Patents by Inventor Bruce Fielding

Bruce Fielding 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: 10533424
    Abstract: A rotor for a gas turbine engine includes a hub having an outer periphery, a first plurality of blades arranged on the outer periphery of the hub, and a second plurality of blades arranged on the outer periphery of the hub. The first plurality of blades is made of a first material and has a first elastic modulus over density ratio. The first plurality of blades has a first natural frequency. The second plurality of blades is made of a second material and has a second elastic modulus over density ratio. The second elastic modulus over density ratio is different from the first elastic modulus over density ratio. The second plurality of blades has a second natural frequency different from the first natural frequency. A method of fabricating a bladed rotor is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Bruce Fielding
  • Patent number: 9506361
    Abstract: A gas turbine having an annular casing with a series of circumferentially spaced openings defined therethrough; a plurality of vanes extending radially inwardly though respective casing openings, an outer end of the vanes projecting radially outwardly from the casing through the respective openings and located within the respective openings by grommets, and an inner end of the vanes being mounted to an inner portion of the casing; a flexible, segmented strap extending around the annular casing, surrounding the projecting outer ends of the vanes; and a spring radially loading the flexible strap configured to apply a tension force to the flexible strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bruce Fielding, Nathan Tomes, Thomas Veitch
  • Publication number: 20160305251
    Abstract: A rotor for a gas turbine engine includes a hub having an outer periphery, a first plurality of blades arranged on the outer periphery of the hub, and a second plurality of blades arranged on the outer periphery of the hub. The first plurality of blades is made of a first material and has a first elastic modulus over density ratio. The first plurality of blades has a first natural frequency. The second plurality of blades is made of a second material and has a second elastic modulus over density ratio. The second elastic modulus over density ratio is different from the first elastic modulus over density ratio. The second plurality of blades has a second natural frequency different from the first natural frequency. A method of fabricating a bladed rotor is also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventor: Bruce FIELDING
  • Patent number: 9291070
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a spool including compressor and turbine rotors connected by a first shaft. The first shaft extends concentrically around a second shaft. The first shaft forward end has a portion with an inner diameter of close tolerance with the second shaft. The second shaft has a region of enlarged diameter located axially aft of the compressor rotor but axially forward of the forward end of the first shaft. The region of enlarged diameter has a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the forward end portion of the first shaft to cause the region of enlarged diameter of the second shaft to engage the first shaft in interference in the event that the second shaft is moved axially aft relative to the first shaft more than a pre-selected axial distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bruce Fielding, Assaf Farah, Karl D. Blume, Lam Nguyen, Theodore W Kapustka
  • Publication number: 20140255179
    Abstract: A gas turbine having an annular casing with a series of circumferentially spaced openings defined therethrough; a plurality of vanes extending radially inwardly though respective casing openings, an outer end of the vanes projecting radially outwardly from the casing through the respective openings and located within the respective openings by grommets, and an inner end of the vanes being mounted to an inner portion of the casing; a flexible, segmented strap extending around the annular casing, surrounding the projecting outer ends of the vanes; and a spring radially loading the flexible strap configured to apply a tension force to the flexible strap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bruce FIELDING, Nathan TOMES, Thomas VEITCH
  • Patent number: 8313293
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a rear mounting assembly incorporating a mounting apparatus attached to a bypass duct wall with a link device for transferring core portion related inertia-induced loads, from an MTF of the core portion in a short circuit across an annular bypass air passage to the bypass duct wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bernard Heyerman, Bryan W. Olver, Bruce Fielding, Carl Smythe
  • Publication number: 20120141294
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a spool including compressor and turbine rotors connected by a first shaft. The first shaft extends concentrically around a second shaft. The first shaft forward end has a portion with an inner diameter of close tolerance with the second shaft. The second shaft has a region of enlarged diameter located axially aft of the compressor rotor but axially forward of the forward end of the first shaft. The region of enlarged diameter has a diameter greater than the inner diameter of the forward end portion of the first shaft to cause the region of enlarged diameter of the second shaft to engage the first shaft in interference in the event that the second shaft is moved axially aft relative to the first shaft more than a pre-selected axial distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Bruce Fielding, Assaf Farah, Karl D. Blume, Lam Nguyen, Theodore W. Kapustka
  • Patent number: 8075247
    Abstract: An internal heating arrangement for a centrifugal impeller for a gas turbine engine is provided having at least one heating passage extending through into the rotor for directing air bled from the rotor exit along the backface and forwardly through the impeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Romani, Xiaoliu Liu, Paul Stone, Bruce Fielding
  • Patent number: 7926287
    Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine having a rotatable turbine shaft with an electric machine mounted to the shaft. The method includes providing supplemental acceleration and/or deceleration of the turbine shaft of the gas turbine engine through the use of the electric machine operated as an electric motor and/or an electric generator, in order to avoid an undesirable engine speed range during engine operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Richard Ullyott, Bruce Fielding, Ronald Trumper
  • Publication number: 20100290903
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a rear mounting assembly incorporating a mounting apparatus attached to a bypass duct wall with a link device for transferring core portion related inertia-induced loads, from an MTF of the core portion in a short circuit across an annular bypass air passage to the bypass duct wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bernard HEYERMAN, Bryan W. OLVER, Bruce FIELDING, Carl SMYTHE
  • Publication number: 20090162190
    Abstract: An internal heating arrangement for a centrifugal impeller for a gas turbine engine is provided having at least one heating passage extending through into the rotor for directing air bled from the rotor exit along the backface and forwardly through the impeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Inventors: Giuseppe Romani, Xiaoliu Liu, Paul Stone, Bruce Fielding
  • Patent number: 7530782
    Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine including a shroud with openings defined about a circumference of the shroud and vanes extending radially from the shroud with a vane tip in each opening. Isolating apparatus are disposed in each opening to isolate the vane tip from the shroud ring. Each vane tip is engaged with the shroud by retaining apparatus for restricting movement of the vane tip in an axial direction relative to the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Barry Barnett, Bruce Fielding
  • Publication number: 20080276620
    Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine having a rotatable turbine shaft with an electric machine mounted to the shaft. The method includes providing supplemental acceleration and/or deceleration of the turbine shaft of the gas turbine engine through the use of the electric machine operated as an electric motor and/or an electric generator, in order to avoid an undesirable engine speed range during engine operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Richard Ullyott, Bruce Fielding, Ronald Trumper
  • Publication number: 20070237632
    Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine including a shroud with openings defined therein about a circumference thereof and vanes extending radially from the shroud with a vane tip in each opening. Isolating means are disposed in each opening to isolate the vane tip from the shroud ring. Each vane tip is engaged with the shroud by retaining means for restricting movement of the vane tip in an axial direction relative to said shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Barry Barnett, Bruce Fielding