Patents Examined by Andrew Nguyen
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Patent number: 9958162Abstract: A combustor assembly includes a first wall, a second wall, a bulkhead and a plurality of fuel injectors. The bulkhead forms a combustion chamber with the first and the second walls. The fuel injectors are configured with the first wall in a unique and/or a fluctuating pattern.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2014Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Zhongtao Dai, Jeffrey M. Cohen, Kristin Kopp-Vaughan, James B. Hoke
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Patent number: 9958152Abstract: A nozzle cap (82) is disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. The nozzle cap includes a bore arranged to accommodate a downstream portion of a fluid-injecting lance that extends along a longitudinal axis (18) of the nozzle. The downstream portion of the fluid-injecting lance includes a centrally-located atomizer (80) to form a first atomized ejection cone. An array of atomizers (84) is disposed in the nozzle cap. The array of atomizers is circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis of the lance. The array of atomizers may be positioned radially outwardly relative to the centrally-located atomizer to form an array of respective second atomized ejection cones.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2014Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFTInventors: Stephen A. Ramier, Vinayak V. Barve, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Khalil Farid Abou-Jaoude
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Patent number: 9938929Abstract: A thrust reverser of a turbofan engine has a translating structure and a blocker door device capable of diverting a bypass flowpath for reversing propulsion direction. The translating structure moves axially between a forward position and a rearward position and thereby drives a compound motion of a blocker door of the blocker door device that moves between a respective stowed state and a deployed state. The compound motion is attributable through the blocker door being pivotally engaged to the translating structure, and through a multi-armed linkage of the device being pivotally engaged between a stationary structure, the blocker door and the translating structure. The linkage is further orientated such that it does not appreciably obstruct the bypass flowpath when the blocker door is in the stowed state.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2014Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: Rohr, Inc.Inventor: Timothy Gormley
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Patent number: 9938930Abstract: A composite wear pad for being coupled to a slider block of a convergent nozzle of a gas turbine engine includes a high heat capacity composite having a resin and a plurality of carbon fibers bonded together by the resin. The composite wear pad also includes a first rod coupled to the high heat capacity composite at a first axial end of the composite wear pad such that a first end thickness. The composite wear pad also includes a second rod coupled to the high heat capacity composite at a second axial end of the composite wear pad such that the first axial end and the second axial end of the composite wear pad each have an end thickness that is greater than a middle thickness of the composite wear pad.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2015Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Donald W. Peters, Emma J. Place
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Patent number: 9926884Abstract: A nacelle is provided comprising, a thrust reverser comprising a translating sleeve configured to translate between a stowed position and a deployed position, the translating sleeve comprising a slat cutout for clearance, and a slat door disposed at least partially in the slat cutout in response to the thrust reverser being in the stowed position, wherein the slat door is configured to move in response to the thrust reverser being in the deployed position to expose a portion of the slat cutout to accept a portion of a deployed forward wing slat.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2015Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: Rohr, Inc.Inventors: Sara Christine Crawford, Michael Aten, Anthony Lacko
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Patent number: 9915226Abstract: A thrust reverser of an aircraft comprises a blocker door and a variable area fan nozzle (VAFN) panel configured to conceal the blocker door from a duct associated with a bypass fan flow when the VAFN panel is in a closed position.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: Rohr, Inc.Inventor: Timothy Gormley
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Patent number: 9915164Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a fan rotor, a lower speed compressor rotor and a higher speed compressor rotor, and a lower speed turbine rotor and a higher speed turbine rotor. The lower speed turbine rotor rotates the lower speed compressor rotor, and rotates a gear reduction to, in turn, rotate the fan rotor. The higher speed turbine rotor rotates the higher speed compressor rotor. An electrical generator is driven to rotate with one of the lower speed turbine rotor and the fan rotor.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Gary D. Roberge
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Patent number: 9909499Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward a system and method to drain a fuel manifold wherein a fuel drainage and purge system includes a fuel manifold and a drainage line extending from the fuel manifold. The drainage line is configured to flow a liquid-gas mixture from the fuel manifold. The fuel drainage and purge system also includes a drain valve disposed along the drainage line, a vent line extending from the drainage line upstream of the drain valve, a vent valve disposed along the vent line, and a drainage trap arranged along the drainage line downstream of the drain valve. The drainage trap is configured to separate the liquid-gas mixture into a liquid stream and a gaseous stream.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2014Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Tho Vankhanh Nguyen, Tuy Cam Huynh, Luis Alejandro Gutierrez Gonzalez, Jose Luis Campos Orozco, Imran Ali Khan, Horacio Solis Godinez
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Patent number: 9909506Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a fan rotor for delivering air axially downstream into a core engine duct, which sequentially passes a turbine, a combustor, and a compressor. The core engine duct extends to a turning supply duct configured to turn the core air flow axially upstream so that the core air sequentially passes through the compressor, combustor and turbine, and into an exhaust conduit which turns the core airflow radially outwardly and axially downstream into an exhaust duct. A door is selectively opened to communicate a portion of the core airflow in the core engine duct to an augmentor with the exhaust duct isolated from the augmentor. The door is at a location prior to the core airflow reaching the compressor. A method is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2013Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Daniel Bernard Kupratis
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Patent number: 9897316Abstract: A combustion chamber for a turbine engine such as an airplane turboprop or turbojet has inner and outer annular walls forming bodies of revolution that are connected together by an annular chamber end wall. The inner wall is constituted by a single thickness of material that presents thickness and/or nature varying along the longitudinal axis and/or the circumferential direction of said wall.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2010Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Caroline Jacqueline Denise Berdou, Laurent Bernard Cameriano
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Patent number: 9863260Abstract: A nozzle segment assembly for a gas turbine engine may generally include inner and outer ring support segments and a nozzle fairing positioned between the inner and outer ring support segments. The nozzle fairing may be formed from a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material and may include both an outer endwall and an inner endwall. In addition, the nozzle fairing may include a strut vane extending between the inner and outer endwalls. The nozzle segment assembly may also include a metallic strut extending through the strut vane between the outer and inner ring supports and at least one secondary vane configured to be received through at least one of the outer endwall or the inner endwall of the nozzle fairing such that the at least one secondary vane extends between the inner and outer endwalls at a location adjacent to the strut vane.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Matthew Mark Weaver
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Patent number: 9863315Abstract: A gas turbine having a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for taking in compressed air discharged from the compressor, mixing it with fuel, and burning them, and a turbine driven by combustion gas generated in the combustor, comprising: inlet guide vanes installed at a stage near an inlet of the compressor for adjusting a compressor flow rate by changing an attaching angle thereof, a steam injection mechanism for injecting steam to the combustor, a steam adjustment valve for adjusting the steam injection rate, and a steam rate control mechanism for adjusting an opening of the steam adjustment valve, a steam monitoring mechanism for monitoring the steam rate injected to the combustor, an air temperature monitoring mechanism for monitoring an atmospheric temperature, and a control unit for determining whether a restriction value of the steam injection rate using a temperature, an opening of the inlet guide vanes, and the steam injection rate as indexes is satisfied, and controlling at least one of a teType: GrantFiled: November 4, 2013Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroki Takeda, Ryo Akiyama, Yasuo Takahashi
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Patent number: 9856826Abstract: The present disclosure provides a rear nacelle assembly for a turbojet having at least one thrust reversal device to redirect air circulating from upstream to downstream in a flow path of a turbojet and a mast that connects the nacelle to a structure of an aircraft. In one form, the thrust reverser device includes a cradle having a first longeron and a second longeron extending longitudinally opposite sides of the mast. The first and second longeron each include a device for slideably guiding the cowl and the cascade. In another form, a rear portion and a front portion of the cradle connects to the mast by a rear connecting device and front connecting device, respectively, such that the cradle is adapted to follow the movements of the turbojet.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2017Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: SAFRAN NACELLESInventor: Patrick Boileau
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Patent number: 9850771Abstract: A sealing arrangement for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a groove that extends between an upstream rail and a downstream rail, a complementary static structure spaced from the groove, and a seal positioned within the groove and configured to seal a clearance between at least one of the upstream rail and the downstream rail and the complementary static structure.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Steven D. Porter, John T. Ols
