Patents by Inventor James T. Roach

James T. Roach 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: 12385402
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section that are formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies, skin fiber plies, platform fiber plies, and a cooling passage that extends through selected ones of the plies to provide a cooling circuit through the airfoil section and into the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Wilkins, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20250243768
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface and the inner surface are formed of ceramic matrix composite layers, and mount member. The mount member is in contact with an insert that is inserted within outer layers of the outer platform to form a thickened portion having an end surface that will react against forces from the mount member. A gas turbine engine and a method are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventors: Rutva A. Patel, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20250187990
    Abstract: A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) vane including an inner diameter platform, an outer diameter platform, and an airfoil extending between the inner diameter platform and the outer diameter platform includes laying up a ceramic preform by arranging at least one core formed from a first ceramic material, and laying up, over the at least one ceramic core, a plurality of contoured plies, each of the plurality of contoured plies formed from a second ceramic material. Each of the plurality of contoured plies partially forms the inner diameter platform, the outer diameter platform, and the airfoil of the vane. The method further includes densifying the ceramic preform with a matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Publication date: June 12, 2025
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Jenkins V. Cruz, Addison Williams, Daniel Ip, Rutva A. Patel, Jonathan L. Chin, Brian Cronin
  • Patent number: 12326093
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine stator vane combination includes a stator vane body having an airfoil with a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side and a pressure side, and having at least one internal cooling channel. The stator vane body is formed of ceramic matrix composite materials. A spar is received within the at least one cooling air channel and formed of a metal. The spar has an outer peripheral surface spaced from an inner peripheral surface of the cooling air channel to define a cooling air path, with the cooling air path having a varying cross-sectional area through the cooling air channel. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20250146421
    Abstract: A combined gas turbine engine vane and blade outer air seal assembly includes a vane having an airfoil extending from the leading edge to a trailing edge, and has an outer platform. The outer platform has a cooling channel that extends into the airfoil to receive cooling air. The outer platform extends to an integral blade outer air seal to be positioned radially outwardly of a turbine blade in a gas turbine engine. At least a portion of the vane and the blade outer air seal are formed of ceramic matrix composite materials. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: May 8, 2025
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim
  • Patent number: 12292193
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustion chamber and a liner that bounds at least a portion of the combustion chamber. The liner includes a first side facing the combustion chamber and a second side facing away from the combustion chamber. The liner is formed of a lay-up of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies that have a first CMC ply on the first side, a second CMC ply on the second side, and intermediate CMC plies between the first and second CMC plies. At least one of the intermediate CMC plies has a pattern of voids that define cooling channels in the combustor panel. The cooling channels are bound on lateral channel sides by the at least one of the intermediate CMC plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace
  • Publication number: 20250137377
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section that are formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies, skin fiber plies, platform fiber plies, and a cooling passage that extends through selected ones of the plies to provide a cooling circuit through the airfoil section and into the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Peter Wilkins, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20250137375
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section. The airfoil section and the platform are formed of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) having fiber plies and a ceramic matrix, the fiber plies include first and second groups of core fiber plies that respectively define first and second radial tubes that circumscribe first and second internal cavities in the airfoil section. Skin fiber plies define an exterior of the airfoil section, wrap around the first and second groups of core fiber plies, and flare outwardly through a fillet into the platform. Platform fiber plies extend in the platform adjacent the skin fiber plies. There is at least one closed-circuit cooling passage defined in the fiber plies. The cooling passage initiates from the first internal cavity, extends within the platform, and ends at the second internal cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Jonas BANHOS, Peter WILKINS, James T. ROACH, Russell KIM, Raymond SURACE
  • Publication number: 20250116197
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil section that defines a trailing edge region that includes a trailing edge. The airfoil section is formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies and skin fiber plies. The core fiber plies define a radial tube that has a radiused end in the trailing edge region. The skin fiber plies wrap around the core fiber plies and a filler element in the trailing edge region is aft of the internal cavity and is sandwiched between the skin fiber plies on the pressure side and the skin fiber plies on the suction side. There is at least one cooling passage that includes a first, inlet orifice section that opens to the internal cavity at a location forward of the radiused end and that extends through the core fiber plies, and a second, outlet orifice section that extends through the trailing edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace
  • Publication number: 20250116193
    Abstract: A CMC airfoil includes core fiber plies that define a radial tube that circumscribes an internal cavity, and skin fiber plies that define an exterior of the airfoil section. There is a filler element in the trailing edge region aft of the internal cavity and sandwiched between the skin fiber plies on the pressure side and the skin fiber plies on the suction side. At least one cooling passage includes at least one inlet orifice section that opens to the internal cavity and extends through the core fiber plies, a radially-elongated multi-dimensional plenum connected with the at least one inlet orifice section, a plurality of outlet orifice sections extending through the trailing edge, and a plurality of intermediate passage sections bound by at least one of the skin plies and the filler element and connecting the radially-elongated multi-dimensional plenum with the plurality of outlet orifice sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: James T. ROACH, Jonas BANHOS, Russell KIM, Raymond SURACE
