Patents by Inventor Alan B. Minick

Alan B. Minick has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7823510
    Abstract: A projectile and method of extending the range of the projectile. The projectile includes a storage tank operable to release a working fluid through an exhaust manifold to at least partially fill a wake aft of the projectile during projectile flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Alan Hobart, Timothy S. Kokan, Alan B. Minick, Frederic H. Massey
  • Publication number: 20100269782
    Abstract: A rotary engine has a first rotary unit and a second rotary unit. The first rotary unit has a chamber containing a remaining compressed air charge. After combustion in the second rotary unit, the resulting second unit exhaust is in fluid communication with said remaining compressed air charge via a second passageway. An injector is in fluid communication with said remaining compressed air charge in the first rotary unit. The injector injects fuel into the mixture containing the remaining compressed air charge in the first rotary engine and the second unit exhaust from the second rotary engine. This mixture is combusted either with a spark or via auto (diesel) ignition. In this way, the engine produces additional useful work by combusting the remaining compressed air charge and additional fuel. Alternatively, the injector described in the first rotary unit may be located in the second passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan B. Minick, Alfred Little
  • Publication number: 20100221104
    Abstract: An inlet system, including for an auxiliary power unit includes an inlet louver mounted to an inlet duct, the inlet louver defines a multiple of vanes positioned to shield the inlet duct from fluids which fall in direction generally transverse to a free stream airflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Inventors: Stacey H. Light, Alan B. Minick
  • Publication number: 20090159754
    Abstract: A rotary-wing system which generates a directed ion field to propel a fluid along a rotary-wing to control at least one boundary layer characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventor: Alan B. Minick
  • Publication number: 20090127401
    Abstract: Disclosed is a boundary layer control apparatus, and method, for controlling and adjusting the boundary layer of a fluid flowing over a surface. The apparatus and method operate by using ionic wind to propel the fluid within the boundary layer in a specified direction thereby either increasing or decreasing the boundary layer thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: William T. Cousins, Alan B. Minick
  • Patent number: 7413149
    Abstract: A system for augmenting the apparent velocity and effectiveness of an airfoil, such as a wing, on a vehicle includes at least one ionizer or emitter positioned relative to the airfoil to ionize a fluid media in which the airfoil travels and at least one attractor/receiver for accelerating the flow of ionized fluid media over the airfoil. The system further includes a voltage source to which each ionizer and each attractor is electrically connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alan B. Minick, Benjamin Goldberg, Larry Knauer
  • Patent number: 7296965
    Abstract: The bearing system includes a first component having a first substrate and a first coating. The first coating includes a DLC layer and a DLN layer between the DLC layer and the substrate. A second component is in sliding engagement with the first component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Clark V. Cooper, William K. Tredway, Roy N. Guile, Chris C. Rhemer, Alan B. Minick, Leonard W. Chapman
  • Patent number: 7246483
    Abstract: A propulsion system for creating a propulsive force has a combustion chamber, a pair of electrodes within the combustion chamber and a power supply attached to the electrodes to create a high voltage field within an initiation zone of the combustion chamber, and an injector for introducing a propellant, preferably in atomized form, into the high voltage field for creating the propulsive force. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the propellant is hydrogen peroxide. In another embodiment of the present invention, a second propellant is introduced into the combustion chamber for increasing the propulsive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alan B. Minick, Benjamin Goldberg, Larry Knauer
  • Patent number: 7204078
    Abstract: An ion drive system for creating a propulsion force or thrust has at least one stage having an emitter and an attractor spaced from the emitter by a gap. An ionizable dielectric media is located within the gap. The drive system further has a propellant source for introducing a propellant in the vicinity of the emitter and a power source for creating a high intensity field in the vicinity of the emitter to ionize the dielectric media and a diffused field in the vicinity of the attractor to accelerate the ions away from the emitter and thereby create a propulsive force. In a preferred embodiment, the ion drive system has a plurality of stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alan B. Minick, Benjamin Goldberg
  • Patent number: 5687562
    Abstract: A bypass air valve is provided which includes a liner, a strap, apparatus for biasing the strap into contact with the liner, a selective actuator, and apparatus for passage of bypass air. To open and close the valve, the selective actuator unwraps a segment of the strap from the liner before the strap is translated a distance around the circumference of the liner. The biasing apparatus biases the strap back into contact with the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Stewart, Alan B. Minick