Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce plc
  • Combustion staging system
    Patent number: 10174948
    Abstract: A combustion staging system for fuel injectors of a multi-stage combustor of a gas turbine engine has pilot and mains fuel manifolds distributing fuel to the injectors. A splitting unit splits a fuel flow and sends portions of the flow to pilot and mains fuel manifolds to perform staging control of the combustor. The splitting unit can deselect the mains manifold so that there is no flow into the combustor from the mains manifold. A cooling flow recirculation line provides a cooling flow of fuel to the mains manifold when that manifold is deselected so that the mains manifold remains primed with relatively cool fuel. A return section collects the cooling flow from the mains manifold. One or more fuel pressure sensors detect pressure of the cooling flow on the recirculation line. A control arrangement closes off the recirculation line when the pressure sensor(s) indicates failure of the cooling flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ralph Hill
  • Bearing arrangements
    Patent number: 10174788
    Abstract: A bearing arrangement comprising: a first bearing including a first inner race coupled to a rotatable component, a first outer race; and a plurality of first roller elements between the first inner race and the first outer race; a second bearing including a second inner race coupled to the rotatable component, a second outer race, and a plurality of second roller elements between the second inner race and the second outer race; a component, the first outer race being axially moveable relative to the component; and a member between the first bearing and the second bearing and arranged to provide an indirect first force on the first outer race to prevent the first roller elements from skidding when the first bearing and the second bearing receive a second force in a first direction, the second bearing being configured to transfer the second force to the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul Fletcher, Paul Wilson
  • Blade
    Patent number: 10174625
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade comprising a metallic leading edge having a region having varying fracture resistance in a spanwise direction so as to increase energy absorption by the leading edge in the event of the blade being released from a turbomachine and impacting a casing of the turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Christopher Benson
  • Gas bleed arrangement
    Patent number: 10174681
    Abstract: A gas bleed arrangement for a gas turbine engine. The gas bleed arrangement includes an annular casing defining a main gas flow path. The annular casing has a plurality of bleed ducts each defining a respective bleed flow path. The arrangement further includes a blocking element having at least one aperture. The blocking element is moveable to align the at least one aperture at least partly between the main gas flow path and at least one of the bleed flow paths to control fluid communication between the main gas flow path and the at least one of the bleed flow paths through the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter Beecroft
  • APPARATUS, METHODS, COMPUTER PROGRAMS, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUMS FOR CONTROLLING A POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20190006879
    Abstract: Apparatus for controlling a power generation system, the apparatus comprising a controller configured to: identify a trigger indicative of a future change in electrical power output by the power generation system to a first power level; control the power generation system to change electrical power output to a second power level in response to the trigger, the second power level being equal to, or different to the first power level; and control supply of at least a portion of the electrical power output from the power generation system at the second power level to an electrical energy storage system to charge the electrical energy storage system
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Lorenzo RAFFAELLI, Richard J. TUNSTALL
  • COOLING BEARING CHAMBERS IN A GAS TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20190003335
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement for cooling a bearing in a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section, the turbine section comprising a low pressure (LP) sub-section and a high pressure (HP) sub-section, a first shaft for carrying rotors of the compressor section and of the HP turbine sub-section and a second shaft for carrying rotors of the LP turbine sub-section the second shaft coaxially aligned with and located within the first shaft, and the bearing arranged downstream of the HP turbine sub-section and upstream of the LP turbine sub-section and arranged for rotatably mounting the second shaft with respect to a support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter A. EVANS, Adam CARPENTER
  • MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD
    Publication number: 20190001449
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an assembly for formation of a fan blade. The assembly comprises a suction panel; a pressure panel; and a membrane having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The membrane is sandwiched between the suction panel and pressure panel. The membrane comprises a gas entry slot extending in a radial direction, the gas entry slot having a radially outer receiving portion for receiving a pipe, and a radially inner portion. The radially inner portion of the gas entry slot has a substantially uniform width in a direction between the leading and trailing edge of the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: John H. MASON
