Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbine having turbine blades and a shroud having a blade track for positioning radially outside of the blades. At least one of the blades and the blade track are secured in place using a dovetail connection between a dovetail receiver and a dovetail assembly formed to include a contoured root.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 30, 2016
Date of Patent:
March 3, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc.
Inventors:
Daniel K. Vetters, Ted J. Freeman, Andrew J. Lazur, Robert J. Shinavski, Wayne S. Steffier
Abstract: A turbine assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed herein. The turbine assembly includes a source of cooling air and a turbine shroud configured to extend around blades of a turbine stage and resist gasses from passing the blades without interaction with the blades. The turbine shroud includes a carrier segment comprising metallic materials and a blade track segment comprising ceramic matrix composite materials.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 13, 2016
Date of Patent:
March 3, 2020
Assignee:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: An ceramic matrix composite blade for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The ceramic matrix composite blade includes a root, an airfoil, and a platform located between the root and the airfoil.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 1, 2016
Date of Patent:
March 3, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: A turbine wheel for use in a gas turbine engine having a plurality of blades attached to a rotor disk. The blades each fit within slots formed in the rotor disk to couple the blades to the rotor disk. Platform segments are arranged about each of the blades.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 23, 2018
Date of Patent:
March 3, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc., Rolls-Royce plc, Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Inventors:
Stephen Harris, Aaron D. Sippel, Ted J. Freeman, Anthony Razzell
Abstract: A turbine shroud adapted for use in a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of metallic carrier segments and a plurality of blade track segments mounted to corresponding metallic carrier segments. Cooling air is directed onto the blade track segments to cool the blade track segments when exposed to high temperatures in a gas turbine engine.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 11, 2018
Date of Patent:
March 3, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
Inventors:
Mark O'Leary, Daniel K. Vetters, Matthew R. Brandt, Ted J. Freeman
Abstract: A superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) device having a plurality of interwoven windings provides for alternative discharge paths for energy stored as magnetic fields in the windings in response to an open-circuit winding fault in one of the windings.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 6, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
Inventors:
Michael James Armstrong, Andrew Mark Bollman
Abstract: An air-inlet duct includes a particle separator and an agglomerator. The particle separator is configured to receive atmospheric air laden with particles and to direct the particles into a scavenge passageway while allowing the atmospheric air to move into a compressor passageway thereby reducing the number of particles that enter the compressor passageway. The agglomerator is configured to cause the particles to be attracted to one another and cluster together.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 13, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignee:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: Stationary vanes and rotating blades of a gas turbine engine are disclosed that include airfoils formed from ceramic matrix composite materials. The airfoils include at least one layer of ceramic-containing matrix material and ceramic-containing reinforcing fibers suspended in the matrix material. A core of the airfoils is surrounded by the at least one layer of ceramic-containing fiber/matrix material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 13, 2015
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
Inventors:
David J. Thomas, Ted J. Freeman, Jeffrey A. Walston
Abstract: A turbomachine comprises a hub and a plurality of blade elements. Each blade element comprises a blade, a platform, and a tang. The plurality of blade elements are arranged circumferentially around the hub, each interlocking or affixed with an adjacent blade element and retained in position by the hub. Each blade elements formed from a single stamped blank to provide an inexpensive method of manufacture, for low cost turbomachinery.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 30, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignee:
ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Abstract: A compressor for use in a gas turbine engine is disclosed herein. The compressor includes a case, vanes, and a vane actuation system. The vanes are arranged circumferentially adjacent to one another about a central axis inside the case and each one of the vanes is configured for rotation about a vane axis generally perpendicular to the central axis. The vane actuation system is configured to cause rotation of at least one of the vanes about the vane axis.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 20, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Inventors:
Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Edward C. Rice, Ryan C. Humes
Abstract: A turbine vane adapted for use in a gas turbine engine is described in this application. The turbine vane illustratively includes ceramic matrix composite components adapted to be coupled to metallic components.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 23, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignee:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: A gas turbine engine system is disclosed herein. The gas turbine engine system includes an engine core configured to discharge air through an exhaust nozzle along a central axis and a thrust director arranged near the exhaust nozzle and configured to redirect the discharge air by applying flow to the discharge air near the exhaust nozzle.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 26, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignee:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: A blade track for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of blade track segments. The blade track segments are arranged circumferentially around a central axis to form the blade track.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 4, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce plc
