Patents Examined by Gerald L Sung
  • Patent number: 11867401
    Abstract: The invention relates to a pre-vaporizing pipe (5) for a combustion chamber of a turbomachine, comprising a generally elongate main body (50), comprising a first end portion (51) delimiting an inlet duct (52) in which a fuel injector is to be mounted, the body (50) having an external surface (500) having a first length (L1) that extends from the portion (51) to at least one first fuel outlet end piece (53), and a second length (L2) that extends the first length (L1) from the end piece (53) and that extends from the end piece (53) to a second fuel outlet end piece (54). According to the invention, inside the body (50) there is a first channel (55) connecting the duct (52) to the end piece (53) and a second channel (56) which is distinct from the first channel (55) and which connects the duct (52) to the end piece (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Nicolas Roland Guy Savary, Claude Marie Michel Berat, Olivier Lamaison, Yvan Ludovic Lameignere, Hubert Pascal Verdier, Chritophe Nicolas Henri Viguier
  • Patent number: 11866180
    Abstract: An example hybrid aircraft propulsion system includes one or more power units configured to output electrical energy onto one or more electrical busses; a plurality of propulsors; and a plurality of electrical machines, each respective electrical machine configured to drive a respective propulsor of the plurality of propulsors using electrical energy received from at least one of the one or more electrical busses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Andrew Long
  • Patent number: 11852077
    Abstract: A method for operating a rotating detonation engine, having a radially outer wall extending along an axis; a radially inner wall extending along the axis, wherein the radially inner wall is positioned within the radially outer wall to define an annular detonation chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the method includes flowing liquid phase fuel along at least one wall of the radially inner wall and the radially outer wall in a direction from the outlet toward the inlet to cool the at least one wall and heat the liquid fuel to provide a heated liquid fuel; flowing the heated liquid fuel to a mixer at the inlet to reduce pressure of the heated liquid fuel, flash vaporize the heated liquid fuel and mix flash vaporized fuel with oxidant to produce a vaporized fuel-oxidant mixture; and detonating the mixture in the annular detonation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Britton Greene, James M. Donohue, Peter AT Cocks
  • Patent number: 11852343
    Abstract: A combustor component of a combustor for combusting fuel to produce a combustion gas includes a combustion cylinder forming a passage for the combustion gas, a first acoustic device which internally includes a first cavity communicating with the passage via a first through hole formed in the combustion cylinder, a second acoustic device which is located on a radially outer side of the first acoustic device so as to cover the first acoustic device, and internally includes a second cavity communicating with the passage via a second through hole formed in the combustion cylinder, and a first communication passage causing the first cavity and an outer space of the combustion cylinder to communicate with each other without via the first through hole and the second cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Akamatsu, Kenji Sato, Naoki Abe, Taiki Kinoshita, Hiroki Shibata, Norihiko Motoyama
  • Patent number: 11852075
    Abstract: A turbomachine fuel injector system includes an air distributor configured to be mounted to and contained within a casing and to provide air to mix with a fuel from one or more fuel distribution systems. The system includes a fuel manifold configured to be mounted indirectly to the casing such that the fuel manifold system is contained within the casing but is independent such that fuel manifold does not touch or directly mount to either an interior of the casing or touch the air distributor within the casing to prevent or reduce thermal transfer from the air distributor to the fuel manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Greenfield, Jason A. Ryon, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11846236
    Abstract: Methods and systems of operating a gas turbine engine in a low-power condition are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold via a first flow divider valve and supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold via a second flow divider valve. While supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold, the method includes stopping supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold and supplying pressurized gas to the second fuel manifold via the second flow divider valve to flush fuel in the second fuel manifold into the combustor and hinder coking in the second fuel manifold and associated nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Cédric Saintignan, Joseph Daniel Maxim Cirtwill, Kian McCaldon, David Waddleton, Marc-André Tremblay, Ignazio Broccolini, Stephen Tarling
  • Patent number: 11840962
