Patents Examined by Katheryn A Malatek
  • Patent number: 11578668
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section. The turbine section includes a high pressure turbine comprising a plurality of turbine blades. The gas turbine engine includes a tap for tapping air that is compressed by the compressor, to be passed through a heat exchanger to cool the air, the cooled air to be passed to the plurality of turbine blades. A sensor is located downstream of a leading edge of the combustor, and is configured to measure a characteristic of the cooled air. A controller is configured to compare the measured characteristic to a threshold and control an operating condition of the gas turbine engine based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Ortiz, Taryn Narrow, John H. Mosley, Zachary Mott, Paul R. Hanrahan
  • Patent number: 11578621
    Abstract: One or more cooling systems for ventilating a turbine and rotary shaft of a gas turbine system is provided. The gas turbine system includes a gas turbine engine and a turbine exhaust collector in separate enclosures. A first cooling system includes an educator that sucks exhaust gas through a diffuser and directs it out of the turbine exhaust collector enclosure based on suction pressure created from the high velocity of exhaust gas. A second cooling system include struts that enable the exhaust gas to flow from the diffusers to a ventilation flow stack. A third cooling system includes exhaust gas sucked from an opening to a top duct based on suction pressure created from the rotation of the rotary shaft disposed about a coupling. A guideway associated with the third cooling system also directs the exhaust gas to flow to the top duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ravinder Yerram, Balakrishnan Ponnuraj, Vineet Sethi, Jose Emmanuel Guillen, Tho Vankhanh Nguyen, Douglas Alan Jones, Abhinash Reddy Konatham
  • Patent number: 11560844
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine, has: a compressor; a turbine having a rotor; and an inertial particle separator located upstream of the turbine downstream of the compressor, the inertial particle separator having: an intake conduit in fluid flow communication with the compressor and defining an elbow, a splitter, a leading edge of the splitter located downstream of the elbow, the splitter located to divide a flow into a particle flow and an air flow, and an inlet conduit and a bypass conduit located on respective opposite sides of the splitter, the inlet conduit receiving the air flow, the inlet conduit in fluid flow communication with a cavity containing the rotor for cooling the rotor of the turbine section, the bypass conduit receiving the particle flow, the bypass conduit in fluid flow communication with an environment outside the gas turbine engine while bypassing the cavity containing the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Ivan Sidorovich Paradiso
  • Patent number: 11555456
    Abstract: A method of operating a fuel delivery system of an aircraft engine of an aircraft includes operating the aircraft engine in a standby mode by maintaining combustion in a combustor of the aircraft engine by supplying fuel to the combustor via a first set of fuel nozzles of a first fuel manifold while providing a trickle flow of fuel via a second set of fuel nozzles of a second fuel manifold into the combustor during engine operation, the trickle flow being defined as a fuel flow rate selected to prevent flame-out of the combustion while providing one of: substantially no motive power to the aircraft, and no motive power to the aircraft, via the combustion of the trickle flow of fuel. An aircraft gas turbine engine is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Oleg Morenko, Aleksandar Kojovic, Jeffrey Richard Verhiel
  • Patent number: 11555451
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine article includes a ceramic body that defines a flange, first and second cooling passages partitioned from each other by the flange, a through-hole in the rib that connects the first and second cooling passages, a thermal insulation bushing that lines the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tyler G. Vincent, Howard J. Liles
  • Patent number: 11543132
    Abstract: A combustor liner used for a gas turbine combustor and forming a combustion chamber includes: an outer side wall made of metal; a panel attached to an inner side of the outer side wall and made of a ceramic matrix composite material, the panel including a panel body facing the combustion chamber, and a connection piece rising from an exterior surface of the panel body at a side portion of the panel body and protruding in a lateral direction; and a connection unit configured to connect the panel to the outer side wall, the connection unit including an elastic member configured to bias at least one of the outer side wall and the connection piece, and a fixation member made of metal and configured to fix at least one of the connection piece and the elastic member to the outer side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayoshi Kobayashi, Takeo Oda, Takeo Nishiura, Tomoko Tsuru, Takaya Hamamoto, Takeshi Takagi, Osamu Hisamatsu, Hirotaka Kurashima
  • Patent number: 11542875
