Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce plc
  • Patent number: 10100961
    Abstract: A joint assembly includes a first end portion of a first hollow component, a second end portion of a second hollow component, and a first and second resilient connection member. First end portion interconnects with second end portion. First end portion includes a first and second location feature on an outwardly facing surface and axially distally facing surface respectively. Second end portion includes a third and fourth location feature on an inwardly facing surface and axially distally facing surface respectively. First end portion is slidably received inwardly of second end portion, with first location feature being aligned with third location feature to form a first annular cavity, and second location feature being aligned with fourth location feature to form a second annular cavity. First connection member is receivable within first annular cavity, and second connection member is receivable within second annular cavity, to interlock first component to second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Christopher Benson
  • Patent number: 10099433
    Abstract: A composite component includes a component body and a datum feature. The datum feature projects in a first direction from a surface of the component body; the component further includes a plurality of pins extending generally in the first direction so that a first end of each pin is engaged in the component body and a second end of each pin is engaged in the datum feature. The datum feature is removable from the component so as to leave the first ends of the pins engaged with the component body. The first ends of the pins may be used to identify and locate the position of the original datum feature, when the component requires repair or other attention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Bijoysri Khan
  • Patent number: 10100663
    Abstract: An actuation arrangement for effecting actuation of pivotable vane, for example, variable inlet guide vane in gas turbine engine. The actuation arrangement includes an actuator having a support plate and pivotable plate. The pivotable plate is fixedly connected to pivotable vane and pivotable plate and pivotable vane are pivotable about a pivot axis. The actuator further includes at least one actuation element having a length extending from support plate to proximal a transverse edge portion of pivotable plate substantially perpendicular to pivot axis. The or each actuation element is fixedly connected to each of the support and pivotable plates and formed of a material that changes dimension upon application of external energy. Thus, upon application of external energy, for example, heat, a change in length of the or each actuation element occurs such that change in length effects pivoting of pivotable plate and pivotable vane about the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: David M Longworth, Jonathan A Jarvis, Jonathan A Cherry, Hugh J Blakemore, John R Webster
  • Patent number: 10100746
    Abstract: A controller, for use in a power plant having a liquid cooling system and an air cooling system, comprising one or more inputs, configured to receive a signal from at least one deposit sensor, wherein the signal from the deposit sensor is indicative of deposits in the liquid cooling system; and one or more processors, configured to process the signal received from the deposit sensor to control the air cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter Freerick William Foster
  • Publication number: 20180291808
    Abstract: A flow splitter for a gas turbine engine comprising one or more boreholes formed in an exterior surface of the flow splitter. A gas turbine engine comprising a flow splitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Anthony B. PARRY, Nicholas D. HUMPHREYS
  • Publication number: 20180291765
    Abstract: An inlet duct arrangement (40) comprises a duct (42) extending from an external fluid flow washed surface (50) into an interior region (51), the duct (42) having an opening (48) flush with the external surface (50). The arrangement (40) further comprises a hood (54) extending outwardly of the exterior surface (50) into external fluid flow (Y), and configured to direct external fluid into the duct (42). The hood (54) comprises an inlet aperture (56) configured to receive external fluid flow (Y), a first outlet aperture (62) configured to communicate with the duct (42), and a second outlet aperture (64). The second outlet aperture (64) is provided outwardly of the external surface (50) and downstream of the inlet aperture (56), and having a flow area smaller than the flow area of the inlet aperture (56).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Kevin M. BRITCHFORD
  • Publication number: 20180291763
    Abstract: A vane cooling system for a gas turbine engine comprises a vane (21) arranged on a stator and having a chamber (23) extending continuously from a radially inner end to a radially outer end of the vane. The vane (21) has; a radially inner inlet (24) and a radially outer inlet (25), a first cooling fluid feed (39) in communication with the radially inner inlet (24) and a second cooling fluid feed (28) in communication with the radially outer inlet (25), The first cooling fluid feed (39) has a higher pressure than the second cooling feed (28). A flow adjustment device (30) is arranged for adjusting a flow of the second cooling fluid feed into the radially outer inlet (25).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Simon PITT