    Abstract: An aircraft including a fuselage, a wing structure, at least one turbomachine running on hydrogen and generating thrust at a propulsion unit distant from the fuselage, at least one fuel tank positioned in the fuselage and configured to store hydrogen in the cryogenic state, at least one hydrogen supply device connecting the fuel tank and the turbomachine and including at least one pump positioned in the fuselage in the vicinity of the fuel tank, at least one hydrogen heating system positioned in the fuselage in the vicinity of the pump. This solution makes it possible to reduce a length of the complex double-walled pipes configured for carrying the hydrogen in the cryogenic state between the fuel tank and the hydrogen heating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: Airbus SAS, Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Lionel Czapla, Antoine Abele, Benjamin Thubert, Alexis Pissavin, Abhishek Verma, Alistair Forbes, Jorge A. Carretero Benignos, Benedikt Bammer
  • Patent number: 11828234
    Abstract: A heat engine including a liner extended along a first dimension and a second dimension, wherein the liner includes a plurality of cavities formed by a honeycomb structure. Each cavity forms a volume extended from an opening at a fluid contact side of the liner and along a third dimension substantially orthogonal to the first dimension and the second dimension. The opening at the fluid contact side includes a cross sectional area of each respective volume of the plurality of cavities. The plurality of cavities is non-uniform with respect to the cross sectional area at the opening along the first dimension, the second dimension, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vasanth Kumar Balaramudu, Gosetty Sreeni Vasulu
  • Patent number: 11821388
    Abstract: Nozzle of a spacecraft engine, comprising a nozzle body extending along a main direction, from a proximal end secured to the engine of the spacecraft, and a free distal end, said nozzle body having a plurality of stiffeners extending from an outer surface of the nozzle body, radially with respect to the main direction, said nozzle comprising a thermal insulation system, comprising at least one strip of insulating material disposed so as to surround the outer surface of the nozzle body over at least part of the height of said nozzle body, said thermal insulation system comprising a plurality of holding elements, each holding element being positioned so as to surround said strips of insulating material, and being disposed between two stiffeners of the nozzle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ARIANEGROUP SAS
    Inventor: Alain Pyre
  • Patent number: 11815029
    Abstract: A system for bleeding air from a core flow path of a gas turbine engine is disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes a bleed valve having a bleed valve inlet configured to receive a bleed air from a first access point to the core flow path and a bleed valve outlet; and an air motor having a first air motor inlet configured to receive the bleed air from the bleed valve outlet and a first air motor outlet configured to exhaust the bleed air, the air motor configured to pump the bleed air from the core flow path of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Martin Richard Amari
  • Patent number: 11815019
    Abstract: A particle separator includes a separator body in a primary fluid passageway of a machine. The primary fluid passageway includes one or more bleed holes through which a diverted portion of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid passageway toward a volume of the machine is diverted into an auxiliary flow passageway that bypasses the volume and directs the diverted portion of the fluid toward one or more other components of the machine. The separator body is coupled with the inner wall and/or outer wall of the primary fluid passageway. The separator body includes an upstream edge positioned to separate at least some particles carried by the fluid from the fluid as the diverted portion of the fluid bends around and flows over the at least one upstream edge of the separator body and into the auxiliary flow passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Satoshi Atsuchi, Corey Bourassa, James R. Noel, Erich Alois Krammer, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Mehmet Dede
  • Patent number: 11814967
    Abstract: A turbine for a turbomachine has a first rotor and a second rotor configured to pivot about an axis in two opposite directions of rotation. The first rotor includes a radially outer drum from which blades extend radially inwards. The turbine has cooling means attached relative to the outer drum. The cooling means include a support plate with at least one first orifice and a calibration plate that is attached to the support plate and located radially inside the support plate. The calibration plate has at least one second calibration orifice facing the outer drum to allow the passage of cooling air radially from the outside to the inside through the first and second orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Ulysse Jacques Bernard Danteny, Laurent Cédric Zamai
  • Patent number: 11815262
    Abstract: Steam production apparatuses are provided. The apparatuses can include at least two compartments that are mechanically engaged. Processes for the production of steam are also provided. The processes can include providing liquid water to a reactive material within a first compartment to generate steam within the first compartment; transferring at least some of the steam to a second compartment that is mechanically engaged with the first compartment; and exposing the steam from the first compartment to material within the second compartment that extends when exposed to the steam, the extending of the material reducing the volume of the first compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventor: Alan Rose
  • Patent number: 11808454