  • ELECTRICAL MACHINE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20190006913
    Abstract: Electrical machine apparatus comprising: a rotor having a longitudinal axis and being arranged to rotate about the longitudinal axis in a first circumferential direction, the rotor defining one or more conduits for receiving fluid therein, the one or more conduits including an inlet and an outlet; and a fluid guide defining a first aperture arranged to direct fluid in a second direction towards the rotor, the second direction having a positive circumferential component in the first circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Rory D. STIEGER
  • TRANSFER COUPLINGS
    Publication number: 20190003336
    Abstract: A transfer coupling includes a static component and a rotatable component arranged concentrically, the static component including a first number of radially extending ports and the rotatable component having a second number of radially extending ports the radially extending ports arranged in a common circumferential plane wherein the ports are configured and arranged, in use, to homogenise a flow area for a fluid being transferred through the ports and thereby create a homogenous volume flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicants: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Stephan UHKÖTTER, Ulrich ADAMCZEWSKI, Jack Francis COLEBROOKE
  • Joint assembly
    Patent number: 10167736
    Abstract: A joint assembly comprises an end portion of a first component that is accommodated within an end portion of a second component, with each respective first and second end portion having a corresponding first and second location feature, and an elongate resilient helical connection member. The second location feature comprises a proximal portion and a distal portion, with a clamping ring accommodated within the distal portion. When the joint is assembled, the first and second location features together define an annular cavity into which is accommodated the connection member to interlock the first and second components to one another. The clamping ring is adapted to exert a radially inwardly directed clamping force on the connection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Edward Simon James
  • Vibratory finishing apparatus, fixtures and method
    Patent number: 10166651
    Abstract: Vibratory finishing apparatus comprising: a receptacle to receive media; a first fixture to: support an object within the receptacle; and move the object relative to the receptacle in at least a first direction; and a first guide to move relative to the receptacle to direct movement of the media within the receptacle to a predetermined part of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Yebing Tian, Chow Cher Wong, Wallace Ong, Chao Yen Liew, Luke Robinson
  • Igniter assembly
    Patent number: 10167781
    Abstract: An igniter assembly for a combustion system of a gas turbine engine is provided. The igniter assembly includes an igniter plug having a tip which, in use, is located at an aperture in a wall of a flame-tube of the combustion system such that the tip can provide an electrical discharge to ignite an air-fuel mixture within the flame-tube. The igniter assembly further includes a substantially annular igniter boss which locates on the wall of the flame-tube at the aperture to encircle the tip. The igniter boss has a slot formed therein at one side of the tip. An entrance of the slot receives air from outside the flame-tube and an exit of the slot delivers the air as a sheet-shaped flow over the tip. The slot is tapered such that the thickness of the slot narrows from its entrance to its exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Ian James Toon
  • Time reference derivation from time of arrival measurements
    Patent number: 10168306
    Abstract: A rotor arrangement and method by which a time reference is provided for a rotor. The rotor includes N time of arrival features. The method includes steps to: provide a plurality of time of arrival probes spaced apart circumferentially outside the periphery of the rotor; for each revolution of the rotor, measure a time of arrival of each feature at each probe; select N time of arrival measurements at each probe; derive a best fit of the measured times of arrival measured at all the probes against angular position; and set the time reference for the next revolution of the rotor equal to the best fit at the end of the current revolution of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Russhard, Jason David Back
  • Aircraft environmental control system air duct arrangement
    Patent number: 10167084
    Abstract: An air duct arrangement (58) for an aircraft (40). The arrangement (58) comprises an environmental control system (ECS) (50). The ECS (50) comprises an air inlet (60) arranged to ingest a low velocity portion of a boundary layer flow adjacent the aircraft fuselage (44), and to deliver a flow of air to an environmental control system air intake (66). The arrangement (58) further comprises an ejector (70) arranged to receive an ECS exhaust (76), and boundary layer air from an aft region of the aircraft (40), and to exhaust air to the ambient airstream at an aft portion of the aircraft (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Rory D Stieger, Lorenzo Raffaelli
