Patents by Inventor Kent E. DONALDSON

Kent E. DONALDSON 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).

  • OPTIMIZING USAGE OF SUPPLEMENTAL ENGINE POWER
    Publication number: 20240017823
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an aircraft includes a drive system, a main engine coupled to the drive system to provide first power, and a supplemental engine coupled to the drive system to provide second power additive to the first power. The aircraft also includes a control system to control the main engine and the supplemental engine to optimize usage of the supplemental engine. The control system is operable to maintain the supplemental engine in a reduced power state at least until a determination is made that supplemental power is needed to satisfy a total power demand of the drive system. The control system is also operable to determine that supplemental power is needed to satisfy the total power demand of the drive system. The control system is further operable to increase a power level of the supplemental engine in response to the determination that supplemental power is needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: Textron Innovations Inc., Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Dewey PARSONS, Charles Eric COVINGTON, Kent E. DONALDSON, Andrew Thomas CARTER
  • DOWNLOAD REDUCING WINGLETS FOR AIRCRAFT HAVING A ROTOR PRODUCING DOWNWASH AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20220380025
    Abstract: An exemplary aircraft includes a wing positioned below a vertical rotor, the wing extending to an outboard end, and an anhedral winglet extending from the outboard end through an angular transition to a tip, the anhedral winglet having an external surface exposed to the rotor downwash and the external surface is contoured to generate local wing lift in response to the rotor downwash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kent E. DONALDSON, Kyle SMOLAREK, Lynn Francis ESCHETE
  • Download reducing winglets for aircraft having a rotor producing downwash and method of operating the same
    Patent number: 11440644
    Abstract: An exemplary aircraft includes a wing positioned below a vertical rotor, the wing extending to an outboard end, and an anhedral winglet extending from the outboard end through an angular transition to a tip, the anhedral winglet having an external surface exposed to the rotor downwash and the external surface is contoured to generate local wing lift in response to the rotor downwash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kent E. Donaldson, Kyle Smolarek, Lynn Francis Eschete
  • DOWNLOAD REDUCING WINGTIPS
    Publication number: 20210284328
    Abstract: An aircraft includes a wing positioned below a vertical rotor, the wing extending in a transverse direction to a wingtip having an outboard face, and a turbulence feature located on the wingtip and oriented to induce turbulence in the rotor downwash flowing across the outboard face in a direction from a top surface of the wing to a bottom surface of the wing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Applicants: Bell Textron Inc., Textron Aviation Inc.
    Inventors: Kent E. DONALDSON, Phillip A. KENDRICK, Kyle SMOLAREK
  • DOWNLOAD REDUCING WINGLETS
    Publication number: 20210261240
    Abstract: An exemplary aircraft includes a wing positioned below a vertical rotor, the wing extending to an outboard end, and an anhedral winglet extending from the outboard end through an angular transition to a tip, the anhedral winglet having an external surface exposed to the rotor downwash and the external surface is contoured to generate local wing lift in response to the rotor downwash.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Kent E. DONALDSON, Kyle SMOLAREK, Lynn Francis ESCHETE