Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce plc
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Publication number: 20250122838Abstract: A system for cooling one or more components associated with a gas turbine engine includes a main duct, a first duct that receives and directs a portion of airflow from the main duct towards a core zone cooling arrangement of the gas turbine engine, and a second duct that receives and directs a portion of the airflow from the main duct towards a turbine case cooling arrangement or an oil cooling unit of the gas turbine engine. The system includes a valve unit including a first valve member disposed in the first duct and a second valve member disposed in the second duct. The first and second valve members control a fluid flow through the first and second ducts, respectively. The system includes at least one controller configured to control the valve unit to modulate the portion of the airflow through each of the first and second ducts.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2024Publication date: April 17, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Warren FROST
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Publication number: 20250125608Abstract: A DC:DC power electronics converter in an electrical power system includes: DC:AC and AC:DC converters; and an AC link connecting AC sides of the converters, the AC link including a transformer having first and second windings connected respectively to AC sides of the converters; a DC power source connected to the DC side of the DC:AC converter; a DC electrical network connected to the DC side of the AC:DC converter; and a control system to: control a switching operation of respective first and second pluralities of transistors of the converters, monitor one or more operating parameters of the electrical power system and determine whether there is a fault in the electrical network, and if so, modify a switching operation of the first and/or second plurality of transistors to supply a controlled amount of fault current from the DC power source to the electrical network via the DC:DC power electronics converter.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2024Publication date: April 17, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventors: David R. TRAINER, Mark SWEET, Cezary P. MAKULEC, Pablo A. BRIFF, John E. MAPPERSON
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Patent number: 12275535Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage and a wing, at least one hydrogen fuel tank and a fuel line configured to delivery fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. The fuel tank is installed externally of the fuselage and wing, and comprises an external aeroshell containing a plurality of pressure vessels configured to contain pressurised fuel therein.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2024Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: Matthew Moxon
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Patent number: 12276619Abstract: A system for use with a component of a power generation apparatus includes a lens arrangement disposed proximal to the component. The system further includes a variable focal length structure spaced apart from the lens arrangement and optically coupled with the lens arrangement. The variable focal length structure has a focal plane that is adjustable. The system further includes a controller communicably coupled with the variable focal length structure. The controller is configured to control the variable focal length structure to adjust the focal plane of the variable focal length structure, such that at least one region of interest of the component is in focus.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2023Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: Andrew D Norton
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Patent number: 12275530Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system comprises a propulsor an electric motor coupled to the propulsor. The electric motor comprises a surface mounted permanent magnet electric machine comprising a rotor mounted radially inward of a stator. A Motor Diameter Ratio (MDR) is defined as an inner diameter (Dstator,in) of the motor stator in metres divided by an outer diameter (Dstator,out) of the motor stator in metres. The MDR of the electric motor stator is within 10% of the value given by the equation: MDR = 0.83 × ( Torq ? u ? e L a ? c ? t ? i ? v ? e × 1 U fan , tip ) 0 . 0 ? 8 where: T is the maximum torque rating of the electric motor in kilonewton metres; Lactive is the active length of the motor stator in metres; and Utip is the tip speed of the propulsor at the maximum rated torque of the electric motor in metres per second. In the described embodiments, the MDR is less than 1.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2022Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Ibrahim Eryilmaz
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Patent number: 12275106Abstract: A repair system for repairing a surface of a workpiece includes a first tool configured to rotate in a first direction. The first tool contacts the surface of the workpiece during the rotation of the first tool in order to repair the surface of the workpiece. The repair system further includes a second tool configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The second tool contacts the surface of the workpiece during the rotation of the second tool in order to repair the surface of the workpiece. The repair system further includes a drive mechanism coupled to each of the first tool and the second tool.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2023Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Adam Thomas Clare
