Patents by Inventor Donald E. Army

Donald E. Army 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: 12654119
    Abstract: A water separator for use in an environmental control system of an aircraft includes a coalescing channel having a curved housing. The coalescing channel has a hollow interior. A coalescing insert is arranged within the hollow interior of the coalescing channel. The coalescing insert has an upstream end, a downstream end, and plurality of fluidly distinct flow channels extending between the upstream end and the downstream end such that the plurality of fluidly distinct flow channels receive a flow of medium in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Patrick McCord, Thomas E. Vatter
  • Publication number: 20260152283
    Abstract: Aircraft air cycle machines include a first stage turbine, a second stage turbine that receives air from the first stage turbine, and a duct arranged between the first stage turbine and the second stage turbine. A circular finned coalescer is arranged within the duct and includes a central body, a first fin layer wrapped about the central body, a first parting sheet wrapped about the first fin layer, and a second fin layer wrapped about the first parting sheet. Each of the fin layers include a plurality of fin elements and channels are defined between circumferentially adjacent fin elements of each of the first and second fin layers. The channels are tortuous channels such that moisture carried on a flow through the channels will impinge upon surfaces of the fin elements and coalesce into water droplets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2024
    Publication date: June 4, 2026
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Matthew Miller
  • Publication number: 20260145795
    Abstract: Aircraft air cycle machines include a first stage turbine, a second stage turbine, and a duct arranged between the first stage turbine and the second stage turbine. A plate-fin coalescer is arranged along the duct. The plate-fin coalescer includes a housing, a first fin layer arranged within the housing, a second fin layer arranged within the housing, and a first parting sheet arranged between the first fin layer and the second fin layer. Each of the first fin layer and the second fin layer include a plurality of fin elements arranged in substantially parallel orientation relative an axis through the housing, and channels are defined between adjacent fin elements of the plurality of fin elements of each of the first fin layer and the second fin layer. Moisture carried on a flow through the channels will impinge upon surfaces of the fin elements and coalesce into water droplets for removal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2024
    Publication date: May 28, 2026
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Frederick Peacos, III
  • Patent number: 12606311
    Abstract: A water extractor for use in an environmental control system includes a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end. A fog harvester assembly is mounted within the housing at a location between the inlet end and the outlet end. The fog harvester assembly includes at least one fog harvester insert having a condensing material including plurality of wires arranged in a wire array. At least one of the plurality of wires has a spiral configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Liana Frangioni, Patrick M. McCord, Donald E. Army, Alexander Bosworth, Michael Doe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 12595978
    Abstract: An environmental control system includes a first water collector having a first drain line and a second water collector having a second drain line. The first drain line is fluidly connected to the second drain line. The environmental control system includes also includes at least one spray nozzle. An outlet of the second drain line is fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Frederick Peacos, III, Louis J. Bruno
  • Publication number: 20250367573
    Abstract: A lattice coalescer is provided and includes an architected lattice having a cylindrical shape with an upstream end and a downstream end. The architected lattice includes a solid outer body and an interior body disposed within the solid outer body and substantially filled in three dimensions with tessellated unit cells. The tessellated unit cells are arranged with respect to one another in a cell map such that a fog-laden airflow moving through the architected lattice from the upstream end to the downstream end exhibits a pressure drop of 2 psi or less and formation of water droplets of 10-40 microns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2024
    Publication date: December 4, 2025
    Inventors: Alexander Bosworth, Kayla Krauth, Darryl Colson, Donald E. Army
  • Patent number: 12479581
    Abstract: An environmental control system of a vehicle includes a compressor having a compressor inlet configured to receive a first medium and a compressor outlet. A compressed first medium is provided at the compressor outlet. A conduit is configured to receive a second medium and a heat exchanger is mounted to the compressor. The heat exchanger is fluidly connected to a portion of the compressor and to the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2025
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Louis J. Bruno, Aiden Coutin, Jeffrey Ernst, Kayla Gosse, Erin G. Kline
  • Publication number: 20250229595
    Abstract: An environmental control system includes a component having a component inlet and a component outlet and a flow path fluidly connected to the component inlet and the component outlet. The flow path includes a turn upstream from the component inlet. At least one flow diverter element is arranged within the flow path between the turn and the component outlet. The at least one flow diverter element is positioned to uniformly distribute a flow across the component inlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2024
    Publication date: July 17, 2025
    Inventors: Kathryn L. Kirsch, Louis J. Bruno, Darryl Colson, Donald E. Army, Eugene F. Ucol, Hailing Wu
  • Publication number: 20250215808
    Abstract: An air cycle system for a gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger having an air cycle inlet. An air cycle machine includes an air cycle machine outlet and an annular flexible interface coupling connecting the air cycle inlet to the outlet. The flexible interface coupling includes a receiving portion having a flared region across which a diameter of a heat exchanger portion increases and a landing portion across which the diameter of the heat exchanger portion is maintained. An air cycle machine portion is received in the receiving portion and includes an outlet flange and a diffuser radially inward of the outlet flange. The outlet flange includes a radially outward facing surface contacting a radially inward facing surface of the landing portion. The diffuser is configured to move axially and radially relative to the outlet flange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: July 3, 2025
    Inventors: Darryl Colson, Frederick Peacos, III, Kara Ann Grant, Donald E. Army
  • Patent number: 12332152
    Abstract: A method of monitoring aircraft including removing a conical collector through a cabin exhaust valve of the aircraft wherein ambient cabin air has been driven from the cabin over a reagent fluid within the conical collector in order to collect a representative sample of the cabin air within the reagent fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Surawski, Kenneth Crawford, Donald E. Army, Kevin P. Walsh, Brian R. Shea, Tony Ho
