Patents Examined by Katheryn Malatek
  • Patent number: 11873992
    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: November 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayoshi Kobayashi, Takeo Oda, Takeo Nishiura, Tomoko Tsuru, Takaya Hamamoto, Takeshi Takagi, Osamu Hisamatsu, Hirotaka Kurashima
  • Patent number: 11873760
    Abstract: A system and method of an airflow control system for a vehicle is described herein. The airflow control system (100) includes an airflow housing (120) defining an airflow passageway (125) extending between a bypass opening (122) and an intake outlet (124). The airflow housing also defines a duct opening (126) positioned between the bypass opening (122) and the intake outlet (124). The intake outlet (124) may be in fluid communication with an engine intake (12) of the vehicle such that air passes from the bypass opening (122) and/or the duct opening (126) to the engine intake (12). The airflow control system (100) also includes a movable duct (160) movably connected to the airflow housing (120) to selectively allow or prevent air passage through the duct opening (126) and into the engine intake (12), and further includes a bypass door (140) movably connected to the airflow housing (120) to selectively allow or prevent air passage through the bypass opening (122) and into the engine intake (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael P. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 11867131
    Abstract: Examples described herein provide a computer-implemented method that includes determining a thrust requirement to satisfy a desired glide slope. The method further includes determining, based on the thrust requirement, whether thrust matching can be maintained while operating a first gas turbine engine in a fuel-burning mode and operating a second gas turbine engine in an electrically powered mode. The method further includes, responsive to determining that thrust matching cannot be maintained, commanding fuel flow to a combustor of the second engine to cause the second gas turbine engine to operate in the fuel-burning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Brandon Evans
  • Patent number: 11867125
    Abstract: A fuel manifold adapter for a fuel system of an aircraft engine, the fuel manifold adapter comprising: a body having a body-output interface defining a downstream end of a body passage including a body bore about a bore axis, the body-output interface movably and fluidly connectable to a first component of the fuel system mounted to a first mounting point of the engine, and a body-input interface defining an upstream end of the body passage, the body-input interface rigidly and fluidly connectable to a second component of the fuel system mounted to a second mounting point of the engine, and a transfer tube having an upstream-tube end slidably engaged with the body along the bore axis via the body bore, the transfer tube having a downstream-tube end opposite the upstream-tube end slidably engageable along the bore axis with the first component, the downstream-tube end defining a downstream end of the fuel manifold adapter relative to fuel flow through the fuel manifold adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Gavin Rohiteshwar Kisun, Guy Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 11867135
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft. This aircraft assembly includes a powerplant. The powerplant includes a gas turbine engine, an exhaust nozzle and a flowpath extending from the gas turbine engine to the exhaust nozzle. The exhaust nozzle is movable between a first position and a second position. The exhaust nozzle is configured to exhaust combustion products, received through the flowpath from the gas turbine engine, when the exhaust nozzle is in the first position. The exhaust nozzle is configured to block flow of the combustion products through the flowpath when the exhaust nozzle is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Murphy
  • Patent number: 11859565
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes: a combustor that combust the fuel and having an exit, a combustor exit temperature (T40) is the average temperature of flow and a combustor exit pressure (P40) is the total pressure there; a turbine including a rotor having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein a turbine rotor entry temperature (T41) is an average temperature of flow at the leading edge and a turbine rotor entry pressure (P41) is the total pressure there; and a compressor having an exit, wherein a compressor exit temperature (T30) is the average temperature of flow at the exit from the compressor and a compressor exit pressure (P30) is the total pressure there (all at cruise conditions). A method of determining at least one fuel characteristic includes changing a fuel supplied to the engine; and determining a change in a relationship between T30 or P30, T40 and T41, or of P40 and P41, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benjamin J Keeler, David M Beaven, Craig W Bemment, Paul W Ferra, Kevin R Mcnally, Andrea Minelli, Martin K Yates
  • Patent number: 11852082