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an engine temperature for a gas turbine engine are provided. An estimated combustor temperature is determined based on at least one operating condition of the gas turbine engine and an estimated vane mass flow. A corrected vane mass flow is determined based on the estimated combustor temperature, the estimated vane mass flow, and a combustor pressure. The corrected vane mass flow is compared to a reference vane mass flow to obtain the mass flow correction factor. When a condition associated with the mass flow correction factor is not satisfied, the estimated combustor temperature is adjusted based on the mass flow correction factor to produce an adjusted combustor temperature; and the mass flow correction factor is updated based on the adjusted combustor temperature. When the condition associated with the mass flow correction factor is satisfied, the estimated combustor temperature is assigned as the engine temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Yves Cloutier
  • Patent number: 11536197
    Abstract: A valve opening degree determination device includes an object operating state acquisition unit configured to acquire an object operating state which is an operating state of a gas turbine before control, and a valve opening degree calculation unit configured to calculate the valve opening degree such that a disk cavity temperature after control is equal to or lower than a target temperature, based on the object operating state. The valve opening degree calculation unit is configured to determine an input value of the valve opening degree such that a prediction value of the disk cavity temperature is equal to or lower than the target temperature as the valve opening degree, based on a prediction model generated based on a plurality of previous data in which the operating state, the disk cavity temperature, and an actual opening degree of the cooling-air adjustment valve previously acquired are associated with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Koki Tateishi, Shinichi Yoshioka, Hironao Nagai, Ryuji Takenaka, Koshiro Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 11530651
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft. The gas turbine comprises a staged combustion system having pilot injectors and main injectors, a fuel metering system configured to control fuel flow to the pilot injectors and the main injectors, and a fuel system controller. The controller is configured to identify an atmospheric condition, determine a ratio of pilot fuel flow rate for the pilot injectors to main fuel flow rate for the main injectors in response to the atmospheric condition, and inject fuel by the pilot injectors and the main injectors in accordance with said ratio to control an index of soot emissions caused by combustion of fuel therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Christopher P. Madden, Peter Swann
  • Patent number: 11530652
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft. The gas turbine comprises a combustor, a fuel injection system connected with a source of fuel and configured to inject fuel into the combustor, a water injection system connected with a source of water and which is configured to inject water into the combustor, and a control system. The control system is configured to identify an atmospheric condition; determine a water-fuel ratio for injection into the combustor of the gas turbine engine in response to the atmospheric condition; and control injection of fuel and water by the fuel injection system and the water injection system according to said water-fuel ratio to control an soot emissions caused by combustion of fuel therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Christopher P. Madden, Peter Swann
  • Patent number: 11519331
    Abstract: A gas turbine apparatus includes a turbine configured to be driven by a combustion gas from a combustor, an exhaust passage, an extraction line configured to extract a fluid from a combustor casing, a cooling part disposed in the extraction line and configured to cool the fluid, a return line for returning the fluid from the cooling part to an inside of the combustor casing, the return line being connected to the extraction line downstream of the cooling part, a bypass line for introducing the fluid from the cooling part to the exhaust passage by bypassing the turbine, the bypass line branching from the return line, and a communication state switching part for controlling a communication state between the extraction line and the combustor casing via the return line, and a communication state between the extraction line and the exhaust passage via the bypass line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Nishimura, Kengo Okamoto, Yoshifumi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 11519285
    Abstract: A hydrostatic seal configured to be disposed between relatively rotatable components. The hydrostatic seal includes a seal carrier. The hydrostatic seal also includes a beam extending axially from a forward end to an aft end, the beam cantilevered to the seal carrier at one of the forward end and the aft end, the beam free at the other end. The hydrostatic seal further includes a bellows seal operatively coupled to the seal carrier and in contact with the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jorn Axel Glahn, Brian F. Hilbert
