Patents by Inventor Ian Tibbott

Ian Tibbott 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).

  • Publication number: 20140093379
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component is described which (100), comprises: a shell having an internal cavity for receiving a multi-part insert; a multi-part insert located within the cavity, wherein the multi-part insert comprises separate insert parts assembled in an abutting relation with one another within the cavity to provide the multi-part insert; an insertion aperture within a wall of the shell which is sized to receive each of the insert parts individually and wherein the multi-part insert cannot be withdrawn from the cavity through the insertion aperture when assembled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Ian TIBBOTT, Dougal Richard JACKSON
  • Publication number: 20140093392
    Abstract: Described is a gas turbine engine component (100), comprising a shell having an internal cavity for receiving a multi-part insert; a multi-part insert located within the cavity, wherein the multi-part insert comprises multiple separate parts assembled in an abutting relation with one another within the cavity to provide the multi-part insert; wherein the assembled insert includes at least one retention part, the retention part engaging with a wall of the cavity and at least one other insert part so as to retain the assembled insert within the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Inventors: Ian TIBBOTT, Dougal Richard JACKSON
  • Publication number: 20140086724
    Abstract: An internally cooled gas turbine engine component has a line of cooling air discharge holes, an internal cooling channel, an internal feed cavity for feeding cooling air from the channel to the discharge holes, and flow disrupting pedestals arranged in rows. A method of configuring the component includes: determining angles ? and ? of the directions of cooling air flow into the first and Nth rows, respectively; defining a change in angle ? of the direction of cooling air flow between rows as ?=(???)/N; and positioning the pedestals such that a line extending forward from the centre of each pedestal in the ith row at an angle {?+?(i?1)} intersects the (i ?1)th row at a location which is midway between two neighbouring pedestals of the (i?1)th row, i being an integer from 2 to N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ian TIBBOTT, Dougal Richard JACKSON
  • Patent number: 8678751
    Abstract: Within components such as high pressure turbine blades and aerofoils in a gas turbine engine it is important to provide cooling such that these components remain within acceptable operational parameters. Typically, film cooling as well as convective cooling is utilized. Film cooling requires holes from a feed passage from which the coolant is presented upon an external surface to develop the film. The holes themselves can create cooling through convective cooling effects. In order to maximize the convective cooling effect holes are created which have an indirect path about a direct line between an inlet and an outlet for the hole. By creating an indirect path in the form of a helix or spiral which in turn may have a variable cross sectional area from the inlet to the outlet control of coolant flow can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Ian Tibbott, Ian W. R. Harrogate
  • Patent number: 8657576
    Abstract: Cooling within aerofoils (30, 47, 67, 87) is a requirement in order that the materials from which the aerofoil (30, 47, 67, 87) is created can remain within acceptable operational parameters. Traditionally static pressure as well as enhanced dynamic pressure impingement flows have been utilized but there are problems with regard to achieving a necessary over pressure to avoid hot gas ingestion or reduced cooling effect. It will be appreciated that fluid flows and in particular coolant fluid flows must be used most appropriately in order to maintain operational efficiency. By providing a plurality of feed apertures (41, 61, 81) which are shaped to have an entry portion (51, 71, 91) which is generally elliptical and an exit portion (52, 72, 92) it is possible to grab and turn a proportion of a feed flow (44, 64, 84) for substantially perpendicular or other angular presentation to an opposed surface of a cooling chamber (42, 62, 82) within which cooling is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Ian Tibbott, Roderick M. Townes
  • Publication number: 20130343872
    Abstract: A component for the turbine of a gas turbine engine is provided. The component two facing walls interconnected by one or more generally elongate divider members to partially define side-by-side, generally elongate, cooling fluid passage portions which form a multi-pass cooling passage within the component. The passage portions are connected in series fluid flow relationship by respective bends formed by joined ends of neighbouring of the passage portions. The component further includes one or more core tie linking passages formed in the divider members. One or more differential pressure reducing arrangements are formed in the multi-pass cooling passage adjacent respective of the core tie linking passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: IAN TIBBOTT, DOUGAL R. JACKSON
  • Patent number: 8596961
    Abstract: Within aerofoils, and in particular nozzle guide vane aerofoils in gas turbine engines problems can occur with regard to coolant flows from respective inlets at opposite ends of a cavity within the aerofoil. The cavity generally defines a hollow core and unless care is taken coolant flow can pass directly across the internal cavity. Previously baffle plates were inserted within the cavity to prevent such direct jetting across the cavity. Such baffle plates are subject to additional costs as well as potential unreliability problems. Baffles formed integrally with a wall within the aerofoil allow more reliability with regard to positioning as well as consistency of performance. The baffles can be perpendicular, upward or downwardly orientated or have a compound angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Ian Tibbott, Ian W R Harrogate
