Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce plc
  • Patent number: 11746673
    Abstract: A fan track liner for a fan containment arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprises a cellular impact structure and a supporting sub-laminate integrally formed with each other from a fibre-reinforced polymer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ricardo Pelin
  • Publication number: 20230272753
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft and a method of operating a gas turbine engine on an aircraft. Embodiments disclosed include a gas turbine engine for an aircraft including: an engine core has a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan has a plurality of fan blades; a nacelle surrounding the engine core and defining a bypass duct and bypass exhaust nozzle; and a gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan wherein the gas turbine engine is configured such that a jet velocity ratio of a first jet velocity exiting from the bypass exhaust nozzle to a second jet velocity exiting from an exhaust nozzle of the engine core at idle conditions is greater by a factor of 2 or more than the jet velocity ratio at maximum take-off conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Craig W. BEMMENT
  • Publication number: 20230272752
    Abstract: A highly efficient gas turbine engine is provided. The fan of the gas turbine engine is driven from a turbine via a gearbox, such that the fan has a lower rotational speed than the driving turbine, thereby providing efficiency gains. The efficient fan system is mated to a core that has low cooling flow requirements and/or high temperature capability, and which may have particularly low mass for a given power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Pascal DUNNING, Roderick M. TOWNES, Michael J. WHITTLE
  • Publication number: 20230272724
    Abstract: A casing assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of vane casing segments. Each vane casing segment includes an arcuate member and a pair of split-line flanges. Each split-line flange includes a first axial flange end and a second axial flange end. Each split-line flange is fixedly coupled to an adjacent split-line flange of an adjacent vane casing segment. Each vane casing segment includes at least one row of stator vanes welded to the arcuate member. Each split-line flange is at least partially and circumferentially inclined relative to a rotational axis of the gas turbine engine, such that the first axial flange end is circumferentially offset from the second axial-flange end. Further, each split-line flange includes an intersecting portion, such that at least the intersecting portion of each split-line flange is circumferentially inclined relative to the rotational axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Crispin D. BOLGAR
  • Patent number: 11738877
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine having a rotor arranged to rotate about an axis in use. The seal assembly has a static support structure for the gas turbine engine and a casing structure of the engine. Rotation of the engine rotor causes a deflection of the casing structure relative to the static support structure in a first direction. A seal is provided at an interface between the static support structure and the casing structure, and comprising a first seal portion and a second seal portion spaced from one another in the first direction. The first seal portion is provided against a first surface of the casing structure and the second seal portion is provided against a second surface of the casing structure opposing the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Steven A Radomski, Richard G Stretton
  • Patent number: 11739660
    Abstract: Gearboxes for aircraft gas turbine engines, in particular to arrangements for journal bearings such gearboxes, and to related methods of operating such gearboxes and gas turbine engines. Example embodiments include a gearbox for an aircraft gas turbine engine, the gearbox including: a sun gear; a plurality of planet gears surrounding and engaged with the sun gear; and a ring gear surrounding and engaged with the plurality of planet gears, each of the plurality of planet gears being rotatably mounted around a pin of a planet gear carrier with a journal bearing having an internal sliding surface on the planet gear and an external sliding surface on the pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Mark Spruce
  • Patent number: 11739692
    Abstract: An Electronic Engine Controller (EEC) for a gas turbine engine. The EEC is configured to be connected to a solenoid valve, and configured to control the solenoid valve by providing a driving signal to either a first solenoid winding or a second solenoid winding of the solenoid valve, the first and second solenoid windings being magnetically coupled to one another by an armature of the solenoid valve. The armature is movable under the action of the driving signal to operate the solenoid valve. The solenoid winding of the first and second solenoid windings provided with the driving signal is a driving winding and the other solenoid winding of the first and second solenoid windings is a pick-up winding. When the EEC controls the solenoid valve via the driving winding by providing the driving signal thereto, it is further configured to sense a position of the solenoid valve via the pick-up winding by detecting a signal induced in the pick-up winding by the magnetic coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Ken McMullan
