Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce North American
  • Patent number: 12000293
    Abstract: A vane adjustment assembly includes vanes, an annular ring coupled to the vanes, and a ring adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly includes a base frame mounted on the ring and including a support body having a first cavity, a first collar removably arranged within the first cavity and having a second cavity formed therein, a second collar removably arranged within the second cavity, and a roller pin coupled to the second collar. The second cavity is offset relative to the first collar and the roller pin is offset relative to the second collar. The first and second collars can be selectively arranged at rotational positions within the first and second cavities such that the roller pin can be positioned at distinct roller pin positions each corresponding to a rotational position of the first collar and a rotational position of the second collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Humes, Andrew Eifert, Paulo Bazan
  • Patent number: 12000297
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a nozzle guide vane endwall. The nozzle guide vane endwall includes a first wall and a second wall. The first wall includes a first opening that extends completely through the first wall into a primary flow path of a high-pressure turbine. The second wall includes a second opening and a third opening that extend completely through the second wall into an inner passageway of the nozzle guide vane endwall. The inner passageway is configured to direct a cooling fluid to the first opening and/or the second opening via at least the third opening. The first and second opening are configured to receive a plug or a probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Jack Moody, Kevin P. Holley
  • Patent number: 12000292
    Abstract: A vane adjustment assembly includes a plurality of vanes, an annular ring coupled to the vanes, and a ring adjustment assembly. The ring adjustment assembly includes a base plate coupled to the ring and having a recess, a first collar removably arranged within the recess and having a cavity formed therein, a second collar removably arranged within the cavity, and a roller pin fixedly coupled to the second collar. The cavity is offset relative to the first collar and roller pin is offset relative to the second collar. The first collar can be selectively arranged at rotational positions within the recess and the second collar can be selectively arranged at rotational positions within the cavity such that the roller pin can be positioned at distinct positions each corresponding to a rotational position of the first collar and a rotational position of the second collar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Humes, Andrew Eifert, Paulo Bazan
  • Patent number: 12000590
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a compressor, a pressure-gain combustor, and a turbine is disclosed. The compressor compresses air drawn into the engine and delivers high pressure air to the pressure-gain combustor. In the pressure-gain combustor, fuel is mixed with the high pressure air and is ignited. Products of the combustion reaction in the pressure-gain combustor are directed into the turbine at a pressure greater than that of the air discharged by the compressor. In the turbine, work is extracted by actively cooled turbine blades to drive the compressor and, sometimes, an output shaft. In illustrated designs, some compressed air from the compressor is diverted around combustion in the combustor to provide active cooling for the turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy Unton
  • Patent number: 11988151
    Abstract: Gas turbine engines include an engine frame defining an inner radial surface, a shaft rotatably mounted in the engine frame along a longitudinal axis, and an electric machine that includes a rotor coupled to the shaft and a stator coupled to the engine frame and defining an outer radial surface. In some gas turbine engines, the engine frame includes inlet and outlet fluid passages, each extending to a portion of the inner radial surface. The portion of the inner radial surface of the engine frame is spaced from the outer radial surface of the stator to form an annular fluid passage around the stator of an electric machine. The annular fluid passage is configured to direct a cooling fluid around the stator to remove heat from the stator. Some gas turbine engines include two or more positioning keys configured to fix the stator relative to the engine frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan W. Smith, Sara Karaffa
  • Patent number: 11982193
    Abstract: A vane adjustment assembly includes a plurality of vanes, an annular ring coupled to the vanes, and a ring adjustment assembly. The ring adjustment assembly includes a first inclined plate and a second inclined plate, the first inclined plate having an inclined surface facing a first inclined surface of the second inclined plate. A roller pin is coupled to a second inclined surface of the second inclined plate opposite the first inclined surface. The second inclined plate is adjustable in the circumferential direction such that the inclined surface of the first inclined plate and the first inclined surface of the second inclined plate slide against each other during adjustment of the second inclined plate so as to adjust an axial position and a circumferential position of the roller pin relative to the annular ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Humes, Andrew Eifert, Paulo Bazan
  • Patent number: 11982239
    Abstract: A bleed air control system is configured to vary the air pressure at the inlet of a gas turbine engine. The bleed air control system includes a first gas turbine engine configured to provide bleed air, a second gas turbine engine acting as an auxiliary power unit, and a bleed air control system configured to selectively provide bleed air from the first gas turbine engine to the second gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Unton, Kirk C. Lefort, Paul K. Johnson, Andrew J. Eifert
  • Patent number: 11976564
    Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a first component, a second component, and a splined balance weight. The first component is arranged circumferentially around a central axis. The second component is arranged circumferentially around the central axis. The splined balance weight is located radially between the first component and the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Thurston, Jonathan Acker, Eric Engebretsen, Aaron Weishaar
