Patents Assigned to Rolls-Royce plc
  • AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL POWER DISTRIBUTION
    Publication number: 20210371116
    Abstract: A method of operating an aircraft electrical power distribution system comprises determining a measure of ambient pressure; and setting a target operating voltage in accordance with the measure of ambient pressure. The method further comprises controlling the operating voltage in accordance with the set target operating voltage. The target operating voltage may refer to a distribution voltage of the aircraft. An aircraft electrical power distribution system is also disclosed, comprising: a sensor configured to determine a measure of ambient pressure; a controller configured to set a target operating voltage in accordance with the measure of ambient pressure, and a voltage regulator configured to regulate the operating voltage in accordance with the set target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Matthew S. CARTWRIGHT
  • HIGH POWER EPICYCLIC GEARBOX AND OPERATION THEREOF
    Publication number: 20210372329
    Abstract: An engine for an aircraft includes an engine core having a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan having a plurality of fan blades; and a gearbox. The gearbox is an epicyclic gearbox and comprises a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a ring gear, and a planet carrier on which the planet gears are mounted. The radial bending stiffness of the planet carrier is equal to or greater than 1.20×109 N/m, and/or the tilt stiffness of the planet carrier is greater than or equal to 6.00×108 Nm/rad. A method of operation of such an engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Mark SPRUCE
  • Superconducting electrical power distribution system
    Patent number: 11189398
    Abstract: A superconducting electrical power distribution system has a superconducting bus bar and one or more bus bar thermal conductor lines extending in thermal proximity along the bus bar to receive heat from the bus bar over the length of the bus bar. The system further has superconducting cables electrically connected to the bus bar at respective electrical joints distributed along the bus bar. The system further has a cryogenic cooling sub-system. The system further has a network comprising first and second thermal conductor lines, each line comprising a cold end which is cooled by the cryogenic cooling sub-system, and an opposite hot end, whereby heat received by each line is normally conducted along the line in a direction from its hot end to its cold end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Chloe J. Palmer
  • Gas turbine
    Patent number: 11187157
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine, in particular an aircraft engine, includes: a turbine connected via an input shaft device to a gearbox device having a sun gear, a planet carrier having a plurality of planet gears attached thereto, and a ring gear, the sun gear is connected to the input shaft device, the planet carrier or the ring gear is connected to a propulsive fan via an output shaft device of the gearbox device, with a rear carrier bearing device radially between the planet carrier and a part on the input shaft on the input side of the gearbox device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Mark N. Binnington
  • Gas turbine engine cowl doors
    Patent number: 11187109
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine casing is described as having a cowl door hinged to a casing support structure by at least one hinge. The cowl door is openable outwardly from the casing to expose a casing interior. The hinge is located above a longitudinal axis of the casing and comprises a pivoting linkage arranged such that, upon actuation between closed and open cowl door conditions, the pivoting linkage moves an upper portion of the cowl door downwards towards the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Richard G Stretton, Steven A Radomski
  • Heat exchanger
    Patent number: 11187151
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for a ducted fan gas turbine engine has a low temperature side and plural high temperature sides. The heat exchanger is configured such that heat is extracted from respective engine fluids flowing through the high temperature sides and is received by a portion of a bypass airflow of the engine which, on passing through the fan duct, is diverted through the low temperature side of the heat exchanger thereby cooling the engine fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Stephen M. Husband, Lixin Ren
  • Combined cycle heat engine comprising a first and second gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11187150
    Abstract: A combined cycle heat engine (10). The engine (10) comprises a first gas turbine engine (11) comprising a first air compressor system (14), a first combustion system (16) and a first turbine system (18) and a second gas turbine engine (32) comprising a second air compression system (36), a second turbine system (40), and a heat exchanger (38) configured to transfer heat from an exhaust (24) of the first turbine system (18) to compressed air from the second air compressor (36). The second gas turbine engine (32) comprises a second combustion system (20) downstream of the heat exchanger (38) and upstream of the second turbine system (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ahmed M Y Razak, Arthur L Rowe