  • Patent number: 11512644
    Abstract: Gas turbine engines and methods of starting gas turbine engines, the gas turbine engine including: an electronic engine controller; one or more spools designated a starting spool for starting the engine, and has a required starting torque ?s; a permanent magnet alternator mechanically coupled with the starting spool, the alternator, in a motor mode, provides a peak torque of ?a, and, in a generator mode, generates electrical power for the electronic engine controller; and an electrical starter-generator mechanically coupled with the starting spool. The starter-generator in a motor mode, provides a peak torque of ?sg, and, in a generator mode, generates electrical power for an external load. ?sg+?a??s and ?sg, ?a<?s, and the electronic engine controller, during a start procedure, operates both the permanent magnet alternator and the starter-generator in a motor mode to drive the starting spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Graham P Bruce, Stephen M Husband, David F Brookes
  • Patent number: 11512646
    Abstract: An air starter for starting a turbine engine that includes a housing, a turbine, an output shaft, and at least one bearing. The housing can define an interior where the turbine couples to the output shaft. A primary air flow path extends through the housing where air from the turbine can be exhausted through a primary outlet or a cooling outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Unison Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Shiloh Montegomery Meyers, Subrata Nayak, Pradeep Hemant Sangli, David Allan Dranschak, Santosh Kumar Prasad, Marc David Zinger, Sharad Pundlik Patil, Harsha Sanjeewa Bulathsinghalage, Sumathi P
  • Patent number: 11506390
    Abstract: A method for operating a fuel injector of a gas turbine engine includes injecting a hydrogen-based primary fuel from a primary fuel passage of the fuel injector directly into a combustion chamber. The primary fuel passage includes a primary fuel outlet located within the combustion chamber. The method further includes injecting a second fuel, different than the hydrogen-based primary fuel, from a secondary fuel passage of the fuel injector into a hood chamber separated from the combustion chamber by a bulkhead. The secondary fuel passage includes a plurality of secondary fuel outlets located within the hood chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 11506133
    Abstract: A method of delivering fuel to an engine during operation of the engine, that includes, sensing the speed of sound in the fuel, determining a density or property of the fuel, and based on that density or fuel property adjusting the flow rate of the fuel. Further, an established fuel profile or determined energy density value can also be used to adjust the flow rate of the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adam Edgar Klingbeil, William James Mailander
  • Patent number: 11499440
    Abstract: A turbine vane and a gas turbine including the same are provided. The turbine vane includes an airfoil having a pressure side and a suction side, at least one cooling channel formed radially in the airfoil, and an insert inserted into the at least one cooling channel to divide the cooling channel into a pressure side passage and a suction side passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventors: Hyuk Hee Lee, Sung Chul Jung
  • Patent number: 11492968
    Abstract: A discharge duct (30) of an intermediate housing hub for an aircraft turbojet engine, comprises an inlet end (41) and an outlet end (42), intended to ensure the passage of air from at least one discharge inlet opening to at least one secondary outlet opening, and comprising an ejection grill (32) arranged at the outlet end (42), the ejection grill (32) comprising a plurality of fins (43), characterised in that the fins (43) comprise flow channels (44) for a fluid to be cooled, so as to form a heat exchange system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Benjamin Bulot, Pradeep Cojande, Eva Julie Lebeault
  • Patent number: 11466855
    Abstract: A combustor adapted for use in a gas turbine engine includes a combustor shell comprising metallic materials. The combustor shell is formed to define an internal space. The combustor further includes a heat shield mounted to an axially aft surface of the combustor shell within the internal space and a combustor liner arranged to extend along inner surfaces of the combustor shell within the internal space. The combustor liner cooperates with the heat shield to define a combustor chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Ted J. Freeman, Aaron D. Sippel
  • Patent number: 11459895
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil including a pressure side and a suction side. A platform includes a pressure side wall and a suction side wall, and has a leading edge end wall and a trailing edge end wall. A pocket is positioned under the platform on the pressure side. A hole has a first end communicating with the pocket and having a second end communicating with the pressure side wall. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Pedro David Laureano, John A. Lucena