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fuel blend for a turbine engine is provided. The method includes supplying a first fuel and a second fuel to a mixer and mixing, in the mixer, the first and second fuels together to obtain a fuel blend. The method also includes receiving, at a fuel blend analyzer downstream from the mixer, a measurement indicative of a composition of the fuel blend. The method further includes combusting the fuel blend in a combustor. The method also includes receiving a combustion signal indicative of combustion behavior. The method further includes controlling, based on at least one of the fuel blend measurement and the combustion signal, by a controller, at least one of a flow of the first fuel and a flow of the second fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: George F. Frey, Jocelyn E. Passty
  • Patent number: 11846232
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for power production. In particular, the systems and methods utilize the addition of heat to an expanded turbine exhaust stream in order to increase the available quantity of heat for recuperation and use therein for heating a compressed carbon dioxide stream for recycle back to a combustor of the power production system and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: 8 Rivers Capital, LLC
    Inventor: Brock Alan Forrest
  • Patent number: 11846422
    Abstract: A system includes an air manifold, a fuel manifold, and a plurality of fuel injectors. At least one of the fuel injectors includes a heat exchanger portion for supplying compressed, cooled air form the heat exchanger portion to the air manifold. An air valve is operatively connected to an outlet of the air manifold for controlling release of air from the air manifold. A controller is operatively connected to the air valve, wherein the controller includes machine readable instructions configured to control the air valve to regulate flow of air through the air valve based on fuel temperatures in the fuel channel. The machine readable instructions can be configured to cause the controller to flow air through the air valve in a heat exchange mode if a fuel temperature in the fuel injectors is below a predetermined fuel temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Gregory A. Zink, Brandon Phillip Williams, Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 11846424
    Abstract: An injection nozzle installed in a combustor of a gas turbine to inject fuel and compressed air to a combustion chamber is provided. The injection nozzle includes an inlet portion into which fuel and compressed air are introduced, an outlet portion installed downstream of the inlet portion in a flow direction of fluid and configured to discharge the fuel and compressed air to the combustion chamber, and an intermediate portion obliquely installed between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and connected to each of the inlet portion and outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young Gun Go, Hyun Soo An
  • Patent number: 11840968
    Abstract: An aspect includes a method for motoring control for multiple engines of an aircraft is provided. A controller can determine a motoring time of a first engine starting system to cool a first engine. The controller can compare the motoring time of the first engine starting system with a motoring time of one or more other engine starting systems of one or more other engines of the aircraft. The motoring time of the first engine starting system can be controlled relative to a tolerance of the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems by adjusting the motoring time of the first engine starting system relative to the one or more other engine starting systems in a motoring sequence based on comparing the motoring time of the first engine starting system with the motoring time of the one or more other engine starting systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew D. Teicholz, James W. Dunn, Christopher P. Kmetz, Louis A. Celiberti
  • Patent number: 11828232
    Abstract: A direct injection fuel system is shown for injecting hydrogen fuel into a gas turbine combustor. The fuel injection system includes a plurality of fuel injector blocks. Each fuel injector block includes a fuel admission duct having an inlet for receiving hydrogen fuel from a fuel supply, an outlet for delivering hydrogen fuel into the combustor and a central axis extending from said inlet to said outlet. Each fuel injector block also includes an air admission duct located around the periphery of the fuel admission duct, having an inlet for receiving air from a diffuser and an outlet for delivering air into the combustor for mixing with the hydrogen fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Jonathan F. Carrotte, Anthony John Moran, Mark Brend, Mark Cassell, Maxwell Williams
  • Patent number: 11821373
    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: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Christopher P. Madden, Peter Swann
  • Patent number: 11815033
    Abstract: A control device is a device for controlling a gas turbine. The control device is provided with: a prediction unit configured to predict a future state quantity of the gas turbine corresponding to a control input to the gas turbine in a prediction horizon, using a prediction model; an optimization unit configured to optimize the control input in at least a part of the prediction horizon, using a prediction result of the prediction unit; a storage unit for storing sensitivity information indicating sensitivity of the control input to a change speed of the state quantity for each operating condition of the gas turbine; and an update unit configured to read the sensitivity information corresponding to the operating condition assumed in the prediction horizon from the storage unit, and update one or more coefficients of a prediction equation of the state quantity used in the prediction model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Kishi, Ryuji Takenaka, Ryoichi Haga, Kenta Wada, Yasuhiro Niina
