Patents by Inventor Brian D. Merry

Brian D. Merry 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).

  • Publication number: 20170122219
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes, among other things, a fan section, a core engine, a bypass passage, and a bypass ratio defined as the volume of air passing into the bypass passage compared to the volume of air passing into the core engine, the bypass ratio being greater than 8 at cruise power. A gear arrangement drives the fan section. A guide vane includes a forward attachment, the forward attachment positioned aft of a plumbing connection area. A compressor section includes both a first compressor and a second compressor. A lubrication system and a compressed air system are in fluid communication with the gear arrangement. A turbine section drives the gear arrangement, and includes a low pressure turbine. An overall pressure ratio is provided by the combination of a pressure ratio across the first compressor and a pressure ratio across the second compressor, and greater than about 50, measured at sea level and at a static, full-rated takeoff power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Karl L. Hasel, Joseph B. Staubach, Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu, Christopher M. Dye
  • Publication number: 20170114724
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5. The high pressure turbine is supported by a bearing positioned at a point where the first shaft connects to a hub carrying turbine rotors associated with the second turbine section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann
  • Publication number: 20170058830
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes, among other things, a fan section including a fan rotor, a gear train defined about an engine axis of rotation, a first nacelle which at least partially surrounds a second nacelle and the fan rotor, the fan section configured to communicate airflow into the first nacelle and the second nacelle, a first turbine, and a second turbine followed by the first turbine. The first turbine is configured to drive the fan rotor through the gear train. A static structure includes a first engine mount location and a second engine mount location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry, Christopher M. Dye, Steven B. Johnson, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 9574520
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for mounting under a wing of an aircraft has a propulsor that rotates on a first axis, and an engine core including a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section, with the turbine section being closer to the propulsor than the compressor section. The engine core is aerodynamically connected to the propulsor and has a second axis. A nacelle is positioned around the propulsor and engine core. The nacelle is attached to the wing of the aircraft. A downstream end of the nacelle has at least one pivoting door with an actuation mechanism to pivot the door between a stowed position and a horizontal deployed position in which the door inhibits a flow to provide a thrust reverse of the flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jesse M. Chandler, Brian D. Merry
  • Patent number: 9540948
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5. The high pressure turbine is supported by a bearing positioned at a point where the first shaft connects to a hub carrying turbine rotors associated with the second turbine section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann
  • Publication number: 20160363047
    Abstract: A ratio of an outer diameter of a fan hub at a leading edge of the blades to an outer tip diameter of the blades at the leading edge is greater than or equal to about 0.24 and less than or equal to about 0.38. The fan tip diameter is greater than or equal to about 84 inches (213.36 centimeters) and a fan tip speed is less than or equal to about 1050 ft/second (320.04 meters/second). A bypass ratio, a gear ratio and an AN2 value are also claimed. The fan drive turbine has between three and six stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Karl L. Hasel, Brian D. Merry
  • Patent number: 9506402
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core section having a low spool, intermediate spool and a high spool that rotate about a common axis. The intermediate spool is supported at an aft position by an inter-shaft bearing arrangement on the low spool. The low spool is supported for rotation in an aft position by an aft roller bearing supported on a turbine exhaust case of the gas turbine engine. The high spool is supported by a high spool aft roller bearing disposed within a high spool bearing compartment. The high spool bearing compartment is positioned within a radial space between the combustor and the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry
  • Publication number: 20160326957
    Abstract: A compressor section of a gas turbine engine includes a bleed port having a flow splitter therein so as to define a downstream bleed channel having a downstream inlet and an upstream bleed channel having an upstream inlet that is positioned radially outward from the downstream inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Matthew R. Feulner, Brian D. Merry, Jesse M. Chandler, Gabriel L. Suciu, Joseph B. Staubach
  • Publication number: 20160312704
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a downstream most end, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passes the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses ng air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. The heat exchanger has at least two passes, with one of the passes passing air radially outwardly, and a second of the passes returning the air radially inwardly to the compressor. An intercooling system for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jesse M. Chandler, Joseph Brent Staubach, Brian D. Merry, Wesley K. Lord
  • Publication number: 20160312711
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream most end, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A first tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the main compressor section, passing the tapped air through a first heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. A second tap taps air from a location closer to the downstream most end than the location of the first tap, and the first and second taps mix together and are delivered into the high pressure turbine. The cooling compressor is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger, and upstream of a location where air from the first and second taps mix together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jesse M. Chandler, Joseph Brent Staubach, Brian D. Merry
  • Publication number: 20160312797
