Patents by Inventor Alain M. J. Lardellier

Alain M. J. Lardellier has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5407326
    Abstract: A hollow blade for a turbomachine includes a unitary body having a multiplicity of transverse cavities in at least the aerofoil shaped portion of the blade, and plugs disposed within the cavities for restoring the surface continuity of the intrados and extrados faces of the aerofoil shaped portion, the plugs being rigidly secured to the unitary body, such as by welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 5343619
    Abstract: A hollow blade for a turbomachine comprises a unitary body having a multiplicity of transverse cavities in at least the airfoil shaped portion of the blade, and plugs disposed within the cavities and restoring the surface continuity of the intrados and extrados faces of the aerofoil shaped portion, the plugs being rigidly secured to the unitary body, such as by welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 5311736
    Abstract: A turbojet propulsion engine for supersonic aircraft has a primary unit including a compressor, a combustion chamber, a turbine which drives the compressor, and an exhaust assembly, and a secondary unit including a compression fan assembly arranged in an annular secondary duct surrounding the primary unit, the fan assembly having at least one stage of rotor blades rigidly connected to the shaft which drives the compressor of the primary unit and is disposed between an upstream stage of fixed inlet guide vanes and a downstream stage of fixed flow straightener vanes, the inlet guide vane stage and the flow straightener vane stage each being associated with an adjuster for adjusting the pitch of the respective vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 5255510
    Abstract: A thrust reverser for a turbofan engine having a very high bypass ratio is disclosed having a plurality of baffles pivotally attached to a gas turbine engine housing so as to extend into a cold flow air stream emanating from the turbofan exit. The baffles are pivotally attached to the gas turbine engine housing and may be moved into extended, thrust reversing positions in which some of the baffles form a greater angle with the gas turbine engine housing than the remainder of the baffles. By moving the baffles located generally on opposite upper and lower portions of the gas turbine engine housing to the greater angles, the requisite thrust reversing force may be developed while at the same time minimizing the overall vertical dimension of the engine housing so as to provide the maximum amount of ground clearance for the turbofan engine. Secondary baffles are provided between the main baffles to close open spaces between the main baffles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 5181675
    Abstract: A pod for suspending a turbojet engine unit below the wing of an aircraft includes a suspension assembly with two laterally spaced front beams connecting the turbojet fan casing to the wing, and two rear links disposed in a common vertical plane and pivotally connected at one end to the wing and at the other end to a connection link which is connected at least to the exhaust casing of the engine, the front beams being interconnected by cross-bracing and being connected at the level of the downstream edge of the cross-bracing to at least one fixed part of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1993
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et Moteurs d'Aviation S.N.E.
    Inventors: Alain, M. J. Lardellier, Patrick W. R. Saillot
  • Patent number: 5119626
    Abstract: A combined turborocket and ramjet propulsion unit comprises an air intake duct, and an air compressor with two counter-rotating rotor stages disposed downstream of the duct in an annular path formed between an outer casing and a central body which is maintained in position relative to the casing by structural arms. The rotor stages of the compressor are driven by a power turbine driven by combustion gases from a gas generator which burns liquid propellants. The power turbine includes two interleaved counter-rotating modules arraanged within the central body in a position longitudinally between the two compressor stages which they drive, and the gas generator is disposed axially within the central body to the rear of the turbine modules, the generator supplying the combustion gases to the turbine in an upstream direction through a central ejection chamber and an annular reversing chamber which redirects the gases rearwards through the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1992
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventors: Alain M. J. Lardellier, Raymond P. M. Thetiot
  • Patent number: 5105618
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine with counterrotating fans placed upstream from the engine so that gas circulates from upstream to downstream at the level of a LP compressor (1), then from downstream to upstream in a HP compressor (5), chamber an (6) and HP and LP turbines (7 and 8), then again downstream in first and second turbines (10, 11) before being expelled into the cold airflow coming from first and second fans (14, 15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 5103635
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine intended for use as an aircraft engine which includes a gas generator which supplies interdigitated, contra-rotating radially inner and outer low-speed power turbines driving forward mounted contra-rotating front and rear fans, the gases flowing through the gas generator from the rear of the engine towards the front, and then flowing in a rearward direction through the power turbines. The front fan is driven by the radially inner power turbine via a central shaft extending towards the front of the engine and supporting a disc carrying the front fan, and the rear fan is driven by the radially outer power turbine via a forwardly extending drum which is rotatably mounted between the central shaft and a stationary structure of the engine and which carries the rear fan. This structure permits the pod mounting of a high by-pass ratio engine under wing of an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 5058379
    Abstract: A turbojet bypass engine includes an upstream fan of a conventional type also a downstream fan arranged to rotate in the opposite direction to the upstream fan and driven by a free turbine interleaved with the low pressure turbine which drives the upstream fan. The two fans are supplied by separpate overlapping and inverleaved air flow paths which are formed largely within the nacelle structure of the engine, giving the nacelle an ovoide shape which allows such engines with a high bypass ratio to be mounted below the wings of an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4993638
    Abstract: An exhaust nozzle assembly for vectoring the thrust of the exhaust gases from a turbojet engine is disclosed wherein the exhaust gases are vectored by an assembly that is separate from the flaps that are utilized to adjust the cross-sectional area of the exhaust nozzle. The thrust vectoring exhaust nozzle assembly has a moveable thrust vectoring assembly comprised of inner and outer vectoring members, each of which have a generally annular configuration. The vectoring members are pivotally attached to the exhaust nozzle so as to pivot about an axis extending generally perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the exhaust duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Mateurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4940196
    Abstract: A nacelle for mounting under the wing of an aircraft a turbojet engine unit of the rear contrafan type with a very high by-pass ratio, the engine including a gas generator driving two overlapping contra-rotating turbines integral with ducted contra-rotating propellers downstream of the gas generator. The nacelle includes generally cylindrical inner and outer cowlings defining the secondary flow path containing the propellers, and a mast for suspending the engine unit comprising a pair of arms disposed in the longitudinal vetical axial plane of the engine unit and contained in a fairing, and a horizontal carrier beam fixed to the lower ends of the arms and disposed between the inner cowling and the engine casing. The upper ends of the arms are fixed to a box structure of the wing either directly or through a conventional engine pod suspension mast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation S.N.E.C.M.A.
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4765135
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft comprises a gas generator which includes a compressor stage, a combustion chamber, and a turbine for driving the compressor, and through which the air and combustion gases flow from the rear towards the front in relation to the direction of travel of the aircraft before undergoing a reversal of direction to feed two contra-rotating power turbines which directly drive two contra-rotating airscrew or fan stages located near the front of the engine in the same longitudinal region as the power turbines. The gas generator is supplied by an air intake consisting of a plurality of ducts disposed around the outer casing of the engine, and the gases exiting from the power turbines are exhausted through a plurality of ducts positioned between the inlet ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1988
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain, M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4762462
    Abstract: A housing for an axial compressor is disclosed having an inner and outer wall surrounding the compressor rotor, the walls being joined by a number of flexible connecting rods, connecting lugs and a connecting block. An outer surface of the inner wall has circumferentially extending corrugation and the rods are attached thereto at peaks in the corrugation. The flexible connecting rods are located in alignment with a leading edge and a trailing edge of stator vanes which extend from an inner surface of the inner wall. The housing may be cast as an integral, one piece element and subsequently subdivided into arcuate segments to facilitate attachment to the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1988
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation (SNECMA)
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4714404
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the radial clearance between a rotor and a stator of a high pressure compressor for a turbojet engine is disclosed wherein a plurality of segments which define an inner casing are attached to an outer casing so as to be radially movable. A parallelogram linkage interconnects each of the segments to the outer casing such that rotation of a control shaft causes the radial movement of the individual segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etudes et de Construction de Moteurs O'Aviation (S.N.E.C.M.A.)