  • Patent number: 11808219
    Abstract: A fuel system can include a first fuel circuit, a second fuel circuit, and an inert gas purge system operatively connected to both the first fuel circuit and the second fuel circuit to purge at least a portion of either or both of the first and/or second fuel circuit. The first fuel can be a liquid fuel and the second fuel can be a gaseous fuel. The first fuel circuit can include a first fuel manifold configured to fluidly communicate a first fuel supply with at least one dual fuel nozzles downstream of the first fuel manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Owen Ho-Yin Wong, John Galas, Sean Durand
  • Patent number: 11808217
    Abstract: A method for regulating the temperature of the exhaust gases of a turbomachine, the method including regulation of the injection of fuel into a combustion chamber of the turbomachine so that the turbomachine generates a target thrust; regulation of the injection of mechanical power by an electric motor onto a shaft driven in rotation by a turbine, the electric motor being activated when a clearance between a casing and the blades of the turbine exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Romain Guillaume Cuvillier, Pierre Cabrera
  • Patent number: 11795877
    Abstract: A method of modulating a cooling supply in a gas turbine engine includes providing the engine comprising a compressor section and a turbine section and including a cooling flow circuit, the cooling flow circuit supplying a cooling air flow from a compressor cavity in the compressor section to a blade ring cavity in the turbine section, wherein the cooling flow circuit includes a main line with a full capacity valve, measuring a first pressure in the blade ring cavity, measuring a second pressure in the compressor cavity, adjusting, by a control system, the opening of the full capacity valve to control the cooling air flow through the main line in order to maintain a target pressure ratio, wherein the pressure ratio defined as a ratio of the first pressure to the second pressure. The method is performed in an ambient temperature operating range of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ashok Reddy Gitta, Damien G. Teehan, Yan Yin, Chirag Patel, John T. Fetherolf, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11796176
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine defining a radial direction and a circumferential direction includes a liner assembly at least partially defining a combustion chamber and including at least one liner extending between a downstream end and an upstream end, the downstream end of the at least one liner defining a radial opening and an interface surface extending along the circumferential direction and along the radial direction; and a seal member including a body, a flange, and a radial element, the body defining a body surface extending along the radial direction and positioned adjacent the interface surface of the at least one liner, the flange extending forward from the body, and the radial element coupled to the flange and extending into the radial opening defined by the at least one liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ernesto Andres Vallejo Ruiz, Aaron Michael Dziech, Jonathon Eli Farmer
  • Patent number: 11788477
    Abstract: An aircraft has first and second fuel sources containing fuels with different characteristics, and one or more gas turbine engines powered by the fuels and each having a staged combustion system having pilot and main fuel injectors and being operable in pilot-only and pilot-and-main ranges of operation. The gas turbine engines each have a fuel delivery regulator arranged to control fuel delivery to the pilot and main fuel injectors. The method includes: obtaining a proposed mission description; obtaining nvPM impact parameters for the gas turbine engines, the impact parameters being associated with each operating condition of the proposed mission; calculating an optimised set of one or more fuel characteristics for each flight condition of the proposed flight defined in the flight description based on the nvPM impact parameters; and determining a fuel allocation based on the optimised set of one or more fuel characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Swann, Christopher P Madden, Craig W Bemment
  • Patent number: 11773781
    Abstract: In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a system for an aircraft engine. In embodiments, the system includes an accessory box and a fuel accessory located in an interior space within the accessory box, where a vent is defined through a wall of the accessory box. In embodiments, the vent includes a plurality of holes or slots in an outer wall of the accessory box for passage of gaseous fuel from the interior space. In embodiments, the vent is configured for passive ventilation of the interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Scott Smith