Patents by Inventor Ian J Toon

Ian J Toon 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: 10563588
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel system including a combustor with at least one fuel injector, a fuel manifold that supplies fuel to each injector, a drain tank in fluid communication with the fuel manifold, and a vacuum generator that selectively provides below atmospheric pressure to the drain tank and includes first and second chambers separated by a flexible diaphragm. The fuel system also includes a first check valve that allows one-way flow from the fuel manifold into the fuel injector, and a second check valve that allows one-way flow from the fuel injector to the fuel manifold. The vacuum generator reduces a pressure within the second chamber causing the diaphragm to increase a volume of the first chamber and reduce a volume of the second chamber, such that expanding the first chamber causes below atmospheric pressure in the drain tank and fuel manifold, and the second check valve opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Ian J Toon
  • Publication number: 20170218846
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel system (100) comprises: a combustor (20) comprising at least one fuel injector (106), a fuel manifold (104) configured to supply fuel to each injector (106) and a drain tank (108) in fluid communication with the fuel manifold (104). Each fuel injector (106) comprises a first check valve (132) configured to allow one-way flow from the manifold (104) to the fuel injector (106), and a second check valve (134) configured to allow one-way flow from the fuel injector (106) to the fuel manifold (104). The system (100) further comprises a vacuum generator (112) configured to selectively provide below atmospheric pressure to the drain tank (108).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ian J. TOON
  • Patent number: 8695349
    Abstract: An improved fuel spray nozzle for a gas turbine engine is proposed, in order to address problems associated with the nozzles being wetted with fuel purged from fuel lines upon engine shutdown. The nozzle has a heat shield provided around a fuel discharge orifice, the heat shield incorporating a sliding expansion joint and having a drip collar arranged to cover the expansion joint so as to protect it from being wetted by fuel ejected through the fuel discharge orifice and falling on the heat shield. The fuel spray nozzle is particularly suited to marine or industrial gas turbine engines having a plurality of radially oriented combustion chambers with respective fuel spray nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Ian J. Toon
  • Patent number: 8297057
    Abstract: A fuel injector head for a gas turbine engine the head having a pilot injector and a main injector located radially outwardly of the pilot injector. A concentric splitter separates the pilot injector from the main injector and has a toroid chamber which is supplied with air in use to generate a toroidal flow which delays mixing of the pilot and main air flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC
    Inventor: Ian J. Toon
  • Publication number: 20100307159
    Abstract: An improved fuel spray nozzle for a gas turbine engine is proposed, in order to address problems associated with the nozzles being wetted with fuel purged from fuel lines upon engine shutdown. The nozzle has a heat shield provided around a fuel discharge orifice, the heat shield incorporating a sliding expansion joint and having a drip collar arranged to cover the expansion joint so as to protect it from being wetted by fuel ejected through the fuel discharge orifice and falling on the heat shield. The fuel spray nozzle is particularly suited to marine or industrial gas turbine engines having a plurality of radially oriented combustion chambers with respective fuel spray nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ian J. Toon
  • Publication number: 20090173076
    Abstract: A fuel injector head for a gas turbine engine the head comprising a pilot injector and a main injector located radially outwardly of the pilot injector. A concentric splitter separates the pilot injector from the main injector and has a toroid chamber which is supplied with air in use to generate a toroidal flow which delays mixing of the pilot and main air flows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Ian J. Toon
  • Patent number: 7533532
    Abstract: In order to allow dual fuel operation, that is to say gas and liquid fuel, a fuel injection arrangement and an assembly are provided in which an injection conduit provides constriction to an airflow towards an outlet. In an assembly a plurality of arrangements including liquid fuel jets are arranged to such that through high angle incidents by the airflow appropriate vaporization and droplet formation is achieved for a fuel/air mixture combustible in a combustor of a turbine engine. At low liquid fuel flow rates below a pre-determined level the liquid fuel is atomised and entrained by the airflow. At high liquid fuel flow rates the fuel splash impinges upon a wash surface to develop a wash film which is again vaporised and atomised about an edge for a fuel/air mixture capable of combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Ian J Toon, Gary Eadon, Andrew C Graham, Allan J Salt
  • Patent number: 7527037
    Abstract: A joint for a gas turbine fuel injector, the joint comprises a housing for supporting a fuel injector, a first tube terminating within the housing and a second tube. The housing at least partially encloses an adaptor having a bore, with one end of the first tube and one end of the second tube being located within opposing ends of the bore. First sealing means are provided between the outside of the first tube and the adaptor bore, second sealing means are provided between the outside of the second tube and the adaptor bore and third sealing means are provided between the outside of the adaptor and the housing. The joint is particularly suitable for conduits carrying a relatively cold fluid mounted in a relatively hot housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Andrew C Graham, Allan J Salt, Gary Eadon, Ian J Toon
