Patents Examined by Craig Kim
  • Patent number: 11448130
    Abstract: A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger including a first coolant passage for a first coolant medium and a second coolant passage for a second coolant medium that is different than the first coolant medium. A first hot flow passage is in thermal communication with the first coolant passage. A second hot flow passage is in thermal communication with the second coolant passage all within a common housing. A first valve controls a flow of a hot medium into at least one of the first hot flow passage or the second hot flow passage. A controller configured to operate the first valve to direct the flow of hot medium into one of the first hot flow passage and the second hot flow passage for transferring thermal energy from the flow of hot medium into one of the first coolant medium and the second coolant medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Lubomir A. Ribarov
  • Patent number: 11427343
    Abstract: An air intake structure for an aircraft nacelle is disclosed. The air intake structure delimits a channel and includes a lip having a U-shaped cross section oriented towards the rear, a first sound-absorbing panel fixed behind the lip and delimiting the channel, and a second sound-absorbing panel fixed behind the first sound-absorbing panel and delimiting the channel. Each sound-absorbing panel includes a cellular core which is fixed between an inner skin pierced with holes and oriented towards the channel, and an outer skin oriented in the opposite direction, where the inner skin of the first sound-absorbing panel has a thickness greater than the thickness of the inner skin of the second sound-absorbing panel, and where each of the inner skins includes a heat source which is embedded in the mass of the inner skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Alain Porte, Jacques Lalane, Florent Mercat
  • Patent number: 11421626
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly is provided and includes an outer cowl, an inner nozzle sleeve disposable within the outer cowl, nested support rings by which the outer cowl and the inner nozzle sleeve are coupled, sets of rivets to respectively connect the nested support rings to the inner nozzle sleeve, the nested support rings together and the nested support rings to the outer cowl and an elongate washer configured to reinforce three or more rivets of one or more of the sets of rivets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael J. McKenzie
  • Patent number: 11421709
    Abstract: Turbine engine systems for interstage particle separation in multistage radial compressors are disclosed. The multistage radial compressor system includes an interstage region positioned between a first stage radial compressor and a second stage radial compressor. The interstage region includes a radially-outward oriented section, a longitudinally-oriented section, and a radially-inward oriented section. The radially-outward oriented section transitions to the longitudinally-oriented section at a first approximately 90-degree bend, and the longitudinally-oriented section transitions to the radially-inward oriented section at a second approximately 90-degree bend. The multistage radial compressor system further includes a particle separation system including an extraction slot and an aspiration slot located downstream from the extraction slot. The particle separation system is positioned along the interstage region outside of the air flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: John Schugardt, Katherine Smith
  • Patent number: 11415059
    Abstract: A torch ignitor system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a torch ignitor, the torch ignitor including a combustion chamber oriented about a torch axis, the combustion chamber having axially upstream and downstream ends defining a flow direction through the combustion chamber, along the axis. The torch ignitor includes a cap defining the axially upstream end of the combustion chamber and oriented about the axis, wherein the cap is configured to receive a fuel injector and at least one glow plug. The torch ignitor includes an elbow connected to the downstream end of the combustion chamber for diverting combustion products along an ignition jet flame axis that is off of the torch axis for injection of combustion products into a gas turbine engine combustor. The torch ignitor further includes a tip at a downstream end of the elbow for issuing the injection of combustion products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw, Brandon Phillip Williams
  • Patent number: 11415321
    Abstract: A method for regulating jet wakes in a combustor including: directing compressed fluid into a passageway between a casing and a combustor liner; directing a combustion gas along a combustion zone; discharging a first portion of compressed fluid from the passageway into the combustion zone via a first through-hole which is disposed on a section of a combustor panel in a first circumferential row; and discharging a second portion of the compressed fluid from the passageway into the combustion zone via second through-holes, wherein the second through-holes are disposed on a section of the panel, spaced apart axially and circumferentially, and adjacent to the first through-hole, wherein the second through-holes include a first set of through-holes and a second set of through-holes, the first set of through-holes in a second row and the second set of through-holes in a third row, wherein the second and third rows extend circumferentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Mayank Krisna Amble, Perumallu Vukanti, Steven Clayton Vise, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11415058
