Patents Examined by Kayla McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 11719246
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan drive turbine driving a fan rotor through a main gear reduction. A primary lubricant system supplies lubricant to the main gear reduction. An auxiliary oil pump supplies oil to the main gear reduction. An auxiliary pump epicyclic gear train drives the auxiliary pump when the fan rotor is rotating in either direction. The main gear reduction is separate from the auxiliary pump epicyclic gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: David Barger, Joseph H. Polly
  • Patent number: 11719258
    Abstract: The present disclosure refers to a pump (1) comprising a rotor shaft (13) extending along a rotor axis (R), a bearing body (19) circumferentially encompassing the rotor shaft (13) and comprising a radially outer bearing surface (32), and a locking ring (25) circumferentially encompassing the rotor shaft (13) and limiting an axial movement of the bearing body (19) relative to the rotor shaft (13), wherein the locking ring (25) comprises at least two radially inwardly protruding teeth (49, 51, 53, 55), wherein the locking ring (25) is radially expandable from a locking state to a mounting state against an elastic restoring force of the locking ring (25), wherein the locking ring (25) is, in the mounting state, positionable at a desired axial position on the rotor shaft (13), wherein the teeth (49, 51, 53, 55) are configured to press, in the locking state, against a radial outer surface (31) of the rotor shaft (13) by the elastic restoring force of the locking ring (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: GRUNDFOS HOLDING A/S
    Inventors: Brian Lundsted Poulsen, Nielas Winther Laue
  • Patent number: 11698023
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin blower system comprises a cabin blower including a compressor configured to provide air to a cabin of the aircraft; a variable drive system configured to drive the compressor and including an electric variator and a summing gearbox; and a main transmission configured, when operating in a blower mode, to receive mechanical power from a gas turbine engine and input mechanical power to the summing gearbox in a forward direction; and configured, when operating in a starter mode, to receive mechanical power from the summing gearbox and input mechanical power to the gas turbine engine. The aircraft cabin blower system further includes a first one-way rotation device adapted to permit free rotation of the main transmission in the forward direction and to prevent rotation of the main transmission in a reverse direction opposite to the forward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Matthew J. Willshee
  • Patent number: 11673685
    Abstract: A system for monitoring propeller health includes a processing unit having a processor which is programmed to apply a plurality of algorithms to inputted aircraft parameter data. The system also includes a plurality of data inputs for inputting aircraft parameter data into the algorithms, wherein the processor is configured to apply the physics based algorithms to the aircraft parameter data to determine at least the fatigue life consumption of one or more critical components of a propeller. In addition, the system includes an output device which is able to output an indication of the determined fatigue life consumption to an observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: RATIER-FIGEAC SAS
    Inventors: Abdellah El Haloui, Brian P. Huth, Mark Vignali, Olivier Lacroix
  • Patent number: 11661851
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes an annular casing and a fan disposed inside the annular casing and mounted for rotation about an axial centerline. The fan includes fan blades that extend radially outwardly toward the annular casing. The fan has an average chord fan width according to a first performance factor. The fan has a quantity of fan blades according to a second performance factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jixian Yao, Trevor H. Wood, Kishore Ramakrishnan, William J. Solomon, Giridhar Jothiprasad
  • Patent number: 11655797
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a wind turbine having an aerodynamic profile which extends from a blade root up to a blade tip and has a leading edge and a trailing edge. An adjustable aerodynamic flap, which can be adjusted between a retracted and a deployed position by means of a flap drive, is provided on the rotor blade. The flap drive comprises a passive control system which controls a flap position depending on rotation speed. The passive control system of the flap drive is low-maintenance and does not interfere with the safety concept of a wind turbine. In comparison with a reference rotor blade without a flap, the rotor blade has increased lift at low wind speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 11655767
    Abstract: A gearbox for an engine includes a rotating element and a turbomachine, the turbomachine includes a shaft, and the rotating element is driven by the shaft across the gearbox. The gearbox includes a ring gear, a first sun gear and a second sun gear each configured to be driven by the shaft of the turbomachine, a first planet gear comprising a first gear portion and a second gear portion, and a second planet gear comprising a first gear portion and a second gear portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: GE AVIO S.R.L
