Patents Examined by Steven M Sutherland
  • Patent number: 12385442
    Abstract: A gearbox assembly for a turbine engine. The turbine engine includes an engine static structure. The gearbox assembly includes a gear assembly, an input shaft coupled to the gear assembly, an output shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft through the gear assembly, and a gearbox assembly disengagement system. The gearbox assembly disengagement system includes a one-way clutch that engages the gearbox assembly to the engine static structure during a normal operation of the turbine engine and disengages the gearbox assembly from the engine static structure during a reverse torque condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: GE AVIO S.R.L.
    Inventor: Andrea Piazza
  • Patent number: 12366179
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, propulsor means, first compression means, second compression means, reduction means for reducing a rotational speed of an output that drives the propulsor means relative to an input, first expansion means, and second expansion means. The reduction means includes an epicyclic gear system with a gear reduction. The gear system is straddle-mounted by first and second bearings on opposite sides of the gear reduction relative to an engine longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Michael E. McCune
  • Patent number: 12359615
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes an engine core extending axially along an axis. The engine core includes a compressor section, a combustor, a diffuser structure, a diffuser plenum and a plurality of separators. The combustor is arranged within the diffuser plenum. The combustor includes a combustion chamber and a combustor wall between the combustion chamber and the diffuser plenum. The diffuser structure includes a plurality of diffuser passages. Each of the diffuser passages fluidly couples the compressor section to a respective one of the separators. Each of the separators includes a first outlet into the diffuser plenum and a second outlet into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 12359549
    Abstract: A system and method for a frac pump. The system includes a turbine. The turbine can be 100% powered by natural gas or other fuels. The turbine, which can have an OEM controller, drives a frac pump. The frac pump is used for fracturing. The system has a controller which controls the system, including the OEM controller. The system has an air filtration system to treat the air entering the turbine. The air filtration system can include a system with no moving parts and no filters. The system fits within a trailer so it can be transported to remote locations. The system is self-sufficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Catalyst Energy Services LLC
    Inventors: Bobby Joe Chapman, Sean Dee Edwards, Michael Gerard King, Seth Richard Moore, Kevin Martin Voldarski
  • Patent number: 12345205
    Abstract: A hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine engine has a fuel input path from a fuel input of the engine to a combustor, the engine further comprising a heat-exchanger located in the fuel input path and a fuel turbine located in the fuel input path between the heat-exchanger and the combustor. The heat-exchanger is arranged to receive waste heat from the engine core in order to heat hydrogen fuel introduced at the fuel input prior to input thereof to the combustor. The engine further comprises an air compressor arranged to be driven by the fuel turbine. The engine provides for most of the waste heat of combustion to be recovered and used without the need for heavy electrical or mechanical apparatus and is therefore particularly advantageous in aeronautical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Inventor: Chloe Jo Palmer
  • Patent number: 12337336
    Abstract: A centrifugal air-oil separator system for a gas turbine engine system is described. The air-oil separator system has a rotatable shaft and the shaft includes an axially extending bore formed at least partially through the shaft. A gear is integral to or mounted on an outer surface of the shaft. The air-oil separator system also includes a bolt-on breather mounted on the shaft and independent from and in contiguous contact with the gear to assist in separating the oil from the air. Various types of materials may be utilized in the construction of the air-oil separator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kabbes, Jacob Harral, Michael Dornfeld, Kenneth Miller
  • Patent number: 12337986
    Abstract: An acoustic treatment panel including acoustic absorption cells each comprising a bottom wall, a porous inlet wall, an enclosure extending in an axial direction between the bottom wall and the inlet wall, and a first acoustic horn extending inside the enclosure between a first opening and a second opening that is smaller than said first opening, the first opening facing said inlet wall. Each cell comprises a second horn extending inside the enclosure in the first axial direction between a first opening of the second horn and a second opening of the second horn that is smaller than said first opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Georges Jean Xavier Riou, Fernando Gea Aguilera
  • Patent number: 12331682