  • Patent number: 12331971
    Abstract: A water separator includes an outer annular passage extending along a central longitudinal axis of water separator to direct an airflow along a first direction, and an inner annular passage located radially inboard of the outer annular passage and coaxial with the outer annular passage to direct the airflow along a second direction. A coalescer is located along the outer annular passage to coalesce water in the airflow. A water collector is located along the inner annular passage to collect the water. An airflow outlet is located downstream of the water collector through which the airflow exits the water separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tony Ho, Donald E. Army
  • Publication number: 20250129996
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanger plates stacked along a stacking axis defining a plurality of first pathways through which a first fluid is directed, and a plurality of fins located between adjacent first pathways of the plurality of first pathways. The plurality of fins at least partially define a plurality of second pathways through which a second fluid is directed. The heat exchanger plates are formed from a sheet material, and the plurality of fins are formed from one or more additive manufacturing processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventors: Viktor Kilchyk, Donald E. Army
  • Publication number: 20250129990
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger body having a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, an inlet manifold connected to the heat exchanger body and configured to distribute a flow of fluid from a fluid inlet of the inlet manifold to the plurality of heat exchanger tubes, and an outlet manifold connected to the heat exchanger body and configured to collect the flow of fluid from the plurality of heat exchanger tubes and direct the flow of fluid through a fluid outlet. The heat exchanger body is formed via one or more additive manufacturing processes, and at least one of the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold is formed via one or more subtractive manufacturing processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventors: Viktor Kilchyk, Donald E. Army
  • Publication number: 20250108322
    Abstract: A water separator for use in an environmental control system of an aircraft includes a coalescing channel having a curved housing. The coalescing channel has a hollow interior. A coalescing insert is arranged within the hollow interior of the coalescing channel. The coalescing insert has an upstream end, a downstream end, and plurality of fluidly distinct flow channels extending between the upstream end and the downstream end such that the plurality of fluidly distinct flow channels receive a flow of medium in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Patrick McCord, Thomas E. Vatter
  • Publication number: 20250052525
    Abstract: An environmental control system includes a first water collector having a first drain line and a second water collector having a second drain line. The first drain line is fluidly connected to the second drain line. The environmental control system includes also includes at least one spray nozzle. An outlet of the second drain line is fluidly connected to the at least one spray nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Frederick Peacos, III, Louis J. Bruno
  • Patent number: 12214887
    Abstract: An environmental control system of an aircraft includes a primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger and an air cycle machine. The air cycle machine includes a compressor fluidly coupled to an outlet of the primary heat exchanger and an inlet of the secondary heat exchanger, a dehumidification system arranged in fluid communication with the outlet of the secondary heat exchanger, a first turbine fluidly coupled to an outlet of the secondary heat exchanger and optionally a second turbine disposed downstream of the first turbine that receives air from the first turbine in a normal mode a first humidity sensor disposed fluidly between the first turbine and the second turbine that measures humidity of air that has left the first turbine as it enters the second turbine in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, John M. Maljanian
  • Publication number: 20240359123
    Abstract: A water extractor is provided and includes a helical channel, a toroidal body encompassing the helical channel and defining an exhaust plenum beyond the helical channel and comprising a first outlet, an outer body defining a settling chamber about the toroidal body and including a second outlet and a drain and a scupper disposed to direct moisture, which is separated from a medium flowing through the helical channel, from the helical channel and into the settling chamber. The medium is flowable from the helical channel into the exhaust plenum and then sequentially through the first and second outlets to pressurize collected moisture flow from the settling chamber and through the drain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Liana Frangioni
  • Publication number: 20240359800
    Abstract: A water extractor for an environmental control system of an aircraft includes a separation mechanism configured to divide an airflow into a first airflow and a second airflow. The separation mechanism includes an inlet conduit, a body in fluid communication with the inlet conduit, and at least one coalescing feature arranged within an interior of the body. A water extraction vessel is arranged in fluid communication with the separation mechanism. The water extraction vessel includes a first portion for receiving the first airflow and a second portion for receiving the second airflow. The first portion is configured to collect and remove water from the first airflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Patrick McCord
  • Patent number: 12117252
    Abstract: An environmental control system according to an example of the present disclosure includes a heat exchanger, a ram air duct operable to provide cooling ram air to the heat exchanger, and a water extractor operable to extract water from the ram air. The heat exchanger includes at least one nozzle operable to spray water from the water extractor into the ram air duct. An example heat exchanger and a method of making a heat exchanger are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Donald E. Army
  • Patent number: 12115479
    Abstract: An annular water removal system (AWRS) for an air cycle environmental control system (ECS) includes a line replaceable unit (LRU) configured to output air flow, and a water collector coupled to the LRU. The water collector includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion includes a coalescing unit having a collector inlet to receive the air flow and configured to coalesce moisture from the air flow output from the LRU. The lower portion includes a collection unit in fluid communication with the coalescing unit. The collection unit is configured to collect the moisture coalesced by the coalescing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Abbas A. Alahyari, Anthony DeLugan, Ephraim Joseph, Michael Maynard, Seth E. Rosen, John H. Whiton, Sebastian Zuraw, David Saltzman, Christopher Testa