Patents by Inventor Paul A. HUCKER

Paul A. HUCKER 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: 20240025110
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for the additive manufacture of a component comprising a substantially annular bed for supporting the component, a powder depositor, an energy beam source for emitting a beam of energy towards a beam target location, and control means for adjusting the beam target location. The apparatus is configured to provide rotation of the beam target location and/or the powder depositor relative to the bed, the relative rotation being about a rotational axis. Also disclosed are a method for additive manufacture, a gas turbine engine, and an aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephen C HARDING, Paul A HUCKER, Iain MORGAN
  • Patent number: 11293640
    Abstract: The present relates to combustor apparatus for a gas turbine engine comprising a bulkhead (34) an inner support ring (70) and an outer support ring (84) at end upstream end thereof. The bulkhead (34) has an inner surface (40), when in use is provided on an internal surface of a combustor (16) and exposed to combustion products and an outer surface (41) provided on an external surface of the combustor when in use; an inner mating feature to cooperate with the inner support ring (70); and an outer mating feature to cooperate with the outer support ring (84). In use, the inner and outer mating features prevent axial motion of the bulkhead relative to the inner (70) and outer (84) support rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Paul A Hucker, Iain Morgan, Alan P Geary
  • Publication number: 20220082055
    Abstract: A combustion chamber comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged cassette segments coupled to a combustor head at one end and a wall section at the other end, each cassette segment extending the full length of the combustion chamber, and wherein the combustor head has an annular tongue structure on a mating surface, the tongue structure engages with a groove portion present in each of the cassettes so that when assembled the groove portions in the each of the plurality of cassette segments forms a substantially continuous groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A. HUCKER, Stephen C. HARDING, Giuseppe RALLO, Iain MORGAN
  • Patent number: 11067276
    Abstract: An igniter seal arrangement for a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber has a wall having first surface and second surfaces. A boss projects from the first surface, and has a platform on its remote end. The platform has an inner surface spaced from the first surface of the wall to define a chamber between the first surface of the wall and the inner surface of the platform. The platform has an outer surface facing away from the first surface of the wall and an aperture extends through the wall from the outer surface of the platform of the boss to the second surface. First and second L-shape rails extend from the platform and a sealing member has a first edge and a second edge locatable between the outer surface of the platform and the first and second L-shape rails and the sealing member has an aperture to receive an igniter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A Hucker, Stephen C Harding, Iain Morgan
  • Patent number: 10816212
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustion chamber includes upstream and downstream ring structures and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments. Each segment extends the full length of the combustion chamber and each segment is secured to the upstream ring structure and is mounted on the downstream ring structure. A frame structure at the downstream end of each segment has multiple spaced radially extending holes. The downstream end of each segment has an axially upstream extending groove and the downstream ring structure has an annular axially upstream extending hook which locates in the groove of each segment. A portion of the downstream ring structure abuts the frame structure of each segment. The downstream ring structure has multiple holes through the portion abutting the frame structure and segment is removably secured to the downstream ring structure by multiple fasteners locating in the holes in the segments and the downstream ring structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A Hucker, Steven Ballantyne, Stephen C Harding
  • Publication number: 20200309374
    Abstract: The present relates to combustor apparatus for a gas turbine engine comprising a bulkhead (34) an inner support ring (70) and an outer support ring (84) at end upstream end thereof. The bulkhead (34) has an inner surface (40), when in use is provided on an internal surface of a combustor (16) and exposed to combustion products and an outer surface (41) provided on an external surface of the combustor when in use; an inner mating feature to cooperate with the inner support ring (70); and an outer mating feature to cooperate with the outer support ring (84). In use, the inner and outer mating features prevent axial motion of the bulkhead relative to the inner (70) and outer (84) support rings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Paul A HUCKER, Iain MORGAN, Alan P GEARY
  • Publication number: 20200277868
    Abstract: A combustion liner for a gas turbine engine. The combustion liner defines a bypass direction which extends between an upstream portion and a downstream portion of the combustion liner in use, the combustion liner. The combustion liner comprises a liner wall for defining at least a portion of a combustion chamber, the liner wall having an outer surface and an inner surface and a depth between the outer and inner surfaces of the combustion liner in use. The combustion liner comprises a chute formed through the liner wall for conveying fluid from the outer surface through the liner wall and ejecting fluid from an exhaust hole of the chute on the inner surface, the exhaust hole having a length L along the bypass direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Paul A. HUCKER, Stephen C. HARDING, Quentin BORLON