  • Patent number: 8591190
    Abstract: Cooling of turbine blades within a gas turbine engine is important. Coolant flows are taken from the engine to provide cooling effects but diminish the efficiency of the engine. Blades rotate and therefore centrifugal effects stimulate flow and pressure to maintain coolant flow presentation upon the blade. More cooling effectiveness is required towards the root of a blade in comparison with the tip. By providing cavities which incorporate return apertures coolant flow can be recycled. The cavities incorporate return portions on one side of a feed passage and a constriction is provided in passage. Thus, a proportion of coolant within the cavities is returned to the passage with pressure maintained by the rotational and centrifugal effects upon the coolant flow through the feed passage. Coolant flow is presented through outlet apertures as a film upon a surface of a blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian Tibbott
  • Patent number: 8573923
    Abstract: A cooled aerofoil for a gas turbine engine has an aerofoil section with pressure and suction surfaces extending between inboard and outboard ends thereof. The aerofoil section includes first and second internal passages for carrying cooling air. The aerofoil section further includes a plurality of holes in the external surface of the aerofoil section which receive cooling air from the internal passages. The external holes are arranged such that cooling air exiting a first portion of the external holes participates in a cooling film extending from the leading edge of the aerofoil section over said pressure surface and cooling air exiting from a second portion of the external holes participates in a cooling film extending from the leading edge over said suction surface. The first portion of external holes receives cooling air from the first internal passage, and the second portion of external holes receives cooling air from the second internal passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian Tibbott
  • Patent number: 8523523
    Abstract: Providing cooling within hollow blades such as high pressure turbine blades in a gas turbine engine is important to maintain these components within operational margins for the materials from which they are formed. Traditionally, coolant flows in hollow passages have been used along with impingement apertures towards a leading passage for cooling effectiveness. It is known that opposed undulations or ribs can create rotational vortices within the passage. By shaping shaped portions between the opposed undulations and possibly providing undulations upon these shaped portions themselves it is possible to generate stronger more powerful vortices within the passage. These vortices are coupled with the impingement orifices to create proportionally greater impingement jet flow and pressure and therefore cooling effectiveness within the leading passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Roderick M. Townes, Ian Tibbott, Edwin Dane, Caner H. Helvaci
  • Patent number: 8419366
    Abstract: Cooling arrangements for blades, and in particular turbine blades utilizing gas turbine engines include impingement apertures with impingement jets, which improve cooling efficiency. By providing a leading passage, which is divided at least into a lower section and an upper section, the lower section can have a wall, which is solid for structural integrity while an upper section has impingement apertures for greater cooling efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Roderick M. Townes, Ian Tibbott, Edwin Dane
  • Patent number: 8366393
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor blade has an airfoil portion containing one or more internal conduits. Each conduit extends to an end of the airfoil portion. The blade has a shroud at the end of the airfoil portion for sealing the blade to a facing stationary engine portion. There is a fillet portion which joins the end to the shroud. The fillet portion eases the transition from the outer surface of the airfoil portion to the outer surface of the shroud and has a cavity which extends from each conduit and expands laterally relative thereto. The area of the cavity on a cross-section through the fillet portion perpendicular to the radial direction of the engine and at an expanding part of the cavity is greater than the area of the conduit, or the combined areas of the conduits, on a parallel cross-section at the end of the airfoil portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian Tibbott
  • Publication number: 20130017060
    Abstract: An arrangement for heating and cooling a turbine casing of a gas turbine engine, the arrangement comprising an inboard duct, adjacent to an inboard surface of the turbine casing, an outboard facing wall of the inboard duct having a plurality of impingement holes opening towards the inboard surface of the casing, through which temperature control fluid can pass from within the inboard duct to impinge upon the inboard surface of the turbine casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: John H. BOSWELL, Ian TIBBOTT
  • Patent number: 8322987
    Abstract: With regard to cooling turbine blades in a gas turbine engine a compromise has to be made between convective cooling within the inner cavity defining a flow path for coolant and the blow rates for developing film cooling on an outer surface of the aerofoil. By providing a chamber between the flow cavity and external apertures reconciliation between the necessary flow rates for convective cooling within the cavity defining the pathway for coolant flow within the aerofoil and the necessary coolant blowing rate for film development can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Adrian J. Webster, Roderick M. Townes, Ian Tibbott
