Patents Examined by Lorne E Meade
  • Patent number: 12378914
    Abstract: A fuel management system for a gas turbine engine. The fuel management system comprises a fuel supply line configured to supply fuel from an inlet to a combustor of the gas turbine engine. The fuel management system also includes a recirculation line extending from a recirculation point on the fuel supply line and configured to recirculate excess fuel from the fuel supply line for resupply to the fuel supply line. In addition, the fuel management system comprises a heat exchanger configured to reject heat from a thermal load of the gas turbine engine to fuel in the fuel management system. The heat exchanger is disposed on the fuel supply line upstream of the recirculation point or on the recirculation line. The fuel management system further comprises a fuel cooling device disposed along the recirculation line and configured to reject heat from the excess fuel therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Richard G Mochrie
  • Patent number: 12371183
    Abstract: Disclosed is a fuel conditioning system (SC) configured to supply an aircraft turbine engine using fuel (Q) from a cryogenic tank (RC), the conditioning system (SC) comprising at least one pumping turbomachine (1), a first heat exchanger (31) configured to heat the fuel (Q) in the fuel circuit (CQ) by circulating an air stream (A), and at least one heating turbomachine (2) configured to supply an air flow (A) to the first heat exchanger (31), the heating turbomachine (2) comprising an air intake compressor (21), a combustion chamber (24) and an air exhaust turbine (22) configured to drive the air intake compressor (21), the combustion chamber (24) being supplied with air taken from the air flow (A) and with the fuel (Q) from the fuel circuit (CQ).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN
    Inventors: Pierre-Alain Marie Cyrille Lambert, Samer Maalouf
  • Patent number: 12366358
    Abstract: A flame-holder device for a turbojet afterburner comprises an annular row of flame-holder arms, each having an inner branch having a free end and another end, and two outer branches which extend from the other end and diverge from one another in a direction extending from the free end to the other end, such that the inner branch transitions radially outward into the two outer branches which diverge radially outward from one another in two opposing circumferential directions, thereby forming mutually approaching areas between consecutive flame-holder arms for enabling the flame to spread from arm to arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Clément Jean Henri Bechet, Emmanuel Jean André Greslin, Pierre André Gabriel Malbois, Christophe Pieussergues
  • Patent number: 12359621
    Abstract: A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger including first and second sides, with the first side in contact with flow path air flowing through a flow path of the engine. Furthermore, the system includes a housing positioned relative to the heat exchanger such that the housing and the second side of the heat exchanger define a plenum configured to receive bleed air from the engine. Moreover, the system includes and at least one of a plurality of fins extending outward from the second side of the heat exchanger in a radial direction into the plenum and along the second surface of the heat exchanger in the circumferential direction or an impingement plate defining a plurality of impingement apertures, with each impingement aperture configured to direct an impingement jet of the bleed air within the plenum onto the second side of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff
  • Patent number: 12359624
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine configured to combust gaseous hydrogen fuel comprises a combustor comprising an annular combustion chamber outer casing surrounding an inner combustor case and a fuel manifold configured to provide gaseous fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors. The fuel manifold is formed integrally with the combustion chamber outer casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventor: Edward A. Walters
  • Patent number: 12359612
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a cooling air duct for cooling air positioned radially between a core air flow path for core air and a bypass airflow passage for bypass air. A heat exchanger is positioned in the cooling air duct to transfer heat from a heat source from within the turbine engine. The heat exchanger may be a condenser. The turbine engine may further include a steam system that extracts water from the combustion gases, vaporizes the water to generate steam, and injects the steam into the core air flow path, the steam system including the condenser to transfer heat from the combustion gases to the cooling air and to condense the water from the combustion gases. The turbine engine may further include a booster fan to increase the pressure of the cooling air and the core air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Rambo, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
  • Patent number: 12359139
    Abstract: Systems and methods for producing green hydrogen from a source material (e.g., biowaste) are contemplated. The source material is at least partially dehydrated to produce a dried intermediate and recovered water. The dried intermediate is pyrolyzed to produce syngas and a char. The recovered water is electrolyzed to produce oxygen and green hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Integrated Energy, LLC
    Inventor: Karen Meyer Bertram
  • Patent number: 12352441