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Patent number: 12276225Abstract: There is provided a gas turbine engine comprising a blower system for supplying pressurised air to an airframe via an airframe port. The blower system comprises a compressor configured to receive air from a bypass duct or a core of the gas turbine engine and to discharge compressed air into a delivery line extending from the compressor to the airframe port. The blower system also comprises a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the compressed air to a coolant and a valve arrangement configured to switch between operation of the blower system in a baseline mode and a cooling mode, the valve arrangement being configured to: selectively divert the compressed air within the delivery line to the heat exchanger for operation in the cooling mode; and/or selectively provide the coolant to the heat exchanger for operation in the cooling mode.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2023Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Christopher A. Murray, Nicholas Howarth, Richard G. Stretton
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Publication number: 20250118818Abstract: A battery charging system including a battery enclosure defining an interior space containing a battery storage medium, the interior space configured to house one or more battery cells; a charging terminal electrically coupled to the one or more battery cells and configured to receive electrical power from a power source to charge one or more battery cells; wherein the interior space is configured to be coupled to a pressurising device for applying pressure to the battery storage medium in the interior space; and wherein during charging of the one or more battery cells, the battery storage medium in the interior space is pressurised to cause an isostatic pressure to be applied to the one or more battery cells. A method of charging of charging one or more battery cells provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2024Publication date: April 10, 2025Applicant: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Alexis LAMBOURNE, Sophie CHITTIM
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Publication number: 20250115347Abstract: A storage tank for gaseous hydrogen includes a continuous tank wall defining a serial array of hollow elongate tank portions of substantially constant cross-section and hollow connecting portions defining an internal storage volume, wherein adjacent ends of any pair of adjacent hollow elongate tank portions are connected by a hollow connecting portion having a cross-sectional dimension smaller than those of the adjacent hollow elongate tanks portions. The tank may be included in an aircraft wing such that it extends spanwise through one or more internal spars of the wing, thus providing a continuous gas storage volume at a given chordwise position notwithstanding the spars, and providing for storage of gaseous hydrogen at higher gravimetric efficiency than is achievable by a plurality of coupled discrete tanks disposed between the spars.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2023Publication date: April 10, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Chloe J. PALMER, Malcolm L HILLEL, Daniel CLARK
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Publication number: 20250114856Abstract: A method for controlling a power beam process includes carrying out a plurality of test power beam processes using a power beam on one or more test components and determining a plurality of power distributions corresponding to the plurality of test power beam processes. The method includes determining a plurality of beam parameters, generating derived features based on the plurality of beam parameters, and determining a plurality of process characteristics of each test power beam process. The method further includes generating a comprehensive dataset, dividing the comprehensive dataset into a test dataset and a training dataset, and determining a plurality of key discriminative features from the plurality of derived features of a set of training power distributions of the training dataset.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2024Publication date: April 10, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Alistair J E SMITH, Kee Khoon Lee, Henry KASIM, Teck Kai CHAN
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Patent number: 12270338Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft includes: an engine core; fan; turbomachinery bearings; power gearbox; and a heat management system configured to provide lubrication and cooling to the power gearbox and turbomachinery bearings and including at least one air-lubricant heat exchanger to dissipate a first amount of heat to a first heat sink, and at least one fuel-lubricant heat exchanger to dissipate a second amount of heat to a second heat sink, wherein the heat management system is configured to provide a first proportion of heat generated by the power gearbox and the turbomachinery and dissipated to air at 85% of a core shaft maximum take-off speed in the range of 0.25 to 0.70, and a second proportion of heat generated by the power gearbox and the turbomachinery and dissipated to air at 65% of the core shaft maximum take-off speed in the range of 0.60 to 1.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: Andrea Minelli
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Patent number: 12269601Abstract: There is provided an air pressurisation system comprising: a blower compressor coupled to a spool of a gas turbine engine and configured to receive inlet air from a bypass duct of the gas turbine engine; an air treatment apparatus to mix air from the air cycle line with air from the bypass line to control a temperature of air for discharge to an airframe system; and a core bleed line configured to provide a second inlet flow of air from a compressor of the gas turbine engine to the air treatment apparatus in an augmented air supply mode of the air pressurisation system; wherein the core bleed line is configured to provide the second inlet flow of air directly to the bypass line or mix the second inlet flow of air with air from the blower compressor upstream of the bypass line.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventor: Christopher A. Murray
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Patent number: 12270341Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel system includes a fuel offtake configured to divert a portion of hydrogen fuel from a main fuel conduit, a burner configured to burn the portion of hydrogen fuel diverted from the main fuel conduit, a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from exhaust gasses produced by the burner to hydrogen fuel in the main fuel conduit and a power recovery device configured to extract power from exhaust gasses of the burner downstream of the heat-exchanger.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Chloe J Palmer, Jacopo Tacconi, Nicholas Grech
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Publication number: 20250109854Abstract: A combustor assembly (16) for a gas turbine having an annular combustor body and an annular combustor rear. The combustor body and the combustor rear are connected by: i) fit between a radially outer surface of the radially outer wall of the combustor rear and a radially inner surface of the radially outer wall of the combustor body, ii) fit between a radially inner surface of the radially inner wall of the combustor rear and a radially outer surface of the radially inner wall of the combustor body, and iii) one or more retention pins extending radially through respective apertures in the combustor body and in the combustor rear. The combustor rear tapers towards the engine axis as it extends rearwardly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2024Publication date: April 3, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Lloyd D MORSON
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Patent number: 12263588Abstract: A section of a continuum arm robot including a pair of pivot points at a first and second end of the joint, the section further having a first and second connecting rod connected to the section and joining at the centre of the section, the connecting rods has a plurality of gear teeth at the peripheral ends of the connecting rod that intermesh at a central point on the section.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Liam D Harrison, Andrew D Norton
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Patent number: 12263614Abstract: There is disclosed a method of providing through-thickness reinforcement in a laminated material. A guide foot is moved to a datum location relative the laminated material, at which the guide foot abuts a reinforcement zone on a surface of the laminated material. An insertion operation is conducted by inserting an insertion element through the guide foot into the laminated material along an insertion direction when the guide foot is in the datum location. The insertion element comprises a needle for forming a hole in the laminated material; a reinforcement rod to be received in the laminated material; or a tamping pin for tamping a reinforcement rod received in the laminated material. A corresponding insertion apparatus is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2020Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventor: Paul Warrington
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Publication number: 20250101873Abstract: A system for coupling at least one component to a blade of a gas turbine engine includes a blade holder and an intensifier tool. The intensifier tool includes a plate configured to contact the component and a heating device coupled to the plate. The system further includes an adhesive layer disposed between the component and the blade, a pressure strip coupled to the plate and the blade that fully encloses the plate, and a pressure applicator coupled to the plate. The adhesive layer has a uniform bond thickness along a length of the component due to pressure applied by the pressure applicator. Upon being heated by the heating device, the adhesive layer is cured, thereby coupling the component to the blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2024Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Marius MONORANU
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Publication number: 20250106068Abstract: Engine Control and Monitoring Systems (ECaMS) for engines are disclosed. An ECaMS comprises a first processor node and a second processor node. The first processor node comprises a first acquisition integrated circuit (IC), a first output IC, and a first processor. The second processor node comprises a second acquisition IC, a second output IC, and a second processor. The first acquisition IC is connected directly to the second acquisition IC.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2024Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Stuart A. GRIFFITHS, Saim Ahmed
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Publication number: 20250106792Abstract: Synchronisation methods for synchronising processor nodes of an Engine Control and Monitoring System (ECaMS) for an engine. A method comprises counting, at a first acquisition integrated circuit in a first processor node of the ECaMS, a first control cycle count, and storing at the first acquisition integrated circuit a first transmission slot index. The method further comprises counting a second control cycle count and storing a second transmission slot index at a second acquisition integrated circuit in a second processor node of the ECaMS. The method also comprises transmitting a message including the first control cycle count and transmission slot index from the first to second acquisition integrated circuits, and receiving the message at the second acquisition circuit. The method also comprises synchronising the first and second processor nodes using the first and second control cycle counts and transmission slot indexes.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2024Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Stuart A. GRIFFITHS, Saim Ahmed
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Publication number: 20250105685Abstract: The disclosure relates to a stator assembly for an electric machine. Example embodiments disclosed include a rotor assembly for an electric machine, the rotor assembly comprising: a rotor core; a plurality of magnets arranged around the rotor core; and a cylindrical rotor sleeve surrounding the plurality of magnets, wherein the rotor sleeve comprises a laminated composite material having an array of ferromagnetic pins extending through a thickness of the rotor sleeve.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2024Publication date: March 27, 2025Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Robert C. BACKHOUSE