Patents Examined by Lorne E Meade
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Patent number: 11965474Abstract: A control system includes an actuator, a locking/unlock device, a central control valve, first and second control valves, and a spool control valve. The actuator is arranged so as to move a door of a thrust reverser between direct jet and reverse jet positions. The locking/unlocking device unlockable under load allowing locking and/or unlocking of the door. The locking/unlocking device is movable between a closure position in which it holds the door in the direct jet position and an opening position in which the door is released. The first and second control valves each fed by the central control valve. The spool control valve fed at least by the first and second control valves. The spool control valve is configured so that a pressure difference between two inlets of the first and second control valves provides a displacement of the spool control valve between first and second stable positions.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2021Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: Safran NacellesInventors: Pierre Caruel, Régis Giard, Alexandre Descamps, Philippe Vancon
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Patent number: 11939926Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and a flowpath extending sequentially through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The assembly also includes a rotating structure, a geartrain, a propulsor rotor and a turbine. The rotating structure includes a turbine rotor within the turbine section. The geartrain is coupled to the rotating structure. The propulsor rotor is coupled to the geartrain. The rotating structure is configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor through the geartrain. The turbine is coupled to the geartrain. The turbine is configured to receive bleed gas from the flowpath.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: RTX CORPORATIONInventor: Paul R. Hanrahan
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Patent number: 11939935Abstract: A coupling system is utilized to form a multi-part rocket engine thrust compartment that maintains inner channels within walls of the thrust compartment for regenerative cooling. The coupling system includes an insert joint arranged between joint faces of a first segment and a second segment. The first segment and the second segment include inner edges that, when jointed together, form an inner wall. The joint insert is installed between the first segment and the second segment after the inner wall is formed and coupled to the first segment and the second segment. The joint faces of the first segment and the second segment include extending feature to form a flow passage along with cavities at least partially defined by the joint insert.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: ABL Space SystemsInventors: Harrison O'Hanley, Ryan Kuhn, Jessica Pauley, Oleg Teplyuk
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Patent number: 11940152Abstract: A fuel injector includes a forward end wall and an aft end wall. The fuel injector further includes side walls that extend between the forward end wall and the aft end wall. The forward end wall, the aft end wall, and the side walls collectively define an opening for passage of air. At least one fuel injection member is disposed within the opening and extends between the end walls. A fuel circuit is defined within the fuel injector. The fuel circuit includes an inlet plenum defined within the forward end wall of the fuel injector. The fuel circuit further includes a fuel passage that extends from, and is in fluid communication with, the inlet plenum. The fuel passage is defined within the at least one fuel injection member. The fuel passage has a cross-sectional area that varies along a length of the fuel injection member.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2022Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLCInventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Marissa Singley Garcia, Jun Cai
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Patent number: 11927151Abstract: An inlet duct for use with an engine is presented. The invention includes a duct structure, at least one spike disposed along an interior surface of the duct structure, and an inlet throat formed by one or more apexes disposed along an equal number of spikes. The inlet throat corresponds to the minimum cross-sectional area through which airflow passes as otherwise allowed by the maximal obstruction formed by the apex(es) within the duct structure. Each spike is bounded by a longitudinal ridge and a lateral ridge along an upper end and a base. The ridges intersect at the apex. A portion of each spike upstream of the inlet throat functions primarily as a supersonic diffuser and downstream as a subsonic diffuser. Airflow is isentropically compressed and then expanded within the inlet duct so that greater-than-subsonic flow at an input end is reduced to subsonic flow at an output end.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2023Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: Combustion Research and Flow Technology, Inc.Inventors: Neeraj Sinha, Stephen M. Barr, Michael R. O'Gara
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Patent number: 11927132Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a core engine that includes a core flow path where air is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with a hydrogen based fuel and ignited to generate a core gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section. The propulsion system includes a hydrogen fuel system that is configured to supply hydrogen fuel to the combustor through a fuel flow path, a condenser that is arranged along the core flow path and configured to condense water within the core gas flow, and a separator that includes an inlet, a primary water outlet and an exit that includes a plurality of exit guide vanes for straightening the core gas flow that proceeds through the exit. The exit guide vanes include a secondary water outlet for removing condensed water in the core gas flow that proceeds through the exit.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2023Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: RTX CORPORATIONInventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Abbas A. Alahyari