    Inventors: Juraj Hrubec, Ivan Golovin, Davide Lauria
  • Patent number: 11649825
    Abstract: A multistage centrifugal pump for conveying a fluid includes a pump housing, two first stage impellers, a last stage impeller and a shaft. The two first stage impellers and the last stage impeller convey the fluid from a housing inlet to a housing outlet. The shaft rotates each impeller about an axial direction, each impeller comprising a suction side to receive the fluid and a discharge side to discharge the fluid. The last stage impeller is a double suction impeller, having a first suction side and a second suction side, and the last stage impeller is arranged between the two first stage impellers with respect to the axial direction. Each impeller of the two first stage impellers is arranged with the suction side of a respective first stage impeller facing one of the first and second suction sides of the last stage impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SULZER MANAGEMENT AG
    Inventor: Bruno Maroccia
  • Patent number: 11629608
    Abstract: To provide an axial flow turbine that can reduce circumferential pressure differences to reduce loss. The axial flow turbine includes: stator blades arrayed in the circumferential direction; and a diaphragm inner ring having an outer circumferential surface that interconnects the stator blades on their inner-circumference side and constitutes a wall surface of a main flow path. The outer circumferential surface of the diaphragm inner ring has depressed portions. Each depressed portion is formed in an area that is on the downstream side of a throat where the distance between a suction surface of one stator blade of a pair of adjacent blades and a pressure surface of other stator blade of the pair of adjacent blades becomes the shortest, and that lies in the circumferential direction within a range of a throat position on the suction surface of the one stator blade to a downstream edge position of the one stator blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Senoo, Kazuhiro Momma
  • Patent number: 11623752
    Abstract: An aircraft installation of a pneumatic system of an aircraft with different compressed air sources for supplying pressurized air to air consumer equipment. Either an air bleed system, electrical compressors, or a combination thereof may perform such supplying of compressed air depending on the aircraft operation condition, for instance the flight altitude or specific flight phases. Also, a turbofan engine, and a method for supplying compressed air to air consumer equipment are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS S.L.
    Inventors: Angel Garcia Zuazo, Serafin Escudero Fraile, Esteban Martino-Gonzalez, Juan Tomas Prieto Padilla, Diego Barron Vega
  • Patent number: 11591919
    Abstract: Sacrificial inserts for use in gas turbine engines to reduce friction and wear damage between compressor fan blades and the fan rotors are disclosed. The consumable metallic shims have low friction and reduce fretting and galling on fan blade roots and fan rotor dovetail slots thereby increasing their operating lives, as well as reduce engine noise and improve engine efficiency. The electroformed, compliant, multi-purpose shims may have variable thickness and, when positioned between the blade dovetail root and the rotor disk dovetail slot, prevent movement and slippage between air foil blades and the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Integran Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Gino Palumbo, Klaus Tomantschger, Jonathan McCrea, David Lionel Limoges
  • Patent number: 11585292
    Abstract: An outer shroud of an intermediate casing for a dual flow turbine engine for an aircraft, the shroud including: an annular downstream portion provided with a shroud opening passing through an annular downstream edge of the shroud; a connecting member (50) attached to the annular downstream portion, and intended to attach an arm that passes through a secondary flow path; an air-sealing and fire-resistance device including: a portion including: a pad arranged in a hollow annular area of the annular downstream edge of the shroud; a blade protruding from the pad and clamped between a circumferential end and the radially outer end of the arm, a leaf spring (pressing the pad into the hollow annular area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Bruno Alexandre Didier Jacon, Baghdad Achbari, Thomas Claude Broage, Florent Robert André Godin, Joël François Roudil, Hervé Simonotti
  • Patent number: 11572187
    Abstract: A pivoting connection device connecting at least two components and comprising an end fitting having first and second branches, an arm positioned between the first and second branches of the end fitting, a cylindrical axle connecting the end fitting and the arm and having, at one of the ends thereof, a first portion configured to expand radially, a cylindrical rod configured to be screwed into a tapped portion of the cylindrical axle, an insert fitted on the cylindrical rod and movable between a first position, in which the first portion is not expanded, and a second position, in which the first portion is expanded radially, and a nut configured to be screwed on the cylindrical rod to urge the insert into the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS
    Inventors: Christian Fabre, Alain Bignolais, Paolo Messina, Thomas Bourdieu
  • Patent number: 11566526
    Abstract: A vibration damping device according to an embodiment is a vibration damping device for a blade of a rotating machine, which includes at least one housing configured to be containable in a cavity formed under a platform of the blade, and to be detachable from the blade, and an attenuation material disposed in a vibration damping space formed inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AERO ENGINES, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Watanabe, Kentaro Akimoto
  • Patent number: 11566535
    Abstract: A variable vane assembly includes a variable vane; a trunnion arranged on one end of the variable vane; a bushing mated to the trunnion to define an interface between the trunnion and the bushing; and a surface modification on at least one of the trunnion and the bushing at the interface, whereby frictional heating at the interface during operation of the assembly is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Pantcho P. Stoyanov, Michael D. Greenberg
  • Patent number: 11565802
    Abstract: A rotor system for a rotorcraft includes a rotor hub having a plurality of blade grips coupled thereto. Each blade grip has a rotor blade coupled thereto. A fairing is disposed at least partially around the rotor hub. Each of a plurality of lead-lag dampers is coupled to at least a respective one of the blade grips. Each lead-lag damper has a damper heat exchanger and a fluid pump operably associated therewith. A fairing heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the damper heat exchangers and the fluid pumps. Each lead-lag damper is configured to drive the respective fluid pump responsive to damping operations to pump a cooling fluid from the respective damper heat exchanger to the fairing heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Alexander Acee, Andrew Thomas Carter, Michael Scott Seifert, Shahryar Fotovati
  • Patent number: 11560903
    Abstract: A rotary machine includes a compression section that is disposed between the pair of radial bearings in a casing and compresses a fluid, an expansion section that is disposed side by side with the compression section and expands the fluid, and a thrust bearing that is disposed at a position close to a first end portion or a second end portion of a rotary shaft in an axial direction with respect to the compression section and the expansion section. Among a compression section suction port, a compression section discharge port, an expansion section suction port, and an expansion section discharge port, the compression section suction port is disposed at a position closest to the first end portion in the axial direction, and the expansion section discharge port is disposed at a position closest to the second end portion in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Hideki Nagao, Hiroyuki Miyata
  • Patent number: 11549443
    Abstract: An apparatus of an aircraft engine having lubricated moving components is provided. The apparatus comprises a housing having a lubricant cavity for receiving lubricant and a service port cavity, the housing defining a selectively openable service port for accessing the service port cavity. A shaft is mounted for rotation about a rotational axis to the housing. A seal is mounted about the shaft forming a partition between the lubricant cavity and the service port cavity. A vent channel extends between the lubricant cavity and the service port cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Simon Baker-Ostiguy, Pierre Gauvin, Herve Turcotte
  • Patent number: 11549448
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the speed and the power of a turbine engine propeller, wherein at least two operating modes are implemented: —one operating mode, called “speed mode”, in which the pitch (?) of the propeller is controlled as a function of the desired propeller speed, while the fuel flow is controlled as a function of the desired torque; the other operating mode, called “? mode”, in which the fuel flow is controlled as a function of the desired propeller speed, the pitch (?) of the propeller being set to a limit angle (?min) that limits the pitch of the propeller in the two operating modes, the pitch angle (?min(t)) being continuously computed and updated during a flight on the basis of parameters relating to the flight conditions estimated in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Cedrik Djelassi
  • Patent number: 11542920
    Abstract: Provided is a rotor blade of a wind turbine including a leading edge section with a leading edge and a trailing edge section with a trailing edge, wherein the leading edge and the trailing edge divide the surface of the rotor blade into a suction side and a pressure side. The rotor blade further includes a blade shell for defining the outer shape of the rotor blade and a heating mat for anti-icing and/or deicing purposes which is arranged upon the blade shell. In the outboard region of the rotor blade, the heating mat is substantially or completely covered by a protective shield made of an electrically insulating polymer material. Use of a protective shield made of electrically insulating polymer material for electrical insulation of a heating mat in particular, against lightning strikes is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Inventors: Yannick Cao van Truong, Nikolai Bak Grishauge