  • Patent number: 11740189
    Abstract: A method of defining at least one scan parameter for an x-ray scan of a single crystal structure, the method comprising: determining a target orientation of the structure for the scan; and defining different non-zero levels of x-ray exposure for different parts of a scan area based on either or both of the target orientation and characteristics of the structure; and, defining the scan area so that substantially all x-rays of the scan are directed to the structure in the target orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Jacqueline Griffiths, Scott Dufferwiel, Jonathan Eyre
  • Patent number: 11739700
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a hydrocarbon fuel store, a hydrogen fuel store, an engine system capable of producing thrust by combusting hydrocarbon fuel and/or combusting or oxidising hydrogen fuel, a conveying system to convey hydrocarbon and hydrogen fuel from the fuel stores to the engine system and a control system to control the respective flow rates of the fuel within the conveying system. The control system adapts the fractions of the total fuel energy flow rate to the engine system represented by the hydrocarbon and hydrogen fuel energy flow rates in order to reduce climate warming impact caused by at least one of carbon dioxide, water vapour and condensation trails and/or increase climate cooling impact caused by condensation trails produced by the aircraft propulsion system compared to a dual-fuel propulsion system in which a reserve of hydrocarbon fuel is entirely combusted before any of a reserve of hydrogen fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Swann, Jonathan E Holt
  • Patent number: 11739647
    Abstract: A turbine blade including an aerofoil and a shroud. The shroud includes a first abutment surface configured to face a second abutment surface of a first circumferentially adjacent turbine blade. The shroud further includes a second abutment surface configured to face a first abutment surface of a second circumferentially adjacent turbine blade. The shroud further includes an inner platform surface extending at least circumferentially between the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface. The shroud further includes a first recessed surface extending at least radially and circumferentially from the first abutment surface to the inner platform surface. The first recessed surface defines a first recessed region configured to receive a flow of a cooling fluid from the first circumferentially adjacent turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Soumyik Bhaumik
  • Publication number: 20230265799
    Abstract: Electrical systems for connecting rotary electric machines to dc networks operating at different voltages V and W where V>W along with gas turbine engine arrangements incorporating such systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Graham P. BRUCE
  • Patent number: 11735965
    Abstract: A rotor assembly includes a plurality of segmented magnets on an outer surface of a rotor core, a metallic layer on the outer surface of the plurality of segmented magnets, and a plurality of segmented metallic bands on the outer surface of the metallic layer. The plurality of segmented metallic bands is configured to secure the plurality of segmented magnets to the outer surface of the rotor core, and each band of the plurality of metallic bands has an axial length less than an axial length of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce plc, Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ellis Fui Hen Chong, Shanmukha Rama Krishna, Mark Boden
  • Patent number: 11732603
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan mounted to rotate about a main longitudinal axis; an engine core, including a compressor, a combustor, and turbine coupled to the compressor through a shaft, and reduction gearbox; wherein the compressor includes a plurality of stages, each stage including a respective rotor and stator, a first stage of the plurality of stages being arranged at an inlet and including a first rotor with a plurality of blades; each blade extending chordwise from a leading edge to a trailing edge, and from root to tip for a span height, wherein 0% of the span height corresponds to the root and 100% of span height corresponds to tip; wherein a ratio of a leading edge radius of each of the plurality of first rotor blades at 0% span height to a minimum leading edge radius is comprised between 1 and 1.50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Ian J Bousfield, Duncan A MacDougall
  • Patent number: 11732649
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft includes an engine core including a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor, and a fan including a plurality of fan blades located upstream of the engine core. The fan has a fan diameter in the range from 240 cm to 280 cm. The turbine is the lowest pressure turbine of the engine and the compressor is the lowest pressure compressor of the engine. The turbine includes a total of three sets of turbine blades. The engine core further includes three bearings arranged to support the core shaft. The three bearings include a forward bearing and two rearward bearings located downstream of a leading edge of a lowest pressure turbine blade of the turbine at a root of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jillian C Gaskell, Chathura K Kannangara, Punitha Kamesh