  • Patent number: 10655857
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustion chamber includes upstream and downstream ring structures and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments. Each segment extends the full length of the combustion chamber and each segment is secured to the upstream ring structure and is mounted on the downstream ring structure. The upstream end of each combustion chamber segment includes a surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending holes and the upstream ring structure having a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes extending radially through a portion abutting the surface of the upstream end of each combustion chamber segment. Each combustion chamber segment being removably secured to the upstream ring structure by a plurality of fasteners locatable in the holes in the combustion chamber segment and corresponding holes in the upstream ring structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephen C Harding, Paul A Hucker
  • Patent number: 10634350
    Abstract: A combustion chamber includes at least one annular wall which includes at least one box like structure and each box like structure includes an inner wall, outer wall, upstream end wall and downstream end wall. The inner wall is spaced radially from the outer wall and the outer wall has a plurality of apertures for the supply of coolant into the box like structure. The inner wall, the outer wall, the upstream end wall and the downstream end wall are integral. The upstream end of the annular wall has features to secure the annular wall to an upstream ring structure and a downstream end of the annular wall has features to mount the annular wall on a downstream ring structure. The inner wall has at least one slot extending through the full thickness of the inner wall to accommodate differential thermal expansion between the inner wall and the outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephen C Harding, Paul A Hucker, Giuseppe Rallo
  • Patent number: 10494928
    Abstract: A cooled gas turbine engine component comprises a wall which has a plurality of effusion cooling apertures extending there-through from a first surface to a second surface. Each aperture has an inlet in the first surface and an outlet in the second surface. Each aperture has a metering portion and a diffusing portion arranged in flow series and each metering portion is elongate and the width is greater than the length of the metering portion. The metering portion of each aperture has a U-shaped bend. The diffusing portion of each aperture is arranged at an angle to the second surface. Each outlet has a rectangular shape in the second surface of the wall. Each inlet has an elongate shape in the first surface of the wall and the inlet in the wall is arranged substantially diagonally with respect to the outlet in the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephen C Harding, Paul A Hucker, Nicholas Worth
  • Publication number: 20190293294
    Abstract: An igniter seal arrangement for a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber has a wall having first surface and second surfaces. A boss projects from the first surface, and has a platform on its remote end. The platform has an inner surface spaced from the first surface of the wall to define a chamber between the first surface of the wall and the inner surface of the platform. The platform has an outer surface facing away from the first surface of the wall and an aperture extends through the wall from the outer surface of the platform of the boss to the second surface. First and second L-shape rails extend from the platform and a sealing member has a first edge and a second edge locatable between the outer surface of the platform and the first and second L-shape rails and the sealing member has an aperture to receive an igniter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A. HUCKER, Stephen C. HARDING, Iain MORGAN
  • Patent number: 10307873
    Abstract: A method of assembling an annular combustion chamber assembly comprises positioning a plurality of first combustion chamber segments circumferentially side by side to form an annulus and removably securing the downstream end of each first combustion chamber segment to a first ring to form a first assembly. The method comprises positioning a plurality of second combustion chamber segments circumferentially side by side to form an annulus, removably securing the downstream end of each second combustion chamber segment to a second ring to form a second assembly. The method comprises removably securing the upstream end of each second combustion chamber segment of the second assembly to an annular upstream end wall. The method comprises inserting the second assembly into the first assembly and then removably securing the upstream end of each first combustion chamber segment of the first assembly to the annular upstream end wall to form the annular combustion chamber assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A. Hucker, Eliot Burrows
  • Patent number: 9957811
    Abstract: A cooled gas turbine engine component comprises a wall having first and second surfaces. The second surface has a plurality of recesses and each recess has a planar upstream end surface arranged so that it hangs over the upstream end of the recess. Each recess has a depth equal to the required depth plus the thickness of the thermal barrier coating to be deposited. The wall has a plurality of angled effusion cooling apertures extending from the first surface towards the second surface. Each effusion cooling aperture has an inlet in the first surface and an outlet in the end surface of a corresponding one of the recesses in the second surface. Each recess has smoothly curved transitions from the end surface and side surfaces to the second surface. Blocking of the effusion cooling apertures by thermal barrier coating is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A Hucker, Stephen C Harding, Alan P Geary
  • Publication number: 20180036843
    Abstract: A method of assembling an annular combustion chamber assembly comprises positioning a plurality of first combustion chamber segments circumferentially side by side to form an annulus and removably securing the downstream end of each first combustion chamber segment to a first ring to form a first assembly. The method comprises positioning a plurality of second combustion chamber segments circumferentially side by side to form an annulus, removably securing the downstream end of each second combustion chamber segment to a second ring to form a second assembly. The method comprises removably securing the upstream end of each second combustion chamber segment of the second assembly to an annular upstream end wall. The method comprises inserting the second assembly into the first assembly and then removably securing the upstream end of each first combustion chamber segment of the first assembly to the annular upstream end wall to form the annular combustion chamber assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A. HUCKER, Eliot BURROWS
  • Publication number: 20180031242
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustion chamber comprises upstream and downstream ring structures and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments. Each segment extends the full length of the combustion chamber and each segment is secured to the upstream ring structure and is mounted on the downstream ring structure. The upstream end of each combustion chamber segment comprises a surface having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending holes and the upstream ring structure having a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes extending radially through a portion abutting the surface of the upstream end of each combustion chamber segment. Each combustion chamber segment being removably secured to the upstream ring structure by a plurality of fasteners locatable in the holes in the combustion chamber segment and corresponding holes in the upstream ring structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephen C. HARDING, Paul A. HUCKER
  • Publication number: 20170307221
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustion chamber includes upstream and downstream ring structures and a plurality of circumferentially arranged combustion chamber segments. Each segment extends the full length of the combustion chamber and each segment is secured to the upstream ring structure and is mounted on the downstream ring structure. A frame structure at the downstream end of each segment has multiple spaced radially extending holes. The downstream end of each segment has an axially upstream extending groove and the downstream ring structure has an annular axially upstream extending hook which locates in the groove of each segment. A portion of the downstream ring structure abuts the frame structure of each segment. The downstream ring structure has multiple holes through the portion abutting the frame structure and segment is removably secured to the downstream ring structure by multiple fasteners locating in the holes in the segments and the downstream ring structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul A. HUCKER, Steven BALLANTYNE, Stephen C. HARDING
  • Publication number: 20170045227
    Abstract: A combustion chamber includes at least one annular wall which includes at least one box like structure and each box like structure includes an inner wall, outer wall, upstream end wall and downstream end wall. The inner wall is spaced radially from the outer wall and the outer wall has a plurality of apertures for the supply of coolant into the box like structure. The inner wall, the outer wall, the upstream end wall and the downstream end wall are integral. The upstream end of the annular wall has features to secure the annular wall to an upstream ring structure and a downstream end of the annular wall has features to mount the annular wall on a downstream ring structure. The inner wall has at least one slot extending through the full thickness of the inner wall to accommodate differential thermal expansion between the inner wall and the outer wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephen C. HARDING, Paul A. HUCKER, Giuseppe RALLO
  • Publication number: 20160123156
    Abstract: A cooled gas turbine engine component comprises a wall having first and second surfaces. The second surface has a plurality of recesses and each recess has a planar upstream end surface arranged so that it hangs over the upstream end of the recess. Each recess has a depth equal to the required depth plus the thickness of the thermal barrier coating to be deposited. The wall has a plurality of angled effusion cooling apertures extending from the first surface towards the second surface. Each effusion cooling aperture has an inlet in the first surface and an outlet in the end surface of a corresponding one of the recesses in the second surface. Each recess has smoothly curved transitions from the end surface and side surfaces to the second surface. Blocking of the effusion cooling apertures by thermal barrier coating is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Paul A. HUCKER, Stephen C. HARDING, Alan P. GEARY
  • Publication number: 20160097285
    Abstract: A cooled gas turbine engine component comprises a wall which has a plurality of effusion cooling apertures extending there-through from a first surface to a second surface. Each aperture has an inlet in the first surface and an outlet in the second surface. Each aperture has a metering portion and a diffusing portion arranged in flow series and each metering portion is elongate and the width is greater than the length of the metering portion. The metering portion of each aperture has a U-shaped bend. The diffusing portion of each aperture is arranged at an angle to the second surface. Each outlet has a rectangular shape in the second surface of the wall. Each inlet has an elongate shape in the first surface of the wall and the inlet in the wall is arranged substantially diagonally with respect to the outlet in the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen C. HARDING, Paul A. HUCKER, Nicholas WORTH