  • Fuel flow control
    Patent number: 11187161
    Abstract: A fuel flow control system is configured to perform a method including: setting a fuel flow demand proportional to compressor discharge pressure; detecting an actual fuel flow; and applying an enhanced schedule for fuel flow demand while fuel flow demand is less than a predefined proportion of actual fuel flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Arthur L Rowe, Alexander MacDonald
  • Method of manufacturing a fan blade and a fan blade
    Patent number: 11187084
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a fan blade for a gas turbine engine. The method includes providing a compression mould having an internal mould surface corresponding to an outer profile of a fan blade, providing opposing first and second laminates to form a shell corresponding to the mould surface, each laminate comprising a lay-up of plies of fibre reinforcement material, applying a core material comprising quasi-isotropic short fibre reinforced resin in the compression mould so that with the compression mould in a moulding configuration the core material is enclosed by the shell, the core material and the shell forming a pre-form for the fan blade, applying pressure to compress the pre-form so that it conforms to the mould surface, and applying heat to cure the pre-form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Robert C Backhouse, Vincent Gill
  • AIRCRAFT CABIN BLOWER SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20210362859
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin blower system comprises a cabin blower including a compressor configured to provide air to a cabin of the aircraft; a variable drive system configured to drive the compressor and including an electric variator and a summing gearbox; and a main transmission configured, when operating in a blower mode, to receive mechanical power from a gas turbine engine and input mechanical power to the summing gearbox in a forward direction; and configured, when operating in a starter mode, to receive mechanical power from the summing gearbox and input mechanical power to the gas turbine engine. The aircraft cabin blower system further includes a first one-way rotation device adapted to permit free rotation of the main transmission in the forward direction and to prevent rotation of the main transmission in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Matthew J. WILLSHEE
  • Gas turbine engine with fan, bypass duct, and gearbox and method of operating the gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11181075
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine generates noise during use, and one particularly important flight condition for noise generation is take-off. A gas turbine engine has high efficiency together with low noise, in particular from the bypass flow exiting the engine. The average velocity of the flow at the exit to the bypass duct is in the range of from 200 m/s to 275 m/s at a take-off lateral reference point, defined as the point on a line parallel to and 450 m from the runway centre line where the Effective Perceived Noise Level (EPNL) is a maximum during take-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Alastair D Moore, Robert J Telling
  • Spray nozzle
    Patent number: 11181272
    Abstract: A fuel spray nozzle, for atomising liquid fuel in gas, including: an gas passage; a liquid fuel passage; a swirler provided in the gas passage and including vanes such that, when gas passes through the gas passage, the swirler produces a jet flow of gas from between adjacent vanes and a turbulent flow of gas in the wake of each vane; a prefilming surface for receiving liquid fuel from the liquid fuel passage, and gas from the gas passage, wherein the prefilming surface includes areas that receive jet flow of gas from the gas passage, in use; wherein the fuel spray nozzle is configured to direct the liquid fuel passing through the liquid fuel passage to the areas on the prefilming surface that receive a jet flow of gas from the gas passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Carl L Muldal, Hua Wei Huang, Evangelos Bacharoudis, Juan Carlos Roman Casado
  • Aircraft engine operability
    Patent number: 11181042
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a cycle operability parameter ? in a defined range to achieve improved overall performance, taking into account fan operability and/or bird strike requirements as well as engine efficiency. The defined range of cycle operability parameter ? may be particularly beneficial for gas turbine engines in which the fan is driven by a turbine through a gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Michael O Hales, Craig W Bemment, Stephane M M Baralon, Benjamin J Sellers, Christopher Benson, Benedict R Phelps, Mark J Wilson
  • NACELLE FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20210355843