  • Publication number: 20180291747
    Abstract: A vane cooling system for a gas turbine engine comprises a vane (20a) arranged on a stator and having a chamber (27,28) extending continuously from a radially inner end to a radially outer end of the vane. The vane (20a) has a first inlet (41) and a second inlet (42). A first cooling fluid feed (54) in communication with the first inlet (41) and a second cooling fluid feed (43) in communication with the second inlet (42). The first cooling fluid feed (54) has a higher pressure than the second cooling fluid feed (43). A flow adjustment device (45) is arranged for adjusting a flow of the second cooling fluid feed (43) into the second inlet (42). The chamber is divided by a restrictor plate (25, 26) to provide an inner chamber (27) and a wall-side chamber (28) bordering the inner chamber (27). The first inlet (41) enters the wall-side chamber (28) and the second inlet (42) enters the central chamber (27).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Simon PITT
  • Publication number: 20180291929
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising: a fan comprising a plurality of fan blades; a support structure downstream of the fan comprising an engine section stator configured to guide air received from the fan, the fan being rotatable with respect to the engine section stator; an interstage flow region defined between the fan blades and the engine section stator; and an acoustic attenuator provided on at least a portion of a radially-inner boundary of the interstage region to attenuate acoustic waves in the interstage flow region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Piera CARUGNO
  • Patent number: 10094004
    Abstract: A cobalt-nickel alloy composition comprising by weight (wt %): about 31 to 42 percent cobalt (Co); about 26 to 31 percent nickel (Ni); about 10 to 16 percent chromium (Cr); about 4 to 6 percent aluminum (Al); about 6 to 15 percent tungsten (W); the Co and Ni being present in an atomic ratio of about 1.3:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Mark Christopher Hardy, David Dye, Howard James Stone, Huiyu Yan
  • Publication number: 20180283191
    Abstract: A computer-based method of designing a guide vane formation is provided. The vane formation is for use in a gas turbine engine which has a cascade of circumferentially arranged identical guide vane formations. The vane formation has radially inner and radially outer chordal seals. The method allows the elimination of “saw-tooth” leakage gaps between inner chordal seals of neighbouring vane formations and between outer chordal seals of neighbouring vane formations even when the inner and outer chordal seals are axially offset from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Caner Hasan HELVACI, Brian Guy COOPER
  • Publication number: 20180282841
    Abstract: A nickel-base superalloy consisting of, by weight: 14.6% to 15.9% cobalt; 11.5% to 13.0% chromium; 0.8% to 1.2% iron; 0.2% to 0.60% manganese; 2.00% to 2.40% molybdenum; 3.30% to 3.70% tungsten; 2.90% to 3.30% aluminium; 2.60% to 3.10% titanium; 3.50% to 5.10% tantalum; 1.20% to 1.80% niobium; 0.10% to 0.60% silicon; 0.02% to 0.06% carbon; 0.010% to 0.030% boron; 0.05% to 0.11% zirconium; up to 0.045% hafnium; and the balance being nickel and impurities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Mark C. HARDY, Roger C. REED, David CRUDDEN
  • Publication number: 20180283206
    Abstract: A fan is mounted on a fan shaft which constitutes part of a mainline shaft assembly centered for rotation on an engine axis X-X of a gas turbine engine. When in operation, the fan rotates about the engine axis X-X. A stub-shaft is arranged radially outwardly and concentrically with the fan shaft and adjoins an upstream facing face of a bearing sleeve. A fan catcher arm extends from the stub-shaft through the bearing sleeve and joins a fan catcher ring arranged downstream of the bearing sleeve and having an upstream facing face arranged to abut against a downstream facing face of the bearing sleeve in the event of a fan blade-off. Immediately downstream of the fan catcher ring is formed a shaft end which is configured to couple with an axially adjacent end of a low pressure compressor shaft. Immediately downstream of the bearing sleeve is a shaft end configured to connect with a turbine shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Kieran P. LUCEY, Stephen J. BENDALL
  • Publication number: 20180283693
    Abstract: A fuel injector provided for gas turbine engine has a nozzle including pilot fuel and mains fuel discharge orifice's for respectively spraying pilot and mains fuel flows into a combustor of the engine. The injector further has a feed arm extending to the nozzle for feeding fuel to the pilot and mains discharge orifices from pilot and mains supplies respectively. The nozzle and the feed arm contain one or more pilot passages for flow of the pilot fuel flow from the pilot supply to the pilot discharge orifice and one or more mains passages for flow of the mains fuel flow from the mains supply to the mains discharge orifice. The nozzle and the feed arm contain a plurality of the pilot passages and/or a plurality of the mains passages. The pilot and the mains passages intertwine repeatedly, and are both smoothly curved as they intertwine around each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ian M. GARRY, Mark GLOVER, Richard MELLOR, Frederic WITHAM