    Abstract: An assembly for a gas turbine engine includes at least one rotational assembly, an engine static structure, a compressor, one or more compressed air loads, and a particulate separator assembly. The at least one rotational assembly includes a shaft, a bladed compressor rotor, and a bladed turbine rotor. The engine static structure includes an engine case assembly. The engine case assembly surrounds the at least one rotational assembly. The compressor includes the bladed compressor rotor. The compressor is configured to form a compressed air flow. The one or more compressed air loads are disposed within the engine case assembly. The particulate separator assembly includes a plurality of particulate separators. The plurality of particulate separators are disposed outside of the engine case assembly. The plurality of particulate separators are configured to separate particulate from the compressed air flow and direct the compressed air flow to the one or more compressed air loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: William K. Ackermann, Andrew J. Murphy, Marc J. Muldoon, Michael G. McCaffrey, William J. Beeson
  • Patent number: 12331702
    Abstract: A turboshaft engine includes a core engine, including a fan section, a compressor section, a primary combustor and a turbine section positioned within a core flow path of the gas turbine engine; a bypass splitter positioned radially outward of the core engine and configured to house the compressor section, the primary combustor and the turbine section; a bypass duct positioned radially outward of the bypass splitter; and a power spool operably coupled to the core engine and configured rotationally drive a fan included within the fan section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steven W. Burd
  • Patent number: 12331931
    Abstract: A fuel injector assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a swirler and a fuel nozzle. The swirler has an outer wall having a SOW inner wall surface, an inner wall having a SIW inner wall surface and a SIW outer wall surface, an outer passage, and an inner passage. The SIW inner wall surface includes first and second sections. The first section extends between a first airflow inlet and the second section, and the second section extends between the first section and an inner wall distal end. The first section tapers radially inward, and the second section extends parallel the center axis. The outer wall circumscribes the inner wall and extends axially along the center axis to a distal outer wall end, and the distal end wall is axially recessed within the swirler from the distal outer wall end. The fuel nozzle projects into the inner passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Baris A. Sen, Zhongtao Dai, Wookyung Kim, Stephen K. Kramer
  • Patent number: 12326100
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine static vane includes a radially outer platform, a radially inner platform, and an airfoil extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge, and having a suction side and a pressure side. The radially inner and outer platforms and the airfoil all are formed of ceramic matrix composite plies. There are an outer platform fillet and an inlet platform fillet merging the airfoil into the radially outer platform and the radially inner platform and along each of the pressure side and the suction side. The fillets are formed with radially outer ply layers extending from the radially outer platform, through the airfoil, and to the radially inner platform, and radially inner ply layers extending from the radially outer platform, through the airfoil, and to the radially inner platform. The radially outer ply layers and the radially inner ply layers do not cover the entirety of the outer platform, the inner platform or the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Christian X. Campbell
  • Patent number: 12320301
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid supply assembly having a line assembly from a fluid reservoir to a target location for supplying a fluid mass flow in a variable supply quantity, in particular for supplying fuel from a fuel reservoir to a combustion chamber, having a primary mass flow supplied or able to be supplied via a primary line and a secondary mass flow supplied or able to be supplied via a secondary line. An advantageous adaptation of the fluid mass flow, in particular fuel mass flow, to variable operating conditions is achieved in that disposed in the primary line and/or the secondary line is a passively operating restrictor which is invariable in its geometry and is without moving parts, by which the mass flow ratio of primary mass flow and secondary mass flow is altered as a function of the fluid mass flow supplied via the line assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KG
    Inventors: Gregor Christoffer Gebel, Carsten Clemen
  • Patent number: 12313000
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for a turbine engine. This turbine engine apparatus includes an air-debris separation structure, and the air-debris separation structure includes a first air-debris separator, a second air-debris separator and a separation structure outlet. The first air-debris separator includes a first separator inlet and a first separator outlet out from the air-debris separation structure. The first air-debris separator fluidly couples the first separator inlet to the first separator outlet and the separation structure outlet in parallel. The second air-debris separator includes a second separator inlet and a second separator outlet out from the air-debris separation structure. The second air-debris separator fluidly couples the second separator inlet to the second separator outlet and the separation structure outlet in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Paul R. Hanrahan, Kyle D. Crawford
  • Patent number: 12312995
    Abstract: Embodiments of a combustor for a gas turbine engine are provided herein. In some embodiments, a combustion chamber for a gas turbine engine comprising may include a combustor having an inner volume defined at least partially by a front wall, wherein the wall comprises a plurality of facets each having a through hole fluidly coupled to the inner volume, and wherein the plurality of facets are oriented such that an axis of each of the plurality of facets is offset from a central axis of the combustor by an angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Peter Daniel Silkowski
  • Patent number: 12312999
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes an engine core extending axially along an axis. The engine core includes a compressor section, a combustor, a diffuser structure, a diffuser plenum and a plurality of separators. The combustor is arranged within the diffuser plenum. The combustor includes a combustion chamber and a combustor wall between the combustion chamber and the diffuser plenum. The diffuser structure includes a plurality of diffuser passages. Each of the diffuser passages fluidly couples the compressor section to a respective one of the separators. Each of the separators includes a first outlet into the diffuser plenum and a second outlet into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael G. McCaffrey
  • Patent number: 12312998
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes an inner wall structure, an outer wall structure, a splitter and an actuation system. The inner wall structure extends axially along a first axis to an inner wall upstream end. The outer wall structure extends axially along the first axis to an outer wall upstream end. The splitter extends axially along the first axis to a leading edge. An inner section of the splitter is connected to the inner wall structure at the inner wall upstream end. An outer section of the splitter is connected to the outer wall structure at the outer wall upstream end and meets the inner section of the splitter at the leading edge. The actuation system is mechanically coupled to the splitter and is configured to move the leading edge radially relative to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Patent number: 12313261
    Abstract: A combustor liner segment which includes base having an inner surface, an outer surface, a front edge, a rear edge, and two side edges. The liner segment further includes a front wall extending from the front edge of the base, and a rear wall extending from the rear edge of the base. The combustor liner segment also includes at least one support member having a first portion and second portion. The combination of the first portion, the second portion, the outer surface, the front wall, and the rear wall form a partially enclosed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Wasserman, Howard Liles
  • Patent number: 12298009
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a compressor section for compressing air flowing therethrough to provide a compressed air flow and a reverse flow annular vortex combustor including a combustion chamber having a primary combustion zone, the combustion chamber configured to combust a mixture of a fuel flow and the compressed air flow in the primary combustion zone to generate a primary zone vortex. The reverse flow annular vortex combustor has a combustor liner and one or more driver openings extending through the combustor liner, the one or more driver openings providing a driver air flow formed of the compressed air flow. The driver air flow enters the combustion chamber as a wall of air for shaping and driving the primary zone vortex in the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Rachel Yu, Nicholas R. Overman, William David Magnuszewski
  • Patent number: 12291997
    Abstract: A variable area turbine nozzle assembly includes a guide vane including an outer centering pin defining a tab. An inner support ring is spaced radially outward from the guide vane and defines an opening and a protrusion. The protrusion is configured to engage with the tab of the outer centering pin. An outer support ring extends circumferentially around the inner support ring and defines an aperture. The outer support ring has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than or less than the first coefficient of thermal expansion. At least one linkage joins the inner support ring to the outer support ring and is configured to rotate the inner support ring circumferentially about an axial centerline of the variable area turbine nozzle assembly in response to a change in operational temperature of a combustion gas thus causing the guide vane to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Scott Alan Schimmels, Craig Alan Gonyou, Paul Hadley Vitt
  • Patent number: 12291999
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system to heat a portion of a gas turbine (GT) engine of a power generation system in a standby mode. The system includes a first heated fluid manifold and a first conduit coupling a heated fluid supply external to the GT engine to one or more fatigue-prone components within the GT engine. A first plurality of valves is configured to control an amount of heated fluid flow through the first conduit between the heated fluid supply and the one or more fatigue-prone components. A controller is in communication with the first plurality of valves. The controller adjusts an open extent of at least one of the first plurality of valves to control a temperature of the one or more fatigue-prone components. The external heated fluid supply may be an auxiliary system or a second GT engine operating in non-standby mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
    Inventor: Carlos Miguel Miranda