Patents by Inventor Ian M. BUNCE

Ian M. BUNCE 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: 11927378
    Abstract: A sensor assembly is shown for sensing a crossing of the critical point in a system utilising a working fluid in a transcritical cycle passing through the critical point. A first broadband acoustic sensor is located upstream of a component and a second broadband acoustic sensor is located downstream of the component, each of which are arranged to detect high-frequency and low-frequency sounds caused by the crossing of the critical point. A flow regulation device regulates flow of working fluid through the component in response to the output of one or both of the first broadband acoustic sensor and the second broadband acoustic sensor, thereby adjusting the location of the crossing of the critical point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Chloe J. Palmer, Ian M. Bunce
  • Publication number: 20230175750
    Abstract: A sensor assembly is shown for sensing a crossing of the critical point in a system utilising a working fluid in a transcritical cycle passing through the critical point. A first broadband acoustic sensor is located upstream of a component and a second broadband acoustic sensor is located downstream of the component, each of which are arranged to detect high-frequency and low-frequency sounds caused by the crossing of the critical point. A flow regulation device regulates flow of working fluid through the component in response to the output of one or both of the first broadband acoustic sensor and the second broadband acoustic sensor, thereby adjusting the location of the crossing of the critical point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Chloe J. PALMER, Ian M. BUNCE
  • Publication number: 20220364772
    Abstract: A trans-critical thermodynamic system includes an expansion device and a separator. The expansion device receives a supercritical fluid containing solutes. The expansion device is operable to expand the supercritical fluid to produce a sub-critical gas by reducing a temperature and/or a pressure of the supercritical fluid. The separator removes the solutes from the sub-critical gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Ian M BUNCE, Chloe J PALMER
  • Patent number: 11111792
    Abstract: A turbomachine (105) configured to compress supercritical carbon dioxide is shown. The turbomachine comprises, in fluid flow series, an inlet (201), an inducerless radial impeller (202) having a plurality of blades, and a fully vaneless diffuser (203). The radius of the inlet (r0) is from 25 to 50 percent of the radius of the impeller (r2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Martin N Goodhand, Ian M Bunce
  • Patent number: 11111793
    Abstract: A turbomachine (105) configured to compress supercritical carbon dioxide is shown. The turbomachine comprises, in fluid flow series, an inlet (201), an inducerless radial impeller (202) having a plurality of backswept blades (211,212) each of which have a blade exit angle (?2) of from ?50 to ?70 degrees, and a fully vaneless diffuser (203).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Martin N Goodhand, Ian M Bunce
  • Publication number: 20200063566
    Abstract: A turbomachine (105) configured to compress supercritical carbon dioxide is shown. The turbomachine comprises, in fluid flow series, an inlet (201), an inducerless radial impeller (202) having a plurality of blades, and a fully vaneless diffuser (203). The radius of the inlet (r0) is from 25 to 50 percent of the radius of the impeller (r2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Martin N. GOODHAND, Ian M. BUNCE
  • Publication number: 20200063607
    Abstract: A turbomachine (105) configured to compress supercritical carbon dioxide is shown. The turbomachine comprises, in fluid flow series, an inlet (201), an inducerless radial impeller (202) having a plurality of blades, and a fully vaneless diffuser (203).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Martin N. GOODHAND, Ian M. BUNCE
  • Publication number: 20200063567
    Abstract: A turbomachine (105) configured to compress supercritical carbon dioxide is shown. The turbomachine comprises, in fluid flow series, an inlet (201), an inducerless radial impeller (202) having a plurality of blades, and a fully vaneless diffuser (203). The inlet is radially flared to induce a radial component in flow prior to an entry to the impeller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Martin N. GOODHAND, Ian M. BUNCE
  • Publication number: 20200063568
    Abstract: A turbomachine (105) configured to compress supercritical carbon dioxide is shown. The turbomachine comprises, in fluid flow series, an inlet (201), an inducerless radial impeller (202) having a plurality of backswept blades (211,212) each of which have a blade exit angle (?2) of from ?50 to ?70 degrees, and a fully vaneless diffuser (203).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Martin N. GOODHAND, Ian M. BUNCE