Patents by Inventor John R. Whurr
John R. Whurr 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).
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Patent number: 11884414Abstract: Engine has core compressor, combustor and turbine, fan located upstream of core and supersonic intake for slowing down incoming air at inlet formed by intake, bypass duct surrounding engine core, fan generates airflow to engine core and bypass airflow through bypass duct. Engine has mixer for exhaust gas flow exiting engine core, bypass airflow exiting bypass duct, thrust nozzle for discharging mixed flows, and controller for thrust produced by engine. To change level of engine thrust between transonic push operation and supersonic cruise operation, controller adjusts one or more components which vary relative areas available for hot exhaust gas flow and cold bypass airflow at mixer while holding fan inlet non-dimensional mass flow w ?{square root over (?)} T/P substantially constant, where w is mass flow of incoming air at fan inlet, T is stagnation temperature of incoming air at fan inlet and P is stagnation pressure of incoming air at fan inlet.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2019Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Robert J Corin, John R Whurr
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Publication number: 20220099028Abstract: A complex cycle gas turbine engine (103) for an aircraft with hydrogen fuel supply. The gas turbine engine comprises, in fluid flow series, a core gas turbine (105) and a recuperator (701) for heating hydrogen fuel prior to combustion by turbine exhaust products.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Chloe J PALMER, John R WHURR
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Patent number: 11053886Abstract: A turbofan engine having: an engine core having a centre axis and including in flow series a compressor, a combustor and a turbine; and a bypass duct surrounding the engine core, the bypass duct has a bypass duct exit area at its downstream end. The engine further includes an exhaust nozzle assembly including: coaxially arranged inner mixer and outer exhaust nozzles, the exhaust nozzle being axially downstream of said mixer nozzle; a core flow duct defined by the mixer nozzle, the core flow duct having a core exit area; and an exhaust duct defined at least in part by the exhaust nozzle downstream of the mixer nozzle, the exhaust duct having an exhaust throat area.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2019Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: John R Whurr, Conor Hickey
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Patent number: 11008976Abstract: A turbofan engine has: an engine core producing a core exhaust flow; an upstream fan; a bypass duct carrying a bypass air flow produced by the fan; an exhaust assembly. The turbofan engine afterburner system has: a core plug; second core flow duct, and entrance(s) from the first core flow duct for diversion into the second of a portion of the core exhaust flow, and exit for re-joining the diverted portion of the core exhaust flow to the undiverted portion of the core exhaust flow; door(s) open during normal operation of the engine but closable, during a reheat operation, to block the entrances to the second core flow duct; and fuel injector(s) and igniter(s) operable, during the reheat operation, to inject and ignite fuel within the second core flow duct, providing a reheat flow into the core exhaust flow from the exit of the second core flow duct.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: John R Whurr, Peter K Beardsley, Philip A Curnock, Faidon Mitzalis
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Publication number: 20200116359Abstract: A turbofan engine has: an engine core producing a core exhaust flow; an upstream fan; a bypass duct carrying a bypass air flow produced by the fan; an exhaust assembly. The turbofan engine afterburner system has: a core plug; second core flow duct, and entrance(s) from the first core flow duct for diversion into the second of a portion of the core exhaust flow, and exit for re-joining the diverted portion of the core exhaust flow to the undiverted portion of the core exhaust flow; door(s) open during normal operation of the engine but closable, during a reheat operation, to block the entrances to the second core flow duct; and fuel injector(s) and igniter(s) operable, during the reheat operation, to inject and ignite fuel within the second core flow duct, providing a reheat flow into the core exhaust flow from the exit of the second core flow duct.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2019Publication date: April 16, 2020Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventors: John R. WHURR, Peter K. BEARDSLEY, Philip A. CURNOCK, Faidon MITZALIS
