Patents Examined by Young Choi
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Patent number: 8024933Abstract: The invention relates to a wall element for a wall structure of a gas turbine engine combustor. The wall element has an inner, in use, hot surface, and an outer, in use, cooler surface. A plurality of projections is provided on the outer surface to facilitate heat transfer to a coolant flow. The wall element comprises a means to direct more coolant flow at a hot-spot on an adjacent tile than the remainder of the adjacent tile and thereby reducing the thermal gradient across the adjacent tile.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2007Date of Patent: September 27, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: James R Woolford, Stephen J Mills, Kevin A White
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Patent number: 8015797Abstract: The thrust reverser comprises a first reverser door and a second reverser door asymmetrically pivotable between a stowed position and a deployed position, one having a pivot axis closer to the central axis than the other.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2006Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Inventor: Jean-Pierre Lair
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Patent number: 8015828Abstract: A power take-off system for a gas turbine engine includes a starter coupled to a second spool, and a clutch assembly coupled between the starter and a first spool, the clutch assembly configured to couple the first spool to the starter when starting the gas turbine engine assembly. A method of assembling a gas turbine engine assembly that includes the power take-off system, and a gas turbine engine assembly including the power take-off system are also described.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2007Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Ory Moniz, Jan Christopher Schilling, Robert Joseph Orlando, Raymond Felix Patt
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Patent number: 8006501Abstract: A device for driving the rotor of an auxiliary is mounted on a turbine engine auxiliaries support which includes a pinion for driving the rotor shaft. The device includes a tubular shaft driven by the pinion and supported by a first bearing (18) and a second bearing (19) which are secured to the auxiliaries support (10). The rotor shaft is coaxial with the tubular shaft and a splined coupling portion formed between the rotor shaft and the tubular shaft. By virtue of the invention, mechanical loads of the auxiliary are transmitted to a lesser extent to the rotor shaft support bearings and to the auxiliaries support gear train.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2007Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: SmecmaInventors: Guy Frank Paul Dusserre-Telmon, Jean Pierre Galivel, Zoltan Zsiga
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Patent number: 8001791Abstract: The turbine engine assembly has a frame and a turbine engine spool. A strut couples the frame to the spool and an actuator couples the strut to the frame. The actuator has a spring.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2007Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Nagendra Somanath, Christopher M. Dye, Keshava B. Kumar
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Patent number: 7997085Abstract: A method for assembling a gas turbine engine including a core gas turbine engine, a low-pressure turbine, a starter, and a generator is provided. The method includes coupling a starter to the core gas turbine engine, and coupling a generator to the low-pressure turbine.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2006Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas Ory Moniz, Paul Cooker, Robert Joseph Orlando
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Patent number: 7992391Abstract: An annular wall which transversely connects longitudinal walls of an annular combustion chamber of a turbine engine is disclosed. The wall is essentially flat, inclined in relation to a longitudinal axis of the turbine engine, and includes a plurality of deflectors, each formed by an essentially rectangular flat sheet. The deflectors are mounted on the wall and each includes an aperture for the installation of a fuel injection system, a plurality of multi-perforation holes formed in relation to the deflectors around their aperture so as to allow a passage of air intended for the cooling of the deflectors, and a flow forcing unit which forces the flow of air for cooling the deflectors to flow radially around the fuel injection systems.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2007Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Gerard Edouard Emile Caboche, Claude Gautier, Denis Jean Maurice Sandelis
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Patent number: 7987678Abstract: A hot gas duct, such as a combustion casing in a gas turbine engine, includes a duct splitter held within the hot gas duct in at least three, preferably four, locations spaced around a peripheral edge of the duct splitter. At least one, preferably two, of the holding locations each comprise a generally cylindrical mounting that projects through a wall of the hot gas duct to engage an edge portion of the duct splitter by means of a slot formed in a circular face of the mounting. Mutually contacting surfaces of the slot and the duct splitter comprise hard face coatings to combat wear due to vibration and differential thermal expansion and contraction. The mountings have cooling holes that penetrate the mounting, so that coolant can flow through the mountings and into the interior of the hot gas duct to cool the mountings and the hard face coatings.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2007Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.Inventors: Orestes J. Maurell, Russell Bond Jones, Marion Duggans, Sejko Kolev