Inventors:
Daniel K. Vetters, Aaron D. Sippel, David J. Thomas, Andrew J. Eifert, Paul A. Davis, Simon L. Jones, Peter Broadhead, Bruce E. Varney, Jeffrey A. Walston, Steven Hillier
Abstract: A method of extracting work from a convertible gas turbine engine having a core flowpath and a bypass flowpath. The method comprises operating the convertible gas turbine engine at a first volumetric flow rate through the core flowpath and a second volumetric flow rate through the bypass flowpath to produce a first work output of the convertible gas turbine engine; extracting the first work output via an unshrouded fan and a shaft at a first fan to shaft extraction ratio; altering the second volumetric flowrate through the bypass flowpath while maintaining the first work output; and extracting the first work output via an unshrouded fan and a shaft at a second fan to shaft extraction ratio.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 4, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 18, 2020
Assignee:
ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Abstract: Control systems and methods for securing software images to be executed by the control system. In some examples the control system includes a control node, a concentrator node, and a security module. The security module may include a secured memory area that can hold software images. The security module may load a first executable image from the secured memory area to the control node. The security module may also load a second executable image from the secured memory area to the concentrator node. In some examples, rather than having a security module load the software images, the control node and concentrator node each include a secured area of memory where their respective software images reside. Each of the control node and concentrator node may load the software images from their respective secured areas of memory.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 7, 2018
Publication date:
February 13, 2020
Applicants:
Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Inventors:
John Joseph Costello, Richard Joseph Skertic
Abstract: Control systems and methods to secure communications within the control system. The control system includes a control node operably coupled to a concentrator node via a first data link. The control node can communicate with the concentrator node over the first data link at a first communication frequency and first communication rate. The control node can also change the first communication frequency in response to an event, such as a cyber-security threat. The concentrator node can communicate with the control node at the changed first communication frequency in response to receiving a frequency change indication. In some examples, the control node is also operably coupled to the concentrator node via a second data link. The second data link may operate at a second communication rate that is different from the first communication rate. The control node may send redundant data on the first data link and the second data link.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 7, 2018
Publication date:
February 13, 2020
Applicants:
Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Inventors:
John Joseph Costello, Richard Joseph Skertic
Abstract: A system includes a synchronous generator coupled to an excitation system. The excitation system may output an excitation signal to excite the synchronous generator to produce a voltage and a current at an output of the synchronous generator. During startup, when the synchronous generator is rotating at less than rated speed, non-rotating synchronous electric motors may be electrically coupled to the synchronous generator. A controller may direct the excitation system to output the excitation signal to generate, with the synchronous generator, a first magnitude of current flow, and the synchronous motor loads are non-rotational in response to receipt of the first magnitude of current flow. In addition, the controller may selectively direct output of a pulse of the excitation signal, when the synchronous generator is rotating at less than rated speed, to urge the non-rotating synchronous motor loads into rotational electrical alignment with the synchronous generator and each other.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 29, 2019
Publication date:
February 13, 2020
Applicant:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: Systems and methods of heat management of turbine engines including turbofans, turboprops and turboshafts and fan driven propulsion systems. The propulsion system may comprise a fan, nacelle, an electrical or mechanical heat source and a cooling system consisting of heat exchangers in the fan duct and on the nacelle and coolant pumps. The heat source can be a motor or a generator or turbine machinery or accessories rotationally coupled to rotating shafts. The heat management system transfers heat to the air in the fan flow path to provide additional fan thrust. The heat management system also transfers heat to structural members in the gas flow path that require anti-icing.
Type:
Application
Filed:
August 3, 2018
Publication date:
February 6, 2020
Applicants:
Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
Abstract: A blade track assembly is disclosed. The blade track assembly comprises a plurality of ceramic matrix composite blade track segments arranged circumferentially adjacent to one another around a central axis. Each of the blade track segments includes an arcuate runner extending in a circumferential direction around a portion of the central axis and is coupled to circumferentially adjacent blade track segments.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 1, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 4, 2020
Assignees:
Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce plc, Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites Inc.
Inventors:
Daniel K. Vetters, Aaron D. Sippel, David J. Thomas, Andrew J. Eifert, Paul A. Davis, Simon L. Jones, Steven M. Hillier, Peter Broadhead, Joseph Doyle, Michael Jacquinto, Wesley Thibault, Jun Shi, Roderick Townes