Patents Assigned to United Technologies
  • Publication number: 20210131352
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a gas turbine engine comprising a modulated bleed valve are provided. The gas turbine engine may comprise a turbine nozzle coupled to a controller, a modulated bleed valve in communication with the controller, and a tangible, non-transitory memory providing instructions to the controller to perform operations. The operations may include receiving parameter values from the parameter sensor at various times, determining desired bleed airflows to flow through the modulated bleed valve at various times, and/or commanding the modulated bleed valve to assume an open configuration or a closed configuration at various times. The modulated bleed valve may be configured to allow bleed airflow to bypass a nozzle choke area of the turbine nozzle and join a nozzle airflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Victor Pascu, Anthony C. Jones
  • Publication number: 20210123355
    Abstract: A stator assembly, in accordance with various embodiments, is disclosed herein. The stator assembly comprises either a first bumper or a first tab. The first bumper or the first tab extends circumferentially outward from a mating portion of the vane towards a slot in a ring. The ring may be an outer diameter (OD) ring or an inner diameter (ID) ring. The mating portion of the vane may be coupled to the ring by a potting component. The potting component may prevent direct contact between the vane and the ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sarah J. Zecha, Brian Duguay, Nicholas Hunnewell
  • Publication number: 20210123357
    Abstract: A seal housing may comprise an aft flange, an outer diameter (OD) ring and a stopper. The stopper may extend radially inward from a radially inner surface of OD ring. The stopper may be configured to interface with a monobloc carbon seal. The stopper may comprise a circumferential stopping portion and an axial stopping portion. There may be a plurality of the stopper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sonokawa, Jonathan F. Zimmitti, Nasr A. Shuaib
  • Publication number: 20210123361
    Abstract: A bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes a rotationally fixed structure defined about an engine longitudinal axis; a gutter section formed in the front support; an oil drainback assembly mountable to the gutter section to direct oil into a drain passage to communicate oil from the gutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Todd A. Davis, Joseph D. Walker
  • Publication number: 20210123385
    Abstract: A scupper suitable for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes a windage blocker in a gutter section upstream of a drain hole, the windage blocker extends from a wall of the gutter section. A method for capturing wept oil in a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes positioning a windage blocker adjacent to a drain hole forming a passage space and increasing a pressure upstream of the windage blocker to generate a vortex downstream of the windage blocker creating an oil re-circulation zone promoting oil drainage into the drain hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew V. Schwendenmann, Todd A. Davis, Ryan Lureau, Reade W. James
  • Publication number: 20210115805
    Abstract: A machine has: an outer member; an inner member mounted for rotation about an axis relative to the outer member; and a seal system. The seal system has: a seal housing mounted to the outer member; one or more seal rings held by the seal housing and having an inner diameter surface; and a seal runner mounted to the inner member and having a first outer diameter surface portion contacting or facing the inner diameter surface of the one or more seal rings. The seal runner has a circumferential array of mounting features. One or more weights are mounted to one or more of the mounting features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy R. Dyer, Abhijeet Shrestha
  • Publication number: 20210114085
    Abstract: A casting core assembly is disclosed herein. The casting core assembly comprises a casting core and a bumper assembly. The bumper assembly is disposed on an outer surface of the casting core. The bumper assembly comprises a receptacle and a metal apparatus. The metal apparatus may be a pin, a sphere, or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carl R. Verner, David A. Krause
  • Patent number: 10975912
    Abstract: A bearing assembly includes a bearing cage and a supplementary ring. The bearing cage includes an annular body and a plurality of bearing elements disposed about the annular body. The supplementary ring includes an annular collar and a plurality of retention elements. The annular collar is disposed concentrically about the bearing cage. The plurality of retention elements is connected to and extends axially from the first annular collar. Each retention element is aligned between adjacent bearing elements. The plurality of retention elements is disposed to retain the plurality of bearing elements in the annular body of the bearing cage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Nelson, Kevin Duffy
  • Publication number: 20210102468
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a composite rotor blade includes manufacturing an oversized root region of a root region of a composite rotor blade; fixturing the CMC blade into a machining fixture at a primary Y and Z axis datum located at an attachment fillet radii of the root region; machining V-notches into the oversized root region to form a Y? and Z? axis datum of a sacrificial datum system in relation to the primary Y and Z axis datum; applying an oversized coating layer over the attachment fillet radii of the root region; fixturing the CMC blade into a machining fixture at the Y? and Z? axis datum of the sacrificial datum system; machining the oversized coating layer to a machined coating layer forming a Y? and Z? axis datum with respect to the Y? and Z? axis datum of the sacrificial datum system; fixturing the CMC blade into a machining fixture at the Y? and Z? axis datum; and machining off the sacrificial datum system removing the V-notches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. McCaffrey, Karl A. Mentz, Christopher King, Stephen D. Doll, Aurelia Ledbetter
  • Publication number: 20210102272
    Abstract: A vacuum arc remelt apparatus comprising a crucible having a wall, said wall having an interior and an exterior opposite said interior; an electrode within the crucible proximate the interior; an ingot within the crucible and below the electrode, wherein said ingot includes a crown and shelf; and a vibration source at the exterior of the crucible proximate the crown and shelf.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Luke Borkowski, Alexander Staroselsky
  • Publication number: 20210102474
    Abstract: A replaceable rotor blade tip clearance measurement device for a gas turbine engine, includes a threaded section along an axis and an integral abradable tip with an internal lattice geometry that extends from the threaded section along the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jose R. Paulino, Veronika Reynolds, Jason David Liles
  • Patent number: 10968748
    Abstract: A turbine section includes a pair of adjacent turbine airfoils and an endwall extending between the airfoils. The endwall includes a first feature spanning approximately thirty percent pitch and having a first depression with a maximum depression located between twenty percent and eighty percent of the axial chord length of the first airfoil, a second feature spanning approximately thirty percent pitch and having a first peak with a maximum height located between sixty percent and ninety percent of the axial chord length of the first airfoil, and a third feature spanning approximately thirty percent pitch and having a second depression with a maximum depression located between twenty percent and fifty percent of the axial chord length of the second airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Loubriel Ramirez
  • Patent number: 10969017
    Abstract: A method of determining wear of a seal element includes rotating a seal plate relative to the seal element and such that the seal plate and the seal element form a rotational sealing interface. The seal element includes an insert embedded in the seal element. A portion of the seal element is worn with a sealing face of the seal plate. The insert is contacted with the sealing face of the seal plate. A portion of the insert is worn to create a wear particle of the insert. The presence of the wear particle in a lubrication oil is sensed with an oil monitoring system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Changsheng Guo, Zaffir A. Chaudhry, Nasr A. Shuaib
  • Publication number: 20210095707
    Abstract: A turnbuckle for adjustably locking a component of a gas turbine engine to an engine static structure is disclosed. In various embodiments, the turnbuckle includes an outer body having a first internal threading and an outer body witness hole, the outer body defining a first end configured for attachment to the component; an inner body having a first external threading, the inner body defining a second end configured for attachment to the engine static structure; and a coupling body having a second internal threading configured to threadedly engage the first external threading and a second external threading configured to engage the first internal threading, wherein the outer body witness hole extends through the outer body and is configured to detect a first short-threading of the second external threading within the first internal threading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seth Michael Glaser, James Evans, Michael C. Rhodes
  • Publication number: 20210088217
    Abstract: A combustor may comprise an outer wall defining, at least, a portion of a combustion chamber. A dilution chute may extend from an interior surface of the outer wall. A support structure may extend between the dilution chute and the interior surface of the outer wall. A spall plate may extend from the interior surface of the outer wall. The spall plate may be located between the support structure and an outlet of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Binek, Sean R. Jackson, Evan J. Butcher
  • Patent number: 10958542
    Abstract: An aircraft sensor system includes a first sensor configured to detect a parameter of an aircraft system and a first micro electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) disposed local to a first component within the aircraft system. The first MEMS is communicatively connected to a controller, and is configured to trigger in response to a corresponding parameter exceeding a threshold. The controller is connected to an output of the first sensor and includes a non-transitory memory storing instructions configured to cause the controller to increase a sampling rate of the first sensor to a sampling rate corresponding to the first component for at least a predetermined length of time in response to the first MEMS being triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Sheridon Everette Haye
  • Publication number: 20210079806
    Abstract: A variable vane actuation system for a gas turbine engine includes a stem section, along an axis, the stem section includes a groove; a vane arm comprising a claw section received at least partially into the groove; a clip mounted to the claw section; and a fastener fastened to the stem section along the axis to retain the clip and the vane arm to the stem section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan D. Little
  • Publication number: 20210079805
    Abstract: A variable vane actuation system for a gas turbine engine includes a stem section that forms a base and a contoured section that extends from the base along an axis. A vane arm comprising a claw section received onto the contoured section and a fastener fastened to the contoured section to load the claw section to the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel R. Landry
  • Publication number: 20210079801
    Abstract: A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine may include a seal body coupled to an engine static structure of the gas turbine engine and a seal seat insert coupled to a radially extending portion of a shaft of the gas turbine engine. The seal body may be generally configured to be biased into contact with the seal seat insert to provide a sealing pressure between the seal body and the seal seat insert. In various embodiments, the seal seat insert is made from a ceramic material or a ceramic matrix composite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pantcho P. Stoyanov, Eli N. Ross
  • Publication number: 20210079800
    Abstract: A hybrid grommet assembly for a vane comprising a body portion comprising a first lip opposite a second lip forming a slot receiver, said slot receiver configured to receive a shroud slot of a shroud; said body portion comprising a vane receiver extending from said body portion and configured to receive a vane; a fiber integral within said body portion; and a potting coupled to said grommet proximate said vane receiver, wherein said potting fills a gap between the grommet and the vane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Colin G. Amadon, Thomas Freeman