Including Destructible, Fusible, Or Deformable Non-reusable Part Patents (Class 415/9)
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Patent number: 8167531Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing dynamic loading of a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a rotor shaft assembly including a rotor shaft, a bearing assembly, a mounting race, and a support frame, the mounting race including a spherical surface. The method includes supporting the rotor shaft on the gas turbine engine support frame with the bearing assembly, the rotor shaft including a yield portion configured to permit bending of the rotor shaft during an imbalance operation.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2008Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel E. Mollmann, Steven A. Ross, Richard Wesling, Thomas Edward Agin, Charles Orkiszewski
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Patent number: 8166746Abstract: A containment system for containing fragments of a burst rotor including first and second means for frangibly connecting a containment element to first and second walls, the first and second means rupturing upon being subjected to a load mainly produced by a translational motion of at least one fragment impacting the element.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2010Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventor: Jeffrey Bernard Heyerman
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Patent number: 8137053Abstract: An assembly includes a first member and a second member, the first member including a first material composition and the second member including a second material composition. The first and second material compositions each include one or more isotopes of the same element, which are arranged to permit distinguishing between the first and second members or 0 parts thereof.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2008Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLCInventor: Alison Jane McMillan
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Patent number: 8127525Abstract: A device for, in a gas turbine engine, braking a turbine including a rotor, having at least one disk with a rim driving a shaft and capable of rotating with respect to a stator, is disclosed. The device is for the event of the shaft breaking and includes a first braking member, secured to the rim and provided with at least one cutting element, and a second braking member secured to the stator downstream of the rim and including a ring-shaped element made of a material that can be cut by the cutting element. The two braking members coming into contact with one another through axial displacement of the rotor once the shaft has broken. The cutting element of the first braking member cuts the ring-shaped element of the second braking member.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Jacques Rene Bart, Didier Rene Andre Escure, Claude Marcel Mons, Stephane Rousselin
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Patent number: 8128339Abstract: To provide a bearing support structure and a gas turbine that prevent damage of device induced by a rotor shaft when the rotor shaft is unbalanced, the bearing support structure and the gas turbine includes: a casing (7) formed in a cylindrical shape; a bearing unit (8) formed in a cylindrical shape and housed in the casing (7); a rotation shaft (5) rotatably supported by the bearing unit (8); and a reaction-force decreasing unit (13) that connects the casing and the bearing unit, and is configured to decrease a radial reaction force on the bearing unit side.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2007Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuru Kondo, Hiroji Tada, Osamu Morii, Tadayuki Hanada, Hirokazu Hagiwara, Kunihiro Shimizu, Tomohiro Imae
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Publication number: 20120039703Abstract: A fragment containment assembly for a turbine is provided. The fragment containment assembly includes a plurality of bands disposed around a shroud of the turbine and positioned such that the shroud is disposed between blades of the turbine and the bands along radial directions outwardly extending from a shaft of the turbine. The bands include a material having a first modulus of toughness parameter that is greater than a second modulus of toughness parameter of the shroud at temperatures of at least 260 degrees Celsius. The bands are disposed around the shroud to prevent debris of the turbine from being released outside of the bands along the radial directions caused by failure of the turbine.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2010Publication date: February 16, 2012Inventors: Kendall SWENSON, Mark Stablein, Lukas Johnson
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Patent number: 8087873Abstract: A device that deploys during a blade portion failure that encompasses the engine casing is provided to prevent damage caused by the failure. A blade containment device such as a flexible interwoven structure or a net encompasses the engine casing and the blade failure path, or is embedded in the engine casing, and deploys in the event of a blade failure, such as the breaking of an engine blade. The net deploys when the blade portion has failed and has started expanding along the blade failure path, and may include a number of links attached to one another. Upon impact with a broken blade portion, thus transferring the kinetic energy of the blade portion to the net, some or all of the links may break off from each other, thus allowing the net to deploy and dissipating the kinetic energy generated by the expanding broken blade. Consequently, the blade remains contained inside the net, and blade containment is improved.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2008Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: GKN Aerospace Services Structures, Corp.Inventor: Anthony Cacace