    Abstract: An assembly for a combustor for a gas turbine engine, including: a plurality of heat shield panels attached to at least one combustor liner, each one of the plurality of heat shield panels including a panel portion and a first forward rail and a second rearward rail each extending from an outer surface of the panel portion, the panel portion including an inner surface opposite of the outer surface, the panel portion also includes a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of the panel portion is axially forward of the rearward end of an adjacent heat shield panel of the plurality of heat shield panels such that a gap is defined between the outer surface of the panel portion of one heat shield panel of the plurality of heat shield panels and an inner surface of the panel portion of an adjacent heat shield panel of the plurality of heat shield panels, the panel portion also includes a plurality of apertures extending from the outer surface to the inner surface; and a plurality of cooling pins extending u
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dibesh D. Joshi, Gary J. Dillard, Albert K. Cheung, Stephen K. Kramer
  • Patent number: 12345219
    Abstract: A coating system includes a diffusion coating on a refractory metal or refractory metal alloy. The coating can be applied to a component such as a rocket engine component that includes a substrate including the refractory metal and is useful to protect the substrate from high temperature oxidation. The diffusion coating process employs an activator that includes a compound of the metal to be diffused into the surface of the substrate and is a vapor phase process in which the vapor includes metal from the activator and additional from the metal source being activated. Aluminum trifluoride can be used to activate an aluminum metal source to form an aluminide coating on a refractory metal-based alloy, such as a niobium alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: Hitemco, LLC
    Inventor: Charles Clifford Berger
  • Patent number: 12344358
    Abstract: An orbital maneuver apparatus includes a fluid supply arrangement, a main body, an actuation head, and a nozzle assembly. The main body includes an outer housing, an inner housing mounted in the outer housing such that the inner housing is arranged to rotate about a longitudinal direction of the main body, wherein the fluid supply tube extends in the inner housing of the main body and is stationary with respect to the outer housing. The actuation head is connected to the inner housing of the main body to rotate along with the inner housing. The nozzle assembly includes a first nozzle head and a second nozzle head which are in fluid communication with the fluid supply arrangement, and are both movably supported in the actuation cavity and are arranged to rotate correspondingly with the actuation head, and to further rotate about a transverse direction of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2025
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Inventor: Ruiqing Hong
  • Patent number: 12345244
    Abstract: A propulsion device for vehicles, such as a spacecraft operating within a vacuum configured to ionize a fuel gas. Specifically, a soft ionization system pulls electrons from passing gas molecules directly into conductors and introduces ionized gas molecules into a static accelerating field. The ionized gas is utilized at a point of creation such that a chamber, housing, or channel to contain the ionized gas is not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: Orbital Arc Corporation
    Inventor: Jonathan Huffman
  • Patent number: 12345245
    Abstract: A thruster assembly, including a switch connected to a power source, a thruster, a propellant tank for storing and pressurising a propellant, and a propellant channel for guiding the propellant to the thruster. The thruster includes a space for receiving the propellant from the propellant channel, an electrically controlled heating element, a thruster body having a first thermal expansion coefficient, a valve component having a second thermal expansion coefficient, which is different than the first thermal expansion coefficient, inside the thruster body, and a nozzle, wherein the valve component includes a sealing surface closing the nozzle in a first temperature, and the electrically controlled heating element in response to actuation of the switch heats said thruster to a second temperature where the thermal expansion of the thruster opens the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: AURORA PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES Oy
    Inventors: Pihla Pietikäinen, Jaakko Laitinen, Perttu Yli-Opas, Vili Vilenius, Roope Takala, Pyry Peitso, Janne Sievinen
  • Patent number: 12339007
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a nozzle for a combustor that burns fuel containing hydrogen. The nozzle comprised of a cylindrical tube is configured for introduction of a first fluid (for example, compressed air) and a second fluid (for example, hydrogen or a fuel containing hydrogen). Along an inner surface of the nozzle, one or more fluid vortex generators are disposed. As compressed air flows over the one or more fluid vortex generators, the compressed air swirls inside the nozzle resulting in a turbulent flow of the compressed air. As fuel is then introduced into the nozzle, the fuel encounters the swirling or turbulent flow of compressed air, and the introduced fuel is thoroughly mixed with the compressed air so that the fuel/air mixture will be combusted in a uniform manner. The nozzle may be included in a combustor of a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Doosan Enerbility Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Afzal Pasha Mohammed, Brian Connolly, Prabhat Jha, Griffin C. Beck, Dong Sik Han, Ho Keun Kim, Young Jun Shin
  • Patent number: 12331653
