Patents Examined by Todd E. Manahan
  • Patent number: 11506087
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine maintenance stand for a gas turbine engine that comprises modules including an engine core module that houses a high pressure compressor and a turbine module that houses a low pressure turbine. The gas turbine engine maintenance stand has a pair of base beams, each base beam having a first end, a midsection and a second end. The stand has an engine core module support that straddles the pair of base beams at their midsection, the engine core module support having engine core module support arms that are configured to engage opposing sides of the engine core module of the gas turbine engine. The stand also has a turbine module support that straddles the pair of beams adjacent their second ends, the turbine module support having turbine module support arms that are configured to engage opposing sides of the turbine module of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Steven Troop, Michael Hardy, Thomas Jepson
  • Patent number: 11506385
    Abstract: An aircraft component is used for an aircraft gas-turbine engine. The aircraft component includes an annular part, a flange, and a boss. The annular part has an outer circumferential surface. The flange is formed at one end portion of the annular part in an axial direction. The boss projects from the outer circumferential surface of the annular part to the radial direction. On a section cut along an axial direction of the annular part, the outer circumferential surface of the annular part between the flange and the boss has a taper part that is formed into a tapered shape in which plate thickness becomes thicker from the flange toward the boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AERO ENGINES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Onishi, Yasuyuki Uetsuki, Tadayuki Hanada, Yohei Fujimoto, Takafumi Ota
  • Patent number: 11506147
    Abstract: A hybrid rocket engine with a vortex flow field injection system that produces a high-speed sustained vortex flow field is described. The hybrid rocket engine includes a generally cylindrical injection chamber with an inner circumference to comprise an outer edge of a solid propellant grain in the hybrid rocket engine. The engine also includes an injection system that has a throttle valve and an injector that injects injection fluid into the engine and produces a vortex flow-field for the injected fluid. The injector includes at least one primary feed line that distributes the injection fluid throughout a pre-swirl chamber and multiple orifices along an inner edge of the injection chamber. The pre-swirl chamber connects to the injection chamber and at least one of the primary feed lines and redirects a primary fluid flow of the injected fluid from a primary axial direction to a centrifugal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: VAYA SPACE INC.
    Inventor: Kineo M. Wallace
  • Patent number: 11506384
    Abstract: A free-vortex combustor is disclosed that generates vortices which: enhance fuel air mixing, recirculate the air, provide cooling for the combustor walls, and provide low emissions and a substantially uniform exit temperature profile. The combustor is provided fuel or fuel and air through a fuel-injector which atomizes the fuel. A first air swirler couples to the fuel-injector with a prechamber wall abutting the first swirler. A second swirler abuts a downstream end of the prechamber wall. And, a main chamber abuts the second swirler. Each of the first and second swirlers have features that cause the flow to create a vortex in the prechamber and main chamber, respectively. The features creating the swirl are blades or angled orifices. The vortex causes a pressure depression along the centerline and causes backflow along the centerline that improves mixing and improves cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: DYC Turbines
    Inventor: Daih-Yeou Chen
  • Patent number: 11506089
    Abstract: A combined cycle plant includes: a gas turbine having a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine; a supplementary firing burner configured to raise a temperature of an exhaust gas of the gas turbine; a heat recovery steam generator configured to generate a steam using an exhaust heat of the exhaust gas; a steam turbine configured to be driven by the steam generated by the heat recovery steam generator; and a control device configured to change both an output of the combustor and an output of the supplementary firing burner when an output of the combined cycle plant is to be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Goichi Matsushiro, Ken Hatano
  • Patent number: 11506067
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine having a low speed spool and a high speed spool; a rotor assembly coupled to the low speed spool; an electric machine rotatable with the low speed spool for extracting power from the low speed spool, for adding power to the low speed spool, or both; and an inter-spool clutch positioned between the low speed spool and the high speed spool for selectively coupling the low speed spool to the high speed spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Brian Lewis Devendorf
  • Patent number: 11499505
    Abstract: A flight test system uses a flight termination destruct charge that is configured to overpressurize a pressure vessel in a rocket motor to terminate thrust. The flight termination destruct charge is an electroexplosive detonator arranged on a final burn surface of a propellant contained in the pressure chamber. In a multi-pulse rocket motor, one of the pulses is ignited by the activation of the detonator. The activated detonator is configured to ignite the propellant grain without venting of the gas resulting from the burning of the propellant. Due to the burning of the propellant, the surface area in the pressure vessel is increased which causes increased pressure in the pressure vessel until a critical pressure is reached. When the critical pressure is reached, the rocket motor casing structural capabilities are exceeded. The overpressurized rocket motor casing then ruptures and thrust of the rocket motor is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Adam I. Lefcourt, John A. Meschberger
  • Patent number: 11499448
    Abstract: A composite fan casing for a gas turbine engine defining a central axis is generally provided. The composite fan casing includes a core having a plurality of core layers of reinforcing fibers bonded together with a thermosetting polymeric resin and having an outer surface. The composite fan casing further includes at least one stiffener integrally coupled to an aft portion of the outer surface of the core relative to the central axis. Additionally, the at least one stiffener comprises an elastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abhijeet Jayshingrao Yadav, Nagamohan Govinahalli Prabhakar, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Shivam Mittal, Praveen Sharma, Bhujabal Prashant Mahadeo, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger
  • Patent number: 11499481
    Abstract: A fuel distribution device is provided wherein an axis is defined. The device comprises a body housing a distribution path for fuel; the distribution path has one inlet and a plurality of outlets; the inlet is located on the external surface of the body at an end of an inlet branch of the distribution path; the plurality of outlets are located on the external surface of the body at ends of a corresponding plurality of outlet branches of the distribution path; the inlet branch and the outlet branches are fluidly connected to a distribution space; and the outlet branches are arranged radially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE TECNOLOGIE SRL
    Inventor: Simone Chechi
  • Patent number: 11499477
    Abstract: A system and method of increasing efficiency and power output of a gas turbine system using a compressed air storage system including delivering a compressed air charge from the compressed air storage system, the compressed air charge having a pressure greater than ambient pressure and a temperature less than ambient temperature, the compressed air charge being delivered to the gas turbine and the compressed air charge operable to cool at least a portion of the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Patrick J. E. Lemieux
  • Patent number: 11493205
    Abstract: A combustor liner for a gas turbine engine includes at least one liner segment that has an external wall dimensioned to bound a combustion chamber. The external wall extends between leading and trailing edges in an axial direction and extends between opposed mate faces in a circumferential direction. A cooling circuit is defined by the external wall. A plurality of heat transfer features are distributed in the cooling circuit to define first and second prioritized flow regions on opposed sides of a first restricted flow region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Laengheng Khoun, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz, Joshua E. Kinnaman
  • Patent number: 11493058
    Abstract: A diffuser pipe includes a tubular body defining a pipe center axis extending therethrough. The tubular body includes a first portion extending in a first direction from an inlet of the tubular body, a second portion extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction and terminating at a pipe outlet, and a bend portion fluidly linking the first portion and the second portion. A stiffening rib extends outwardly from an outer surface of the first portion of the tubular body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Aleksandar Kojovic, Gavin Kisun
  • Patent number: 11492975
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the rapid reactivation of a helicopter turbine engine (6), characterised in that it comprises a pneumatic turbine (7) mechanically connected to said turbine engine (6) so as to be able to rotate it and ensure reactivation thereof; a pneumatic storage (9) connected to said pneumatic turbine (7) by means of a pneumatic circuit (10) for supplying pressurised gas to said pneumatic turbine (7); a controlled fast-opening pneumatic valve (11) arranged on the pneumatic circuit (10) between said storage (9) and said pneumatic turbine (7) and suitable for being on demand placed at least in an open position in which the gas can supply said pneumatic turbine (7), or in a closed position in which said pneumatic turbine (7) is no longer supplied with pressurised gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Romain Thiriet, Camel Serghine, Frederic Moulon
  • Patent number: 11491766
    Abstract: A hybrid metal composite (HMC) structure comprises tiers comprising fiber composite material structures, and additional tiers longitudinally adjacent one or more of the tiers and comprising perforated metallic structures and additional fiber composite material structures laterally adjacent the perforated metallic structures. Methods of forming an HMC structure, and related rocket motors and multi-stage rocket motor assemblies are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin W. C. Garcia, Braden Day, Brian Christensen, David R. Nelson, Thomas Loveless, Elizabeth Bonderson
  • Patent number: 11486315
    Abstract: A combustion engine including at least one combustion chamber, a first bleed air supply fluidly coupled to a portion of the combustion engine upstream the combustion chamber, a second bleed air supply fluidly coupled to a portion of the combustion engine downstream the combustion chamber, a first thermal bus, and a turbomachine including a compressor, a rotary pump, and a first turbine, with the compressor and rotary pump in serial flow arrangement and the rotary pump being fluidly coupled to the first thermal bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC
    Inventors: Kevin P. Hallisey, Dominique Patrick Sautron
  • Patent number: 11486519
    Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible hose for connecting a fuel manifold to a burner of a gas turbine engine. The flexible hose includes a metal convolute tube, an elongate member or members located in grooves formed in the inner surface of the convolute tube, and a pressure-containing sheath outside the convolute tube. The flexible tube has end connectors fluidly-tightly joined to respective ends of the hose for connection at one end of the hose to the fuel manifold of the gas turbine engine, and at the other end of the hose to the burner of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Simon L Fuller
  • Patent number: 11485499
    Abstract: A system for cooling aircraft components includes a compressor configured to receive air bled from a gas turbine engine and compress the received air. Additionally, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed air from the compressor and cool the compressed air; a turbine configured to receive the cooled air from the heat exchanger, with the cooled air expanding as the cooled air flows through the turbine. Furthermore, the system includes a defroster configured to receive the expanded air from the turbine, with the defroster further configured to capture frozen particulate matter from the expanded air. As such, at least a portion of the cooled air from the heat exchanger is routed to the defroster to melt the captured frozen particulate matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11486338
    Abstract: Cabin outflow temperature control systems and methods for use on aircraft are described. The systems include an aircraft cabin, a heat load source, a heat exchanger configured to receive cabin outflow air from the aircraft cabin and heat load discharge air, the heat exchanger configured to enable thermal transfer from the heat load discharge air to the cabin outflow air to generate high temperature cabin outflow air and low temperature discharge air as outputs from the heat exchanger, and one or more downstream operation systems configured to receive the high temperature cabin outflow air and perform a downstream operation using said high temperature cabin outflow air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Beakal T. Woldemariam, Eric Surawski
  • Patent number: 11486336
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a propulsion apparatus of liquid propellant rocket engine. The propulsion apparatus of liquid propellant rocket engine, the propulsion apparatus including: a body in which liquid propellant flows; an injector core located inside the body; at least one outlet connected to the injector core to discharge combustion gas; and an injector for discharging the liquid propellant flowing into the body, wherein the injector is located in an area adjacent to the outlet, wherein the liquid propellant moves between a frame of the body and a frame of the injector core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: PERIGEE AEROSPACE INC.
    Inventor: Dong Yoon Shin
  • Patent number: 11486317
    Abstract: In a one embodiment, a gas turbine system that includes a first pump that supplies distillate fuel to a combustor. A second pump that supplies fuel oil to the combustor. A fuel selection unit that controls a first flow of distillate fuel and a second flow of fuel oil to the combustor. A controller that receives feedback from a sensor and in response to the feedback from the sensor controls the fuel selection unit to start the gas turbine system on the fuel oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Baha Mahmoud Suleiman, Hatem Mohamed Mohyeldin Ibrahim Selim, Jeevankumar Krishnan, Paul Burchell Glaser