hole which is provided between the burner and an outlet of the deflection member and is configured to supply the fuel ammonia into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shintaro Ito, Soichiro Kato, Masahiro Uchida, Shogo Onishi, Taku Mizutani, Tsukasa Saitou, Toshiro Fujimori
  • Gas turbine engine with ultra high pressure compressor
    Patent number: 11231043
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine engine including a compressor rotor. The compressor rotor includes a first stage compressor airfoil defined at an upstream-most stage of the compressor rotor. The first stage compressor airfoil defines a first stage pressure ratio of at least approximately 1.7 during operation of the gas turbine engine at a tip speed of at least approximately 472 meters per second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Veeraraju Vanapalli, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Jagata Laxmi Narasimharao, Tsuguji Nakano, Subramanian Narayanan