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream most end, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A first tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the main compressor section, passes the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger. A second tap taps air from a location closer to the downstream most end than the location(s) of the first tap. The first and second tap mix together and are delivered into the high pressure turbine. An intercooling system for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jesse M. Chandler, Joseph Brent Staubach, Brian D. Merry
  • Patent number: 9470153
    Abstract: A compression pump for an engine is provided. The pump may include a first pump impeller operatively coupled to a main shaft of the engine, a first inlet configured to at least partially receive bypass airflow, and a first outlet configured to direct compressed air to a thermal management system. The first pump impeller may be rotatably fixed about a common axis of the compression pump. Additionally the compression pump may extend radially to one exterior side of the engine. Furthermore the compression pump can be coupled to the main shaft of the engine by an engine towershaft. A first intake manifold may be coupled to a first inlet of the compression pump and a first discharge manifold may be couple to a first outlet of the compression pump which may have one or more heat exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jorn A. Glahn, Brian D. Merry, Christopher M. Dye
  • Publication number: 20160290149
    Abstract: One exemplary embodiment of this disclosure relates to a gas turbine engine. The engine includes a first rotor disk, a second rotor disk, and a circumferentially segmented seal. The segmented seal engages the first rotor disk and the second rotor disk. The segmented seal further includes a fore surface contacting the first disk, an aft surface contacting the second disk, and a radially outer surface. Further, (1) the aft surface and (2) one of the fore surface and the radially outer surface include perforations to allow fluid to flow through the interior of the segmented seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: James D. Hill, Gabriel L Suciu, Brian D. Merry, Ioannis Alvanos
  • Publication number: 20160290241
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes, among other things, a fan section, a core engine, a bypass passage, and a bypass ratio defined as the volume of air passing into the bypass passage compared to the volume of air passing into the core engine, the bypass ratio being greater than or equal to about 8 at cruise power. A gear arrangement is configured to drive the fan section. A compressor section includes both a first compressor section and a second compressor section. A turbine section is configured to drive the gear arrangement, and may have a low pressure turbine with four stages and a low pressure turbine pressure ratio greater than about 5:1, and a high pressure turbine with two stages. An overall pressure ratio is provided by the combination of a pressure ratio across the first compressor section and a pressure ratio across the second compressor section, and greater than about 40, measured at sea level and at a static, full-rated takeoff power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Karl L. Hasel, Joseph B. Staubach, Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu, Christopher M. Dye
  • Publication number: 20160280387
    Abstract: An aircraft thermal management system includes a first fluid system containing a first fluid, a fluid loop containing a thermally neutral heat transfer fluid, a second fluid system containing a second fluid, a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the first fluid to the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid, and a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the second fluid. The fluid loop is configured to provide the thermally neutral heat transfer fluid to the first heat exchanger at a pressure that matches the pressure of the first fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nathan Snape, James D. Hill, Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry
  • Publication number: 20160237909
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passes the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. The cooling compressor is connected to be driven with at least one rotor in the main compressor section. A source of pressurized air is selectively sent to the cooling compressor to drive a rotor of the cooling compressor to rotate, and to in turn drive the at least one rotor of the main compressor section at start-up of the gas turbine engine. An intercooling system is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Nathan Snape, Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry
  • Publication number: 20160237906
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passes the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. A core housing has an outer peripheral surface and a fan housing defining an inner peripheral surface. At least one bifurcation duct extends between the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface. The heat exchanger is received within the at least one bifurcation duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jesse M. Chandler, Brian D. Merry, Nathan Snape
  • Publication number: 20160237907
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passing the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor, which compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. The cooling compressor rotates at a speed proportional to a speed of at least one rotor in the turbine section. The cooling compressor is allowed to rotate at a speed that is not proportional to a speed of the at least one rotor under certain conditions. An intercooling system for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu, Jesse M. Chandler, Joseph Brent Staubach, Gary D. Roberge
  • Publication number: 20160237908
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passing the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. The heat exchanger also receives air to be delivered to an aircraft cabin. An intercooling system for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Nathan Snape, Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry, Jesse M. Chandler
  • Publication number: 20160237901
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a main compressor section having a high pressure compressor with a downstream discharge, and more upstream locations. A turbine section has a high pressure turbine. A tap taps air from at least one of the more upstream locations in the compressor section, passes the tapped air through a heat exchanger and then to a cooling compressor. The cooling compressor compresses air downstream of the heat exchanger, and delivers air into the high pressure turbine. The cooling compressor includes a downstream connection that delivers discharge pressure air to an upstream location in the high pressure turbine and a second tap from an intermediate pressure location within the cooling compressor. The second tap is connected to a downstream location within the high pressure turbine. An intercooling system for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Mark F. Zelesky, Gabriel L. Suciu, Brian D. Merry