    Abstract: A liner for a combustor in a gas turbine engine and a related method. The liner includes a liner body having a cold side and a hot side. The liner includes a dilution passage having a concatenated geometry extending through the liner body. The concatenated geometry has a plurality of discrete dilution holes, an annular slot, and a plurality of dilution inserts. The dilution passage is configured (i) to integrate a first dilution air flow flowing through the dilution passage from the cold side to the hot side and a second dilution air flow flowing through the dilution passage from the cold side to the hot side into an integrated dilution air flow, and (ii) to inject the integrated dilution air flow into a core primary combustion zone of the combustor to attain a predetermined combustion state of the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Shai Birmaher, Saket Singh, Krishnendu Chakraborty
  • Patent number: 11807378
    Abstract: A system is provided for alternating starter use during multi-engine motoring in an aircraft. The system includes a first engine starting system of a first engine. A first controller is in communication with a second controller that controls a second engine starting system of a second engine, the first controller being configured to intermittently direct power to the first engine starting system to alternately accelerate and decelerate the first engine during motoring with respect to the second engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Gelwan, Jesse W. Clauson, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 11802508
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine that includes a core flow path where air is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with an ammonia based fuel and ignited to generate a high energy combusted gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section. The turbine section is mechanically coupled to drive the compressor section. An ammonia flow path communicates an ammonia flow to the combustor section. A cracking device is disposed in the ammonia flow path. The cracking device is configured to decompose the ammonia flow into a fuel flow containing hydrogen (H2). At least one heat exchanger is upstream of the cracking device that provides thermal communication between the ammonia flow and a working fluid flow such that the ammonia fluid flow accepts thermal energy from the working fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, David Lei Ma, Joseph B. Staubach, Brian M. Holley, Sean C. Emerson
  • Patent number: 11795878
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine assembly includes a gas turbine engine with a combustion section, a fuel delivery system, and a thermal energy management system. The fuel delivery assembly provides a fuel to the combustion section of the gas turbine engine. The thermal energy management system includes a thermal transport bus, a heat source heat exchanger, and a heat sink heat exchanger. The thermal transport bus has a portion of the fuel configured to flow therethrough. The fuel is disposed as a heat exchange fluid of the thermal energy management system. The heat source heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the flow of fuel through the transport bus. The heat sink heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the flow of fuel through the transport bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kevin Edward Hinderliter
  • Patent number: 11795834
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine; a generator; a storage battery; a motor which drives a rotor, using at least one of the electric power which is output from the generator and the electric power which is output from the storage battery; a detection unit which detects the number of revolutions of the engine shaft; an engine control unit which controls at least a fuel flow rate of the gas turbine engine; and a generator control unit which controls the operation of the generator. When the number of revolutions satisfies a predetermined condition, at least the generator control unit executes a control for reducing a sudden change in the number of revolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsumoto, Akinori Kita
  • Patent number: 11794914
    Abstract: Electric aircraft power plants and associated methods are provided. One power plant includes an emergency power unit (EPU) for providing electric power in the event of a malfunction of a battery pack of an electric aircraft to permit the electric aircraft to make an emergency maneuver. The EPU includes a rocket engine for generating a stream of exhaust fluid using a rocket propellant, a turbine operatively connected to extract energy from the stream of exhaust fluid generated by the rocket engine, and an electric generator operatively connected to be driven by the turbine and to supply electric power to an electric motor propelling the electric aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ivan Sidorovich Paradiso, Daniel Alecu
  • Patent number: 11788471
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing fuel leakage in a gas turbine engine are provided. A fuel accumulation system includes a control valve section fluidly coupled to a fuel manifold passage and an accumulator valve section fluidly coupled at a first side to the control valve section. The control valve section is configured to control expansion of a fluid flowing in the fuel manifold passage. The accumulator valve section is configured to receive fluid expanded in the fuel manifold passage via the control valve section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Allen Ellsworth, Frederick Ehrwulf van Alen, Thomas Vander Ng