  • Patent number: 11976569
    Abstract: In general, techniques are described for fused filament fabrication of abradable coatings. An additive manufacturing system comprising a substrate defining a major surface, a filament delivery device, and a computing device may be configured to perform various aspects of the techniques. The computing device may be configured to control the filament delivery device to deposit a filament on the substrate, the filament including a powder and a binder, wherein the binder is configured to be substantially removed from the filament and the powder includes a metal or alloy configured to be sintered to form an abradable layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Quinlan Yee Shuck, Scott Nelson, Raymond Ruiwen Xu, Brandon David Ribic, Matthew R. Gold
  • Patent number: 11977131
    Abstract: In some examples, an electrical power system includes a solid state power converter including a first set of switches on a source side of the solid state power converter and a second set of switches on a load side of the solid state power converter. The electrical power system also includes a power source connected to the source side of the solid state power converter and also includes a differential bus connected to the load side of the solid state power converter. The electrical power system further includes a controller configured to receive a first signal indicating a current at the source side and receive a second signal indicating a current at the load side. The controller is further configured to detect, based on a time derivative of the first signal and a time derivative of the second signal, a fault in the electrical power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu Yang, Chandana Jayampathi Gajanayake, David Loder, Amit Kumar Gupta
  • 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
  • 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: 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
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11951528
    Abstract: The disclosure describes example systems and techniques for controlling microstructure of a superalloy substrate by controlling temperature during forging and using multiple die forging stages to formation of grain boundary phases of the superalloy, and components formed by such example systems and techniques. The method includes heating a substrate to within a forging temperature range. The substrate includes a nickel-based superalloy, and the forging temperature range is below an eta phase solvus temperature of the substrate. The method includes applying a plurality of die forging stages to the substrate to form a component preform. The method includes maintaining the substrate within the forging temperature range during application of the plurality of die forging stages and cooling the component preform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Paul Fuesting, Gangshu Shen, Eugene Sun
  • Patent number: 11946379
    Abstract: A fan case assembly adapted for use with a gas turbine engine includes a fan track liner and an annular case. The fan track liner extends circumferentially at least partway about a central axis of the gas turbine engine. The annular case is configured to support the fan track liner at a radial position relative to the central axis. The fan case assembly further includes an air recirculation duct configured to redirect air around the fan track liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Heeter, Daniel E. Molnar, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11946414
    Abstract: An acoustic panel for a gas turbine engine, includes a panel body, a panel-body cover, and a support bracket. The panel body is configured to dampen vibrations caused by the gas turbine engine. The forward support bracket is configured to mount the acoustic panel to portions of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Heeter, Christopher D. Hall, Daniel E. Molnar, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11939920
    Abstract: A turbine engine may include a compressor section of the turbine engine. The turbine engine may include a combustion section of the turbine engine. The combustion section may be downstream of the compressor section. The turbine engine may include a turbine section of the turbine engine. The turbine section may be downstream of the combustion section. The turbine engine may include a sensor for speed detection. The sensor may be disposed at an upstream segment of the turbine section. The sensor may include a cooling jacket. The cooling jacket may encase at least a portion of the sensor. A cooling fluid may be in fluid communication with the cooling jacket and an outer surface of the sensor. The cooling jacket may be shaped to direct cooling fluid around the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Joseph Costello, Jeremy Gallagher, Trevor Pfeil
  • Patent number: 11920871
    Abstract: A thermal battery system may be provided comprising: a vessel comprising a phase change material and a gas; a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to and/or from the phase change material; a temperature sensor configured to detect an indication of a temperature of the gas; a pressure sensor configured to detect an indication of a pressure of the gas; and a processor configured to determine a state of charge of the thermal battery system from the indication of the pressure and the indication of the temperature of the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Nader Maharmeh, Craig English, Eric Donovan, Eugene Jansen, Ryan Young
  • Patent number: 11892208
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes: a first fluid flowpath including the following elements, in downstream flow sequence: a subcooler having a first side in fluid communication with the first fluid flowpath and a second side configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a source of cooling fluid; a flow control valve; a primary evaporator assembly including at least one primary evaporator configured to be disposed in thermal communication with a primary heat load; and a pressure regulator operable to maintain a refrigerant saturation pressure within the primary evaporator at a predetermined set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Eugene Charles Jansen