  • Automatic welding method and apparatus
    Patent number: 10166622
    Abstract: A method of automatically controlling welding using a welding apparatus having a heat-source and a wire feed. The method includes: setting at least one welding parameter; setting a stable wire interaction position where the wire fed by the wire feed interacts with the heat generated by the heat-source so as to produce an acceptable weld; and monitoring the wire interaction position during welding. If the wire interaction position deviates from the stable wire interaction position by more than an allowable tolerance at least one welding parameter is automatically altered to return the wire interaction position to within the allowable tolerance of the stable wire interaction position. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Alexander Kutscherawy, Ajay R Mande
  • COMBUSTION STAGING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20180372323
    Abstract: A combustion staging system is provided for fuel injectors of a multi-stage combustor of a gas turbine engine. The system has a splitting unit which receives a metered total fuel flow and controllably splits the metered total fuel flow into out-going pilot and mains fuel flows to perform pilot-only and pilot-and-mains staging control of the combustor. The system further has pilot and mains fuel manifolds which respectively receive the pilot and mains fuel flows. The system further has a plurality of mains flow scheduling valves which distribute the mains fuel flow from the mains fuel manifold to mains discharge orifices of respective injectors of the combustor. The system further has servo line which extends to the mains flow scheduling valves, the servo line being controllably fillable with pressurised fuel to change the pressure in the servo line relative to the pressure in the mains fuel manifold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Michael GRIFFITHS
  • COMBUSTION STAGING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20180372320
    Abstract: A combustion staging system is provided for fuel injectors of a multi-stage combustor of a gas turbine engine. The system has a splitting unit which receives a metered total fuel flow and controllably splits the metered total fuel flow into out-going pilot and mains fuel flows to perform pilot-only and pilot-and-mains staging control of the combustor. The splitting unit includes a metering valve and a spill valve, a first portion of the total metered fuel flow received by the splitting unit being an inflow to the metering valve and a second portion of the total metered fuel flow received by the splitting unit being an inflow to the spill valve. The metering valve is configured to controllably determine a fuel flow rate of a metered outflow formed from the first portion of the total metered fuel flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Daniel J. BICKLEY
  • SECONDARY FLOW CONTROL
    Publication number: 20180371919
    Abstract: A slot is provided in an endwall of a flow passage, for example between two stator vanes or rotor blades of a gas turbine engine. The length direction of the flow passage is aligned substantially with the main flow through the flow passage. The alignment of the slot means that the “over-turned” boundary layer flow can be extracted through the slot but with minimal impact on the mainstream flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Stephane M. M. BARALON
  • COMBUSTION STAGING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20180372321
    Abstract: A combustion staging system has: a splitter; pilot and mains fuel manifolds; mains flow control valves; and fuel servo line. Each mains flow control valve has a chamber containing a piston, the chamber to a piston mains side fed by the mains fuel manifold, and the chamber to a piston servo side fed by the servo line. The piston has an open pilot-and-mains position allowing flow from the chamber mains side to the respective injector mains discharge orifice. The piston prevents flow from the chamber mains side. The piston is movable under a pressure change in the servo line relative to the mains fuel manifold. The system has a servo pump and a hydraulic motor driving it. The servo pump changes fuel pressure. Motive power for the hydraulic motor is fuel diverted from a fuel pump high pressure output, the motor returning the diverted fuel to a low pressure input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Martin K. YATES, Daniel J. BICKLEY
  • COMBUSTION STAGING SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20180372322
    Abstract: A combustion staging system is provided for fuel injectors of a multi-stage combustor of a gas turbine engine. The system has a splitting unit which receives a metered total fuel flow and controllably splits the metered total fuel flow into out-going pilot and mains fuel flows to perform pilot-only and pilot-and-mains staging control of the combustor. The system further has pilot and mains fuel manifolds which respectively receive the pilot and mains fuel flows, the mains fuel manifold being split into a primary line and a servo line such that each line receives a respective portion of the mains fuel flow. The system further has a plurality of mains flow control valves which distribute the mains fuel flow from the mains fuel manifold to mains discharge orifices of respective injectors of the combustor, both the primary line and the servo line extending to the mains flow control valves before reuniting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Daniel J. BICKLEY