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Patent number: 9822734Abstract: One embodiment includes a pivot thrust reverser. The pivot thrust reverser includes a first tandem pivot door subassembly comprising an inner panel and an outer panel. The inner panel and the outer panel are connected so as to rotate simultaneously about respective pivot axes that are each positionally fixed axes relative to the gas turbine engine assembly. A second tandem pivot door subassembly is included, spaced from the first tandem pivot door subassembly and comprising an inner panel and an outer panel. The inner panel and the outer panel are connected so as to rotate simultaneously about respective pivot axes that are each positionally fixed axes relative to the gas turbine engine assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2014Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Jesse M. Chandler, Gabriel L. Suciu
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Patent number: 9822980Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a body defining an axial direction and a radial direction, a primary air passageway centrally defined axially in the body, and a plurality of concentrically-arranged nozzle tip projections disposed at a downstream portion of the body. Each of the plurality of nozzle tip projections has a radially inwardly facing fuel filming surface communicating with respective fuel passages. The fuel filming surfaces are disposed radially outwardly of an outlet of the primary air passageway. A method for delivering fuel from a fuel nozzle of a combustor of a gas turbine engine is also presented.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2014Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.Inventors: Eduardo Hawie, Nigel Davenport, Yen-Wen Wang
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Patent number: 9816436Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a shaft, a first bearing structure and a second bearing structure that support the shaft. Each of the first bearing structure and the second bearing structure includes a bearing compartment that contains a lubricant and a seal that contains the lubricant within the bearing compartments. A buffer system is configured to pressurize the seals to prevent the lubricant from escaping the bearing compartments. The buffer system includes a first circuit configured to supply a first buffer supply air to the first bearing structure, a second circuit configured to supply a second buffer supply air to the second bearing structure, and a controller configured to select between at least two bleed air supplies to communicate the first buffer supply air and the second buffer supply air.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2014Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Jorn A. Glahn, William K. Ackermann, Clifton J. Crawley, Philip S. Stripinis
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Patent number: 9816464Abstract: Thrust vector control for a vehicle having a fluid drive, vehicle having thrust vector control and method of controlling thrust vector. Thrust vector control includes a thrust current region for a thrust current of a propulsion stream having a flow direction; a steering mechanism for the thrust current including at least one steering device arranged at least in a peripheral region of the thrust current region, and the at least one steering device includes a rotational body with a lateral surface and a rotational axis arranged transverse to the flow direction, and the rotational body being rotatable so that a first part of the lateral surface exposed to the thrust current rotates in a first rotational direction, whereby a Magnus effect is produced to deflect the thrust current. The first rotational direction is in a direction of the thrust current.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2012Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: AIRBUS DEFENSE AND SPACE GMBHInventor: Jost Seifert
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Patent number: 9810431Abstract: A silo combustion chamber for a gas turbine having a flame tube having an inner wall and flame tube base delimiting a combustion chamber; an outer wall surrounding the inner wall, forming a cavity; an annular chamber at least partly surrounding the outer wall and a number of supply lines fluidically coupled to the hot side of a heat exchanger during operation of the turbine; a number of burners, each of which opens into the combustion chamber on the outlet side through an opening in the flame tube base. The oxygen supply is fluidically connected to the annular chamber. A collecting chamber is arranged over the flame tube base. The annular chamber is connected to the collecting chamber via each connecting piece, each burner is fluidically connected to the collecting chamber to supply oxygen. The cavity between the inner and outer wall is locally fluidically separated from the collecting chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2015Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Martin Wilke
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Patent number: 9784215Abstract: A ceramic turbine engine exhaust component, such as a ceramic matrix composite (“CMC”) exhaust center body may be positioned around a metallic attachment ring. The attachment ring may have a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than the CMC center body. A plurality of bolts radially-spaced around the circumference of the attachment ring may be inserted through apertures in the center body with a sliding fit, and may be coupled to the attachment ring. The bolts may slide within the apertures, allowing the attachment ring to thermally expand without applying extra loads on the exhaust center body due to the expansion.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2014Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: ROHR, INC.Inventors: Jacques Jinqiu Lu, Chad Franks, Richard S. Alloway