Patents by Inventor Graham Burkholder

Graham Burkholder 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: 11300049
    Abstract: A system includes a housing for a gas turbine engine, and a fan disposed in the housing to rotate coaxially with a gas turbine included in the housing. The system also includes an inlet guide vane disposed in the housing in axial alignment with the fan and configured to have an open position where a first flow of air is received by the fan through the inlet guide vane, and a closed position where airflow through the inlet guide vane is obstructed. The system further includes a heat exchanger disposed in a supply passage in fluid communication with a second flow of air received by the fan. The second flow of air is received by the fan via the supply passage with the inlet guide vane in the open position or in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Douglas David Dierksmeier, Douglas Boyd, Douglas J. Snyder, Graham Burkholder, William Barry Bryan
  • Patent number: 11286881
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system includes a gas turbine engine having a fan bypass duct, a heat exchanger system, and a flow transfer unit configured to selectively allow or preclude flow between the fan bypass duct and the heat exchanger system. A controller is coupled to and configured to vary the state of one or more of a fan exit nozzle, a heat exchanger exit nozzle, and a flow control valve controlling flow between the fan bypass duct and the heat exchanger system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Boyd, Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Douglas J. Snyder, Graham Burkholder, William B. Bryan
  • Publication number: 20210277827
    Abstract: A system includes a housing for a gas turbine engine, and a fan disposed in the housing to rotate coaxially with a gas turbine included in the housing. The system also includes an inlet guide vane disposed in the housing in axial alignment with the fan and configured to have an open position where a first flow of air is received by the fan through the inlet guide vane, and a closed position where airflow through the inlet guide vane is obstructed. The system further includes a heat exchanger disposed in a supply passage in fluid communication with a second flow of air received by the fan. The second flow of air is received by the fan via the supply passage with the inlet guide vane in the open position or in the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas David Dierksmeier, Douglas Boyd, Douglas J. Snyder, Graham Burkholder, William Barry Bryan
  • Publication number: 20210115877
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system includes a gas turbine engine having a fan bypass duct, a heat exchanger system, and a flow transfer unit configured to selectively allow or preclude flow between the fan bypass duct and the heat exchanger system. A controller is coupled to and configured to vary the state of one or more of a fan exit nozzle, a heat exchanger exit nozzle, and a flow control valve controlling flow between the fan bypass duct and the heat exchanger system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Douglas Boyd, Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Douglas J. Snyder, Graham Burkholder, William B. Bryan
  • Patent number: 10907494
    Abstract: A method for operation of a hybrid propulsion system is provided that includes providing a hybrid propulsion system including a gas turbine engine, an electrical system, and a controller configured to cause the gas turbine engine to produce a first mechanical power output and to cause the electrical system to produce a second mechanical power output. The method further includes causing the gas turbine engine to produce the first mechanical power output and causing the electrical system to produce the second mechanical power output, which causes a drive shaft of the gas turbine engine to rotate. The method further includes decreasing production of the first mechanical power output when a combination of the first mechanical power output and the second mechanical power output for take-off or climb is a predetermined percentage of a predetermined parameter of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Andrew Long, Dwayne Bevis, Graham Burkholder
  • Publication number: 20200347743
    Abstract: A method for operation of a hybrid propulsion system is provided that includes providing a hybrid propulsion system including a gas turbine engine, an electrical system, and a controller configured to cause the gas turbine engine to produce a first mechanical power output and to cause the electrical system to produce a second mechanical power output. The method further includes causing the gas turbine engine to produce the first mechanical power output and causing the electrical system to produce the second mechanical power output, which causes a drive shaft of the gas turbine engine to rotate. The method further includes decreasing production of the first mechanical power output when a combination of the first mechanical power output and the second mechanical power output for take-off or climb is a predetermined percentage of a predetermined parameter of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Andrew Long, Dwayne Bevis, Graham Burkholder
  • Patent number: 10260512
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a method of releasing a fan blade for testing a turbofan engine includes arranging an external shaped charge about an airfoil and modifying the airfoil by extricating one or more portions of material from one or more sides of the airfoil. The method further includes detonating the external shaped charge such that the airfoil is released at a selected time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Hall, Graham Burkholder, Xuekun Sun, Jeff Crutchfield, Ben Hodgson
  • Patent number: 10113442
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a method of releasing a fan blade for testing a turbofan engine includes providing an internal passage with a constant arc through an airfoil arranged about a blisk such that the constant arc of the internal passage aligns with a contour of the blisk. The method further includes packing the internal passage with a charge, modifying the airfoil such that the airfoil is released from the blisk evenly along a chordwise length of the airfoil, and detonating the charge such that the airfoil is released from the blisk at a selected time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Hall, Graham Burkholder, Xuekun Sun, Jeff Crutchfield, Ben Hodgson, Dennes Kyle Burney
  • Patent number: 9879698
    Abstract: A shaft balancing assembly comprising a nose cone and a plurality of balance weights. The nose cone is mounted to a rotatable shaft of a turbine machine via a plurality of elongated fasteners such that a central axis of the nose cone is alighted with the rotatable shaft. The nose cone comprises a flange extending axially from a leading tip to a trailing edge and a plurality of apertures each adapted to receive a balancing weight and an elongated fastener. The nose cone flange is formed from a filament wound composite material and has a uniform thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Graham Burkholder, Daniel Molnar, Jared Schneider, Matt Kappes
  • Publication number: 20180016934
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a method of releasing a fan blade for testing a turbofan engine includes providing an internal passage with a constant arc through an airfoil arranged about a blisk such that the constant arc of the internal passage aligns with a contour of the blisk. The method further includes packing the internal passage with a charge, modifying the airfoil such that the airfoil is released from the blisk evenly along a chordwise length of the airfoil, and detonating the charge such that the airfoil is released from the blisk at a selected time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher Hall, Graham Burkholder, Xuekun Sun, Jeff Crutchfield, Ben Hodgson, Dennes Kyle Burney
  • Publication number: 20180017065
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a method of releasing a fan blade for testing a turbofan engine includes arranging an external shaped charge about an airfoil and modifying the airfoil by extricating one or more portions of material from one or more sides of the airfoil. The method further includes detonating the external shaped charge such that the airfoil is released at a selected time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher Hall, Graham Burkholder, Xuekun Sun, Jeff Crutchfield, Ben Hodgson
  • Publication number: 20170114800
    Abstract: A shaft balancing assembly comprising a nose cone and a plurality of balance weights. The nose cone is mounted to a rotatable shaft of a turbine machine via a plurality of elongated fasteners such that a central axis of the nose cone is alighted with the rotatable shaft. The nose cone comprises a flange extending axially from a leading tip to a trailing edge and a plurality of apertures each adapted to receive a balancing weight and an elongated fastener. The nose cone flange is formed from a filament wound composite material and has a uniform thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Graham Burkholder, Daniel Molnar, Jared Schneider, Matt Kappes