Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce plc
  • Electrical system
    Patent number: 9184591
    Abstract: This invention relates to a multiple phase electrical system, including: a first and a second electrical lane, each lane having a generator and a load connected by a bus system, and a rectifier between the generator and load; and, a transformer connected between the two lanes, the transformer having a plurality of power windings across each of which corresponding phases of the first and second lanes are connected, and a plurality of phase shift windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: David Reginald Trainer, Konstantinos Kampisios, Omar Jasim
  • Electrical machine with contra-rotating rotors
    Patent number: 9184649
    Abstract: An electrical machine comprising: a first stator member (16) having a field magnet (22); a second stator member (18) forming an armature, the second stator member (18) being spaced from the first stator member (16); and a pair of contra-rotatable rotors (12a, 12b) disposed between the first and second stator members (16, 18); wherein at least a portion (14) of each of the rotors (12a, 12b) is magnetisable so as to transmit magnetic flux between the field magnet (22) and the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: John R. Webster
  • Press brake
    Patent number: 9180508
    Abstract: A press brake tool assembly mounting device (42) having a body (66) which mounts a lower press brake tool (46), with a recess in the body (66) receiving in a moving fit a location member (52) mounted to a lower beam (44). A locking arrangement (80) is provided for locking the body (66) relative to the location member (52) in a friction fit, to retain the lower press brake tool (46) in a required position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Bishop
  • Electromagnetic damper for rotating machines
    Patent number: 9175742
    Abstract: Electromagnetic damper (1) for rotating machines (100) having at least a stator (103) and a rotating shaft (100); the electromagnetic damper (1) is able to damper the vibrations of the rotating machine (100) during its functioning. The damper includes windings (2) of electrically conducting material, for generating a magnetic field; a magnetic circuit (4), for conveying within it a magnetic flux generated by the windings (2); a power supply (8), for supplying the windings (2) of electrically conducting material; the power supply (8) of the electromagnetic damper (1) is positioned inside the rotating machine (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Andrea Tonoli, Mario Silvagni
  • Position measurement
    Patent number: 9175950
    Abstract: A measurement fixture has a plurality of optically-detectable elements, preferably infrared LEDs. In use, an object is attached in fixed spatial relationship to the fixture, and an optical measuring device detects the elements to provide relative tracking of the object relative to a reference. This allows for improved control and accuracy, particularly in machining operations and in the control of robots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Andrew Collis, Richard Andreou
  • Method of positioning a control surface to reduce hysteresis
    Patent number: 9176488
    Abstract: A method of determining the actual position of a control surface (27). The method comprises receiving a signal (34) representative of a required position of the control surface (27), repositioning the control surface (27) in response to the signal (34) by moving an actuator (26), measuring a secondary position indicator, calculating the actual position of the control surface (27) on the basis of the secondary position indicator and, comparing the actual position with the required position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Michael Moore, Simon Kenneth Haydn-Smith
  • Gas turbine engine with water and steam injection
    Patent number: 9169777
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has in flow series: a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section. The engine further has a steam generator, and a water and steam delivery system. During an engine start-up period, the delivery system delivers liquid water to the combustor and mixes the delivered water in its liquid state with working gas in the combustor. After the start-up period, the delivery system accepts steam from the steam generator, delivers the steam to the combustor and mixes the delivered steam in its gaseous state with the working gas in the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul Fletcher, Andrew C. Graham
  • Magnetic gear arrangement
    Patent number: 9172295
    Abstract: A magnetic gear arrangement is provided having a first gear member that generates a first magnetic field and a second gear member that generates a second magnetic field. A plurality of interpoles are disposed between the two gear members for coupling the first and second magnetic fields to control a gear ratio between the gear members. At least one interpole has wiring associated with it that can be activated to alter the magnetic flux at the interpole, so as to vary the coupling between the first and second magnetic fields. The wiring is electrically connected to an electronic filter, which modifies the current passing through the wiring, so as to modify the influence of the wiring on the magnetic flux at the interpole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Huw L Edwards
  • Method of fatigue testing a component
    Patent number: 9170182
    Abstract: A method of fatigue testing a component comprising the steps of machining a channel of predetermined depth and predetermined width in a surface of a component, applying a salt solution into the channel in the surface of the component and heating the component to a suitable temperature to evaporate the solvent from the salt solution to deposit the salt in the channel in the surface of the component, placing the component in an atmosphere containing air and sulphur dioxide at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time to precondition the grain boundaries, and fatigue testing the component. The method is useful for determining the fatigue life of gas turbine engine discs or gas turbine engine rotor blades particularly the firtree shaped disc posts or the firtree shaped rotor blade roots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Grant Gibson, Andrew Jonathan Leggett
  • Duct and method for damping pressure waves caused by thermoacoustic instability
    Patent number: 9169804
    Abstract: A duct and a method for damping pressure waves caused by thermoacoustic instability, the duct comprising: a locking Helmholtz resonator positioned on the circumference of the duct, the locking Helmholtz resonator tuned to a first frequency; and one or more damping Helmholtz resonators positioned on the circumference of the duct at or adjacent to 90 and/or 270 degrees from the locking Helmholtz resonator, wherein the damping Helmholtz resonators are tuned to a second frequency which is different from the first frequency of the locking Helmholtz resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jochen Rupp, Anthony John Moran
  • Electrical distribution system
    Patent number: 9172250
    Abstract: An electrical generating system for aircraft with one or more engines includes a plurality of generators associated with the engines so as to produce respective AC outputs. The frequencies of these outputs can differ from each other, as a result of differing engine speeds and/or deliberate design, but they are to be connected to a common bus to avoid redundancy of wiring. One or more converters are present between the generators and the bus for adjusting the output frequency of the generators to provide an AC output voltage at a common bus frequency. The system includes a control system for setting the AC bus frequency in such a way that it can vary with time. The bus frequency may follow the natural frequency of the engine, and only small converters are needed to make the already approximately equal generator frequencies identical, so that they can all feed the common bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Gareth E. Moore, Jason E. Hill, Seamus Garvey
  • Gas turbine engine blade containment arrangement
    Patent number: 9169045
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade containment arrangement comprises a casing, a first layer of cellular material arranged within the casing, a septum layer within the first layer of cellular material, a second layer of cellular material within the septum layer, a strong and ductile layer within the second layer of cellular material and a layer of abradable material within the strong and ductile layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Daniel N. S. Clark
  • Apparatus for forming a composite component
    Patent number: 9168686
    Abstract: Apparatus 200 for forming a composite component is disclosed, the apparatus comprising: a deformable mold tool 204 that at least partially defines a mold cavity 212; an interface layer 222 formed on an external surface of the mold tool 204; and at least two peristaltic actuators 206, mounted to contact the interface layer 222 and to generate a peristaltic pressure wave in the mold tool 204. The peristaltic actuators comprise rollers 206, pistons 306 or bi-metallic blocks 406. A method of forming a composite component is also disclosed, the method employing a mold tool 204 that at least partially defines a mold cavity 212. The method comprises: placing reinforcing fibers into the mold cavity 212, forcing a matrix material into the mold cavity 212 through the reinforcing fibers, and generating a peristaltic pressure wave within the mold tool 204 during forcing of the matrix material into the mold cavity 212.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Alison J. McMillan, Ian C. D. Care
  • Strip seals
    Patent number: 9163728
    Abstract: A strip seal for providing a seal between adjacent components, which include a first groove and a second groove angled with respect to and intersecting the first groove. The grooves of respective components are opposed to one another when the components are assembled. The strip seal includes a first strip section to span between and be received in the opposed first grooves, and a second strip section to span between and be received in the opposed second grooves. One end of the first strip section is arranged to butt against the second strip section at the intersection of the grooves. The other end of the first strip section has at least one deformable projection that can engage the end of the first groove. The projection deforms as it engages the end of the groove and urges the end of the first strip section against the second strip section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Adrian L Harding
  • Balanced rotor for a turbine engine
    Patent number: 9163513
    Abstract: A balanced rotor of a turbine engine, having a rotor disc with a circumferential slot and a row of rotor blades mounted in the slot and a balance weight having a land which extends beneath the root of a blade and having a mass-adjustment protrusion extending from the land in a radial direction relative to the axis of the rotor component and which lies wholly between the blade root and an adjacent blade root.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Michael Bestwick
  • Hydraulic seal arrangement
    Patent number: 9157532
    Abstract: A hydraulic seal arrangement for a rotating machine, the hydraulic seal arrangement comprising: a hydraulic seal; and an annular reservoir (16) fluidly coupled to the hydraulic seal; wherein the annular reservoir (16) is arranged to retain fluid from the hydraulic seal when the machine is shutdown and to return the retained fluid to the hydraulic seal under centrifugal force after the machine is restarted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Richard Greaves
  • Annulus filler system
    Patent number: 9145784
    Abstract: An annulus filler system bridges the gap between two adjacent blades attached to a rim of the rotor disc of a gas turbine engine. The system includes an annulus filler having a lid which extends between the adjacent blades and defines an airflow surface for air being drawn through the engine. The filler also has a support body extending beneath the lid and terminating in an elongate foot which, in use, extends along a groove provided in the rim of the disc. The groove has a neck which prevents withdrawal of the foot through the neck in a radially outward direction of the disc. The system further includes a sleeve which, after installation of the filler, is slidably locatable into a gap between the foot and sides of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Dale E. Evans, Ian C. D. Care
  • Fuel system
    Patent number: 9146566
    Abstract: A fuel system (10) comprising a fluid blender (14) in fluid communication with a source of a first fuel composition and a source of a second fuel composition via at least one inlet (32, 34). The blender (14) is operable to receive at least the first fuel composition and/or second fuel composition via the at least one inlet (32, 34), and output a resultant fuel composition comprising the received fuel compositions via at least one outlet (36). The at least one outlet (36) is in fluid communication with an engine fuel injection device (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter Swann
  • Gas turbine engine exhaust nozzle including a plurality of flaps movable over a flow control surface
    Patent number: 9145846
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine exhaust nozzle comprises a nozzle body 8 defining a nozzle exit 6. An array of movable slats 16, 18 is disposed round the nozzle exit 6. Flow control walls 20 are fixed to the nozzle body 8 and provide flow control surfaces 22 over which the movable slats 16, 18 move. The flow control walls 20 prevent leakage of gas at the edges of the movable slats 16, 18, so improving performance of the exhaust nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: John R. Webster
  • Retention device for a rotating blade
    Patent number: 9145776
    Abstract: A blade assembly including: a hub which is rotatable about an axis; at least one blade having an aerofoil portion and a root, wherein the root is coupled to the hub using a primary retention device which prevents radial separation of the root and hub in normal use; and, a secondary retention device having a root part and a hub part, the root part being located radially inwards of the hub part in a retention cavity in use, wherein at least a portion of the root part enters the retention cavity via an interlock which prevents radial separation of the root and hub in the event of a primary retention device failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Kenneth J Mackie, David M Beaven