Patents Assigned to Roll-Royce plc
  • Patent number: 11346234
    Abstract: A turbine vane assembly includes a plurality of turbine vanes, an outer vane support, and an inner vane support. The turbine vanes are adapted to interact with gases flowing through a gas path of the gas turbine engine. The outer vane support is arranged radially outward of the turbine vane and configured to receive aerodynamic loads from the turbine vanes. The inner vane support is arranged radially inward from the outer vane support to locate the turbine vane assembly therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Keith Sadler, Michael J. Whittle
  • Patent number: 11346229
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine 10 is provided in which a fan having fan blades 139 in which the camber distribution relative to covered passage of the fan 13 allows the gas turbine engine to operate with improved efficiency when compared with conventional engines, whilst retaining an acceptable flutter margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Benedict Phelps, Stephane M M Baralon, Mark J. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11346558
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine, the injector comprising a main fuel flow circuit and a pilot fuel flow circuit. The pilot fuel flow circuit comprises at least one convoluted pilot fuel flow passage extending continuously from a pilot fuel feed at an upstream end of the injector to a pilot fuel spray nozzle inlet. The at least one pilot fuel flow passage comprises at least two axially-extending portions extending between the upstream end of the injector towards a downstream end of the injector and joined by an elbow portion proximal the downstream end of the injector. In use, pilot fuel can flow in opposing axial directions within the at least two axially-extending portions, the axially-extending portions being in thermal communication with the main fuel flow circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Jonathan D. Masters
  • Patent number: 11346254
    Abstract: There is disclosed an alignment tool for positioning an impact liner panel on a fan casing. The alignment tool comprises an attachment portion for attaching to the fan casing, a support surface for receiving a shim, and a magnet to magnetically retain a shim on the support surface. There is also disclose a tool kit for manufacturing a fan casing having an alignment tool and a shim. There is also disclosed a method of positioning an impact liner panel on a fan casing. It comprises attaching an alignment tool to the fan casing, magnetically retaining a shim on a support surface of the alignment tool; and positioning the impact liner panel against an abutment surface of the shim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Robert J. Eggleton
  • Publication number: 20220161387
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for finishing a surface of a component. The method includes installing the component in an apparatus configured to deliver a flow of abrasives to the surface and to generate cavitation bubbles in a liquid contacting the surface using a cavitation generator that includes an ultrasonic generator configured to generate cavitation bubbles in the liquid contacting the surface by ultrasonic excitation in the liquid or a laser configured to generate cavitation bubbles in the liquid contacting the surface by laser excitation in the liquid; controlling the cavitation generator such that cavitation bubbles are generated to finish the surface by implosion of the cavitation bubbles; and controlling the flow of slurry to the surface so as to finish the surface by abrasion. An apparatus for finishing a surface of a component is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Swee Hock YEO, Arun Prasanth NAGALINGAM
  • Publication number: 20220162964
    Abstract: A support assembly for a gas turbine engine is provided. The support assembly includes an outer casing, an inner structure, a strut and a mechanical fastener. The outer casing defines a longitudinal central axis. The inner structure includes a platform and a support portion disposed around the platform. The platform defines an aperture therethrough and the support portion defines a slot therethrough adjacent to the platform. The slot at least partially surrounds the platform and extends axially towards the aperture by an axial slot length along the longitudinal central axis. The strut extends generally radially from the inner structure to the outer casing. The mechanical fastener is received through the aperture of the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Wojciech KUZIEMKO
  • Publication number: 20220161932
    Abstract: Aircraft cabin blower systems and methods of operating aircraft cabin blower systems are provided. One aircraft cabin blower system comprises: a cabin blower compressor having a contactless bearing arrangement; a transmission having a transmission output arranged to drive the cabin blower compressor, a first transmission input arranged to receive mechanical power from a gas turbine engine, and a second transmission input; a reversible variator arranged to receive power from the gas turbine engine and to output mechanical power to the second transmission input, the reversible variator operable to output in both forward and reverse directions of rotation; and a controller configured to control an output speed and direction of rotation of the reversible variator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Richard SHARPE