    Abstract: An embodiment of a torch ignitor system for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a torch ignitor, the torch ignitor include a combustion chamber oriented about a torch axis, the combustion chamber having axially upstream and downstream ends defining a flow direction through the combustion chamber, along the axis. The torch ignitor further includes a tip at a downstream end of the elbow for issuing the injection of combustion products. An embodiment of a method includes initiating combustion in a combustion chamber of a torch ignitor to produce an ignition jet flame extending along an ignition jet flame axis, and igniting a fuel/air mixture in a gas turbine combustor by issuing a respective spray cone of the fuel/air mixture from a respective fuel injectors in a plurality of fuel injectors, wherein the ignition jet flame axis intersects a plurality of the spray cones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw, Brandon Phillip Williams
  • Patent number: 11408338
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system, including a turbojet and a heat exchanger system including a main heat exchanger, a hot air supply pipe and regulating valve, a high pressure pipe bleeding high pressure stage hot air through a first valve, an intermediate pressure pipe bleeding intermediate pressure stage hot air through a second valve, a pipe transferring hot air to an air management system, a main supply pipe supplying fan duct cold air including a main regulating valve, an evacuation pipe expelling air to the outside, a sub heat exchanger, wherein the supply pipe from the regulating valve goes through the sub heat exchanger, a sub supply pipe supplying cold air from the main supply pipe, a sub evacuation pipe expelling air to the fan duct, a temperature sensor measuring hot air temperature exiting the main heat exchanger, and a controller controlling the valves according to the measured temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignees: AIRBUS SAS, AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS, AIRBUS OPERATIONS S.L.
    Inventors: Bruno Medda, Esteban Martino-Gonzalez, Thomas Stevens, Julien Cayssials, Juan Tomas Prieto Padilla, Adeline Soulie, Didier Poirier, Pierre-Alain Pinault, Diego Barron Vega
  • Patent number: 11408369
    Abstract: A nacelle may comprise an inlet cowling defining an inlet of the nacelle, wherein the inlet cowling comprises an inlet cowling maximum point and an inlet cowling aft edge, wherein the inlet cowling aft edge comprises an aft edge length; and a boat tail cowling disposed aft of the inlet cowling, wherein the boat tail cowling comprises a boat tail cowling forward edge having a forward edge length, and wherein the boat tail cowling forward edge is disposed adjacent to the inlet cowling aft edge. The forward edge length may be smaller than the aft edge length, forming a step, the step being defined by a portion of the inlet cowling aft edge that is radially outward of the boat tail cowling forward edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitriy B. Sidelkovskiy, Steven H. Zysman
  • Patent number: 11408337
    Abstract: An aircraft pylon including a heat exchange device having a heat exchanger which includes a first circuit portion ducting a flow of hot air tapped off an engine of the aircraft and a second circuit portion ducting a flow of cold air, the first and second circuit portions of the heat exchanger being coaxial, separated by at least one partition forming an exchange surface, and positioned, at least partially, in the primary structure of the pylon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Jean Geliot, Adeline Soulie
  • Patent number: 11402099
    Abstract: A lean burn combustor includes a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors, each including a fuel feed arm and a lean burn fuel injector head with a lean burn fuel injector head tip, wherein the lean burn fuel injector head tip has a lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter, the lean burn fuel injector head including a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the main fuel injector being arranged coaxially and radially outwards of the pilot fuel injector; and a combustor chamber extending along an axial direction for a length and including a radially inner annular wall, a radially outer annular wall, and a meter panel defining the size and shape of the combustor chamber, wherein the combustor chamber includes primary and secondary combustion zones. A ratio of the combustor chamber length to the lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter is less than 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi
  • Patent number: 11402098
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor is equipped with a nozzle in which an air ejection passage extending along an axis and having an open distal end, and a fuel supply passage extending along the axis and having an open distal end are formed; swirling vanes provided around the nozzle so as to be twisted around the axis of the nozzle; an inner cylinder surrounding an outer periphery of the nozzle and the swirling vanes, and in which compressed air flows through an inside of the inner cylinder toward a downstream side; an outer cylinder which defines an inversion flow path, which inverts the compressed air on an outer periphery of the inner cylinder and introduces the compressed air to the inside of the inner cylinder, between the inner and outer cylinders; and an air introduction pipe having one end connected to a space on an upstream side of the compressed air from the inversion flow path, and the other end connected to the air ejection passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei Inoue, Kenji Miyamoto, Kenta Taniguchi, Satoshi Tanimura
  • Patent number: 11391211