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Patent number: 8087874Abstract: A retention structure includes a center body including an outer surface, an enclosed end, an open end, and a contact section, the outer surface adapted to define a first portion of a flowpath, and the contact section extending radially outwardly from a centerline and located on the enclosed end and configured to reduce a radial and a torsional component of a first load that exceeds a first threshold applied to the contact section, when the turbine rotates and applies the first load to the contact section and an energy absorber coupled to the center body, disposed adjacent to the contact section, and having an outer surface adapted to define a second portion of the flowpath, the energy absorber further adapted to collapse, when the turbine rotates and contacts the energy absorber and applies a second load that exceeds a second threshold to the energy absorber.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2009Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Brian Jardine, Brian Koch, Jeff Guymon, Craig White
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Publication number: 20110308967Abstract: A sacrificial body mitigates cavitation damage to components within a pump. The sacrificial body is mounted in the pump so that flowing fluid passes over the sacrificial body, which causes the sacrificial body to shed electrons into the flowing fluid in the vicinity of the cavitation. The excess electrons tend to suppress hydrogen ions from releasing, which can mitigate cavitation. The sacrificial body is formed of a material having less resistance to corrosion due to the flowing fluid than the components of the pump. Needles are attached to the sacrificial body for immersion in the flowing fluid to facilitate the release of the electrons for the sacrificial body.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2011Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: S.P.M. Flow Control, Inc.Inventor: Joseph H. Byrne
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Patent number: 8061965Abstract: A ring structure with a metal design for a moving blade of axially flowed through compressor and turbine stages, particularly in gas turbine engines is provided. The ring structure includes a circular ring-shaped outer wall, a circular ring-shaped inner wall, which is located at a short radial distance from the moving blade tips, and includes a joining structure provided in the form of hollow chamber structure between the outer wall and the inner wall. The outer wall is provided in the form of a closed, mechanically stable housing wall of the compressor or turbine stage, and the joining structure provided in the form of hollow chamber structure is joined in a fixed manner to the outer wall and to the inner wall, for example, by soldering, diffusion welding or other joining techniques. The inner wall is provided in the form of a closed, mechanically stable structure, which serves as a run-in lining for the moving blade tips and which is made of a metal woven fabric and/or of a metal felt.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2005Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbHInventors: Manfred A. Daeubler, Horst Mueller-Wittek, legal representative, Renate Mendritzki, legal representative, Ulrike Hain, Werner Humhauser
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Patent number: 8061967Abstract: A panel for supporting abradable material in a turbojet, the panel comprising a rigid support for fastening to an inside wall of a fan casing and having one face covered in a laminated structure carrying a layer of abradable material, the laminated structure comprising sheets of fibers embedded in a polymer, and comprising an upstream portion covered by the abradable material and a downstream portion that extends beyond the abradable material, the thickness of the downstream portion being greater than the thickness of the upstream portion and being capable of withstanding ice impacts.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2008Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: SnecmaInventors: Francois Marie Paul Marlin, Philippe Verseux
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Patent number: 8061966Abstract: Composite containment casing including a body having an interior, an abradable system integrally joined to the interior of the body of the containment casing wherein the abradable system comprises, a sandwich structure including a first facesheet and a second facesheet position about at least one core layer, and at least one abradable layer applied to the sandwich structure wherein the at least one core layer comprises any of a cell configuration, a columnar configuration, or a truss configuration and wherein the sandwich structure is strong radially and weak circumferentially.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2007Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ming Xie, Donald George Lachapelle
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Patent number: 8057160Abstract: A device (40) for limiting overspeed in a turbomachine in the event of breakage of the turbine shaft (24), comprising means (38, 44) of propelling a pin (42) into the path of the blades (22), these propelling means being controlled by means (36) that detect overspeed or that the turbine shaft has broken.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2007Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Jacques Rene Bart, Didier Rene Andre Escure, Stephane Rousselin
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Patent number: 8057171Abstract: A fan assembly for a gas turbine, the assembly comprising: a fan surrounded by a fan casing; a resilient, radially flexible containment material wrapped around the outside of the fan casing for containing a fan blade which has breached the casing during a fan blade-off event, and a retaining cable arrangement for resisting separation of a first portion of the casing from a second portion of the casing as a result of said breach occurring between the first and second portion; wherein the cable arrangement comprises: a retaining cable on the outside of the containment material, secured between the first and second portion of the casing, the retaining cable being sufficiently radially compliant for radial deflection to accommodate radial flexing of the containment material caused by impact of said fan blade in between the first and second portion; and a locking arrangement operable to subsequently lock the retaining cable between the front and rear portions of the casing whereby separation of the front and rearType: GrantFiled: February 17, 2009Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC.Inventor: Dale E. Evans