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Publication number: 20200025108Abstract: A turbofan engine having: an engine core having a centre axis and including in flow series a compressor, a combustor and a turbine; and a bypass duct surrounding the engine core, the bypass duct has a bypass duct exit area at its downstream end. The engine further includes an exhaust nozzle assembly including: coaxially arranged inner mixer and outer exhaust nozzles, the exhaust nozzle being axially downstream of said mixer nozzle; a core flow duct defined by the mixer nozzle, the core flow duct having a core exit area; and an exhaust duct defined at least in part by the exhaust nozzle downstream of the mixer nozzle, the exhaust duct having an exhaust throat area.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: John R WHURR, Conor HICKEY
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Publication number: 20200023986Abstract: Engine has core compressor, combustor and turbine, fan located upstream of core and supersonic intake for slowing down incoming air at inlet formed by intake, bypass duct surrounding engine core, fan generates airflow to engine core and bypass airflow through bypass duct. Engine has mixer for exhaust gas flow exiting engine core, bypass airflow exiting bypass duct, thrust nozzle for discharging mixed flows, and controller for thrust produced by engine. To change level of engine thrust between transonic push operation and supersonic cruise operation, controller adjusts one or more components which vary relative areas available for hot exhaust gas flow and cold bypass airflow at mixer while holding fan inlet non-dimensional mass flow w ?{square root over (?)} T/P substantially constant, where w is mass flow of incoming air at fan inlet, T is stagnation temperature of incoming air at fan inlet and P is stagnation pressure of incoming air at fan inlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Robert J. CORIN, John R. WHURR
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Patent number: 8453458Abstract: Variation in the available mixing plane areas in an exhaust arrangement of a gas turbine engine enables alteration and configuration for better thermal cycle performance of that engine. A shaped centre fairing is associated with an exit nozzle and a bypass duct such that channels between the fairing, nozzle exit and duct can be adjusted to change the available areas. Such variation is achieved by relative axial displacement, typically of the exit nozzle using an appropriate mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2007Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventors: John R Whurr, Richard G Stretton, David M Beaven, Nicholas Howarth
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Publication number: 20090158704Abstract: Variation in the available mixing plane areas in an exhaust arrangement of a gas turbine engine enables alteration and configuration for better thermal cycle performance of that engine. A shaped centre fairing is associated with an exit nozzle and a bypass duct such that channels between the fairing, nozzle exit and duct can be adjusted to change the available areas. Such variation is achieved by relative axial displacement, typically of the exit nozzle using an appropriate mechanism.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLCInventors: John R. Whurr, Richard G. Stretton, David M. Beaven, Nicholas Howarth
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Patent number: 7178338Abstract: An exhaust nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine, the assembly comprises a main axis, an inner nozzle, an outer nozzle, a translatable centre-body and an actuator for translating the centre-body between a forward position and a rearward position. The centre-body is disposed radially inwardly of the inner nozzle thereby partly defining an inner duct for a core engine gas flow, an outer duct for a bypass gas flow is defined by the inner nozzle and the outer nozzle. The outer nozzle extends downstream of the inner nozzle and with the centre-body defines a final mixing duct having a final exhaust exit area. When the centre-body is in the forward position the final exhaust exit area is at a maximum area, and when the centre-body is in a rearward position the final exhaust exit area is at a minimum area.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2005Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: Rolls-Royce plcInventor: John R. Whurr
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Publication number: 20040006969Abstract: An exhaust nozzle assembly (18) for a gas turbine engine (10), the assembly (18) comprises a main axis (20), an inner nozzle (19), an outer nozzle (17), a translatable centre-body (44) and a means for translating the centre-body (49) between a forward position and a rearward position. The centre-body (44) is disposed radially inwardly of the inner nozzle (19) thereby partly defining an inner duct (35) for a core engine gas flow (28), an outer duct (17) for a bypass gas flow (30) is defined by the inner nozzle (19) and the outer nozzle (17). The outer nozzle (17) extends downstream of the inner nozzle (19) and with the centre-body (44) defines a final mixing duct (36) having a final exhaust exit area (38). When the centre-body (44) is in the forward position the final exhaust exit area (38) is at a maximum area, and when the centre-body (44) is in a rearward position the final exhaust exit area (38) is at a minimum area.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2003Publication date: January 15, 2004Inventor: John R. Whurr