  • Publication number: 20220162957
    Abstract: An aircraft engine comprising a fan, the fan having a diameter D and including a plurality of fan blades, the fan blades having a sweep metric Stip, each fan blade having a leading edge, and a forward-most portion on the leading edge of each fan blade being in a first reference plane. The aircraft engine further comprises a nacelle, comprising an intake portion forward of the fan, a forward edge on the intake portion being in a second reference plane, wherein the intake portion has a length L measured along an axis of the aircraft engine between the first reference plane and the second reference plane, the aircraft engine having a cruise design point condition Mrel, wherein Mrel is between 0.4 and 0.93, L/D is between 0.2 and 0.45 and Stip is from ?1 to 0.1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benjamin MOHANKUMAR, Mark J. WILSON, Cesare A. HALL
  • Publication number: 20220162953
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes: a fan rotating about an engine main axis; a core duct; an engine core; an Engine Section Stator (ESS) including a plurality of ESS vanes and arranged in the core duct downstream of the fan; and a plurality of variable inlet guide vanes (VIGV) adapted to rotate about a pivot axis and arranged in the core duct downstream of the ESS. The VIGV vanes are arranged angularly rotated with respect to the ESS vanes such that the VIGVs are shielded by the ESS, thereby protecting the VIGVs from icing and from ice shedding from the ESS vanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Geoffrey B JONES, Edward J SPALTON, Duncan A MACDOUGALL
  • Patent number: 11339727
    Abstract: Gas turbine aircraft engine comprising an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan upstream of the engine core and driven by the turbine, the fan comprising a circumferential row of tandem fan blades. Each fan blade comprises a main blade and an auxiliary blade. Over substantially all of the auxiliary blade's radial span, the leading edge of the auxiliary blade is rearwards of the closest point on the trailing edge of the main fan blade, and on a given aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, the leading edge position of an aerofoil chordal section of the auxiliary fan blade lies on a rearwards extension of the camber line of the aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, and the main fan blade and the auxiliary fan blade are arranged to rotate in tandem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Benedict R. Phelps, Stephane M M Baralon
  • Patent number: 11339714
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises, in fluid flow series, a gas-generator compressor, a combustor, a gas-generator turbine, and a free power turbine. The gas-generator compressor is an axi-centrifugal compressor comprising a plurality of axial compression stages followed by a single centrifugal compression stage, wherein the International Standard Atmosphere, sea-level static (hereinafter ISA SLS) design point pressure ratio of the axi-centrifugal compressor is from 12 to 16, and a ratio of the ISA SLS pressure rise across the axial compression stages to the ISA SLS pressure rise across the centrifugal compression stage is from 0.75 to 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rory D Stieger, Daniel Swain
  • Patent number: 11339967
    Abstract: A fuel injector including: a plurality of air swirler passages; at least one fuel supply passage arranged to supply fuel into at least one of the air swirler passages; and at least one cavity separating an exterior of the fuel supply passage from a body of the fuel injector; wherein the cavity is at least partially filled with a thermally insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Juan Carlos Roman Casado, Giacomo Di Chiaro, Jonathan Knapton, Filippo Zambon, Radu Irimia, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi, James Robins
  • Patent number: 11339713
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft includes an engine core including a turbine, a compressor, a core shaft, and a core exhaust nozzle, the core exhaust nozzle having a core exhaust nozzle pressure ratio calculated using total pressure at the core nozzle exit; a fan including a plurality of fan blades; and a nacelle surrounding the fan and the engine core and defining a bypass duct, the bypass duct including a bypass exhaust nozzle, the bypass exhaust nozzle having a bypass exhaust nozzle pressure ratio calculated using total pressure at the bypass nozzle exit; wherein a bypass to core ratio of: bypass ? ? exhaust ? ? nozzle ? ? pressure ? ? ratio core ? ? exhaust ? ? nozzle ? ? pressure ? ? ratio is configured to be in the range from 1.1 to 2.0 under aircraft cruise conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Richard G Stretton, Michael C Willmot, Nicholas Grech
  • Patent number: 11339717
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprising: an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft; and an environmental control system mounted on the engine core comprising a first air passage arranged to deliver air from outside the engine core to an aircraft cabin and/or for wing anti icing, a subsidiary compressor located in the first air passage and arranged to compress air in the first air passage, the subsidiary compressor being powered by the core shaft, and a second air passage arranged to inject air from the compressor into the first air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Nicholas Howarth, Amarveer S Mann
  • Patent number: 11339970
    Abstract: A lean burn combustor includes a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors, each including a fuel feed arm and a lean burn fuel injector head with a lean burn fuel injector head tip, wherein the lean burn fuel injector head tip has a lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter, the lean burn fuel injector head including a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the main fuel injector being arranged coaxially and radially outwards of the pilot fuel injector; and a combustor chamber extending along an axial direction for a length and including a radially inner annular wall, a radially outer annular wall, and a meter panel defining the size and shape of the combustor chamber, wherein the combustor chamber includes primary and secondary combustion zones. A ratio of the combustor chamber length to the lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter is less than 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi
  • Patent number: 11339684
    Abstract: A fairing for a power generation machine, the fairing comprising: a first layer comprising a metallic material and defining a first surface and a second opposite surface, the first layer being configured to enable the fairing to be coupled to the power generation machine; and a second layer comprising a composite material and defining a first surface and a second opposite surface, the second layer being coupled to the first layer, the second surface of the second layer defining an external surface of the fairing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Richard Peace, Oliver C. Taylor-Tibbott
  • Patent number: 11333021
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an engine core, a fan located upstream of the engine core, a nacelle surrounding the engine core and defining a bypass duct, and a fan outlet guide vane (OGV) extending radially across the bypass duct between an outer surface of the engine core and an inner surface of the nacelle. The engine core includes a compressor system, and an outer core casing surrounding the compressor system and including a first flange connection arranged to allow separation of the outer core casing at an axial position of the first flange connection. An axial midpoint of a radially inner edge of the fan OGV is defined as the fan OGV root centrepoint. A fan OGV root position to fan diameter ratio of: an ? ? axial ? ? distance ? ? between ? ? the ? ? first ? ? flange ? ? connection ? ? and the ? ? fan ? ? OGV ? ? root ? ? centrepoint the ? ? fan ? ? diameter is equal to or less than 0.33.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Chathura K Kannangara, Jillian C Gaskell, Stewart T Thornton, Timothy Philp
  • Patent number: 11336151
    Abstract: An electric starter-generator is described. The generator may comprise a rotor, a housing, two bearings, a stator, and a cooling-fluid flowpath. The cooling-fluid flowpath may comprise a cooling-fluid entrance and exit, and a cooling-fluid channel in fluid communication with the entrance and exit. At least a portion of the channel may be defined by a fluid-tight coupling of the housing and a sleeve radially surrounding the outer race of either the bearings. The portion may form an annulus about the axis. The portion may comprise a radially inner surface defined by the sleeve, a radially outer surface define by said housing, and two axial surfaces. The two axial surfaces may extend a distance from the radially inner to outer surfaces that is less than a distance from one of the two axial surfaces to the other of the two axial surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Scothern, Mark Boden, Don Klemen, William Williamson, Brian Maners
  • Patent number: 11333072
    Abstract: An aircraft gas turbine engine has an engine core with a turbine, compressor, and core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor, a fan upstream of the engine core; and a gearbox. The engine core has three bearings, one forward, two rearward, to support the core shaft, a minor span being the axial distance between the two rearward bearings. A first blade to bearing ratio of the minor span divided by the product of the mass, radius at mid-height, and the square of the angular velocity at cruise for a blade of the lowest pressure set may have a value in the range from 2.0×10?6 to 7.5×10?6 kg?1·rad?2·s2. A second blade to bearing ratio of the minor span divided by the product of mass and radius at mid-height for a blade of the lowest pressure set may have a value in the range from 0.8 to 6.0 kg?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jillian C Gaskell, Chathura K Kannangara, Punitha Kamesh
  • Publication number: 20220143685
    Abstract: A centrifugal casting apparatus comprising an upper portion into which molten material is poured, the upper portion having a central rotational axis about which the apparatus is rotated; at least one block runner is connected to the upper portion at the proximal end of the block runner and to at least one mould at the distal end of the block runner, the block runner being mounted substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation; and wherein the moulds are oriented substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the centrifugal casting apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Rui YANG, Yuyou CUI, Paul A WITHEY, Nicholas GREEN, Feiyang LIU