    Abstract: A nacelle for a gas turbine engine includes a leading edge, a trailing edge and a longitudinal centre line along a length of the nacelle. A highlight radius (rhi) is defined as a radial distance between the longitudinal centre line and the leading edge. A trailing edge radius (rte) is defined as a radial distance between the longitudinal centre line and the trailing edge. A nacelle length (Lnac) is defined as an axial distance between the leading edge and the trailing edge. A ratio between the nacelle length (Lnac) and the highlight radius (rhi) is defined as R1 (Lnac/rhi). The ratio R1 is greater than or equal to 2.4 and less than or equal to 3.2. A ratio between the trailing edge radius (rte) and the highlight radius (rhi) is defined as R2. The ratio R2 is greater than or equal to 0.89 and less than or equal to 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Fernando L. TEJERO EMBUENA, David G. MACMANUS, Christopher TJ. SHEAF
  • NACELLE FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20210355872
    Abstract: A nacelle for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centre line. The nacelle includes an air intake disposed at an upstream end of the nacelle. The air intake includes, in flow series, an intake lip, a throat and a diffuser. The diffuser further includes a diffuser angle (?diff), indicating a degree of divergence of the diffuser relative to the longitudinal centre line. The diffuser angle (?diff) is from about 0 degrees to about 12 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Robert E. CHRISTIE, David G. MACMANUS, Christopher T J SHEAF
  • INTAKE CENTRE FAIRING FOR A GAS TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20210355871
    Abstract: An intake centre fairing for a gas turbine engine includes a body. The body includes an outer surface, an apex point and a base. The apex point is at a first end of the body and the base is at a second end of the body. The base includes a base centre. The body defines a longitudinal axis along its length, a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis and a circumferential direction relative to the longitudinal axis. The outer surface of the body is tapered from the base to the apex point along the longitudinal axis. The apex point is radially offset relative to the base centre along the radial direction. The apex point is further circumferentially offset relative to the base centre along the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Robert E CHRISTIE, David G MACMANUS
  • AFTERBURNER STRUT WITH INTEGRATED FUEL FEED LINES
    Publication number: 20210356127
    Abstract: An afterburner arrangement comprising: an internal casing and an external casing defining a bypass pathway between them; a mounting strut forming a structural connection between the internal casing and the external casing; and A plurality of fuel nozzles associated with the mounting strut, wherein the mounting strut at least partly houses a corresponding plurality of fuel pathways to provide fuel to the respective fuel nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Michael YEANDEL
  • NACELLE FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20210355873
    Abstract: A nacelle for a gas turbine engine having a longitudinal centre line. The nacelle includes an air intake disposed at an upstream end of the nacelle. The air intake includes, in flow series, an intake lip, a throat and a diffuser. The nacelle further includes a protrusion extending radially inward from the air intake downstream of the intake lip. The protrusion extends circumferentially by a protrusion angle (?p) with respect to the longitudinal centre line of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Robert E CHRISTIE, David G MACMANUS, Christopher T J SHEAF
  • Gas turbine engine having an air-oil heat exchanger
    Patent number: 11174790
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes: a core engine surrounded by a core fairing; a propulsive fan; a nacelle surrounding the propulsive fan, the core fairing and the core engine; and a fan duct for receiving a bypass air flow accelerated by the propulsive fan, the fan duct being defined between the nacelle and the core fairing. The gas turbine engine further includes an air-oil heat exchanger for cooling engine oil using an air flow diverted from the bypass air flow, the heat exchanger being mounted behind a wall of the fan duct. The gas turbine engine further includes a flow passage which receives the diverted air flow at a first location in the fan duct, delivers the diverted air flow to the heat exchanger, and returns the diverted air flow to the fan duct at a second location which is downstream of the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: James Holt
  • Oil tank filling system
    Patent number: 11174755
    Abstract: An oil tank filling system for filling the oil tank of a gas turbine engine. The system includes an oil tank located within the core of the engine, an engine oil filling port located on a bifurcation below the core of the engine, and an oil tank filling pipe that leads from the engine oil filling port to a tank filling port on the oil tank. The engine oil filling port is detachably connectable to an off-engine oil pump that when connected to the engine oil filling port and supplied with oil pumps oil into the engine oil filling port and through the oil tank filling pipe to the tank filling port to fill the oil tank. A method of filling the oil tank of a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine engine that includes the oil tank filling system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Samuel W. White, William A. Malewicz, Sebastian Ray, Cristina Diaz Garcia