Patents by Inventor Brett A. Flannery

Brett A. Flannery 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: 11808287
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a system designed to compensate for flow disturbances when changing a flow rate in the system. The system includes a flow source device having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is configured to receive fluid at a first pressure, and the outlet is configured to output the fluid at a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure. The system also includes a fluid control device having an inlet port and a drain port. The inlet port of the fluid control device is configured to receive flow from the outlet of the flow source device. Further, the system includes a constant flow regulator configured to provide a leakage flow to a drain output. The constant flow regulator is configured to decrease the leakage flow in response to the drain port of the fluid control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Hahn, Brett Flannery
  • Patent number: 11643970
    Abstract: A passive flow splitting system for use in a turbine engine control system to provide split fuel flow to two fuel manifolds to supply primary and secondary fuel injectors for the particular combustion zones thereof utilizing intentionally different split ratios dependent on ascending or descending combustion fuel flow is provided. The system includes a passive fuel divider valve (FDV) that includes a primary piston and a secondary piston. The primary piston is moveable independently from the secondary piston during a portion of its stroke, and is hydro-locked to the secondary piston during another portion of its stroke. An ecology valve is also provided to purge the fuel from the primary and/or secondary manifolds during different modes of operation. A transfer valve is included to control the position of ecology piston of the ecology valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Carthel C. Baker, Brett Flannery, Robert Mazza, Austin Wade Mueller, Michael L. Hahn, Grzegorz Pelc
  • Publication number: 20230107881
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a system designed to compensate for flow disturbances when changing a flow rate in the system. The system includes a flow source device having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is configured to receive fluid at a first pressure, and the outlet is configured to output the fluid at a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure. The system also includes a fluid control device having an inlet port and a drain port. The inlet port of the fluid control device is configured to receive flow from the outlet of the flow source device. Further, the system includes a constant flow regulator configured to provide a leakage flow to a drain output. The constant flow regulator is configured to decrease the leakage flow in response to the drain port of the fluid control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Hahn, Brett Flannery
  • Publication number: 20220214452
    Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a position sensor system that includes a sensor housing defining a first cavity having a first face, a fluid effector including an actuator housing having an inner surface defining a second cavity, and a moveable body having a second face and configured for reciprocal movement within the second cavity, an acoustic transmitter system configured to emit a first emitted acoustic waveform toward the first face, and emit a second emitted acoustic waveform toward the second face, and an acoustic receiver system configured to detect a first reflected acoustic waveform based on a first reflection of the first emitted acoustic waveform based on the first face, and detect a second reflected acoustic waveform based on a second reflection of the second emitted acoustic waveform based on the second face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Gregory Warren Pulley, Brian Lynn Swope, Jordan Loren Loos, James D. Rosplock, Brian Hoemke, Brett A. Flannery, Andrew Ryan Whitson
  • Patent number: 11346281
    Abstract: A passive flow splitting system for use in a turbine engine control system to provide split fuel flow to two fuel manifolds to supply primary and secondary fuel injectors for the particular combustion zones thereof utilizing intentionally different split ratios dependent on ascending or descending combustion fuel flow is provided. The system includes a passive fuel divider valve (FDV) that includes a primary piston and a secondary piston. The primary piston is moveable independently from the secondary piston during a portion of its stroke, and is hydro-locked to the secondary piston during another portion of its stroke. An ecology valve is also provided to purge the fuel from the primary and/or secondary manifolds during different modes of operation. A transfer valve is included to control the position of ecology piston of the ecology valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Carthel C. Baker, Brett Flannery, Robert Mazza, Austin Wade Mueller, Michael L. Hahn, Grzegorz Pelc
  • Patent number: 11312476
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a propeller control unit for controlling the blade pitch of a propeller. The unit includes an electrohydraulic servo valve (“EHSV”) and is connected to a propeller actuator that adjusts the blade pitch of a propeller. The EHSV operates to allow pressurized fluid to flow from a pressurized fluid source to the actuator to adjust the blade pitch of the propeller in a flight pitch range and a ground pitch range, to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the source to the actuator to adjust the blade pitch of the propeller in a flight pitch range but not a ground pitch range, and to block the flow of pressurized fluid from the source to the actuator and drain pressurized fluid from the actuator to prevent adjustment of the blade pitch of the propeller in the flight pitch range or the ground pitch range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: WOODWARD, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Hoemke, Brett A. Flannery
  • Publication number: 20220099029
    Abstract: A passive flow splitting system for use in a turbine engine control system to provide split fuel flow to two fuel manifolds to supply primary and secondary fuel injectors for the particular combustion zones thereof utilizing intentionally different split ratios dependent on ascending or descending combustion fuel flow is provided. The system includes a passive fuel divider valve (FDV) that includes a primary piston and a secondary piston. The primary piston is moveable independently from the secondary piston during a portion of its stroke, and is hydro-locked to the secondary piston during another portion of its stroke. An ecology valve is also provided to purge the fuel from the primary and/or secondary manifolds during different modes of operation. A transfer valve is included to control the position of ecology piston of the ecology valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Carthel C. Baker, Brett Flannery, Robert Mazza, Austin Wade Mueller, Michael L. Hahn, Grzegorz Pelc
  • Publication number: 20220056848
    Abstract: A passive flow splitting system for use in a turbine engine control system to provide split fuel flow to two fuel manifolds to supply primary and secondary fuel injectors for the particular combustion zones thereof utilizing intentionally different split ratios dependent on ascending or descending combustion fuel flow is provided. The system includes a passive fuel divider valve (FDV) that includes a primary piston and a secondary piston. The primary piston is moveable independently from the secondary piston during a portion of its stroke, and is hydro-locked to the secondary piston during another portion of its stroke. An ecology valve is also provided to purge the fuel from the primary and/or secondary manifolds during different modes of operation. A transfer valve is included to control the position of ecology piston of the ecology valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: Woodward, Inc.
    Inventors: Carthel C. Baker, Brett Flannery, Robert Mazza, Austin Wade Mueller, Michael L. Hahn, Grzegorz Pelc
  • Publication number: 20190092453
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a propeller control unit for controlling the blade pitch of a propeller. The unit includes an electrohydraulic servo valve (“EHSV”) and is connected to a propeller actuator that adjusts the blade pitch of a propeller. The EHSV operates to allow pressurized fluid to flow from a pressurized fluid source to the actuator to adjust the blade pitch of the propeller in a flight pitch range and a ground pitch range, to allow pressurized fluid to flow from the source to the actuator to adjust the blade pitch of the propeller in a flight pitch range but not a ground pitch range, and to block the flow of pressurized fluid from the source to the actuator and drain pressurized fluid from the actuator to prevent adjustment of the blade pitch of the propeller in the flight pitch range or the ground pitch range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Brian Hoemke, Brett A. Flannery