Patents Examined by Craig Kim
  • Patent number: 11555450
    Abstract: A method of producing compressed air for use onboard an aircraft includes receiving compressor discharge air into an air channel of a fuel injector. The method also includes cooling the compressor discharge air within the air channel by heat exchange with fuel flowing in the fuel injector, and issuing cooled air from the internal air channel out of an engine case as a source of compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Gregory A. Zink, Brandon Phillip Williams, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11542026
    Abstract: A propulsion unit for an aircraft includes a nacelle, a turbojet engine, an annular flow path for circulating a secondary air flow, and a precooler device communicating with a motor enclosure and including a scoop opening into the annular flow path. The propulsion unit includes a compressed air supply circuit arranged in the propulsion unit for injecting a flow of compressed air into the scoop of the precooler device. A method for ventilating a motor enclosure of a propulsion unit includes injecting compressed air into a scoop of the precooler device when the turbojet engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Safran Nacelles
    Inventor: Patrick Boileau
  • Patent number: 11543130
    Abstract: An injection system includes an inner nozzle body defining a first air path along a longitudinal axis. The first air path defines a converging-diverging section between an upstream portion of the first air path and an outlet orifice of the first air path. A main orifice is defined at a narrowest portion of the converging-diverging section. A fuel circuit wall is outboard of the inner nozzle body. A fuel path is defined between the fuel circuit wall and the inner nozzle body. An outer nozzle body outboard of the fuel circuit wall has a second air path defined through the inner nozzle body for communication of air from the outer nozzle body into the first air path, wherein the second air path meets the first air path at a second orifice in the first air path downstream of the main orifice of the inner nozzle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw, Brandon Phillip Williams
  • Patent number: 11525399
    Abstract: An oil system, has: a pump driving an oil flow in an oil conduit, the pump having an outlet pump pressure; a heat exchanger providing heat exchange between the oil flow and one or more fluid; a component downstream of the heat exchanger, the component having a maximum oil pressure requirement and a minimum oil pressure requirement; and a flow restrictor in fluid flow communication with the oil conduit, the flow restrictor having an orifice sized to provide a restrictor pressure differential across the flow restrictor, the restrictor pressure differential being equal to at least the outlet pump pressure minus pressure differentials through the heat exchanger and the oil conduit from an outlet of the pump to the component minus the maximum oil pressure requirement, and at most the outlet pump pressure minus the pressure differentials through the heat exchanger and the oil conduit minus the minimum oil pressure requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Sarah Nangle Smith
  • Patent number: 11519604
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a liner having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and defining a plurality of effusion cooling holes. At least one of the effusion cooling holes includes an inlet section and a converging section downstream of the inlet section. The at least one of the effusion cooling holes includes a metering section downstream of the converging section. The at least one of the effusion cooling holes includes an outlet section downstream of the metering section. The outlet section is proximate to the second surface. The inlet section, the converging section, the metering section and the outlet section extend along a longitudinal axis, with the inlet section asymmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis and the metering section symmetrical relative to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Rodolphe Dudebout, Nagaraja S. Rudrapatna, Atul Verma, David Chou, Christopher Zollars
  • Patent number: 11512638
    Abstract: A surface heat-exchanger for a turbojet engine nacelle between a fluid (C) to be cooled down and air (F) includes a circulation duct of the fluid (C) to be cooled down disposed in contact with air. The circulation duct includes a plurality of channels extending substantially in the same direction with a distance (D) between two adjacent channels between two and five times the width (L) of the channels, each channel having a wall with an area intended to be in contact with air and an area opposite to the area intended to be in contact with air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Safran Nacelles
    Inventors: Vincent Peyron, Jean-Nicolas Bouchout
  • Patent number: 11512641
    Abstract: A nacelle for use in an aircraft having a turbojet engine (the turbojet engine including a fan casing and a suspension pylon) includes a D-shaped structure downstream section embedding a thrust reverser device. The D-shaped structure downstream section includes a movable cascades vane. The D-shaped structure downstream section also includes two D-shaped half-structures each having an outer half-cowl movable in translation along a longitudinal axis, a connector between the cascades vane and the outer half-cowl, a twelve o'clock half-bifurcation, an inner half-structure defining an inner portion of the annular flow path, and a twelve o'clock half-beam mounted on the twelve o'clock half-bifurcation articulated on the pylon. The nacelle further includes an axial retention device of the downstream section of the nacelle, relative to the turbojet engine, configured to provide a connection defining an axial retention between the twelve o'clock half-beam and a fixed element of the fan casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Safran Nacelles