    Abstract: A 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; a fuel delivery system for providing a flow of fuel to the combustion section; and a waste heat recovery system. The waste heat recovery system includes a heat source exchanger in thermal communication with the turbine section, the exhaust section, or both; a heat sink exchanger in thermal communication with the fuel delivery system, the core air flowpath, or both; a thermal transfer bus including a thermal transfer fluid and extending from the heat source exchanger to the heat sink exchanger; and a pump in fluid communication with the thermal transfer bus downstream of the heat source exchanger and upstream of the heat sink exchanger for increasing a temperature and a pressure of the thermal transfer fluid in the thermal transfer bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin Paul Smith, Brandon Wayne Miller, Thomas Helmut Ripplinger
  • Patent number: 11384938
    Abstract: To provide a burner that makes it possible to reduce error displacement of the distal end position of a burner main body when the burner main body is inserted. A burner (161) includes: a burner main body (162); a plurality of driving cylinders (163) that are disposed parallel to a direction of an axis line in which the burner main body (162) moves, and drive movement of the burner main body (162); a connecting member that connects the burner main body (162) and the plurality of driving cylinders (163); and a fitting member (170) that is provided between the burner main body (162) and the connecting member, and constrains relative movement in the direction of the axis line (X) and permits relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the axis line (X).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Matsuo, Keisuke Matsuo, Shinya Hamasaki
  • Patent number: 11365648
    Abstract: A fan drive gear system for a turbofan engine is disclosed and includes a gear assembly and a front center body. The front center body is an annular case that supports the gear assembly. The front center body includes a passage portion that defines a portion of a core flow path, a forward flange configured for attachment to a first case structure forward of the front center body, and a gutter portion disposed on a radially inner side of the front center body for collecting lubricant exhausted from the geared assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brian P. Cigal, Todd A. Davis
  • Patent number: 11346242
    Abstract: A first cylinder is configured to receive a gas turbine. A second cylinder surrounds an outer circumference of the first cylinder. Retainers extend from the second cylinder towards the first cylinder. Each of the retainers includes a central stalk that extends from the second cylinder towards the first cylinder and a branches extending radially from the central stalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: William Maxwell
  • Patent number: 11346290
    Abstract: A control system for limiting a power turbine torque of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. In various embodiments, the control system includes an engine control module configured to output an effector command signal to a gas generator of the gas turbine engine; a power turbine governor module configured to output to the engine control module a power turbine torque request signal; and a power turbine torque limiter module configured to output to the power turbine governor module a power turbine speed rate signal to limit a power turbine speed overshoot of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Chaohong Cai, Richard P. Meisner, Timothy J. Crowley, David Lei Ma
  • Patent number: 11346244
    Abstract: A thermal management system includes a heat exchanger defining a confined volume for thermal transfer between a first flow within a first passage and a second flow within a second passage. A first conduit outside the confined volume communicates the first flow to the first passage of the heat exchanger. A thermal transfer augmenter is attached to the first conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 11346289
    Abstract: A turbofan engine has an engine case and a gaspath through the engine case. A fan has a circumferential array of fan blades. The engine further has a compressor, a combustor, a gas generating turbine, and a low pressure turbine section. A speed reduction mechanism couples the low pressure turbine section to the fan. A bypass area ratio is greater than about 6.0. The low pressure turbine section airfoil count to bypass area ratio is below about 170.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Paul R. Adams, Frederick M. Schwarz, Shankar S. Magge, Joseph B. Staubach, Wesley K. Lord, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Patent number: 11339970
    Abstract: A lean burn combustor includes a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors, each including a fuel feed arm and a lean burn fuel injector head with a lean burn fuel injector head tip, wherein the lean burn fuel injector head tip has a lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter, the lean burn fuel injector head including a pilot fuel injector and a main fuel injector, the main fuel injector being arranged coaxially and radially outwards of the pilot fuel injector; and a combustor chamber extending along an axial direction for a length and including a radially inner annular wall, a radially outer annular wall, and a meter panel defining the size and shape of the combustor chamber, wherein the combustor chamber includes primary and secondary combustion zones. A ratio of the combustor chamber length to the lean burn fuel injector head tip diameter is less than 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Luca Tentorio, Imon-Kalyan Bagchi