Patents by Inventor Tab M. Heffernan
Tab M. Heffernan 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).
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Publication number: 20200025378Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor having a dual-wall impingement convention effusion combustor tile assembly. The dual-wall tile assembly provides a cooling air flow channel and attachments for securing the tile to the cold skin liner of the combustor. Cooling is more efficient in part due to the dual wall construction and in part due to reduced parasitic leakage, and the design is less sensitive to attachment features which operate at lower temperatures.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Jack D. Petty, SR., Mohan Razdan, Michael S. Bell, Michel S. Smallwood, Tab M. Heffernan
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Patent number: 10451276Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor having a dual-wall impingement convention effusion combustor tile assembly. The dual-wall tile assembly provides a cooling air flow channel and attachments for securing the tile to the cold skin liner of the combustor. Cooling is more efficient in part due to the dual wall construction and in part due to reduced parasitic leakage, and the design is less sensitive to attachment features which operate at lower temperatures.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce CorporationInventors: Jack D. Petty, Sr., Mohan Razdan, Michael S. Bell, Michel S. Smallwood, Tab M. Heffernan
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Patent number: 10215035Abstract: A wheel assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The wheel assembly includes a disk arranged for rotation about a central axis and formed to include a plurality of slots. The wheel assembly also includes a plurality of blades sized to be received in the plurality of slots so that the blades are coupled to the disk for common rotation about the central axis. The wheel assembly further includes a plurality of blade biasers positioned in the slots between the disk and the blades so that the blade biasers are engaged with the disk and the blades to preload the blades away from the central axis.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2015Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
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Patent number: 10196904Abstract: An airfoil may include a spar comprising a passageway inside of the spar for a cooling fluid, a pedestal on an outer surface of the spar, and an inlet configured to direct the cooling fluid from the passageway to the outer surface of the spar. The airfoil may further include a coversheet, wherein an inner surface of the coversheet is positioned on the pedestal of the spar and an edge of the coversheet is positioned along an end of the spar. The inner surface of the coversheet, the pedestal, and the outer surface of the spar may define a cooling path from the inlet to an outlet at the edge of the coversheet. The outlet at the edge of the coversheet may be configured to direct cooling fluid onto the end of the spar, onto a footing, and/or onto a fillet positioned along an intersection of the footing and the spar.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2016Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC., ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATIONInventors: Tab M. Heffernan, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Okey Kwon
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Patent number: 9879601Abstract: A gas turbine engine component is provided that can be cooled with a cooling media such as air using a variety of passages. In one form, cooling fluid is routed through a hole that exits at least partially through a pedestal formed between walls. A plurality of cooling holes can be provided through a trench face and in some forms can include a diffusion through a divergence in the hole exit. J-Hook passages can be provided through a trench face, and, in some forms, multiple trenches can be provided. A cooling hole having a neck portion can be provided, as can a cooling hole with one or more turns to reduce a total pressure. In one form, a corrugated cooling passage can be provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2013Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.Inventors: Peter C. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan, Brett J. Barker
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Patent number: 9874110Abstract: A gas turbine component having a cooling passage is disclosed. In one form, the passage is oriented as a turned passage capable of reversing direction of flow, such as a turned cooling hole. The gas turbine engine component can include a layered structure having cooling flow throughout a region of the component. The cooling hole can be in communication with a space in the layered structure. The gas turbine engine component can be a cast article where a mold can be constructed to produce the cooling hole having a turn.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2013Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.Inventors: Peter C. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan
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Publication number: 20170211395Abstract: An airfoil may include a spar comprising a passageway inside of the spar for a cooling fluid, a pedestal on an outer surface of the spar, and an inlet configured to direct the cooling fluid from the passageway to the outer surface of the spar. The airfoil may further include a coversheet, wherein an inner surface of the coversheet is positioned on the pedestal of the spar and an edge of the coversheet is positioned along an end of the spar. The inner surface of the coversheet, the pedestal, and the outer surface of the spar may define a cooling path from the inlet to an outlet at the edge of the coversheet. The outlet at the edge of the coversheet may be configured to direct cooling fluid onto the end of the spar, onto a footing, and/or onto a fillet positioned along an intersection of the footing and the spar.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2016Publication date: July 27, 2017Inventors: TAB M. HEFFERNAN, JEFFREY F. RHODES, DOUGLAS D. DIERKSMEIER, OKEY KWON
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Publication number: 20170058700Abstract: A gas turbine engine exhaust component is disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine exhaust component includes an annular mixer that extends around a central axis and is formed to include inner lobes that define radially-outwardly opening channels and outer lobes that define radially-inwardly opening channels. A constraint band is added to connect the outer lobes and reduce vibration, deflections, and stresses.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2016Publication date: March 2, 2017Inventors: Tab M. Heffernan, Kenneth M. Pesyna
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Publication number: 20160186581Abstract: A wheel assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The wheel assembly includes a disk arranged for rotation about a central axis and formed to include a plurality of slots. The wheel assembly also includes a plurality of blades sized to be received in the plurality of slots so that the blades are coupled to the disk for common rotation about the central axis. The wheel assembly further includes a plurality of blade biasers positioned in the slots between the disk and the blades so that the blade biasers are engaged with the disk and the blades to preload the blades away from the central axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
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Publication number: 20150300257Abstract: A gas turbine engine component is provided that can be cooled with a cooling media such as air using a variety of passages. In one form, cooling fluid is routed through a hole that exits at least partially through a pedestal formed between walls. A plurality of cooling holes can be provided through a trench face and in some forms can include a diffusion through a divergence in the hole exit. J-Hook passages can be provided through a trench face, and, in some forms, multiple trenches can be provided. A cooling hole having a neck portion can be provided, as can a cooling hole with one or more turns to reduce a total pressure. In one form, a corrugated cooling passage can be provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2013Publication date: October 22, 2015Inventors: Peter L. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan, Brett J. Barker
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Publication number: 20150016944Abstract: A gas turbine component having a cooling passage is disclosed. In one form, the passage is oriented as a turned passage capable of reversing direction of flow, such as a turned cooling hole. The gas turbine engine component can include a layered structure having cooling flow throughout a region of the component. The cooling hole can be in communication with a space in the layered structure. The gas turbine engine component can be a cast article where a mold can be constructed to produce the cooling hole having a turn.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2013Publication date: January 15, 2015Inventors: Peter L. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan
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Publication number: 20140250894Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor having a dual-wall impingement convention effusion combustor tile assembly. The dual-wall tile assembly provides a cooling air flow channel and attachments for securing the tile to the cold skin liner of the combustor. Cooling is more efficient in part due to the dual wall construction and in part due to reduced parasitic leakage, and the design is less sensitive to attachment features which operate at lower temperatures.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2013Publication date: September 11, 2014Applicants: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce CorporationInventors: Jack D. Petty, SR., Mohan Razdan, Michael S. Bell, Michel S. Smallwood, Tab M. Heffernan, Charles B. Graves
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Publication number: 20090202355Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a blade with a replaceable blade tip shroud that includes an airfoil shaped spar extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge between a root end and a tip end. It can also include a plurality of tiles coupled to an exterior of the spar; a tip shroud positioned to overlap at least a portion of the tip end of the spar; and means for anchoring the tip shroud to the tip end of the spar.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2008Publication date: August 13, 2009Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
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Patent number: 5863183Abstract: A lightweight high temperature rotor blade attachment structure for use in a gas turbine engine. The lightweight high temperature rotor blade attachment lug being cast of a single crystal alloy and the lug is then bonded to a conventional nickel based wheel. A circular arc firtree is utilized to connect the insertable turbine blade between a pair of circumferentially spaced lugs that have been bonded to the turbine disk. In an alternate form of the present invention the attachment lug includes an internal cooling passage for receiving cooling fluid from a compressor. More particularly, the present invention discloses a single crystal attachment lug that is bonded to a powdered metal nickel alloy rotor disk and includes internal cooling passages, and in one form is designed for use with turbine blades that do not have a platform.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1997Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Allison Engine Company, Inc.Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
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Patent number: 5836742Abstract: A lightweight high temperature rotor blade attachment structure for use in a gas turbine engine. The lightweight high temperature rotor blade attachment lug being cast of a single crystal alloy and the lug is then bonded to a conventional nickel based wheel. A circular arc firtree is utilized to connect the insertable turbine blade between a pair of circumferentially spaced lugs that have been bonded to the turbine disk. In an alternate form of the present invention the attachment lug includes an internal cooling passage for receiving cooling fluid from a compressor. More particularly, the present invention discloses a single crystal attachment lug that is bonded to a powdered metal nickel alloy rotor disk and includes internal cooling passages, and in one form is designed for use with turbine blades that do not have a platform.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1997Date of Patent: November 17, 1998Assignee: Allison Engine Company, Inc.Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
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Patent number: 5688108Abstract: A lightweight high temperature rotor blade attachment structure for use in a gas turbine engine. The lightweight high temperature rotor blade attachment lug being cast of a single crystal alloy and the lug is then bonded to a conventional nickel based wheel. A circular arc firtree is utilized to connect the insertable turbine blade between a pair of circumferentially spaced lugs that have been bonded to the turbine disk. In an alternate form of the present invention the attachment lug includes an internal cooling passage for receiving cooling fluid from a compressor. More particularly, the present invention discloses a single crystal attachment lug that is bonded to a powdered metal nickel alloy rotor disk and includes internal cooling passages, and in one form is designed for use with turbine blades that do not have a platform.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 1995Date of Patent: November 18, 1997Assignee: Allison Engine Company, Inc.Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan