Patents Examined by Alain Chau
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Patent number: 11952138Abstract: There are described methods and systems for operating an aircraft having two or more engines. One method comprises operating the two or more engines of the aircraft in an asymmetric operating regime, wherein a first of the engines is in an active mode to provide motive power to the aircraft and a second of the engines is in a standby mode to provide substantially no motive power to the aircraft; governing the first engine in the active mode using a first governing logic; and governing the second engine in the standby mode using a second governing logic, the second governing logic based on a target compressor speed and variable geometry mechanism (VGM) settings that are adjusted using trim values dependent on at least one parameter of the second engine in the standby mode.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Martin Drolet, Frederic Fortin
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Patent number: 11952966Abstract: A compact safety ignition device for a dual pulse motor capable of preventing accidental ignition of an ignition device includes a housing which forms an accommodation space and coupled to a front port of a combustion tube. Primary and secondary circuit portions mounted inside the housing for generating ignition signals for a primary and secondary propellant, respectively. A primary ignition device mounted at one end of the housing and electrically connected to the primary circuit portion and accommodated in the combustion tube. A secondary bulkhead initiator mounted inside the housing and electrically connected to the secondary circuit portion. The primary ignition device includes a primary detonation portion electrically connected to the primary ignition device and includes a primary bulkhead initiator electrically connected to the primary detonation portion at a protrusion protruding from an end of the primary detonation portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2023Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Inventors: Seung Gyo Jang, Joo Young Jin
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Patent number: 11946420Abstract: A fuel system includes a main pump assembly. The main pump assembly has a main fuel pump connected to an input line, a recirculation pump connected to the input line, and a fuel recirculation system. A recirculation control includes a first selector valve in fluid communication with an outlet line of the recirculation pump, with a recirculation return line connected to return fuel to the input line, and with an inter-valve line. The recirculation control includes a second selector valve in fluid communication with the inter-valve line, with a back-up line connecting the second selector valve to a main fuel control, and with a cooler recirculation line connected to supply the one or more coolers.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2023Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand CorporationInventors: Edward W. Goy, Ryan Prescott Susca, Ryan Shook
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Patent number: 11946415Abstract: A gas turbine engine having a waste heat recovery system is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath, the exhaust section including a primary exhaust flowpath and a waste heat recovery flowpath parallel to the primary exhaust flowpath; and the waste heat recovery system includes a heat source exchanger positioned in thermal communication with a first portion of the waste heat recovery flowpath.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Brandon Wayne Miller, William Joseph Bowden, Matthew Thomas Beyer, Michael John Simonetti
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Patent number: 11946385Abstract: A method for controlling the bending deformation of a turbomachine shaft at rest subjected to the residual heat of operation of the turbomachine, wherein the shaft is rotated at a rotation speed between 0.1 and 50 revolutions per minute depending on the bending deformation deflection of the shaft when the turbomachine is at rest.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Clément Georges Henri Gorce, Emelian Charles François Vsevolod Evqueny Tichtchenko
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Patent number: 11946419Abstract: Methods and apparatus to produce hydrogen gas turbine propulsion are disclosed. An example apparatus to produce propulsion in a gas turbine engine includes a fluid line to transport hydrogen from a hydrogen supply and an inert gas from an inert gas supply to a gas turbine combustor. The apparatus also includes at least one heat exchanger coupled to the fluid line to heat the inert gas and the hydrogen in the fluid line.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignees: General Electric Company, GE AVIO S.R.L.Inventors: David Justin Brady, Mirko Gernone, Nathan E Gibson
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Patent number: 11918943Abstract: A turbine engine having a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and a rotatable drive shaft that couples a portion of the turbine section and a portion of the compressor section. A bypass conduit couples the compressor section to the turbine section while bypassing at least the combustion section. At least one particle separator is located in the turbine engine having a separator inlet that receives a bypass stream, a separator outlet that receives a reduced-particle stream flows, and a particle outlet that receives a concentrated-particle stream comprising separated particles. A conduit, fluidly coupled to the particle outlet, extends through an interior of at least one stationary vane.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Timothy Deryck Stone, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Robert Proctor, Curtis Stover, Robert Francis Manning, Victor Hugo Silva Correia, Jared Peter Buhler, Robert Carl Murray, Corey Bourassa, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff
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Patent number: 11920521Abstract: Control schemes for controlling a gas turbine engine in response to disturbances associated with a load mechanically coupled with the gas turbine engine are provided. In one aspect, a gas turbine engine mechanically coupled with a load has a controller that includes executable control logic. The control logic includes a feedforward module, an aggressive control module, and a power turbine governor module. By executing the modules, the controller seeks to maintain a constant power turbine speed stably and subtly in response to small disturbances associated with the load and aggressively in response to large disturbances associated with the load, as well as smooth transitions between the responses.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2022Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jessie Thorup, Christopher David King
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Patent number: 11913409Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an afterburner structure with fuel injection nozzles. In the condition of a stable inlet flow, the present disclosure forms a sweeping oscillating jet with a certain frequency at the outlet under an alternate feedback action of a feedback channel and the fluid's Coanda effect, so that the spatial uniformity of the fuel injection is improved; Therefore, without increasing the structural complexity of current afterburner of the turbo-engine and the combustion chamber of the subsonic combustion ramjet, the atomization performance and the uniformity of the oil-gas mixture in the afterburner/combustion chamber of the ramjet can be greatly improved, the combustion efficiency and combustion instability of the engine can be improved and meanwhile the length of the afterburner and the combustion chamber of the subsonic combustion ramjet is shortened.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2023Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: AERO ENGINE ACADEMY OF CHINAInventors: Shiqi Wang, Quan Wen, Xiao Han
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Patent number: 11913382Abstract: A fuel injector for a turbine engine includes a fuel scheduling valve configured for regulation of fuel flow from a fuel inlet in response to fuel pressure received at the fuel inlet. Primary and secondary fuel circuits receive fuel from the scheduling valve, and an electrically-controlled valve is provided in fluid communication with the primary circuit, adapted and configured to actively control fuel through the primary circuit in response to a control signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand CorporationInventors: Brandon P. Williams, Jason A. Ryon, Todd Haugsjaahabink, Murtuza Lokhandwalla, Charles E. Reuter
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Patent number: 11905884Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes: a turbomachine including a combustion section and an exhaust assembly arranged in serial flow order; and a fuel system. The fuel system includes: a hydrogen fuel tank for holding a hydrogen fuel in a liquid phase; and a hydrogen delivery assembly in thermal communication with the exhaust assembly. The hydrogen delivery assembly includes: a liquid hydrogen line in fluid communication with the hydrogen fuel tank; a gaseous hydrogen line in fluid communication with the combustion section of the gas turbine engine; and a heat exchanger tubing positioned within the exhaust assembly downstream of the liquid hydrogen line and upstream of the gaseous hydrogen line.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2022Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mustafa Dindar, Scott Alan Schimmels
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Patent number: 11898500Abstract: Embodiments are directed to systems and methods for controlling an aircraft engine inlet comprises determining a required engine RPM for an engine in-flight restart based upon current aircraft parameters, detecting a command to initiate the engine in-flight restart, and managing a position of an engine inlet barrier to control a volume of air entering an engine intake, wherein the ram air causes an engine turbine to achieve the required engine RPM. The required engine RPM may be an N1 gas generator RPM. The engine inlet barrier may be a hinged door positioned within the engine inlet or a series of inlet variable guide vanes that are configured to rotate between a closed position and an opened position. The position of the engine inlet barrier may be controlled by a flight control computer or an engine control computer.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventor: Thomas Dewey Parsons
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Patent number: 11898502Abstract: Combustion turbine control systems are configured to operate combustion turbine systems in partial or no load while meeting emission targets. The combustion turbine system includes a combustion turbine, an electrical generator, a combustion turbine controller, a catalyst assembly, and/or other relevant equipment. Based on given operating constraints, such as load conditions and emission regulations, the combustion turbine controller may execute corresponding actions to control certain gas concentrations and/or gas mass flows in the exhaust gases in compliance with emission regulations. The corresponding actions may include, but are not limited to: controlling fuel and/or diluent injection(s) to combustor(s) to control combustion (e.g.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Adnan Fareed Zafar, Sameer Dinkar Vartak, Arun Kumar Sridharan, Jose Apolonio Burciaga-Santos
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Patent number: 11898496Abstract: A fuel system of an aircraft engine, having: a boost pump having an input and an output; one or more selector valves; a first component pump having an input fluidly coupled to the output of the boost pump and an output of the first component pump is configured to direct fuel to a first component via the one or more selector valves; and a second component pump having an input that is selectively coupled to either the input or the output of the boost pump by the one or more selector valves, and an output of the second component pump is fluidly coupled to a second component and selectively coupled to the first component by the one or more selector valves.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATIONInventors: Ryan Prescott Susca, Morgan O'Rorke, Adrian L. Stoicescu
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Patent number: 11891967Abstract: A turbofan includes a fan, a casing positioned downstream of the fan and separating a primary flowpath from a secondary flowpath, a compressor, a combustion chamber and a turbine being arranged in the primary flowpath, the turbofan having a differential transmission coupled to the turbine, and a power supply device configured to provide additional power to the one provided by the turbine to drive the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2019Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Henri Yesilcimen, Caroline Marie Frantz, Nicolas Jérôme Jean Tantot, Nathalie Nowakowski, Gilles Alain Marie Charier, Kévin Morgane Lemarchand, Jonathan Evert Vlastuin
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Patent number: 11873993Abstract: A combustor includes a liner defining a combustion chamber. An air and fuel mixing body is received within the liner and upstream of the combustion chamber. The mixing body has a center axis and includes a bluff-body. A plurality of fuel injection ports on the bluff-body communicate with a central fuel supply such that fuel passes from the fuel supply passage and into a mixing chamber with a component in an axially downstream direction and a radially outward direction relative to said central axis. A plurality of inner air swirlers provide air into the mixing chamber with a component in an axially downstream direction, a radially outward direction, and with a circumferential component due to swirler structure. The fuel injection ports are downstream of an outlet of the inner air swirlers.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2023Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventor: Alain Athanase Fossi
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Patent number: 11867137Abstract: A jet engine is provided having a front compression stage for pressurizing intake air, and a central superheating section for further increasing the temperature and pressure of the pressurized intake air from the front compression stage. The central superheating section is at least partially electrically powered by an internal energy generating power source. A rear exhaust nozzle stage recovers energy from a discharge of the superheating section and creates thrust.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Inventor: Jesse LaSalle McQueen
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Patent number: 11867129Abstract: In an asymmetric operating regime, a first engine is operating in an active mode to provide motive power to an aircraft while a second engine is operating in a standby mode and de-clutched from a gearbox of the aircraft. In response to an emergency exit request, the second engine's speed is increased, at a maximum permissible rate, to a re-clutching speed while increasing the first engine's power output at a maximum permissible rate. When the re-clutching speed is reached, the second engine's power output is increased at a maximum permissible rate. In response to a normal exit request, the second engine's speed is increased to the re-clutching speed at a rate lower than the maximum permissible rate. When the re-clutching speed is reached, the second engine's power output is increased at a rate lower than the maximum permissible rate.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2023Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Philippe Beauchesne-Martel, Olivier Bibor
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Patent number: 11867402Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a combustor liner includes a first portion extending in a substantially axial direction and a second portion that extending in the substantially axial direction. A step connects the first portion and the second portion. The step is arranged at an angle to the second portion that is less than 90°. The step has a step height defined as a distance between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion, second portion, and step are formed as a unitary ceramic component. A slot extends through the step, and a ratio of a height of the slot to a height of the step is greater than 0.66.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2021Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: RTX CorporationInventors: San Quach, Thomas N. Slavens
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Patent number: 11859549Abstract: A thermodynamic apparatus (10) comprising a compressor module (100), a turbine module (200), and a regenerative heat exchanger (300) centred on a central axis (12). The compressor module (100), turbine module (200) and regenerative heat exchanger (300) are arranged in series along the central axis (12) such that the regenerative heat exchanger (300) is provided between the compressor module (100) and the turbine module (200).Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2021Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLCInventor: James William Spain