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Patent number: 8055413Abstract: Faster shifting operation and reduced shift shock in response to a braking operation during a lift-foot-up shifting may be achieved when an automatic transmission is controlled by a method for compensating a hydraulic pressure that includes: determining whether a lift-foot-up shifting of the automatic transmission is under control; calculating a vehicle speed of a vehicle; calculating a deceleration rate of the vehicle; calculating a compensation hydraulic pressure to be applied to a friction member of the transmission, based on the deceleration rate; calculating a on-coming pressure based on the calculated compensation hydraulic pressure; and applying the calculated on-coming pressure to the friction member.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2007Date of Patent: November 8, 2011Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Byeong Wook Jeon
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Patent number: 8047764Abstract: The fan duct of a ducted fan gas turbine engine has a fan case lined with a honeycomb structure that acts to absorb the energy of a separated part of a blade. A layer of composite material lining honeycomb structure delaminates/breaks when a separated blade part passes through a further, inner honeycomb liner and hits it. The resulting free end of composite liner wraps round the striking end of the blade part, thus blunting the cutting action of the blade part and spreading the generated forces to the extent that the blade part is de-energised sufficiently to prevent it penetrating the fan case.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2010Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Paul D. Launders
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Patent number: 8046915Abstract: Method for making a composite containment casing having an integrated abradable system involving providing a mandrel having a pocket, positioning a sandwich structure into the pocket, applying at least one ply of a material about the mandrel having the pocket containing the sandwich structure therein to produce a containment casing preform, infusing a resin into the containment casing preform, curing the containment casing preform to produce a containment casing, and applying at least one abradable layer to the sandwich structure of the containment casing to produce the containment casing having the integrated abradable system.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2007Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ming Xie, Donald George Lachapelle
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Patent number: 8029231Abstract: A fan track liner within a rotor blade assembly for a gas turbine engine comprises a radially inner casing liner member and a radially outer casing liner member adjacent to the radially inner casing liner member. A septum is interposed between the radially inner and radially outer casing liner members and bonds together the radially inner and radially outer casing liner members. The septum includes predetermined weakened regions which permit penetration of the septum in use by a rotor blade in the event of impact of the radially inner casing liner member by a detached rotor blade. Assembly otherwise capable of resisting ice shed from the blade impacting the same region.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2009Date of Patent: October 4, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Dale E. Evans
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Patent number: 8021102Abstract: A method of fabricating a fan containment case for a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes forming a core layer material, wrapping the core layer material about a cylindrically-shaped take-up spool, and transferring the core layer material to a cylindrically-shaped mandrel by wrapping a plurality of layers of the core layer material about the mandrel such that the mandrel is circumscribed by the layers and such that a size and a cylindrical shape of the fan containment case are defined by the layers of core layer material.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2006Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ming Xie, Michael Scott Braley
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Patent number: 8016543Abstract: A gas turbine fan blade containment assembly includes a fan case having an inner surface surrounding a jet engine fan and an outer surface. Mounted on the inner surface and across a blade containing region of the fan case is a load spreader layer for initially receiving a point load from a fan blade release (a “blade-out event”). A band layer is mounted to an outer surface of the fan case for carrying at least a portion of a hoop tensile load on the fan case resulting from the blade-out event, and separator film layer is mounted between the outer surface of the fan case and the band layer to retard the formation of stress concentrations in the band layer. In one embodiment, the load spreader layer includes a plurality of circumferentially-arrayed load spreader layer segments.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Inventors: Michael Scott Braley, James D. Dorer, Gary D. Roberts