  • Publication number: 20250100941
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite component includes fabricating a ceramic preform, the preform comprising a hollow portion with an internal cavity extending along a first axis from a first end to a second end of the hollow portion, supporting the hollow portion with an auxetic mandrel disposed within and the internal cavity and coaxial with the hollow portion, the auxetic mandrel comprising a first mandrel end and a second mandrel end, at least partially densifying the preform with a matrix, and removing the auxetic mandrel from the internal cavity by simultaneously applying a compressive force to each of the first mandrel end and the second mandrel end creating a deformed auxetic mandrel to reduce a cross-sectional profile of the auxetic mandrel along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and extracting the deformed auxetic mandrel from the first end of the hollow portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Inventors: David J. Wasserman, James T. Roach
  • Patent number: 12196095
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes an airfoil body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and having a suction wall and a pressure wall. An outer surface of the airfoil body is formed by an outer coat defining around the pressure and suction sides, a leading edge and a trailing edge. An internal cross-rib is formed within a cavity in the airfoil body. The internal cross-rib extends to be secured to the outer coat adjacent the leading edge and the trailing edge, and extending across the internal cavity to form a junction such that the cross-rib is x-shaped. The outer coat and the cross-rib are formed of ceramic matrix composites. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim
  • Publication number: 20250003589
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustion chamber and a liner that bounds at least a portion of the combustion chamber. The liner includes a first side facing the combustion chamber and a second side facing away from the combustion chamber. The liner is formed of a lay-up of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies that have a first CMC ply on the first side, a second CMC ply on the second side, and intermediate CMC plies between the first and second CMC plies. At least one of the intermediate CMC plies has a pattern of voids that define cooling channels in the combustor panel. The cooling channels are bound on lateral channel sides by the at least one of the intermediate CMC plies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace
  • Publication number: 20240401485
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil section and a platform that has a non-gaspath side, a flange that extends from the non-gaspath side, and a gaspath side from which the airfoil section extends. The flange is comprised of a sandwich composite that includes first and second ceramic matrix composite (CMC) skins that each have at least one 2-D ceramic fiber ply, and a cellular core disposed between the first and second CMC skins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Raymond Surace, James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos
  • Publication number: 20240401487
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes providing a core blank made of a cellular material, shaping the core blank into a cellular core, forming a fiber preform that has an airfoil section and a platform by laying-up first and second ceramic fiber ply skins on the cellular core such that in the platform the cellular core is sandwiched radially between the first and second ceramic fiber ply skins, the first and second ceramic fiber ply skins each include at least one 2-D ceramic fiber ply, and densifying the fiber preform with a ceramic matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Raymond Surace, James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos
  • Publication number: 20240376017
    Abstract: A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite includes fabricating a space filling insert by assembling the space filling insert from a fibrous ceramic material, placing the space filling insert into a tooling fixture, the tooling fixture having an internal shape complementary to a shape of the insert, and infiltrating the space filling insert with a first ceramic material. The method further includes forming a preform by laying up a plurality of fibrous ceramic plies and inserting the infiltrated space filling insert into a void defined by the plurality of plies. The method further includes infiltrating the preform with a second ceramic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: Christian X. Campbell, Kathryn S. Read, James T. Roach, Robert A. White, III, Daniel Josiah Whitney
  • Publication number: 20240375394
    Abstract: A method of reinforcing a ceramic sandwich structure includes forming a ceramic core, assembling the sandwich structure by disposing the core between and in physical contact with a first panel and a second panel, and weaving a plurality of z-fibers at least partially through a thickness of the sandwich structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Jamshid Kavosi, James T. Roach
  • Patent number: 12084982
    Abstract: A flange stiffener support for a duct in a gas turbine engine includes a circumferential flange segment that has a plurality of flange fastener openings. An axial body segment extends from a radially inner side of the circumferential segment and has at least one body fastener opening. The axial body segment extends at least partially along a circumferential distance of the circumferential flange segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, Thiago B. Vieira, Anthony J. Prainito, James T. Roach
  • Patent number: 12078081
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil wall that circumscribes a main cavity and defines radially inner and outer ends, leading and trailing edges, and pressure and suction sides. The airfoil wall includes a lay-up of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies that span the radially inner and outer ends and have an inner-most CMC ply bounding at least a portion of the main cavity, an exterior skin CMC ply, and intermediate CMC plies between the inner-most CMC ply and the exterior skin CMC ply. At least one of the intermediate CMC plies has cutout voids that define cooling channels in the airfoil wall. The cooling channels are bound on lateral sides by the at least one of the intermediate CMC plies, bound on an inner side by a first adjacent one of the CMC plies, and bound on an outer side by a second, different adjacent one of the CMC plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20240278529
    Abstract: A preform comprising a first sub-laminate comprising a plurality of layers and a second sub-laminate comprising a plurality of layers. The first sub-laminate comprises a first unit cell comprising a first volume fraction of tows, where the first volume fraction of tows comprise first tows having a first tow spacing between successive first tows. The second sub-laminate comprises a second unit cell comprising a second volume fraction of tows, where the second volume fraction of tows comprise second tows having a second tow spacing between successive second tows. The first volume fraction of tows in the first unit cell is equal to the second volume fraction of tows in the second unit cell. The second tow spacing is less than the first tow spacing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Kathryn Sarah Read, Brendan Michael Lenz, James T. Roach, Steven R. Clarke, Aaron Tomich