Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce
  • Patent number: 11971216
    Abstract: In some examples, a multilevel retort assembly. The assembly includes a base defining a base perimeter; and a plurality of shells. Each shell has a diffuser plate support and a perimeter with a substantially similar shape as the base perimeter. The plurality of shells are stacked on each other, mechanically supported by the base, and surround an inner retort volume. The at least one shell of the plurality of shells defines a removable window. The assembly also includes a plurality of diffuser plates, each diffuser plate supported by a corresponding diffuser plate support of the plurality of diffuser plate supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Lukhard, Timothy Western, Thomas Tran
  • Patent number: 11970975
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system (201) is shown for delivering the hydrogen fuel from a cryogenic storage system to a fuel injection system in a gas turbine engine. The fuel delivery system includes a pump (301), a metering device (302), and a fuel heating system (303,304) for heating the hydrogen fuel to an injection temperature for the fuel injection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Chloe J Palmer, Guy D Snowsill, Jonathan E Holt
  • Patent number: 11970985
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan and a fan case assembly. The fan includes a fan rotor configured to rotate about an axis of the gas turbine engine and a plurality of fan blades coupled to the fan rotor for rotation therewith. The fan case assembly extends circumferentially around the plurality of fan blades radially outward of the plurality of the fan blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Heeter, Daniel E. Molnar, Jr., Jonathan M. Rivers, Michael S. Krautheim
  • Patent number: 11973385
    Abstract: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is provided. The VTOL aircraft includes at least one electrical propulsion unit (EPU), wherein an EPU of the at least one EPU includes a propeller or a fan. The EPU further includes an electric motor including a stator having insulated coils for carrying current and a rotor arranged to interact with the stator, such that a torque for driving rotation of the propeller or the fan is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventors: Ellis F H Chong, Andreas Reeh, Johannes Gabriel Bauer, Anton Rudenko
  • Patent number: 11970981
    Abstract: A planetary gear box (and method of assembly), where the gear box includes a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, a plurality of planet pins, an axially forward carrier plate and an axially rearward carrier plate. Each planet pin is fixed respectively at its axially forward end on the axially forward carrier plate and at its axially rearward end on the axially rearward carrier plate of the planetary gear box. The planet pin is of two-part design and forms a radially outer pin part and a radially inner pin part, which are connected to one another in a manner precluding relative rotation therebetween, wherein the radially outer pin part forms a bearing with the planet gear, and only the radially inner pin part is fixed at its axial ends to the forward and rearward carrier plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO. KG
    Inventors: Paul Gorenz, Hannes Wuestenberg, Jan Schwarze
  • Patent number: 11970949
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting a functional failure in a power gearbox, includes a) measuring operational data in a gas turbine engine of operational parameters dependent on power generation and power consumption of the engine or the gearbox, b) obtaining analyzed operational data including time data, angular data of rotation, frequency data and/or phase data, c) using the analyzed operational data in a comparison with stored baseline operational data to determine deviation data, d) determining time dependent trend data from the deviation data or determining a first state measured dependent on the power generation, power consumption or power regulation of the engine and measuring a second state dependent on vibrational data of the engine, e) generating a signal and/or a protocol for controlling the gearbox, and/or the engine based on the time dependent trend data, if a threshold is exceeded or based on the first or second states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO. KG
    Inventors: Sebastian Nowoisky, Lucia Ciciriello, Mateusz Grzeszkowski, Noushin Mokhtari Molk Abadi
  • Patent number: 11970973
    Abstract: An example system comprises an electric machine including a stator and a rotor, a cooling system configured to supply a cooling fluid to cool the electric machine, and a stator tube configured to contain the cooling fluid within a stator portion of the electric machine and prevent the cooling fluid from contacting the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce Electrical Norway AS, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Andrew Long, David Russell Trawick, Sean Morgan, Kolbeinn Kristjansson
  • Publication number: 20240138108
    Abstract: A thermal management system for cooling at least one electronic component, the thermal management system including: a heat exchanger connectable to at least one electronic component, the heat exchanger configured to dissipate heat generated by the at least one electronic component; a plurality of cooling channels each connected to a respective pump and the heat exchanger, wherein: each cooling channel is configured to carry fluid between the heat exchanger and the respective pump, and each pump is configured to pump fluid along the respective cooling channel such that fluid carried by each cooling channel flows through the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Chandana J. GAJANAYAKE, Shuai WANG, Pranshu KHARBANDA
  • Publication number: 20240133340
    Abstract: A combined gas turbine engine and hydrogen fuel cell system includes a hydrogen fuelled gas turbine engine, a cryogenic liquid hydrogen fuel tank, a first fuel offtake configured and arranged to divert a portion of hydrogen fuel from a main fuel conduit, a burner configured and arranged to burn the portion of hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit, a heat exchanger configured and arranged to transfer heat from exhaust gasses produced by the burner to hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit, a second fuel offtake arranged to divert a portion of hydrogen fuel from the main fuel conduit downstream of the heat exchanger, and a hydrogen fuel cell configured and arranged to produce electric power using hydrogen fuel diverted from the second fuel offtake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Nicholas GRECH, Chloe J. PALMER, Jacopo TACCONI
  • Publication number: 20240132227
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system fuel system comprises a fuel line configured to receive liquid hydrogen fuel from a fuel tank, a vaporizer configured to vaporize liquid hydrogen fuel from the fuel line to generate a supercritical or gaseous fuel, a main fuel pump configured to receive and to pump the gaseous or supercritical fuel from the vaporizer during operation of the propulsion system, and a heater provided downstream in fuel flow to the main fuel pump, and configured to raise the temperature of the gaseous or supercritical fuel to a propulsion system delivery temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Marko BACIC, John COULL
  • Publication number: 20240133314
    Abstract: There is provided a method of starting a gas turbine engine, comprising: selecting a baseline starting procedure of the gas turbine engine based on environmental data; receiving condition information for the gas turbine engine and/or for a starting system of the gas turbine engine, the condition information comprising at least one of: health information for the gas turbine engine and/or the starting system; maintenance information for the gas turbine engine and/or the starting system; and operation information relating to an expected future usage of the gas turbine engine. The method further comprises determining a predicted degradation profile for the gas turbine engine and/or the starting system based on the condition information; determining a starting procedure of the gas turbine engine by adapting the baseline starting procedure based on the predicted degradation profile; and controlling the gas turbine engine and/or the starting system according to the determined starting procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: David M. DONNELLY, Caroline L. TURNER, Derek S. WALL, Peter F. DOUGLAS
  • Publication number: 20240133343
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel system includes a fuel offtake configured to divert a portion of hydrogen fuel from a main fuel conduit, a burner configured to burn the portion of hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit, a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from exhaust gasses produced by the burner to hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit and a power recovery device configured to extract power from exhaust gasses of the burner downstream of the heat-exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Chloe J. PALMER, Jacopo TACCONI, Nicholas GRECH
  • Patent number: 11964388
    Abstract: A locking system for a continuum arm robot system, the robot system includes: a continuum arm robot having a manipulatable tip, a passive robot section through which controls for the manipulatable tip, and at least one ferromagnetic collar, and at least one external controllable electromagnetic device which can be activated so that the ferromagnetic section on the continuum arm robot is attracted to the electromagnetic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Andrew D Norton, Matteo Russo, Xin Dong
  • Patent number: 11965467
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system comprises first and second thrust producing gas turbine engines. The system comprises a controller configured to determine a required overall propulsion system thrust level, and determine an engine core power level contribution from each aircraft gas turbine engine such that the overall propulsion system produces a minimum overall noise level and meets the required overall propulsion system thrust level. In meeting the minimum overall noise level, at least the first and second gas turbine engines are operated at different engine core power settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Swann, Kevin M Britchford