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Publication number: 20110217156Abstract: A containment casing is provided comprising a radially outer layer; an intermediate energy absorbing layer, and a retention framework for retaining an aerofoil blade in the event of detachment of whole or part of the blade. The retention framework is distributed axially and circumferentially along the casing and extends substantially radially inwardly at least partially through the intermediate energy absorbing layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2011Publication date: September 8, 2011Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: Alison J. MCMILLAN
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Patent number: 7959405Abstract: The fan duct of a ducted fan gas turbine engine has a fan case (20) lined with a honeycomb structure (22) that acts to absorb the energy of a separated part of a blade (16). A layer of composite material (24) lining honeycomb structure (22) delaminates/breaks when a separated blade part passes through a further, inner honeycomb liner (26) and hits it. The resulting free end of composite liner (24) wraps round the striking end of the blade part, thus blunting the cutting action of the blade part and spreading the generated forces to the extent that the blade part is de-energised sufficiently to prevent it penetrating the fan case (20).Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2006Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Paul D. Launders
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Publication number: 20110083433Abstract: In an explosion protection for gas a turbine which includes a turbine wheel and a turbine housing surrounding the turbine wheel, wherein the explosion protection comprises a multi-layer structure of material of a high rupture strength, the explosion protection is in the form of an essentially closed pot including a bottom section and a sash extending fully around the bottom section for accommodating the turbine housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2010Publication date: April 14, 2011Inventors: Peter Stroph, Ronald Hegner
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Publication number: 20110081227Abstract: An impactor containment system including a laminate material, the laminate material having a face sheet, a cellular filling providing a crushable layer one side of which layer is arranged on the face sheet, and a stiff backing layer arranged on other side of the crushable layer, wherein the face sheet is provided with zones of weakness.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: ALISON JANE MCMILLAN
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Publication number: 20110076132Abstract: A containment assembly for a turbo fan engine, has a casing arranged in use around a rotatable fan, to form a duct for the fan and a liner element disposed on an interior surface between the casing and blades of a rotatable fan. The liner element includes a body portion mounted in a recess in the casing and a wall portion arranged to form part of an inner wall of the duct. The wall portion and the body portion being attached and defining a containment cavity therebetween for containment of a detached fan blade fragment in use, wherein the wall portion has a moveable portion movable between a first configuration in which it lies substantially flush with the inner wall of the duct, and a second configuration in which it provides an opening through which a fan blade fragment can enter the containment cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2010Publication date: March 31, 2011Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: KRISTOFER JOHN BOTTOME
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Patent number: 7914251Abstract: A liner panel for a fan casing of a gas turbine engine includes a honeycomb layer, a septum layer and an abradable layer. The fan casing is provided with a containment system in case of fan blade failure. In use, ice may be released from a fan blade in a first direction, and (in the case of a blade-off event) a fan blade or part of a fan blade may be released in a second direction. The panel has a compressive strength greater in the first direction than in the second direction such that the released ice will be deflected by the panel but the released fan blade or part of a fan blade will pass through the panel.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2007Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLCInventors: Clare L. Pool, Cedric B. Harper, Geoffrey R. Attewell
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Patent number: 7914256Abstract: Articles having a body including a composite material having at least one toughened region and at least one untoughened region, the toughened region containing a toughening agent selected from the group consisting of polymers, nano fibers, nano particles, and combinations thereof where the toughened region includes a toughened resin having a fracture toughness of at least about 1.0 MPa-m1/2.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2007Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ming Xie, Donald George LaChapelle, Stephen Craig Mitchell
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Publication number: 20110041494Abstract: A compressor for compressing a gas, the compressor comprising: a housing having an axial inlet and an annular outlet volute; an impeller wheel including a plurality of blades, the wheel being rotatably mounted within the housing between said inlet and outlet volute; the axial inlet being defined by a tubular inducer portion of the housing and the annular outlet volute being defined by an annular diffuser passage surrounding the impeller, the diffuser having an annular outlet communicating with the outlet volute; the housing having an inner wall defining a surface located in close proximity to radially outer edges of the impeller blades which sweep across said surface as the impeller wheel rotates; wherein the compressor housing incorporates at least one section comprised of a deformable, energy absorbing material arranged to deform and absorb energy generated as a result of impellor wheel failure.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2010Publication date: February 24, 2011Inventors: John F. Parker, Owen Ryder