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Patent number: 7975488Abstract: An exhaust duct assembly includes a cooling liner spaced apart from an exhaust duct case that articulate for use in a short take off vertical landing (STOVL) type of aircraft. The cooling liner assembly is attached to the exhaust duct case through a foldable attachment hanger system. The foldable attachment hanger system provides a low profile (foldable up/down) for a limited access installation envelope typical of a three bearing swivel duct (3BSD) which rotates about three bearing planes to permit transition between a cruise configuration and a hover configuration. In this way, each cooling liner segment may be formed as a complete cylindrical member requiring joints only between the swivelable duct sections.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2006Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Jorge L. Farah, William G. Hoop, Jose M. Cintron
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Patent number: 7966830Abstract: Fuel cell/combustor systems and methods for aircraft and other applications are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes a fuel cell having an outlet positioned to remove output products from the fuel cell. The system can further include a fuel supply carrying a fuel having a different composition than the output products (e.g., aviation fuel), and a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber can in turn include a first inlet coupled to the outlet of the fuel cell to receive output products from the fuel cell, and a second inlet coupled to the fuel supply to receive the fuel. At least one combustion zone can be positioned in fluid communication with the first and second inlets to burn both the output products and the fuel.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2006Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventor: David L. Daggett
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Patent number: 7966828Abstract: A variable area fan nozzle for use with a gas turbine engine system includes a nozzle section that is attachable to a gas turbine engine for influencing flow through the fan bypass passage of the gas turbine engine. The nozzle section is movable between a first length and a second length that is larger than the first length to influence the flow. For example, the nozzle section includes members that are woven together to form collapsible openings that are open when the nozzle section is moved to the first length and that are closed when the nozzle section is moved to the second length.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2007Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Colin L. Cini, Kenneth C. Baran
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Patent number: 7942008Abstract: A method for operating a power plant to facilitate reducing emissions, wherein the power plant includes a gas turbine engine assembly and a carbon dioxide (CO2) separator. The method includes increasing an operating pressure of exhaust gas discharged from the gas turbine engine assembly, separating substantially all the CO2 entrained within the gas turbine engine utilizing the CO2 separator to produce a CO2 lean airstream, reducing the operating temperature of the CO2 lean airstream, and utilizing the cooled CO2 lean airstream to facilitate reducing an operating temperature of air entering the gas turbine engine assembly.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2006Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Narendra Digamber Joshi, Lautaro Aspiazu Montgomery, James William Stegmaier
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Patent number: 7934368Abstract: The present invention provides an ultra micro gas turbine engine which includes a wave rotor. In various embodiments, the ultra micro gas turbine engine of the present invention includes a rotating disk which has a compressor, a wave rotor and a turbine, a first stationary member which includes an inlet and a first wave rotor port end plate, a second stationary member which includes an outlet and a second wave rotor port end plate and a combustion chamber which includes a fuel inlet and an igniter.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2005Date of Patent: May 3, 2011Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: Norbert Müller, Florin Valcriu Iancu, Pezhman Akbari
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Patent number: 7891164Abstract: A pulse detonation engine contains a mechanically driven timing device coupled with a stator device, where the timing device has both an opening portion and a blocking portion. The opening and blocking portions open and close air flow access to a detonation chamber of the pulse detonation engine at appropriate times during the pulse detonation cycle.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2006Date of Patent: February 22, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jonathan Sebastian Janssen, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Anthony John Dean, James Fredric Wiedenhoefer
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Patent number: 7886520Abstract: Within a turbine engine a heat exchanger may be provided to cool compressor air flows to be utilized for cabin ventilation or other functions. A fluid flow acting as a coolant for the heat exchanger is generally drawn from the by-pass duct of the engine and a dedicated outlet duct is provided such that the exhausted fluid flow from the heat exchanger is delivered along the conduit duct to a low pressure region. In such circumstances, an appropriate pressure differential across the heat exchanger is maintained for operational efficiency when required, whilst the exhausted fluid flow is isolated and does not compromise the usual engine ventilation vent exit area sizing. Over-sized ventilation vents would create an aerodynamic step and therefore drag upon the thrust of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2007Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: Richard G Stretton, Pawel R Zakrzewski
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Patent number: 7886541Abstract: A combustor wall element arrangement for a gas turbine engine comprises an upstream wall element (50A) overlapping a downstream wall element (50B) and defining a gap (37) and an outlet (35) therebetween. In use, a coolant flow exits the outlet (35) to provide a coolant film (D) across at least a part of the downstream wall element (50B). The outlet (35) has a smaller dimension, normal to the downstream wall element (50B), than the gap (37) thereby increasing the velocity of the coolant flow across at the downstream wall element (50B). The resultant film coolant flow is effective further across the downstream wall element.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2007Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventors: James R Woolford, Stephen J Mills, Kevin A White
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Patent number: 7886544Abstract: A propeller or propeller drive, the propeller being carried by a support shaft (3) which projects from the body (53) of the missile or vehicle and about which the propeller rotates, the drive unit for the propeller being situated in front of the propeller (23) in the propulsion direction or in the propeller spinner (1). According to the invention it is provided that the drive unit has at least one gas turbine (55), optionally a multiple-stage gas turbine, which is secured to the drive shaft and which drives it or jointly rotates with it, and that the drive shaft (6) is traversed by the support shaft (3) or is mounted thereon in a rotating manner and drives the propeller (23), optionally by way of a gear mechanism (14) situated between the turbine (55) and the propeller (23).Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2006Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Inventor: Christian Koenig
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Patent number: 7854124Abstract: A balance pressure control is provided for flaps which pivot in a rear of a gas turbine engine nozzle to change the cross-sectional area of the nozzle. An actuator drives a sync ring to move the flaps through a linkage. A supply of pressurized air is also provided to the sync ring to assist the actuator in resisting forces from high pressure gases within the nozzle. When those forces are lower than normal the flow of air to the rear of the sync ring is reduced or blocked. A ring rotates with another ring to control both this air flow, and a supply of cooling air to an interior of the nozzle.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2006Date of Patent: December 21, 2010Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Andreas Sadil, Timothy A. Swandon, Roger O. Coffey, Debora F. Kehret
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Patent number: 7845174Abstract: A combustor liner including a dome section having a positioning hole defined at a first radial distance and sized to receive a first heat shield fastener to at least substantially prevent radial and circumferential motion of the first fastener, a circumferential slot sized to receive a second heat shield fastener to at least substantially prevent radial motion of the second fastener while allowing limited circumferential motion of the second fastener, and a clearance hole defined at a second radial distance and sized to receive a third heat shield fastener to allow limited radial and circumferential motion of the third fastener.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2007Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventors: Kenneth Parkman, Stephen Phillips
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Patent number: 7841167Abstract: An engine contains at least one pulse detonation combustor which is surrounded by a bypass flow air duct, through which bypass air flow is directed. The bypass air duct contains at least one converging-diverging structure to dampen or choke the upstream propagation of shock waves from the pulse detonation combustor through the bypass flow air duct. The bypass air also serves to cool the outer surfaces of the pulse detonation combustor. The bypass air flow is controlled in tandem with the heat release from the PDC to provide the appropriate amount of thermal energy to a downstream energy conversion device, such as a turbine. A mixing plenum is positioned downstream of the pulse detonation combustor and bypass flow air duct.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2006Date of Patent: November 30, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Adam Rasheed, Anthony John Dean, Peirre Francois Pinard, Christian Lee Vandervort, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala