Patents by Inventor Benedict R. PHELPS

Benedict R. PHELPS 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: 11359493
    Abstract: A fan blade for a gas turbine engine has a covered passage. A cross section through the fan blade at a point along the blade span is defined as having particular change in angle (?3??1) of the camber line between the leading edge and the trailing edge and/or between the leading edge and the point on the camber line that corresponds to the start of the covered passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Benedict R. Phelps, Stephane M M Baralon, Mark J. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11339727
    Abstract: Gas turbine aircraft engine comprising an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan upstream of the engine core and driven by the turbine, the fan comprising a circumferential row of tandem fan blades. Each fan blade comprises a main blade and an auxiliary blade. Over substantially all of the auxiliary blade's radial span, the leading edge of the auxiliary blade is rearwards of the closest point on the trailing edge of the main fan blade, and on a given aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, the leading edge position of an aerofoil chordal section of the auxiliary fan blade lies on a rearwards extension of the camber line of the aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, and the main fan blade and the auxiliary fan blade are arranged to rotate in tandem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Benedict R. Phelps, Stephane M M Baralon
  • Publication number: 20210404342
    Abstract: A fan blade for a gas turbine engine has a covered passage. A cross section through the fan blade at a point along the blade span is defined as having particular change in angle (?3??1) of the camber line between the leading edge and the trailing edge and/or between the leading edge and the point on the camber line that corresponds to the start of the covered passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benedict R. PHELPS, Stephane M M BARALON, Mark J. WILSON
  • Patent number: 11181042
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a cycle operability parameter ? in a defined range to achieve improved overall performance, taking into account fan operability and/or bird strike requirements as well as engine efficiency. The defined range of cycle operability parameter ? may be particularly beneficial for gas turbine engines in which the fan is driven by a turbine through a gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Michael O Hales, Craig W Bemment, Stephane M M Baralon, Benjamin J Sellers, Christopher Benson, Benedict R Phelps, Mark J Wilson
  • Patent number: 11149690
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine 10 is provided in a fan root to tip pressure ratio, defined as the ratio of the mean total pressure of the flow at the fan exit that subsequently flows through the engine core (P102) to the mean total pressure of the flow at the fan exit that subsequently flows through the bypass duct (P104), is no greater than a certain value. The gas turbine engine 10 may provide improved efficiency when compared with conventional engines, whilst retaining an acceptable flutter margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventors: Benedict R. Phelps, Mark J. Wilson, Gabriel Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Nigel H S Smith, Marco Barale, Kashmir S. Johal, Stephane M M Baralon, Craig W. Bemment
  • Patent number: 11085399
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine 10 is provided in which a fan having fan blades in which the camber distribution along the span allows the gas turbine engine to operate with improved efficiency when compared with conventional engines, whilst retaining an acceptable flutter margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Inventors: Benedict R. Phelps, Mark J. Wilson, Gabriel Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Nigel H S Smith, Marco Barale, Kashmir S. Johal, Stephane M M Baralon, Craig W. Bemment
  • Publication number: 20210156317
    Abstract: Gas turbine aircraft engine comprising an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; and a fan upstream of the engine core and driven by the turbine, the fan comprising a circumferential row of tandem fan blades. Each fan blade comprises a main blade and an auxiliary blade. Over substantially all of the auxiliary blade's radial span, the leading edge of the auxiliary blade is rearwards of the closest point on the trailing edge of the main fan blade, and on a given aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, the leading edge position of an aerofoil chordal section of the auxiliary fan blade lies on a rearwards extension of the camber line of the aerofoil chordal section of the main fan blade, and the main fan blade and the auxiliary fan blade are arranged to rotate in tandem.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Benedict R. Phelps, Stephane M M Baralon
  • Publication number: 20210071672
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an engine core and a bypass duct. A fan drives the flow through the bypass duct. A bypass efficiency is defined as the efficiency of the fan compression of the bypass flow. The bypass efficiency is a function of the bypass flow rate at a given set of conditions. The bypass flow rate at the optimum bypass efficiency is appreciably lower than the maximum bypass flow rate at the given conditions. This results in increased design flexibility and improved overall engine performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephane M M BARALON, Mark J WILSON, Benedict R PHELPS
  • Publication number: 20200123984
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to optimisation of a cold nozzle, or bypass exit area, for a gas turbine engine, in particular for a geared turbofan gas turbine engine. Example embodiments include a method of optimising a geared turbofan gas turbine engine for an aircraft, the method comprising: determining expected service parameters for the aircraft, the expected service parameters including an expected range of travel for the aircraft; selecting components for the geared turbofan gas turbine engine to define a first smaller cold nozzle area if the range of travel is within a first smaller range and to define a second larger cold nozzle area if the range of travel is within a second larger range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Benedict R. PHELPS
  • Publication number: 20200018169
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a quasi-non-dimensional mass flow rate in a defined range and a specific thrust in a defined range to achieve improved overall performance, taking into account fan operability and/or bird strike requirements as well as engine efficiency. The defined ranges of quasi-non-dimensional mass flow rate and specific thrust may be particularly beneficial for gas turbine engines in which the fan is driven by a turbine through a gearbox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephane M M BARALON, Christopher BENSON, Benedict R. PHELPS
  • Publication number: 20200011333
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an engine core and a bypass duct. A fan drives the flow through the bypass duct. A bypass efficiency is defined as the efficiency of the fan compression of the bypass flow. The bypass efficiency is a function of the bypass flow rate at a given set of conditions. The bypass flow rate at the optimum bypass efficiency is appreciably lower than the maximum bypass flow rate at the given conditions. This results in increased design flexibility and improved overall engine performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephane M M BARALON, Mark J WILSON, Benedict R PHELPS
  • Publication number: 20200011274
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a quasi-non-dimensional mass flow rate in a defined range and a specific thrust in a defined range to achieve improved over all performance, taking into account fan operability and/or bird strike requirements as well as engine efficiency. The defined ranges of quasi-non-dimensional mass flow rate and specific thrust may be particularly beneficial for gas turbine engines in which the fan is driven by a turbine through a gearbox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benjamin J. SELLERS, Craig W. BEMMENT, Michael O. HALES, Stephane M. M. BARALON, Benedict R. PHELPS, Christopher BENSON, Mark J. WILSON
  • Publication number: 20200011238
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a cycle operability parameter ? in a defined range to achieve improved overall performance, taking into account fan operability and/or bird strike requirements as well as engine efficiency. The defined range of cycle operability parameter ? may be particularly beneficial for gas turbine engines in which the fan is driven by a turbine through a gearbox.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Michael O. HALES, Craig W. BEMMENT, Stephane M. M. BARALON, Benjamin J. SELLERS, Christopher BENSON, Benedict R. PHELPS, Mark J. WILSON
  • Publication number: 20200011273
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system has an engine core and a bypass duct. A fan drives the flow through the bypass duct. A bypass efficiency is defined as the efficiency of the fan compression of the bypass flow. The bypass efficiency is a function of the bypass flow rate at a given set of conditions. The fan bypass inlet mass flow rate at the reference operating point is appreciably higher than the mass flow rate through the bypass duct at the peak bypass efficiency at a given fan reference rotational speed and cruise conditions. This results in increased design flexibility and improved overall engine performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Stephane M. M. BARALON, Mark J. WILSON, Benedict R. PHELPS
  • Patent number: 10436035
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a fan tip air angle and/or a fan blade tip air angle in a defined range to achieve improved over all performance, taking into account fan operability and/or bird strike requirements as well as engine efficiency. The defined ranges of fan tip air angle and/or a fan blade tip air angle may be particularly beneficial for gas turbine engines in which the fan is driven by a turbine through a gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Stephane M M Baralon, Christopher Benson, Benedict R Phelps
  • Publication number: 20190063369
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine 10 is provided in which a fan having fan blades in which the camber distribution along the span allows the gas turbine engine to operate with improved efficiency when compared with conventional engines, whilst retaining an acceptable flutter margin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benedict R. PHELPS, Mark J. WILSON, Gabriel GONZALEZ-GUTIERREZ, Nigel HS SMITH, Marco BARALE, Kashmir S. JOHAL, Stephane MM BARALON, Craig W. BEMMENT
  • Publication number: 20190063368
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine 10 is provided in a fan root to tip pressure ratio, defined as the ratio of the mean total pressure of the flow at the fan exit that subsequently flows through the engine core (P102) to the mean total pressure of the flow at the fan exit that subsequently flows through the bypass duct (P104), is no greater than a certain value. The gas turbine engine 10 may provide improved efficiency when compared with conventional engines, whilst retaining an acceptable flutter margin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benedict R. PHELPS, Mark J. WILSON, Gabriel GONZALEZ-GUTIERREZ, Nigel HS SMITH, Marco BARALE, Kashmir S. JOHAL, Stephane MM BARALON, Craig W. BEMMENT
  • Publication number: 20190063370
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine 10 is provided in which a fan root pressure ratio is no greater than a given value at cruise conditions. The gas turbine engine may provide improved efficiency when compared with conventional engines, whilst retaining an acceptable flutter margin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Benedict R. PHELPS, Mark J. WILSON, Gabriel GONZALEZ-GUTIERREZ, Nigel HS SMITH, Marco BARALE, Kashmir S. JOHAL, Stephane MM BARALON, Craig W. BEMMENT