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4696619
    Abstract: A housing for a turbojet engine compressor is disclosed having inner and outer housing portions which may radially expand or contract as the compressor rotor wheel blades expand or contract, so as to maintain a minimum clearance between the housing and the rotor blade tips. A heat transfer manifold is applied about the outer periphery of the outer housing portion to rapidly expand the housing during transient operating conditions of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4648795
    Abstract: The invention discloses a confinement structure for a turbojet engine to retain and confine fragments of a rotor blade. The structure has three zones of varying vulnerability to the blade fragments so as to maximize the confinement of such fragments, while minimizing the weight of the structure. A first zone, located in the plane of rotation of the rotor blade wheel confines the small fragments which may impact in this zone. A second zone, adjacent to the first, but located downstream, contains a retention belt structure to absorb the energy generated by contact with the larger blade fragments. Finally, a third zone, downstream of the second zone, defines a containment chamber to retain the larger blade fragments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Meteur d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4646810
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ceramic turbine ring rigid with an annular metallic carrier, which includes the steps of (a) moulding a ceramic member in a predetermined shape, (b) locating the ceramic member produced in step (a) and an annular cavity of a channel which defines a mould; (c) rotating the mould and moulding under centrifugal action a metallic material around the ceramic member, the rotation continuing until the metallic member has solidified; (d) demoulding the ceramic turbine ring part and its carrier produced in step (c) by disassembling the mould; and (e) machining the part produced by step (d) to produce the turbine ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "S.N.E.C.M.A."
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4623298
    Abstract: An improved guide vane shroud sealing device is disclosed wherein the shroud is formed from a plurality of segments, each segment having interengaging, "Z" shaped edges. The "Z" edges each have a mid-portion extending parallel to the rotational plane of a rotor blade wheel, and leading and trailing edge portions extending from this mid-portion to the leading and trailing edges of the shroud segments. A honeycomb packing structure seals the inner surface of the guide vane shroud in conjunction with labyrinth sealing fins on the rotor wheel. The honeycomb structure is oriented such that opposite sides of each cell which are joined to adjacent cells extend at an angle of approximately 60.degree. to the rotational plane of the rotor blade wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1986
    Assignee: Societe Nationale d'Etudes et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation
    Inventors: Claude C. Hallinger, Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4548546
    Abstract: An adjustment system for centering a turbojet wheel, and a turbojet equipped with a mechanism enabling the system to be applied and, more particularly, an adjustment system for centering a turbojet wheel in the stator ring that encircles it. The system includes, for purposes of determining the degree and direction of any possible off-centering of the wheel and ring and allowing the off-centering to be easily compensated for by a removable device for measuring the degree and direction of off-centering of the wheel with respect to the ring, and a mechanism connected to the fixed bearing closest to the wheel for bringing the value of off-centering back within preset limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: S.N.E.C.M.A.
    Inventor: Alain M. J. Lardellier
  • Patent number: 4500143
    Abstract: A clearance control device in an inter-shaft turbojet engine bearing journal placed between a high pressure trunnion and a low pressure trunnion and including inserted between an inner ring and an outer ring, the high pressure trunnion including a series of longitudinal grooves and a series of longitudinal holes which are supplied with oil from an intake and an annular collector in the low pressure trunnion, from which the oil moves by centrifugation through radial holes into an annular recess in the downstream tightening nut of the outer ring, which in turn communicates with the grooves through holes formed in the nut. Clearance in the bearing journal is controlled by cooling the high pressure trunnion at the maximum operating speeds of the turbine via circulating oil. By virtue of an appropriate circuit, the oil supplied by the collector lubricates the bearing and cools the roller bearing journal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1985
    Assignee: S.N.E.C.M.A.
    Inventors: Robert Kervistin, Alain M. J. Lardellier, Georges Mazeaud, Francois E. G. Crozet