Patents Examined by Steven M Sutherland
  • Patent number: 12055101
    Abstract: A method for igniting a continuous combustion engine including an electronic engine control member, a high energy box, a spark plug ignition circuit and a fuel solenoid valve, cooperating with a starter motor, the method being implemented by the electronic engine control member and including precharging the high energy box before an engine starting procedure, activated on an engine starting command, the precharging being controlled by switching on the electronic engine control member, or by putting the engine in idle mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Eric Michel Bondivenne, Vincent Poumarede
  • Patent number: 12049297
    Abstract: A propulsion system for an aircraft having a two stage contra-rotating fan system to generate thrust. The contra-rotating fan system is surrounded by an aerodynamic duct, having the power train within the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Greenjets Limited
    Inventors: Anmol Manohar, Guido Monterzino
  • Patent number: 12044165
    Abstract: Provided is a gas turbine system, including: an ammonia tank; a combustor including a combustion chamber, which is connected to the ammonia tank; an intake flow passage connected to the combustor; a compressor provided in the intake flow passage; a cracked-gas reservoir connected to the combustor; and an ammonia cracking catalyst arranged in a bleed flow passage connected to the compressor, between the compressor and the combustor in the intake flow passage, or in a space in the combustor, which brings the combustion chamber and the intake flow passage into communication with each other, the ammonia cracking catalyst being connected to the ammonia tank and the cracked-gas reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Ito, Masahiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 12031504
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine defining an engine inlet to an inlet duct, a fan duct inlet to a fan duct, and a core inlet to a core duct; a primary fan driven by the turbomachine; and a secondary fan located downstream of the primary fan within the inlet duct. The gas turbine engine defines a thrust to power airflow ratio between 3.5 and 100 and a core bypass ratio between 0.1 and 10, wherein the thrust to power airflow ratio is a ratio of an airflow through a bypass passage over the turbomachine plus an airflow through the fan duct to an airflow through the core duct, and wherein the core bypass ratio is a ratio of the airflow through the fan duct to the airflow through the core duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Randy M. Vondrell, David Marion Ostdiek, Craig William Higgins, Alexander Kimberley Simpson
  • Patent number: 12018615
    Abstract: An air intake for an aircraft propulsion system includes an air inlet duct, a core flow duct, a bypass flow duct, and a flow control device. The air inlet duct includes an intake inlet of the air intake. The core flow duct includes a core flow outlet. The core flow duct extends between and to the air inlet duct and the core flow outlet. The bypass flow duct includes a bypass flow outlet. The bypass flow duct extends between and to the air inlet duct and the bypass flow outlet. The bypass flow duct includes an interior surface forming and surrounding a bypass flow passage through the bypass flow duct. The flow control device is disposed on the interior surface. The flow control device is configured to variably control an area of a cross-sectional flow area of the bypass flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eray Akcayoz, Mark Cunningham, Raja Ramamurthy, Roberto Marrano
  • Patent number: 12012892
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that includes a turbine engine core, a water separate and a core flowpath. The turbine engine core includes a core compressor section, a core combustor section and a core turbine section. The water separator includes a flowpath duct and a collector duct. The flowpath duct extends axially along and circumferentially about an axis. The collector duct extends axially along and circumferentially about the flowpath duct. The collector duct is fluidly coupled with the flowpath duct through a water permeable region in an outer wall of the flowpath duct. The core flowpath extends through the core compressor section, the core combustor section, the core turbine section and the flowpath duct from an inlet into the core flowpath to an exhaust from the core flowpath. The core flowpath extends axially along the water permeable region within the flowpath duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Abbas A. Alahyari, Jon E. Sobanski
  • Patent number: 12007114
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section in fore-to-aft serial flow arrangement and defines an engine centerline. The combustor section includes a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustor chamber and a dome wall, coupled to the combustor liner, and defining a forward end of the combustion chamber. A first fuel nozzle is located on the dome wall and fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber. A first set of compressed air openings emit compressed air into the combustion chamber along a first flow path and a second set of compressed air openings emit compressed air into the combustion chamber along a second flow path. The first and second flow paths intersect at an intersection point to form a sheet of air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Perumallu Vukanti, Sibtosh Pal, Pradeep Naik, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Ajoy Patra, Michael T. Bucaro, Aritra Chakraborty, Arijit Sinha Roy, Pabitra Badhuk, Bhavya Naidu Panduri
  • Patent number: 12007115
    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: February 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Baris A. Sen, Zhongtao Dai, Wookyung Kim, Stephen K. Kramer
  • Patent number: 12000338
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This turbine engine assembly includes a stationary structure, a rotating structure and an electric machine. The rotating structure is rotatably mounted to the stationary structure by a first bearing and a second bearing. The electric machine is between the first bearing and the second bearing. The electric machine includes a rotor and a stator circumscribing the rotor. The rotor is connected to the rotating structure. The stator is connected to the stationary structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marc J. Muldoon, Russell B. Witlicki
  • Patent number: 11993390
    Abstract: A method for supplying air to an engine of an aircraft via an air supply system of the aircraft. A dynamic air intake vent of the system can be closed by a closure member that is movable between a closed position and an open position. A static air intake vent is equipped with a filter medium. During flight, the method comprises an unfiltered operating mode that comprises the following steps: positioning of the closure member in the open position, and, during a phase of forward travel of the aircraft, dynamic intake of a flow of air, then transfer of a first portion of the flow of air to the engine and a second portion of the flow of air to the filter medium in order to clean the filter medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventor: Benoit Fayard
  • Patent number: 11993389
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This aircraft propulsion system assembly includes a nacelle inlet structure. The nacelle inlet structure includes an inner inlet opening, an outer inlet opening and a rotating structure. The rotating structure extends circumferentially about the inner inlet opening. The rotating structure is configured to rotate about an axis between a first position and a second position. The rotating structure at least partially closes the outer inlet opening in the first position. The rotating structure at least partially opens the outer inlet opening in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: ROHR, INC.
    Inventor: Timothy Gormley
  • Patent number: 11982195
    Abstract: A splitter between a primary flow and a secondary flow of a dual flow turbomachine includes a single-piece structure including an outer annular wall, an inner annular wall, a radial annular wall and an inner annular baffle, defining a first cavity between the outer annular wall and the inner annular baffle, and a second cavity between the inner annular wall, the radial annular wall and the inner annular baffle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Damien Daniel Sylvain Lourit, Adrien Jacques Philippe Fabre, Pierre Jean-Baptiste Metge
  • Patent number: 11976580
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an aircraft having at least one wing, on which at least one propulsion unit is arranged, comprising at least one heat engine, especially a gas turbine, as well as an exhaust gas passage for conducting exhaust gas of the heat engine into and inside the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
    Inventor: Hermann Klingels
  • Patent number: 11976592
    Abstract: An anti-icing system includes a nozzle assembly, a bleed air supply, a bleed control valve assembly, and a controller. The bleed air supply is configured to direct pressurized bleed air to the nozzle assembly. The bleed air supply includes a first pressure sensor configured to measure a first pressure of the pressurized bleed air. The bleed control valve assembly includes a control valve and a valve actuator. The control valve is positionable to control a flow rate of the pressurized bleed air. The valve actuator is configured to control a position of the control valve. The controller is configured to identify a power condition of the bleed air supply as a first power condition or a second power condition and control the valve actuator to position the control valve in a fully opened position for the first power condition and in a predetermined position based on the first pressure for the second power condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ROHR, INC.
    Inventor: Phillip Andelson
  • Patent number: 11965459
    Abstract: An air intake plenum for a gas turbine engine is provided that includes an axial centerline, first and second gas path surfaces, and a plurality of struts. The gas path surfaces are spaced apart from one another and define at least a portion of a plenum interior. The struts extend lengthwise between the gas path surfaces. Each strut has a cross-section geometry. The cross-section geometry has a center, and major and minor axes. The struts are circumferentially spaced apart from one another within the plenum. Each strut is oriented at a clocking angle theta. The clocking angle theta for each respective strut is disposed between the major axis of that strut and a line that intersects the cross-section geometry center of that strut and the axial centerline. At least one strut of the plurality of struts is oriented at a clocking angle theta that is greater than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Hien Duong, Jason Nichols
  • Patent number: 11959417
    Abstract: A gas turbine (A, B, C) is provided that includes at least a compressor (1), a combustor (2), and a turbine (3) and combusts ammonia serving as fuel in the combustor (2), including a reducing agent supply device (6) configured to supply a reducing agent for reducing nitrogen oxides in a combustion gas to at least one of: a combustion gas flow path between the combustor (2) and the turbine (3); and the turbine (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Hisashi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11959424
    Abstract: An output corrector is provided with an adjustment coefficient creating unit which creates an adjustment coefficient, an output adjusting unit which adjusts a control output using the adjustment coefficient, and an output accepting unit which accepts an output from an output meter for detecting the output of a gas turbine. The adjustment coefficient creating unit includes a first coefficient element calculating unit which calculates a first coefficient element, a second coefficient element calculating unit which calculates a second coefficient element, and an adjustment coefficient calculating unit which calculates the adjustment coefficient using the first and second coefficient elements. The first coefficient element is the ratio of an immediately preceding output in an immediately preceding time period, to a reference output at a reference time point in the past. The second coefficient element is the ratio of the current output in the current time period, to the immediately preceding output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Nakata, Hidehiko Nishimura, Jotaro Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11952942
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine casing and a bypass duct defined between a nacelle and the core engine casing. The gas turbine engine further includes a plurality of diverter fences pivotally coupled to the core engine casing. Each diverter fence is pivotable relative to the core engine casing about a pivot axis, which is circumferentially and obliquely inclined with respect to a principal rotational axis. Each diverter fence is configured to move between a first position in which an outboard edge is disposed adjacent to a casing outer surface, and a second position in which the outboard edge is radially spaced apart from the casing outer surface, such that each diverter fence radially extends outwards from the casing outer surface into the bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Vasileios Pachidis, David J Rajendran
  • Patent number: 11946421
    Abstract: A system includes one or more debris sensors or particulate sensors are used to sense engine inlet debris or particulate matter which are drawn into the engine during flight, in real-time. The system employs that information, in conjunction with other engine health and module health techniques, to identify which gas-path modules of the aircraft engine may require maintenance or repair. In one embodiment, existing engine health technique may be based on various engine operational parameters for a new engine or an average engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jacques Paul, Charles W. Dowdell, James R. Noel
  • Patent number: 11946417
    Abstract: A combination of a gas turbine engine and power electronics, includes an engine core and oil circuit to cool and lubricate bearings of the engine core, and a fuel circuit for supplying fuel to the combustor. The fuel circuit includes a low pressure pump for pressurising the fuel to a low pressure, and a high pressure pump to receive the low pressure fuel and increase the pressure to a high pressure for supply to a fuel metering system and the combustor. The engine includes a fuel-oil heat exchanger having a fuel side on the fuel circuit between an outlet of the low pressure pump and an inlet of the high pressure pump, and an oil side on the oil circuit to transfer heat from the oil circuit to the fuel circuit. The power electronics transfers heat to a cooling flow formed by a portion of the low pressure fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Andrea Minelli