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).

  • Publication number: 20200025378
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Jack D. Petty, SR., Mohan Razdan, Michael S. Bell, Michel S. Smallwood, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Patent number: 10451276
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Jack D. Petty, Sr., Mohan Razdan, Michael S. Bell, Michel S. Smallwood, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Patent number: 10215035
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Patent number: 10196904
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC., ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tab M. Heffernan, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Okey Kwon
  • Patent number: 9879601
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Peter C. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan, Brett J. Barker
  • Patent number: 9874110
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Peter C. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Publication number: 20170211395
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: TAB M. HEFFERNAN, JEFFREY F. RHODES, DOUGLAS D. DIERKSMEIER, OKEY KWON
  • Publication number: 20170058700
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Tab M. Heffernan, Kenneth M. Pesyna
  • Publication number: 20160186581
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Publication number: 20150300257
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Peter L. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan, Brett J. Barker
  • Publication number: 20150016944
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Peter L. Vandervaart, Jeffrey F. Rhodes, Okey Kwon, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Publication number: 20140250894
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicants: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Jack D. Petty, SR., Mohan Razdan, Michael S. Bell, Michel S. Smallwood, Tab M. Heffernan, Charles B. Graves
  • Publication number: 20090202355
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Patent number: 5863183
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Allison Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Patent number: 5836742
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Allison Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan
  • Patent number: 5688108
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Allison Engine Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Tab M. Heffernan