  • Patent number: 11732659
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising a variable geometry combustor having pilot fuel injectors and main fuel injectors; a fuel metering system configured to control fuel flow to the pilot fuel injectors and the main fuel injectors; a variable geometry airflow arrangement for the variable geometry combustor, which is configured to vary the airflow through the pilot fuel injectors and/or the main fuel injectors; a control system configured to control the variable geometry airflow arrangement in dependence upon airflow delivered to the combustor, the fuel flow to the pilot fuel injectors and the main fuel injectors, and a target index of soot emissions, thereby controlling airflow through the pilot fuel injectors and/or the main fuel injectors and hence the quantity of soot produced by combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Swann, Christopher P Madden
  • Publication number: 20230258137
    Abstract: An engine system comprises a first fuel store, a second fuel store, an engine arranged to produce mechanical power by combustion or oxidation of a fuel in an engine, a fuel distribution system arranged to deliver fuel from the first and second fuel stores to the engine, the first fuel delivered at a first mass flow rate, the second fuel delivered at a second mass flow rate, the first and second mass flow rates contributing to a total mass flow rate of fuel to the engine; and a control system arranged to control the relative fractions of the total mass flow rate of fuel to the engine represented by the first mass flow rate and the second mass flow rate, based on an engine temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter SWANN
  • Publication number: 20230258136
    Abstract: A system comprises first and second first fuel stores, an engine arranged to produce mechanical power, a fuel distribution system arranged to deliver fuel from the first and second fuel stores to the engine, the first fuel delivered at a first mass flow rate, the second fuel delivered at a second mass flow rate, the first and second mass flow rates contributing to a total mass flow rate of fuel to the engine, and a control system arranged to increase the relative fraction of the total mass flow rate of fuel represented by the second mass flow rate during a period of acceleration of the engine, in order to control a surge margin of the engine. The second fuel is selected to have a higher specific energy than the first fuel and to release a greater mass of water per unit mass of fuel than the first fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter SWANN
  • Publication number: 20230258135
    Abstract: A system has first and second fuel stores for first and second fuels, an engine, a fuel distribution system, first and second flow rates of the fuel contributing to a total flow rate of fuel; and a controller for controlling the relative fractions of the total flow rate of fuel to the engine according to the required power output of the engine such that the relative fraction of the total flow rate of fuel to the engine represented by the second flow rate increases with increasing required power output of the engine. The fuels are selected such that using only the second fuel results in a lower engine temperature than using only the first fuel, for the same mechanical power and/or the second fuel has a lower specific energy than the first and/or the second fuel produces more water during combustion than the first fuel per unit of fuel energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Peter SWANN
  • Publication number: 20230258101
    Abstract: The present application discloses a method of determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel suitable for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft. The method comprises: determining, during use of the gas turbine engine, one or more exhaust content parameters by performing a sensor measurement on an exhaust of the gas turbine engine; and determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the one or more exhaust parameters including the nvPM content of the exhaust. Also disclosed is a fuel characteristic determination system, a method of operating an aircraft, and an aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter SWANN, David M. BEAVEN, Craig W. BEMMENT, Alastair G. HOBDAY, Benjamin J. KEELER, Christopher P. MADDEN, Martin K. YATES
  • Patent number: 11725591
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft including: an engine core including a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan including a plurality of fan blades; a gearbox that can receive an input from the core shaft, and can output drive to a fan shaft via an output of the gearbox so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft; and a fan shaft mounting structure arranged to mount the fan shaft within the engine, the fan shaft mounting structure including at least two supporting bearings connected to the fan shaft. A fan-gearbox axial distance is defined as the axial distance between the output of the gearbox and the fan axial centreline, the fan-gearbox axial distance being greater than or equal to 0.35 m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Mark Spruce