Patents by Inventor Daniel B. Kupratis

Daniel B. Kupratis 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: 10267229
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an inner annular combustor radially inboard of an outer annular combustor. An outer variable turbine vane array is downstream of the outer annular combustor and an inner variable turbine vane array downstream of the inner annular combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, Howard K. Gregory
  • Patent number: 10161316
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an engine of an aircraft. The engine may include a first fan configured to output a first air flow, a second fan configured to receive a first portion of the first air flow and output a second air flow, a core configured to receive a first portion of the second air flow and generate a first stream, and at least one valve configured to assume one of at least three states in association with a generation of a second stream and a third stream based on at least one of the first air flow and the second air flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, Christopher J. Hanlon, Walter A. Ledwith, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10125722
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that include a turbo-compressor, a combustor section and a nacelle which houses the turbo-compressor and the combustor section. The turbo-compressor includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The combustor section is fluidly coupled between the compressor section and the turbine section. The nacelle includes a thrust reverser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10119477
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes low and high spools constructed and arranged to rotate about an engine axis. The low spool drives at least one leading stage of a fan section and the high spool drives an aft stage of the fan section. The aft stage may generally include a bypass duct for controllably flowing a bypass stream directly from the leading stage and controllably and/or selectively into an auxiliary flowpath and/or into a second flowpath both located radially outward from a core flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher J. Hanlon, Daniel B. Kupratis, Walter A. Ledwith
  • Patent number: 10100731
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that includes a first rotor, a second rotor and a combustor section. The first rotor includes a first set of compressor blades. The second rotor is adjacent the first rotor. The second rotor includes a second set of compressor blades and a set of turbine blades respectively connected to the second set of compressor blades. The combustor section is configured to receive air compressed by the first and the second sets of compressor blades. The combustor section is also configured to provide combustion products to the set of turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10094279
    Abstract: The engine (10) includes a low spool (16) disposed aft of an air inlet (12) and a high spool (34) disposed aft of the low spool (16). An intake reverse-duct (44) is disposed radially outward of the high spool (34) and reverses direction of low pressure compressed air from the low spool (16) into a forward-flow high pressure compressor (40) of the high spool (34). A discharge reverse-manifold (48) directs flow of an exhaust gas stream (50} from a forward-flow low pressure turbine (20) into a rearward-flow direction and into at least one pulse detonation firing tube (54). An annular bypass air duct (72) directs cooling air along the engine (10)—The at least, one firing tube is positioned radially outward of the high spool (34), overlies the high spool (34) and is also positioned within the bypass air duct (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, Francis R Moon
  • Patent number: 10041408
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that includes a turbo-compressor and a combustor section. The turbo-compressor includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The combustor section is fluidly coupled between the compressor section and the turbine section. The compressor section includes a first number of stages. The turbine section includes a second number of stages that is different than the first number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 10030606
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an outer case structure around a central longitudinal engine axis. An intermediate case structure is included inboard of the outer case structure. An inner case structure is included inboard of the intermediate case structure. A variable area exhaust mixer is included, which is movable between a closed position adjacent to the intermediate case structure and an open position adjacent to the inner case structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Francis R. Moon, Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Patent number: 9752585
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an intercooled twin centrifugal compressor. A pipe diffuser extends from the intercooled twin centrifugal compressor into an airflow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Publication number: 20170009703
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an outer case structure around a central longitudinal engine axis. An intermediate case structure is included inboard of the outer case structure. An inner case structure is included inboard of the intermediate case structure. A variable area exhaust mixer is included, which is movable between a closed position adjacent to the intermediate case structure and an open position adjacent to the inner case structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Francis R. Moon, Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Publication number: 20160356244
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that include a turbo-compressor, a combustor section and a nacelle which houses the turbo-compressor and the combustor section. The turbo-compressor includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The combustor section is fluidly coupled between the compressor section and the turbine section. The nacelle includes a thrust reverser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Publication number: 20160356218
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that includes a first rotor, a second rotor and a combustor section. The first rotor includes a first set of compressor blades. The second rotor is adjacent the first rotor. The second rotor includes a second set of compressor blades and a set of turbine blades respectively connected to the second set of compressor blades. The combustor section is configured to receive air compressed by the first and the second sets of compressor blades. The combustor section is also configured to provide combustion products to the set of turbine blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Publication number: 20160298550
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an engine of an aircraft. The engine may include a first fan configured to output a first air flow, a second fan configured to receive a first portion of the first air flow and output a second air flow, a core configured to receive a first portion of the second air flow and generate a first stream, and at least one valve configured to assume one of at least three states in association with a generation of a second stream and a third stream based on at least one of the first air flow and the second air flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, Christopher J. Hanlon, Walter A. Ledwith, JR.
  • Publication number: 20160237895
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that includes a turbo-compressor and a combustor section. The turbo-compressor includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The combustor section is fluidly coupled between the compressor section and the turbine section. The compressor section includes a first number of stages. The turbine section includes a second number of stages that is different than the first number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Publication number: 20160237894
    Abstract: A turbine engine is provided that includes a turbo-compressor, a combustor section, a flow path and a recuperator. The turbo-compressor includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The combustor section includes a combustor and a plenum adjacent the combustor. The flow path extends through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The recuperator is configured with the flowpath between the combustor section and the turbine section. An inlet duct to the recuperator is fluidly coupled with the flow path upstream of the plenum. An outlet duct from the recuperator is fluidly coupled with the plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel B. Kupratis, William G. Sheridan
  • Publication number: 20160230658
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core flowpath for flowing a core stream, a second flowpath located radially outward from the core flowpath for flowing a second stream, and an auxiliary flowpath located radially outward from the second flowpath for flowing an auxiliary stream. A heat exchanging device is constructed and arranged to divert a portion of the second stream into the auxiliary flowpath. A turbine exhaust case is constructed and arranged to flow the auxiliary stream into the core flowpath for mixing with the core stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher J. Hanlon, Daniel B. Kupratis, Water A. Ledwith, William F. Schneider, Sean Danby, Robert H. Bush, Benjamin Bellows
  • Publication number: 20160208692
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes low and high spools constructed and arranged to rotate about an engine axis. The low spool drives at least one leading stage of a fan section and the high spool drives an aft stage of the fan section. The aft stage may generally include a bypass duct for controllably flowing a bypass stream directly from the leading stage and controllably and/or selectively into an auxiliary flowpath and/or into a second flowpath both located radially outward from a core flowpath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher J. Hanlon, Daniel B. Kupratis, Walter A. Ledwith
  • Patent number: 9359960
    Abstract: Gas turbines with multiple gas flow paths are provided. In this regard, a representative gas turbine includes: a spool; a compressor; a turbine mechanically coupled to the spool; the compressor having a first set of blades and a second set of blades, the second set of blades being located downstream of the first set of blades, the first set of blades and the second set of blades being driven by the spool; and means for enabling the first set of blades to rotate at a lower rotational speed than the second set of blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Patent number: 9341121
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an intercooling turbine section to selectively cool the core flow. An intercooling turbine section bypass is also included to selectively bypass at least a portion of a core flow through an intercooling turbine section bypass path around the intercooling turbine section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Patent number: 9279388
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine and a method of operating the gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes modulating a variable high pressure turbine inlet guide vane of a high pressure spool to performance match a first stage fan section of a low pressure spool and an intermediate stage fan section of an intermediate spool to maintain a generally constant engine inlet flow while varying engine thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daniel B. Kupratis