Patents Assigned to SNECMA
  • Device for economizing fuel supply in a fuel supply circuit
    Patent number: 6655123
    Abstract: An aircraft engine fuel supply circuit includes a high pressure pump for supplying the engine fuel injectors and supplying a plurality of servovalves for operating various auxiliary mechanisms. In an in-flight re-ignition configuration, with the rotational speed of the engine drops below a threshold value, a fuel economizer valve receives a command to close, thereby shutting off the supply of high pressure fuel to the servovalves. Consequently, the dimensions of the high pressure pump and other associated components in the circuit, especially heat exchangers, may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Marie-Trinité Rose Blot-Carretero, Philippe Galozio, Jean-Marie Brocard, Claude Marcel Maillard
  • Centripetal air-bleed system
    Patent number: 6648592
    Abstract: A centripetal-flow airbleed system for a gas-turbine engine including an annular support affixed to first and second disks of a compressor of the engine and having a plurality of peripherally spaced orifices defined along the radius thereof, a plurality of airbleed tubes each mounted in a substantially radial manner in one of the orifices of the annular support, and a vibration reduction device for reducing vibrations of the airbleed tubes. The device includes a plurality of damping tubes each mounted in one of the orifices of the annular support. The radially inner end of the damping tube encloses a portion of the airbleed tube and delimits an annular space defined therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Didier René André Escure, Patrick Didier Michel Lestoille, Gérard Gabriel Miraucourt, Pascal Didier Vareille
  • Combustion chamber provided with a system for fixing the chamber end wall
    Patent number: 6647729
    Abstract: In an annular combustion chamber having inner and outer axially-extending side walls of composite material and an end wall of metal material, provision is made to hold the end wall in position between the side walls of the annular combustion chamber by means of a plurality of flexible metal tongues fixed firstly to said side walls by fixing means and secondly to said end wall by brazing or welding, said end wall further comprising means for providing sealing between said end wall and said side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Gwénaëlle Calvez, Alexandre Forestier, Didier Hernandez
  • Thin parts made of beta or quasi-beta titanium alloys; manufacture by forging
    Publication number: 20030209298
    Abstract: The present invention provides non-axially symmetrical manufactured parts of thickness less than 10 mm, made of &bgr; or quasi-&bgr; titanium alloy, having a core microstructure constituted by whole grains presenting a slenderness ratio greater than 4 and an equivalent diameter lying in the range 10 &mgr;m to 300 &mgr;m. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing said parts by forging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Blandine Barbier, Philippe Gallois, Claude Mons, Agathe Venard, Pascal Vignolles
  • Method of making a protective coating forming a thermal barrier with a bonding underlayer on a superalloy substrate, and a part obtained thereby
    Patent number: 6645351
    Abstract: A protective coating forming a thermal barrier is made on a superalloy metal substrate by forming a bonding underlayer on the substrate, the bonding underlayer being constituted by an intermetallic compound comprising at least aluminum and a metal from the platinum group, and by forming a ceramic outer layer which is anchored on a film of alumina present on the surface of the bonding underlayer. The bonding underlayer preferably has a thickness of less than 50 &mgr;m and is made by using physical vapor deposition, e.g. by cathode sputtering, to deposit a plurality of individual layers alternately of aluminum and of a metal from the platinum group, and by causing the metals in the resulting layers to react together exothermally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Bertrand Saint Ramond, John Nicholls
  • Fuel injector with an optimized metering device
    Patent number: 6644031
    Abstract: A fuel injector has a metering valve arranged to open under a predetermined feed pressure which constitutes a first threshold pressure, and to remain open in response to said feed pressure increasing so as to deliver fuel to fuel utilization means. The flow rate of fuel passing through the injector is metered to feed said utilization means so long as the feed pressure remains below a second threshold pressure greater than the first threshold pressure. Above the second threshold pressure, the metering valve behaves like a fixed diaphragm as a function of the fluid flow sections formed therethrough. Individual adjustment means are provided so as to enable said second threshold pressure to be adjusted for each injector to ensure that fuel is injected at a uniform flow rate by all of the injectors in a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Alain Lavie, Stéphanie Martelli, Marion Michau, José Rodrigues, Alain Tiepel
  • Fail-freeze servovalve
    Patent number: 6640833
    Abstract: The servovalve comprises an electric motor and a distributor valve integrating a hydraulic slide under the control of said electric motor and further comprising two load channels pierced in a central rod on which blocks are mounted for co-operating with communication orifices of the distributor valve and co-operating with one another and with the ends of the hydraulic slide to define annular chambers including two load chambers connected to the receiver member to be controlled. The two load channels put each of the load chambers into communication respectively with an immediately adjacent annular chamber so as to ensure that the same pressure exists on both sides of the blocks separating said two chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Jean-Marie Brocard, Michel Le Texier
  • Diffusion-brazing filler powder for parts made of an alloy based on nickel, cobalt or iron
    Publication number: 20030200835
    Abstract: A diffusion-brazing filler powder for a part made of a nickel-, cobalt- or iron-based alloy A comprising particles of a defined alloy material B having specific functional properties tailored to the area of application of said part. The particles are substantially spherical and carry, on their surfaces, in the form of incrustations, add-ons comprising at least one fluxing element taken from the group: boron and silicon, these encrusted add-ons also being present in a free state in said powder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA SERVICES
    Inventors: Andre Malie, Pascal Etuve, Christian Michel, Frederic Jacquot
  • Acoustic inspection of one-piece bladed wheels
    Patent number: 6629463
    Abstract: These objects are achieved by a method of acoustically inspecting a one-piece bladed wheel in which the wheel is driven in rotation; each blade of the wheel is subjected to mechanical excitation; its acoustic response is picked up and a corresponding electrical signal is generated; its frequency response is determined by computing a FFT; the electrical signal and the associated frequency response are stored; the characteristic frequencies of each blade of the wheel are identified; and a wheel is rejected or accepted depending on whether or not the frequency distribution obtained in this way matches a predetermined set of forbidden frequency distributions. Advantageously, an additional step is provided in which the defects of a blade are determined by comparing its frequency response with predetermined frequency responses that are characteristic of various types of defect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Jacky Naudet, Jean-Luc Mary, André Collot, Marc Berthillier
  • Cooling system for a gas turbine engine post-combustion jet nozzle
    Publication number: 20030182929
    Abstract: The invention concerns a cooling system for a post combustion jet nozzle (1), said jet nozzle comprising a primary gas duct (2) allowing a primary flow of gas, a secondary air duct (3) allowing a secondary flow of air, said secondary air duct surrounding the primary gas duct and separated from it by a protective thermal shroud (4), said secondary air duct having a downstream end (3a), dampers (5) surrounding an output section of the primary gas duct, the system comprising a protective thermal shell (7) in the secondary air duct, at the downstream end of said duct. According to the invention, the protective thermal shell bears an annular diaphragm (8) extending out in front of the dampers and being provided with support sectors (11) and inter-sector zones equipped with slots, said inter-sector zones defining spaces between the diaphragm and the protective thermal shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Leopold Jean-Marie de Verduzan, Maurice Floreani, Jacques Andre Michel Roche
  • Device for supporting and recentering the shaft of a turbojet fan after uncoupling
    Publication number: 20030182926
    Abstract: The invention provides a device for supporting and recentering a shaft (2) after decoupling. The device comprises an annular support (4) surrounding the shaft (2), a bearing (5) secured to the annular support (4) and having an inner ring (9) which is spaced apart from the shaft by clearance J. The inner ring (9) has two webs or tenons (14a, 14b) that are normally held to the periphery of two troughs (16a, 16b) carried by the shaft (2). Two sets of balls (28a, 28b) normally bear against the bottoms of indentations (25, 26) formed facing one another in the adjacent radial walls of the troughs (16a, 16b) and of the inner ring (9). Resilient means (26) tend to urge the troughs (16a and 16b) towards each other. In the event of the webs or tenons (14a, 14b) breaking due to a large unbalance, the balls (28a, 28b) roll on the walls of the indentations (25, 26) and move the troughs (16a, 16b) apart from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Daniel Plona, Patrick Morel
  • Hollow vane wall thickness measurement method
    Publication number: 20030184287
    Abstract: An eddy current detector (4) comprises two poles aligned in the direction of extension of partitions (3) located behind a wall (2) wherein the thickness must be measured, but which interfere with the measurements. The influence of the partitions (3) is decreased if the core (6) of the detector (4) comprises two poles aligned in the direction of the extension of the partitions (3) and if a logical system is used to correct the results obtained according to preliminary results obtained on a reference surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicants: SNECMA MOTEURS, Centre National De La Recherche Scient
    Inventors: Yann Le Bihan, Olivier Lespinet, Alain Mourenko, Franck Paul Dominique Panizzoli, Dominique Marc Bruno Placko, Edouardo - Agapito Santander-Rojas
  • Bleed system driven in simplified manner for a turbojet or turboprop engine
    Patent number: 6622475
    Abstract: A bypass gas turbine engine having an intermediate structural casing positioned between a primary flow path and a bypass flow path, and configured between a low pressure compressor and a high pressure compressor. The engine further having a bleed device arranged to deflect a portion of a gas flow from the low pressure compressor toward the bypass flow path. The bleed device includes an annular cavity defining a manifold situated upstream the intermediate casing and opening along the outer wall of the primary flow path, a plurality of conduits positioned along the intermediate casing, a plurality of tubes configured around the high pressure compressor and connecting the conduits to the bypass flow path, and at least one flow regulating valve disposed along the interior of each of the plurality of tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: SNECMA Moteurs
    Inventors: Michel Gilbert Brault, Pascal Noël Brossier
  • Abradable coating for gas turbine walls
    Publication number: 20030175116
    Abstract: The coating of abradable material presents cavities opening out into the surface of the coating, the cavities extending over a fraction of the thickness of the coating and being defined by walls which form a plurality of continuous paths at the inside surface of the annular portion between the axial end faces thereof, and which form an angle of not less than 5° relative to the general direction of end portions of blades that might come into contact with the abradable material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Philippe Le Biez, Joel Vigneau
  • Protection for a carbon material, in particular C/C composite, bowl that is to receive a crucible, such as a silica crucible for drawing silicon
    Patent number: 6616756
    Abstract: Prior to housing the crucible in the bowl, a consumable buffer ply is applied over at least a portion of the inside face of the bowl, the ply being constituted essentially by a non-rigid carbon fiber fabric for protecting the bowl from both physical and chemical interactions with the crucible. The buffer ply is essentially constituted by a flexible fabric selected from: a woven cloth, a knit, a multidirectional sheet, and a thin felt. Prior to putting the ply into place in the bowl, it is possible to form a thin deposit of pyrolytic carbon on the fibers of the fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Jacques Thebault, Jean Michel Georges, Dominique Coupe
  • Arrangement for the attachment of distributor sectors supporting vanes around an arc of a circle
    Publication number: 20030146578
    Abstract: Distributor sectors (25) on which fixed vanes are placed adjacent to a casing (31) by means of sealing sectors (32) alternating with them in the axial direction and provided with force resistant faces (37; 39) through which forces exerted on the distributor sectors are transmitted to the casing. The inner surface of the casing (31) is smoother and is not fitted with any hooks; consequently, this casing (31) is less complicated to make and is less mechanically stressed to retain the distributor sectors, and the distributor sectors may be installed by a purely axial movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Patrick Joseph Marie Girard, Sebastien Alain Imbourg, Philippe Jean-Pierre Pabion, Jean-Luc Soupizon
  • Stator blade pivoting arrangement in a turbomachine
    Publication number: 20030147743
    Abstract: A spring (15) of angular shape is placed between the lug (17) of a connecting rod (10) controlling the orientation of a stator blade and the pivot (3) of said blade, such that its edge (18) bends against one edge face (19) of the connecting rod (10) and the washer (16) moves the pivot (3) in the play of the bore (21) of the connecting rod and sets and maintains the contact between two plane faces (12 and 13), so as to reduce the differences in angular displacements between the connecting rod and pivot due to the play remaining in the bore (21).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Alain Chatel, Fabrice Marois, Dominique Raulin
  • Compressor stator having a constant clearance
    Patent number: 6602049
    Abstract: In a turbomachine compressor stator comprising a plurality of variable-pitch vanes (36), each vane mounted in rotation, about an axis of pivoting (38), in a wall (34) forming a surface of revolution about a longitudinal central axis of rotation of the turbomachine (32), being inclined by a specified angle (&agr;) with respect to a plane perpendicular to this longitudinal central axis, there is provision for this wall to be machined locally opposite an end part of each vane (42) so as to form a spherical portion or pocket (40) whose center is positioned on the axis of pivoting and whose radius is determined so as to ensure, over the entire range of operation of the vane, a predetermined minimum clearance between this end part of each vane and the opposite machined spherical pocket while limiting the depth of machining of this pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Snecma Moteurs
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Caubet, Daniel Dao, Antoine Jean, Didier Merville
  • Device for controlling a variable-angle vane via a slack-free connection
    Publication number: 20030143066
    Abstract: A device for controlling a variable-angle vane for a stator of a turbomachine compressor, the device comprising a link, connection means forming a hinge between a first end of the link and a control ring, and fixing means for fixing a second end of the link on a pivot of a vane to be controlled, a radial recess formed in the vane pivot for receiving the second end of the link, the recess having at least one plane edge inclined relative to a longitudinal midplane of the recess and co-operating with a corresponding inclined edge of the second end of the link, and a clamping cap bearing against the second end of the link and on which the fixing means act, the clamping cap having an inside surface providing plane contact with the outside face of the second end of the link in order to maintain the second end of the link against the vane pivot without slack by means of contact between the-inclined edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventor: Michel Bouru
  • Nozzle-vane band for a gas turbine engine
    Publication number: 20030143064
    Abstract: A high-pressure turbine nozzle-vane band for a gas turbine engine, the band comprising an inside surface supporting at least one guide vane having a trailing edge that is directed towards a downstream end of the band, and an outside surface, opposite the inside surface, from which a flange extends radially, defining firstly, upstream from the flange, a passage for cooling-air, and secondly, downstream from the flange, a cavity, the inside surface of the band being provided, between the trailing edge of the guide vane and the downstream end of the band, with a coating forming a thermal barrier enabling a temperature gradient generated in the band by the air spinning in said cavity to be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: SNECMA MOTEURS
    Inventors: Gregory Lafarge, Christophe Texier