    Inventor: Patrick Boileau
  • Patent number: 11512639
    Abstract: A heat transfer system includes a heat exchanger located at least partially within a coolant flowpath. The heat exchanger defines at least in part a first flowpath and a second flowpath, the first flowpath configured to be in fluid communication with the coolant flowpath, and the second flowpath configured to receive a flow of a motive fluid. The heat transfer system further includes a throttling device that is in fluid communication with the second flowpath of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger receives at least a portion of the flow of the motive fluid from the heat exchanger. The throttling device is also in fluid communication with the coolant flowpath at a location upstream of the heat exchanger for providing the flow of motive fluid to the coolant flowpath at the location upstream of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11506144
    Abstract: A thrust reverser cascade for an aircraft nacelle includes a plurality of blades having a first and a second surface, the blades being connected to members connected to attachment flanges for attaching the thrust reverser cascade to the nacelle. At least one of the surfaces of the blades is covered with at least one layer of fibers, each layer including a plurality of fiber pieces which are pre-impregnated with resin. The fiber pieces are superimposed on one another, positioned parallel to the aerodynamic surface of the blade and oriented in different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: Safran Nacelles, Safran
    Inventors: Géraldine Oliveux, Bertrand Desjoyeaux, Cedric Thomas
  • Patent number: 11506124
    Abstract: Gas turbine engines are described. The gas turbine engines include a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and a nozzle, wherein the compressor section, the combustor section, the turbine section, and the nozzle define a core flow path that expels through the nozzle. A waste heat recovery system is operably connected to the gas turbine engine, the waste heat recovery system having a working fluid. An auxiliary cooling system is configured to provide cooling to a working fluid of the waste heat recovery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph B. Staubach, Amanda J. L. Boucher
  • Patent number: 11499449
    Abstract: A gas turbine module includes a gas turbine that has a gas turbine rotor and a turbine shell; an inlet plenum that is connected to an inlet of the gas turbine; an exhaust plenum that is connected to an exhaust of the gas turbine; an enclosure that covers the gas turbine; and a common base on which the gas turbine, the inlet plenum, the exhaust plenum, and the enclosure are mounted. When moving the gas turbine, the gas turbine module is moved together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Oba, Shingo Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11499502
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure may include a core engine defined about an axis, a fan driven by the core engine about the axis to generate bypass flow, and at least one integrated mechanism in communication with the bypass flow. The at least one integrated mechanism includes a variable area fan nozzle (VAFN) and thrust reverser, and a plurality of positions to control bypass flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard M. Marshall
  • Patent number: 11492969
    Abstract: A method of controlling the oil flow in an engine is provided. In preferred embodiments, the method comprises: flowing oil to a first oil pump upstream or downstream of a fuel oil heat exchanger and flowing oil to a second oil pump upstream or downstream of an air oil heat exchanger. One of two control functions to control the oil mass flow rate through the first oil pump is selected wherein the first control function minimizes specific fuel consumption (“SFC”) by the engine and the second control function minimizes average oil temperature. Preferably, the oil pumps are electric and the total combined oil mass flow rate of the first and second oil pumps is maintained constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: MEGGITT AEROSPACE LIMITED
    Inventors: David Bosak, Philip Walsh, Steve Parker
  • Patent number: 11486311
    Abstract: A turbofan engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan including an array of fan blades rotatable about an engine axis, a compressor including a high pressure compressor section and a low pressure compressor section, the low pressure compressor section including a low pressure compressor section inlet with a low pressure compressor inlet annulus area, a fan duct including a fan duct annulus area outboard of the low pressure compressor section inlet, and a turbine having a high pressure turbine section and a low pressure turbine section driving the fan through a speed reduction mechanism, wherein the low pressure turbine section defines a maximum gas path radius and the fan blades define a maximum radius, and a ratio of the maximum gas path radius to the maximum radius of the fan blades is less than 0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul R. Adams, Shankar S. Magge, Joseph B. Staubach, Wesley K. Lord, Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Patent number: 11486309
    Abstract: An embodiment of a combustor for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor case, a combustor liner disposed within the combustor case, a fuel nozzle at an upstream end of the combustor liner, a torch igniter at least partially within the combustor case, and a removable surface igniter. The torch igniter includes a combustion chamber, a cap configured to receive a fuel injector, a tip, an annular igniter wall extending from the cap to the tip and defining a radial extent of the combustion chamber, an aperture, a structural wall coaxial with and surrounding the igniter wall, and an outlet passage within the tip which fluidly connects the combustion chamber to the combustor. The torch igniter is configured to receive the removable surface igniter through the aperture. An internal end of the removable surface igniter extends through the aperture into the combustion chamber of the torch igniter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev Alexander Prociw, Brandon P. Williams
  • Patent number: 11480106
    Abstract: An acoustic liner for a gas turbine engine includes an acoustic panel that is curved about a central axis. The acoustic panel includes a support backing, a face sheet, and a cellular structure disposed between the support backing and the face sheet. The face sheet has elongated slots that extend along respective slot centerlines in the plane of the face sheet. The slot centerlines are sloped at oblique angles to the central axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce L. Morin, Anthony R. Bifulco
  • Patent number: 11480108
    Abstract: A turbofan engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan including a circumferential array of fan blades, a compressor in fluid communication with the fan, the compressor including a low pressure compressor section and a high pressure compressor section, the low pressure compressor section including a low pressure compressor section inlet with a low pressure compressor section inlet annulus area, a fan duct including a fan duct annulus area outboard of the a low pressure compressor section inlet, a turbine in fluid communication with the combustor, the turbine having a high pressure turbine section and a low pressure turbine that drives the fan, a speed reduction mechanism coupled to the fan and rotatable by the low pressure turbine section to allow the low pressure turbine section to turn faster than the fan, wherein the low pressure turbine section includes a maximum gas path radius and the fan blades include a maximum radius, and a ratio of the maximum gas pat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Paul R. Adams, Shankar S. Magge, Joseph B. Staubach, Wesley K. Lord, Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Patent number: 11466628
    Abstract: A method of controlling a gas turbine engine including receiving an instantaneous thrust demand for current operation of the engine, determining the inlet flow rate and/or the pressure ratio within the compressor of the engine and determining whether the inlet flow rate and/or the pressure ratio match the working line for the compressor. The angle of one or more vane of the compressor is adjusted according to a closed control loop if the inlet flow rate and/or pressure ratio lie outside said desired range in order to adjust the inlet inflow rate and/or pressure ratio to meet the working line. The fuel flow to the engine combustor is adjusted concurrently in order to meet the thrust demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Cerith Davies, Marko Bacic
  • Patent number: 11466626
    Abstract: A method for controlling a turbomachine comprising an electric motor forming a torque injection device on a high-pressure rotation shaft, in which method a fuel flow setpoint QCMD and a torque setpoint TRQCMD provided at the electric motor are determined, the control method comprising: • a step of implementing a first fuel control loop in order to determine the fuel flow set point QCMD, • a step of implementing a second, torque control loop in order to determine the torque setpoint TRQCMD comprising i. a step of determining a torque correction variable ?TRQCMD as a function of a transitory speed setpoint NHTrajAccelCons, NHTrajDecelCons and ii. a step of determining the torque setpoint TRQCMD as a function of the torque correction variable ?TRQCMD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Cedrik Djelassi
  • Patent number: 11459909
    Abstract: The heat exchanger includes an inner casing extending circumferentially around the central axis and securable to the shaft for concurrent rotation therewith, and an outer casing extending circumferentially around the central axis and secured to the inner casing, the outer casing located radially outwardly of the inner casing relative to the central axis. First conduits are secured to the outer casing and to the inner casing for rotation about the central axis, the first conduits located radially between the outer casing and the inner casing, and circumferentially distributed about the central axis. First passages are defined in the first conduits. Second passages are circumferentially interspaced between the first passages and are located radially between the inner casing and the outer casing. The second passages are in heat exchange relationship with the first passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Laslo Diosady, Daniel Alecu