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Publication number: 20110038706Abstract: A turbine section of a gas turbine engine is described, which includes an aftmost rotor extending, an aftmost stator located upstream of the aftmost rotor, and a second to last aftmost rotor located upstream of the aftmost stator. The second to last aftmost rotor being spaced apart a first axial distance from the aftmost stator. A turbine exhaust case is located downstream of the aftmost rotor and includes an inner radial wall and an outer radial wall defining a main gas path duct downstream of the aftmost rotor. The turbine exhaust case being axially spaced apart from the aftmost rotor a second axial distance that is greater than the first axial distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2010Publication date: February 17, 2011Inventors: Guy Lefebvre, Eric Durocher
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Patent number: 7874136Abstract: A containment system for containing fragments of a burst rotor including first and second means for frangibly connecting a containment element to first and second walls, the first and second means rupturing upon being subjected to a load mainly produced by a translational motion of at least one fragment impacting the element.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2006Date of Patent: January 25, 2011Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventor: Jeffrey Bernard Heyerman
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Patent number: 7866939Abstract: A turbofan gas turbine engine (10) comprises a fan rotor (32) carrying a plurality of radially extending fan blades (34). A fan blade containment assembly (38) surrounds the fan blades (34) and the fan blade containment assembly (38) comprises a generally cylindrical, or frustoconical, metal casing (40). The casing (40) comprises an annular member (54) positioned axially upstream of the tip (37) of the fan blade (34). The annular member (54) extends in a radially inwardly and axially downstream direction from the metal casing (40) towards the tip (37) of the fan blade. A set of cassettes (120) carries fan blade track panels (71B, 71C, 71D). The cassettes (120) are secured to the metal casing (40) by axially extending members (124, 128) on the upstream and downstream ends (122, 126) of the cassettes (120) which locate on the annular member (54) and are secured to inserts (136) on the inner face of the casing (40).Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2004Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Cedric B Harper, Michael Creagh, Neil Humphries, Ian G Martindale
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Publication number: 20100329843Abstract: A panel for supporting abradable material in a turbojet, the panel comprising a rigid support for fastening to an inside wall of a fan casing and having one face covered in a laminated structure carrying a layer of abradable material, the laminated structure comprising sheets of fibers embedded in a polymer, and comprising an upstream portion covered by the abradable material and a downstream portion that extends beyond the abradable material, the thickness of the downstream portion being greater than the thickness of the upstream portion and being capable of withstanding ice impacts.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2008Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: SNECMAInventors: Francois Marie Paul MARLIN, Philippe Verseux
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Patent number: 7850416Abstract: A turbo-machine (1), including a stator (2), internally coated with a running-in layer (6), a rotor (4) within the stator (2), wherein the turbo-machine (1) supplementally includes a device for parallel displacement and rotation of the rotation axis of the rotor (10) about the axis of symmetry of the stator (2). By means of this device the gap width between stator (2) and rotor (4) is minimized and therewith the economy of the turbo-machine (1) is increased.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2004Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Daimler AGInventors: Tilmann Haug, Hans-Georg Lehmann, Ansgar Zoller
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Publication number: 20100275574Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a rotary machine including a casing, a shaft extending through the casing, and multiple blades coupled to the shaft inside the casing. The system also includes a plug disposed in an opening in the casing, wherein the plug includes a filler coupled to a base, and the filler is configured to break away upon impact with the blades.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2009Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventor: Anil Salunkhe
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Publication number: 20100266384Abstract: High bypass ratio turbofan propulsion engines are designed with a two-step approach to surviving foreign object damage to the fan assembly. First, a containment system encircling the fan assembly to capture any part of a released fan blade in the event of damage occurring, and two in order to cope with the vibrations resulting from a rotating unbalanced fan assembly the support structure for the bearing of the rotating assembly is constructed with frangible parts to introduce a snubber gap to permit the rotating, unbalanced fan assembly and bearing to orbit thereby to reduce the resulting vibrations. However, in the case of very wide chord fan assemblies, the largest acceptable snubber gap is insufficient to reduce the induced vibrations.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2010Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventors: Dale E. EVANS, Michael R. LAWSON
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Patent number: 7811053Abstract: A fan rotor capable of avoiding coincidence will include a fan hub comprising one or more slots each designed to receive a fan blade; and one or more fan blades disposed within the slots. One or more slots will comprise an RZ? baseline and have one or more second fan blades disposed therein while another set of slots will have an RZ baseline having one or more first fan blades disposed therein. The tips of the second fan blades will be positioned at a distance farther from the fan hub than the tips of the first fan blades disposed, which when implemented in a turbofan engine will avoid coincidence occurrences.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2005Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Stanley J. Balamucki, Eric W. Malmborg
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Patent number: 7806364Abstract: A containment system for a gas turbine engine comprises a force absorbing arrangement for absorbing the force exerted thereon by an ejected portion of a failed component of the engine. The force absorbing arrangement circumferentially surrounds a major proportion of the axial length of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2007Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Kenneth F Udall
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Patent number: 7798285Abstract: An acoustic inner barrel for an aircraft engine nacelle inlet is constructed from a composite material and is formed as a single, 360-degree annular segment. The barrel includes an inner skin, an outer skin, a cellular core disposed between the inner skin and the outer skin, and at least one crack and delamination stopper extending radially from the inner skin to the outer skin.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2008Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Rohr, Inc.Inventors: Song Chiou, Jia Yu, Claude Hubert, Michael Layland
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Patent number: 7794197Abstract: An aerofoil blade for a gas turbine engine, the blade having a metallic core defining a number of cavities that contain a foamed material. The cavities are shaped such that the force of an impact on one surface of the blade is dissipated through the foam and transmitted to the metallic core. A fibrous internal containment device allows the blade to fragment progressively thereby spreading the load imparted by the blade to a casing should the blade fragment upon impact.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2006Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Ewan F Thompson, Simon Read
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Patent number: 7780400Abstract: An arrangement is provided for detecting a shaft break on a rotor of a first turbine, especially a medium pressure turbine, of a gas turbine machine, especially an aircraft engine. A second turbine (11), especially a low pressure turbine, is positioned downstream from the first turbine. An actuating element (18) is positioned lying radially inwardly relative to a flow channel, between the rotor of the first turbine and a stator of the second turbine. A transmission element (22) is guided in the stator of the second turbine (11), in order to transmit a shaft break detected by the radially inwardly positioned actuating element (18) to a switching element (23) positioned radially outwardly relative to the flow channel on a housing (14) of the gas turbine.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2005Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbHInventor: Christopher Bilson
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Patent number: 7780401Abstract: An ice strike sheathing ring (4) including several fiber compound layers for the fan casing of an aircraft gas turbine features breaking points (7) at a certain regular distance, so that, in case of destruction of the ice strike sheathing ring due to extreme ice strike, fragments of small size will be produced which together with the engine airflow will pass the exit guide vanes downstream of the fan without blocking the engine airflow or reducing engine thrust. With fiber compound layers enclosing a cavity or a core, the breaking points designed as slots (9) and/or assembly holes (8) are located in the inner wall (20) of the ice strike sheathing ring facing the engine airflow, while the outer wall (21) of the ice strike sheathing ring adjoining the fan casing is firmly attached to the latter via an adhesive film and a threaded safety connection.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2007Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KGInventors: Olaf Lenk, Uwe Dickert
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Patent number: 7780410Abstract: A method of assembling a gas turbine engine includes providing at least one blade assembly. The method also includes forming at least one blade tip fuse within at least a portion of the at least one blade assembly. The method further includes coupling the at least one blade assembly into the gas turbine engine. The blade assembly includes an airfoil and a metal leading edge (MLE) coupled to at least a portion of the airfoil. The MLE includes the at least one blade tip fuse.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, David William Crall, Daniel Edward Mollmann
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Publication number: 20100202872Abstract: A shielding (6) of a turbine housing (3) of an aircraft engine against radial escape of blade fragments, especially for a high-speed low-pressure turbine, is characterized in that the shielding (6) is embodied as a rigid ring-shaped component of several layers (8). Through the decoupling of the containment function from the design of the turbine exhaust gas channel, which is fabricated as a cast part, the disadvantages of the prior art are avoided. Particularly, the design of the turbine exhaust gas channel can be carried out in a cost- and weight-optimized manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2008Publication date: August 12, 2010Applicant: MTU Aero Engines GmbHInventor: Wilfried Weidmann
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Patent number: 7766603Abstract: A fan blade containment assembly (38) for a turbofan gas turbine engine (10) comprises a cylindrical, or frustoconical, casing (40) arranged to surround an arrangement of fan blades (26). At least one hollow tubular member (66) is arranged radially within and secured to the casing (40) and the at least one hollow tubular member (66) contains a filler material (68). The at least one hollow tubular member (66) extends circumferentially. The hollow tubular member (66) is helical and the axial spacing between the adjacent turns of the tubular member (66) varies and the density of the filler material (68) varies in order to match the severity of the impact expected at each axial location along the casing 40 of the fan blade containment assembly (38).Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2006Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Peter R Beckford, Stephen J Booth
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Patent number: 7758301Abstract: A gas turbine machine includes a second turbine (11), e.g. a low pressure turbine, positioned downstream from a first turbine (10), e.g. a medium pressure turbine. An arrangement for detecting a shaft break of a rotor shaft includes an operator element (16) positioned between the rotor of the first turbine (10) and a stator of the second turbine (11) radially inwardly relative to a flow channel, and a sensor element (21) guided in the stator of the second turbine (11), to convert a shaft break, detected by the radially inwardly positioned operator element (16), into an electrical signal and to transmit this electrical signal to a switching element which is positioned radially outwardly relative to the flow channel on a housing of the gas turbine machine.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2005Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbHInventors: Christopher Bilson, Ian Fitzgerald
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Patent number: 7748948Abstract: A vortex-flow blower device includes an impeller having a plurality of fins, a blower housing that has a vortex flow chamber for accommodating the impeller and extends from a start point on a side of a the fluid inlet port to an end point on a side of a fluid discharge port along the plurality of fins, a partitioning portion that blocks a communication between the end point and the start point in the vortex flow chamber, and a thermal fuse that is provided in the blower housing. The thermal fuse can be fused by a temperature rise so as to discharge the fluid on the side of the fluid discharge port to an outside, or communicate with the side of the fluid discharge port to the side of the fluid inlet port in the vortex flow chamber when the thermal fuse is fused.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2006Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Shinichi Yokoyama, Kunihiro Tsuzuki, Masaki Sakata
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Publication number: 20100150696Abstract: A fan casing (2) for a jet engine has a burst protection arrangement (7) made up of layers at least in an area of fan blades (5). To contain detached fan blades (5) within a fan casing (2) of a jet engine by use of a low-weight and easily manufacturable burst protection arrangement (7), the fan casing (2) is made of a fiber-composite material which itself forms at least one layer provided with at least one inorganic, non-metallic protective layer (8).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2009Publication date: June 17, 2010Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KGInventor: Olaf Lenk
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Patent number: 7726286Abstract: A housing for a supercharger assembly is provided having an inner wall at least partially defining a rotor cavity. A layer is formed from a sacrificial polymeric material and is provided on at least a portion of the inner wall. The layer is operable to provide approximately zero running clearance and improve scuff resistance between the first and second rotors and the inner wall. The sacrificial polymeric material is applied to the inner wall by insert molding to form the layer. A method of forming the housing is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2007Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.Inventors: Gregory P. Prior, II, Roxann M. Bittner
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Patent number: 7713021Abstract: A fan containment casing includes a core comprising a number of tows. The core has a central region and two end regions. The tows are grouped into a number of bands and form a number of filament-wound radially disposed layers. The bands of tows are interleaved as a number of direct bands and indirect bands along at least a portion of one or more of the layers. A method of forming a fan containment casing includes winding a number of tows on a liner to form a number of radially disposed layers, where each of the layers is continuously connected to at least one adjacent one of the layers across one of the end regions via at least one of the tows.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2006Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Scott Roger Finn, Craig Douglas Young, Peter Michael Finnigan
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Publication number: 20100077721Abstract: A turbofan engine which has a composite fan case surrounding a fan with a plurality of fan blades is disclosed. The composite fan case includes a containment zone having an inner fabric layer composed of resin-impregnated fibres substantially uni-axially oriented in a common angular direction corresponding to a blade release angle of the fan blades. The fan case also includes a composite outer shell and an energy absorbing core disposed radially between the inner fabric layer and the composite outer shell. The energy absorbing core includes non resin impregnated multidirectional fibres.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2008Publication date: April 1, 2010Inventor: Andrew R. MARSHALL