  • Patent number: 11965528
    Abstract: A fan case assembly adapted for use with a gas turbine engine includes a case at extends circumferentially at least partway about an axis of the gas turbine engine and a plurality of vanes. The case is formed to define a plenum that extends circumferentially at least partway about the axis. The plurality of vanes are arranged in the plenum and spaced apart circumferentially about the axis to define a plurality of inlet openings in fluid communication with the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Heeter, Daniel E. Molnar, Jr., Jonathan M. Rivers
  • Publication number: 20240123655
    Abstract: A rodstock barrel drive having a first and second roller gears, each having a toothed section and a gripping surface section, such that the teeth of the roller gears intermesh, causing rotation of one of roller gear to rotate the other roller gear in the opposite direction, so as to draw a rodstock through a space between the gripping surfaces of the pair of roller gears, a ring gear which engages with one of the pair of roller gears, a drive gear which engages with the ring gear, and one or more idler gears which engage with the ring gear, all within a housing, the drive gear being connected to, and rotated by, a motor, which causes the rodstock to be drawn through the roller gears, wherein all the gears are all positioned within, and oriented parallel to, a common plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Kevin M. WORLD, Simon Groves, Wojciech Wasinski
  • Publication number: 20240123692
    Abstract: A needle apparatus for making a pinning hole in a composite material, the apparatus having a needle with a longitudinal axis, a collar fixed about the needle, a motor having an axis of rotation, and being fixed to the needle such that the needle can be rotated by the motor, the motor and the collar being situated within a motor housing, the motor housing having a first bush, and a second bush, wherein the collar is positioned between the first bush and second bush so as to prevent the needle from moving away from or towards the motor, but allow the needle to rotate freely around its longitudinal axis, wherein each needle apparatus further comprises a linear actuator connected to the motor such that the motor can be moved along the axis of rotation of the motor by the linear actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Kevin M. WORLD, Simon GROVES, Wojciech WASINSKI, Neal WRIGHT
  • Patent number: 11958787
    Abstract: The disclosure describes braze tape coatings and technique to form articles with differing physical properties in different layers or regions of the article. An example method includes forming a braze tape defining at least one layer that includes a first segment and a second segment. A portion of the second segment in the plane is adjacent to a portion of the first segment in a plane of the layer. The method also includes positioning the braze tape on a surface of a substrate, the plane of the layer of the braze tape being parallel to the surface of the substrate. The method also includes heating the braze tape to melt a constituent of at least one of the first coating material and the second coating material to form a densified coating on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Alexander Sean Golden, Sungbo Shim, Li Li, Taylor K. Blair
  • Patent number: 11959669
    Abstract: Cooling systems and methods of operation are provided. The cooling system may include a two-phase pumped loop (TPPL). The two-phase pumped loop may include, a receiver, a pump downstream from the receiver, a heat load downstream from the pump, a TPPL tee downstream from the heat load, a TPPL check valve downstream from the TPPL tee, and a heat exchanger downstream from the TPPL check valve and upstream from the receiver. The cooling system may further include a vapor cycle system (VCS) loop. The vapor cycle system loop may include the receiver, a compressor downstream from a vapor outlet of the receiver, a compressor check valve downstream from the compressor and upstream of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger, and the heat load downstream from a liquid outlet of the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Timothy Unton, Douglas J. Snyder, Christopher Banham
  • Publication number: 20240117744
    Abstract: Disclosed is an aerofoil for a gas turbine engine comprising: a first conduit formed in the aerofoil; a second conduit formed in the aerofoil; and a dividing wall separating the first and second conduits, the dividing wall comprising a transfer port configured to permit fluid flow between the first and second conduits; wherein the dividing wall further comprises a reinforcing boss at least partially encircling the transfer port. Also disclosed is a gas turbine engine comprising the aerofoil and an aircraft comprising the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Bogachan ALPAN, Jonathan M. PEACE, Thomas P. HOUGHTON