    Abstract: A turbine stationary blade is a turbine stationary blade that includes: a blade body; and a shroud formed in an end portion of the blade body in a blade height direction. The shroud includes: a bottom plate in contact with a combustion gas flow passage; a peripheral wall formed in the blade height direction and along a peripheral edge of the bottom plate; a recess forming a space surrounded by the peripheral wall and the bottom plate; a plurality of partition ribs connecting the blade body and the peripheral wall, dividing the recess into a plurality of spaces, and forming a plurality of cavities; and an impingement plate dividing the space into an outer cavity formed on an outer side in the blade height direction and an inner cavity formed on an inner side of the outer cavity, and having a plurality of through holes via which the outer cavity and the inner cavity communicate with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Okamoto, Tomoko Morikawa, Satoshi Hada
  • Patent number: 12326117
    Abstract: A turbine engine extends along an axis (X) and includes a flow path of a primary flow (F1) that has a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine. The turbine engine further includes an outflow region of a secondary flow (F2) that surrounds the primary path, a blower or a propeller located upstream of the primary path and the outflow region of the secondary flow (F2), at least one arm extending radially through the primary path, and at least one fluid circulation pipe extending inside the arm. The arm includes an inlet for air from the primary path so as to cool the fluid circulating in the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Vincent Marie Jacques Rémi De Carné-Carnavalet
  • Patent number: 12320340
    Abstract: An electrothermal subassembly of a steam thruster for nanosatellites. The subassembly has an inlet port for the supply of the working mass, heat exchangers with containing ducts, at least one heating element, a supersonic micro-nozzle, and a plurality of rods forming a truss structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: STEAMJET SPACE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Vladimir V. Fedorov, Marco Pavan
  • Patent number: 12313263
    Abstract: An acoustic device for a gas turbine combustor includes: a first region positioned at a downstream side of a combustion cylinder, the first region existing at a position which is at least one of a pair of positions across the combustion cylinder in a radial direction of the combustion cylinder; a pair of second regions whose axial-direction position with respect to the combustion cylinder overlaps at least partially with the pair of positions, and whose circumferential-direction position with respect to the combustion cylinder is different from that of the pair of positions, the pair of second regions existing at positions across the combustion cylinder in the radial direction; and a third region positioned at an upstream side of the first region and the second region with respect to the combustion cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Tokuyama, Taiki Kinoshita, Kenta Taniguchi, Kenichi Hashimoto, Satoshi Takiguchi, Kazuhiro Tominaga
  • Patent number: 12313262
    Abstract: Proposed are a nozzle assembly, a combustor, and a gas turbine including the same. The nozzle assembly mixes compressed air supplied from a compressor of the gas turbine with fuel supplied from the outside, and ejects a mixture of the compressed air and the fuel to a combustion chamber of the combustor. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle flange receiving the fuel from the outside, a nozzle shroud, a first main cylinder forming a first main flow path, a first swirler, a second main cylinder forming a second main flow path, and a second swirler. The nozzle flange includes a plurality of fuel supply flow paths, and a supplied fuel is distributed to the first swirler and the second swirler along the fuel supply flow paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hokeun Kim, Youngjun Shin, Eunyoung Kim
  • Patent number: 12296971
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a nacelle inlet structure which extends axially along and circumferentially around a centerline. The nacelle inlet structure includes an inlet lip, an inner barrel, an outer barrel and a plurality of structure segments. The inlet lip forms a leading edge of the nacelle inlet structure. The inner barrel projects axially aft away from the inlet lip. The outer barrel projects axially aft away from the inlet lip. The outer barrel is radially outboard of and axially overlaps the inner barrel. Each of the structure segments includes an exterior skin, a mount and an electric heater configured to heat the exterior skin. The exterior skin forms a respective circumferential section of the inlet lip and a respective circumferential section of the outer barrel. The mount is bonded to the exterior skin and mechanically attached to the inner barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Moe, John E. Van Doren, Aleksandar Ratajac
  • Patent number: 12297779
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine for aircraft includes: an engine core including a turbine, compressor, and core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the core; a gearbox; and a gearbox support arranged to at least partially support the gearbox. The fan has a mass in a range of 150 kg to 1200 kg. A moment of inertia of the fan is greater than or equal to 7.40×107 kgmm2. A radial bending stiffness to moment of inertia ratio of: the ? radial ? bending ? stiffness ? of ? at ? least ? one ? of ? the ? fan ? shaft ? at ? the ? output ? of ? the ? gearbox ? and ? the ? gearbox ? support the ? moment ? of ? inertia ? of ? the ? fan may be greater than or equal to 2.5×10?2 Nkg?1m?1mm?2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Mark Spruce