  • Publication number: 20120251295
    Abstract: A component of a gas turbine engine is provided. The component includes an external wall which, in use, is exposed on one surface thereof to working gas flowing through the engine. The component further includes effusion cooling holes formed in the external wall. In use, cooling air blows through the cooling holes to form a cooling film on the surface of the external wall exposed to the working gas. The component further includes an air inlet arrangement which receives the cooling air for distribution to the cooling holes. The component further includes a plurality of metering feeds and a plurality of supply plena. The metering feeds meter the cooling air from the air inlet arrangement to respective of the supply plena, which in turn supply the metered cooling air to respective portions of the cooling holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Lynne H. TURNER, Peter T. IRELAND, Ian TIBBOTT, Anthony J. RAWLINSON
  • Publication number: 20120219401
    Abstract: A component of a turbine stage of a gas turbine engine is provided, the component forming an endwall for the working gas annulus of the stage. The component has one or more internal plena behind the endwall which, in use, contain a flow of cooling air. The component further has a plurality of exhaust holes in the endwall. The holes connect the plena to a gas-washed surface of the endwall such that the cooling air effuses through the holes to form a cooling film over the gas-washed surface. Each exhaust hole has a flow cross-sectional area which is greater at an intermediate position between the entrance of the hole from the respective plenum and the exit of the hole to the gas-washed surface than it is at said exit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Anthony J. RAWLINSON, Peter IRELAND, Lynne H. TURNER, Ian TIBBOTT
  • Patent number: 8186952
    Abstract: With regard to gas turbine engines it will be appreciated that blades are typically cooled in order to ensure that the materials from which the blades are formed remain within acceptable operational parameters. Coolant is judiciously used in order to maintain engine operational efficiency. Unfortunately with regard to rotor blades horseshoe vortices tend to increase heating towards a pressure side of a blade resulting in localized overheating. Such localized overheating may result in premature failure of the blade component. Traditionally coolant flows have been presented over a forward projection of a blade platform. In such circumstances coolant flow will not be used as efficiently as possible with regard to protecting a pressure side of a platform in a blade assembly and arrangement. By provision of a deflector element on the forward blade platform coolant flow can be proportioned either side of a leading edge of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian Tibbott
  • Publication number: 20120082568
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement is provided for a turbine disc of a gas turbine engine. The turbine disc has a plurality of circumferentially spaced disc posts forming fixtures therebetween for a row of turbine blades. Each turbine blade has an attachment formation which engages at a respective fixture, a platform radially outwardly of the attachment formation such that the adjacent platforms of the row form an inner endwall for the working gas annulus of the engine, and an aerofoil which extends radially outwardly from the platform. A respective cavity is formed between an exposed radially outer surface of each disc post and the inner endwall. The cooling arrangement has at each disc post, a cooling plate located in the respective cavity and spaced radially outwardly from the exposed outer surface of the disc post to form a cooling channel between the cooling plate and the exposed outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ian TIBBOTT, Dougal R. JACKSON, Rory J. CLARKSON
  • Publication number: 20120082567
    Abstract: A cooled turbine rotor blade for a gas turbine engine is provided. The engine has an annular flow path for conducting working fluid though the engine. The blade has an aerofoil section for extending across the annular flow path. The blade further has a root portion radially inward of the aerofoil section for joining the blade to a rotor disc of the engine. The blade further has a platform between the aerofoil section and the root portion. The platform extends laterally relative to the radial direction of the engine to form an inner boundary of the annular flow path and to provide a rear overhang portion which projects in use towards a corresponding platform of a downstream nozzle guide vane. The platform contains at least one internal elongate plenum chamber for receiving cooling air. The longitudinal axis of the plenum chamber is substantially aligned with the circumferential direction of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ian TIBBOTT, Oliver C.T. TIBBOTT
  • Publication number: 20120076645
    Abstract: A component of a turbine stage of a gas turbine engine is provided. The component forms an endwall for the working gas annulus of the stage. The component has one or more internal passages behind the endwall which, in use, carry a flow of cooling air providing convective cooling for the component at the endwall. Each passage is formed by a plurality of straight passage sections. The passage sections connect end-to-end such that the connections between nearest-neighbour passage sections form angled bends. A first portion of the passage sections lie in a first plane. A second portion of the passage sections lie in a second plane which is spaced from and parallel to the first plane. A third portion of the passage sections extend between the first and the second planes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ian TIBBOTT