  • Publication number: 20090108105
    Abstract: In order to allow dual fuel operation, that is to say gas and liquid fuel, a fuel injection arrangement and an assembly are provided in which an injection conduit provides constriction to an airflow towards an outlet. In an assembly a plurality of arrangements including liquid fuel jets are arranged to such that through high angle incidents by the airflow appropriate vaporisation and droplet formation is achieved for a fuel/air mixture combustible in a combustor of a turbine engine. At low liquid fuel flow rates below a pre-determined level the liquid fuel is atomised and entrained by the airflow. At high liquid fuel flow rates the fuel splash impinges upon a wash surface to develop a wash film which is again vaporised and atomised about an edge for a fuel/air mixture capable of combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Ian J. Toon, Gary Eadon, Andrew C. Graham, Allan J. Salt
  • Patent number: 7117679
    Abstract: In order to allow dual fuel operation, that is to say gas and liquid fuel, a fuel injection arrangement and an assembly are provided in which an injection conduit provides constriction to an airflow towards an outlet. In an assembly a plurality of arrangements including liquid fuel jets are arranged to such that through high angle incidents by the airflow appropriate vaporization and droplet formation is achieved for a fuel/air mixture combustible in a combustor of a turbine engine. At low liquid fuel flow rates below a pre-determined level the liquid fuel is atomized and entrained by the airflow. At high liquid fuel flow rates the fuel splash impinges upon a wash surface to develop a wash film which is again vaporized and atomized about an edge for a fuel/air mixture capable of combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Ian J Toon, Gary Eadon, Andrew C Graham, Allan J Salt
  • Patent number: 5640851
    Abstract: A combustion chamber which has a primary combustion zone and a secondary combustion zone is provided with a plurality of secondary fuel and air mixing ducts arranged around the primary combustion zone. The secondary fuel and air mixing ducts are defined by a pair of annular walls and by a plurality of walls extending radially between the annular walls. Each secondary fuel and air mixing duct has an aperture to direct a fuel and air mixture into the secondary combustion zone. The apertures have the same flow area. Each secondary fuel and air mixing duct has one or more fuel injectors to inject fuel into the upstream end of the secondary fuel and air mixing duct. This arrangement ensures that the fuel/air ratio emitted from each aperture is within 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Ian J. Toon, Jeffrey D. Willis
  • Patent number: 5628192
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustion chamber which has primary, secondary and tertiary combustion zones in flow series has a secondary fuel and air mixing duct and a tertiary fuel and air mixing duct. The secondary mixing duct has a secondary air intake at its upstream end and the tertiary mixing duct has a tertiary air intake at its upstream end. The tertiary air intake is arranged adjacent to the secondary air intake. A combined secondary and tertiary fuel system is provided to supply fuel to the secondary and tertiary mixing ducts. The fuel system comprises a manifold arranged adjacent to the secondary mixing duct but is spaced from the tertiary mixing duct by the secondary mixing duct. The manifold has apertures to direct fuel towards the tertiary air intake across the secondary air intake. Variations in fuel pressure cause the fuel to flow into the secondary air intake or the tertiary air intake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, plc
    Inventors: Samantha Hayes-Bradley, Ian J. Toon, Jeffrey D. Willis
  • Patent number: 5319935
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine combustion chamber has staged combustion to reduce nitrous oxides and includes a first radial flow swirler and a second radial flow swirler located axially of an annular mixing zone with each swirler having vanes for rotating the incoming air in substantially opposite directions relative to each other; first and second fuel injectors are provided with a first fuel injectors located in one of the passages of each of the first and second swirlers and with the second fuel injectors located upstream of the passages of the first and second swirlers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 14, 1994
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Ian J. Toon, Stephen J. O'Dell, John H. Currin, Jeffrey D. Willis
  • Patent number: 5121608
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel burner suitable for burning diesel fuel oil comprises an annular body and a center body coaxially located within the annular body so that an annular flow path is defined between them. At the upstream end of the burner an annular fuel manifold cooperates with the annular body and the center body to define two coaxial passages which direct air into the annular flow path with minimal turbulence. The low level of turbulence within the fuel burner reduces the possibility of spontaneous combustion occurring within the burner. The center body is hollow and is provided at its downstream end with an end cap which cooperates with the downstream end of the annular body to define a radial fuel/air mixture outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1992
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Willis, Norman E. Deacon, Richard E. Pollard, Ian J. Toon, Bernard W. Boyce