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Patent number: 11920526Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft includes a core engine that includes a core flow path where a core flow is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with a hydrogen-based fuel and ignited to generate a gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section. A fuel system is configured to supply a hydrogen based fuel to the combustor through a fuel flow path. A condenser is arranged along the core flow path and configured to extract water from the gas flow. An intercooling system receives a portion of water from the condenser for cooling a portion of the core flow at a first location within the compressor section. Heated water from the intercooling system is exhausted to a second location within the core flow path downstream of the first location.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: RTX CORPORATIONInventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Nathan A. Snape, Joseph B. Staubach
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Patent number: 11920540Abstract: An aircraft turbofan gas turbine engine includes a fan assembly, a compressor module, and a turbine module. An electric machine is positioned downstream of the fan assembly and is connected to the turbine module. The fan assembly includes a highest pressure fan stage having a plurality of fan blades defining a fan diameter. The turbine module includes a lowest pressure turbine stage having a row of rotor blades. The gas turbine engine has a fan tip axis that joins a radially outer tip of the leading edge of one of the plurality of fan blades of the highest pressure fan stage, and the radially outer tip of the trailing edge of one of the rotor blades of the lowest pressure turbine stage. The fan tip axis lies in a longitudinal plane which contains a centreline of the gas turbine engine. The fan axis angle is between 11 and 20 degrees.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Benjamin J Sellers, Stephen J Bradbrook, Robert J Corin, Richard J Hunsley
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Patent number: 11919654Abstract: An aircraft engine, has: an inlet leading to a compressor section, the inlet extending circumferentially around a central axis; an annular inlet duct extending circumferentially around the central axis, the annular inlet duct having a duct inlet fluidly connected to an environment outside of the aircraft engine and a duct outlet fluidly connected to the inlet, the duct outlet extending circumferentially around the central axis; and a flow restrictor located within the annular inlet duct, the flow restrictor extending across the annular inlet duct, being movable within the annular inlet duct along a circumferential direction relative to the central axis in response to a fluid pressure differential on opposed sides of the flow restrictor.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventor: Eray Akcayoz
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Patent number: 11920524Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This turbine engine assembly includes a fuel injection system. The fuel injection system includes a first fuel injector and a second fuel injector. The fuel injection system is configured to provide the first fuel injector with first fuel and provide the second fuel injector with second fuel. The first fuel may be or include ammonia. The second fuel is different than the first fuel. The second fuel may be or include hydrogen gas. The first fuel injector is configured to direct the first fuel into the flowpath for combustion. The second fuel injector is configured to direct the second fuel into the flowpath for combustion.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: RTX CORPORATIONInventors: Lance L. Smith, Timothy S. Snyder, Jeffrey M. Cohen, Peter Cocks, Sean C. Emerson
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Patent number: 11885260Abstract: Turbine engine systems are described. The turbine engine systems include a combustor arranged along a core flow path of the turbine engine, a cryogenic fuel tank configured to supply a fuel to the combustor, a fuel supply line having a first flow supply line and a second flow supply line, the first flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the combustor through a first core flow path heat exchanger, and the second flow supply line fluidly connecting the cryogenic fuel tank to the combustor through a second core flow path heat exchanger, and a flow controller arranged along the fuel supply line and configured to respectively control a flow of fuel into the first flow supply line and the second flow supply line.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2022Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: RTX CORPORATIONInventors: Amanda J. L. Boucher, Joseph B. Staubach
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Patent number: 11884414Abstract: Engine has core compressor, combustor and turbine, fan located upstream of core and supersonic intake for slowing down incoming air at inlet formed by intake, bypass duct surrounding engine core, fan generates airflow to engine core and bypass airflow through bypass duct. Engine has mixer for exhaust gas flow exiting engine core, bypass airflow exiting bypass duct, thrust nozzle for discharging mixed flows, and controller for thrust produced by engine. To change level of engine thrust between transonic push operation and supersonic cruise operation, controller adjusts one or more components which vary relative areas available for hot exhaust gas flow and cold bypass airflow at mixer while holding fan inlet non-dimensional mass flow w ?{square root over (?)} T/P substantially constant, where w is mass flow of incoming air at fan inlet, T is stagnation temperature of incoming air at fan inlet and P is stagnation pressure of incoming air at fan inlet.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2019Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Robert J Corin, John R Whurr
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Patent number: 11879387Abstract: A system and method for converting hazardous waste vapors into a renewable energy source is disclosed. The system comprises a feeding system operatively coupled to a combustion system. The feeding system includes a vapor byproduct source capable of producing hydrocarbon vapors and a means for separating any liquids or particulates from the hydrocarbon vapor to create a purified vapor. The combustion system includes a compressor operable to pressurize the purified vapor to a select pressure range, a means for enriching the purified vapor with a select percentage of natural gas to form a fuel mixture, and a generator operable for converting the combined fuel mixture into electricity. Optionally, the combustion system may utilize a microturbine in combination with a fuel storage system, eductor, and a calorimeter and density meter to ensure maximum energy efficiency based on a select input range for fuel composition and pressure.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2023Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: Audubon Engineering Company, L.P.Inventors: Brian Connor, Sam Rayford Turner
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Patent number: 11873783Abstract: A confluence structure of an aircraft bypass turbine engine which includes a confluence plate with a downstream end supported by a portion that is movable in the direction of the axis by a control mechanism which can optionally be adjusted in flight. A mobile portion of a sleeve delimiting the secondary stream on the outside, and an inner projection of the outer casing can also slide axially in certain embodiments. This provides a wide range of options for modifying the gas dilution and operating conditions of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2023Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Brice Marie Yves Emile Le Pannerer, Jean-François Cabre, Nicolas Camille Claude Curlier, Lucas Arthur Pflieger
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Patent number: 11859599Abstract: A vacuum arc thruster with multi-layer insulation includes a housing, an anode unit and a cathode unit spaced apart from each other in the housing, and an insulator disposed between the anode unit and the cathode unit. The insulator includes a plurality of fuel layers and a plurality of insulating layers. Each insulating layer is located between every two adjacent fuel layers. Accordingly, a multiple-layer design is formed by arranging the fuel layers and the insulating layers which are made of different materials in an alternating manner, thereby attaining the maximum field emission effect, increasing the stability and efficacy of operating the vacuum arc thruster, and prolonging the service life of the thruster.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2023Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: National Cheng Kung UniversityInventors: Yueh-Heng Li, Hsun-Chen Hsieh, Ping-Han Huang, Wei-Cheng Lo
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Patent number: 11852104Abstract: A propulsion system includes multiple solid rocket motors that are activated by a single initiator. The rocket motors act in parallel, providing thrust in a single direction. The initiator activates an ignition charge that is in or operatively coupled to a plenum that transports hot gasses from the ignition charge to the rockets to be ignited. The plenum may be an annular plenum, which may be located in an annular manifold. The plenum may be an unchoked plenum, allowing flow of hot gasses without choking. The plenum may be lined with an insulator material. A cover may be used to cover the plenum, and also to receive the rocket motors. The rocket motors may be solid-fuel rocket motors. The individual rocket motors may have separate ignition booster charges coupled to the plenum, which are ignited by the ignition charge and which in turn ignite the propellant grains.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2021Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: Raytheon CompanyInventors: Jacob Pinello-Benavides, John Meschberger, Stephen Moore, Edward Little, III
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Patent number: 11815049Abstract: A swirl preburner that includes a first core defining a first swirl chamber having a first swirl chamber first end and a first swirl chamber second end, the first swirl chamber comprising a first diameter at the first swirl chamber first end and a second smaller diameter at the first swirl chamber second end that is smaller than the first diameter; and a second core defining a second swirl chamber having a second swirl chamber first end and a second swirl chamber second end, the second swirl chamber comprising a third diameter at the second swirl chamber first end and a fourth smaller diameter at the second swirl chamber second end that is smaller than the third diameter, the first diameter being smaller than the third diameter and larger than the fourth smaller diameter.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2022Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Stratolaunch, LLCInventor: Jeffery Tyler Thornburg
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Patent number: 11802511Abstract: Internal structure for a turbomachine nacelle, the internal structure being intended to surround at least one part of a compartment capable of receiving a gas generator of the turbomachine, the internal structure comprising a ventilation cavity of said compartment, the ventilation cavity being provided with a main ventilation outlet and an auxiliary ventilation outlet separate to the main ventilation outlet, the internal structure comprising a shut-off member movable relative to the ventilation cavity between a flow position and a shut-off position in which the shut-off member shuts off the auxiliary ventilation outlet to a greater extent than in the flow position.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2020Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Laurent Louis Robert Baudoin, Norman Bruno André Jodet
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Patent number: 11802693Abstract: A swirler apparatus for a combustor, including: primary and secondary swirlers disposed axially adjacent to each other along a swirler centerline; the primary swirler including a plurality of primary swirl vanes arrayed around the swirler centerline, each primary swirl vane including opposed sides bounded between opposed forward and aft edges and opposed leading and trailing edges; wherein the forward edge is oriented at a first vane angle with respect to a radial direction; wherein the aft edge is oriented at a second vane angle with respect to the radial direction; wherein the second vane angle is different from the first vane angle; and the secondary swirler including a plurality of secondary swirl vanes arrayed around the swirler centerline.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2021Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Allen M. Danis, Nicholas R. Overman, Steven Clayton Vise, Michael Anthony Benjamin, James Matthew Rogers
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Patent number: 11803194Abstract: A monolithic attitude control motor frame includes a monolithic structure including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending from the outer surface of revolution. Adjacent cavities of the plurality of cavities share a side wall or side wall portion therebetween. Each of the cavities is configured to receive an attitude control motor. A monolithic attitude control motor system includes a monolithic frame including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. The system further includes a plurality of attitude control motors corresponding to the plurality of cavities, such that an attitude control motor of the plurality of attitude motors is disposed in each cavity of the plurality of cavities.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2022Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATIONInventor: Wayne K. Schroeder