  • Publication number: 20180286059
    Abstract: A measurement system (301) for determining surface roughness is shown. A coherent illumination device (303) illuminates the surface of, for example, a component (201) with coherent light. An imaging device (304) obtains an image of speckle caused by the scattering of the coherent light from the surface. A processing device (305) converts the image into a binary image according to a threshold, thereby classifying pixels below the threshold as background pixels and pixels above the threshold as foreground pixels. It then evaluates the fractal dimension of the binary image. The fractal dimension correlates with surface roughness. An indication of the surface roughness of the surface is then outputted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Murukeshan VADAKKE MATHAM, Aswin HARIDAS, Alexandru CRIVOI, Prabhathan PATINHAREKANDY
  • Publication number: 20180283207
    Abstract: A pressure relief arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprises a panel and a plurality of pressure relief mechanisms provided in the panel. The mechanisms have a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration the panel is sealed to prevent fluid flow through the panel in a thickness direction and in the second configuration the mechanisms are arranged so that a plurality of holes are provided in the panel so fluid can flow through the panel in a thickness direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Oliver C. TAYLOR-TIBBOTT, Zahid M. HUSSAIN
  • Publication number: 20180283282
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine (10) includes: a compressor system comprising a low pressure compressor (15) and a high pressure compressor (16) coupled to low pressure and high pressure shafts, respectively (23, 24); an inner core casing (34) provided radially inwardly of compressor blades (42), and an outer core casing provided outwardly of compressor blades, the inner core casing and outer core casing defining a core working gas flow path (B) therebetween; a fan (13) coupled to the low pressure shaft via a gearbox (14); wherein the outer core casing comprises a first outer core casing (48) and a second outer core casing (50) spaced radially outwardly from the first outer core casing, and wherein at an axial plane (E) of an inlet to the high pressure compressor, the second outer core casing has an inner radius at least 1.4 times the inner radius of the first outer core casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: James M. POINTON, Stephen J. BRADBROOK
  • Publication number: 20180286058
    Abstract: A measurement system (301) for determining surface roughness is shown. A coherent illumination device (303) illuminates the surface of, for example, a component (201) with coherent light. An imaging device (304) obtains an image of speckle caused by the scattering of the coherent light from the surface. A processing device (305) converts the image into a binary image according to a threshold, thereby classifying pixels below the threshold as background pixels and pixels above the threshold as foreground pixels. One or more regions of connected foreground pixels are then identified in the binary image, in which any two foreground pixels in a region are joined by a continuous path of foreground pixels. The total number of regions identified and the number of pixels in the largest region are then evaluated, each of which correlate with surface roughness. An indication of the surface roughness of the surface is then outputted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Murukeshan VADAKKE MATHAM, Aswin HARIDAS, Alexandru CRIVOI, Prabhathan PATINHAREKANDY
  • Publication number: 20180283179
    Abstract: A boundary layer ingestion engine comprising a fan, the fan comprising a disc and a plurality of blades integrally formed with the disc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Gabriel GONZALEZ-GUTIERRERZ
  • Patent number: 10087775
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a compressor, a combustion chamber, an outer casing, an inner casing and a cooling arrangement. The outer casing surrounds the compressor and the combustion chamber and the combustion chamber has turbine nozzle guide vanes. The compressor has load carrying outlet guide vanes connected to the outer casing and the inner casing. The turbine nozzle guide vanes connect the outer casing and the inner casing. The cooling arrangement comprises a cooling air duct located between the compressor and the combustion chamber. The compressor outlet guide vanes carry at least one aerodynamic fairing. A support structure supports the cooling air duct from the inner casing at two spaced positions and the support structure forms a chamber with the inner casing. The support structure comprises at least one hollow duct and each hollow duct locates behind a respective one of the aerodynamic fairings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Thomas Gerard Mulcaire