Patents by Inventor Kian McCaldon

Kian McCaldon 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: 11268447
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base including a securing assembly configured to be matingly connected to a casing of the gas turbine engine, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a combustor liner plug extending circumferentially around the heater rod, the combustor liner plug being sized and configured to extend inside an aperture in a combustor liner of the gas turbine engine when the base is connected to the casing between the heater rod and a periphery of the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard Freer, Kian McCaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
  • Patent number: 11268486
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve having an inner surface spaced from the glow plug heater rod to provide a gap between the inner surface and the glow plug heater rod, the gap extending radially relative to said axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard Freer, Kian Mccaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
  • Patent number: 11255271
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base; a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end; and a structure having open porosity disposed adjacent the glow plug heater rod. A method of operating the igniter and a gas turbine engine having such an igniter are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard Freer, Kian McCaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
  • Publication number: 20210025332
    Abstract: A fuel delivery system for an aircraft engine includes a first fuel manifold operable to deliver fuel to a combustor of the aircraft engine via a first set of fuel nozzles, a second fuel manifold operable to deliver fuel to a combustor of the aircraft engine via a second set of fuel nozzles, and a valve in a fuel nozzle of the second set of fuel nozzles, the valve operable to block fuel flow from the second fuel manifold to the fuel nozzle when the aircraft engine is operated in a standby mode. An aircraft gas turbine engine and a method of operating an aircraft engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Oleg MORENKO, Kian MCCALDON, Jeffrey Richard VERHIEL
  • Patent number: 10865761
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base; a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end; and a fuel receiver adjacent the heater rod, the fuel receiver including a portion located closest to the heater rod, the rod end protruding axially relative to the axis from the fuel receiver portion located closest to the heater rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP
    Inventors: Richard Freer, Kian McCaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
  • Publication number: 20200362764
    Abstract: Methods and systems of operating a gas turbine engine in a low-power condition are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold via a first flow divider valve and supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold via a second flow divider valve. While supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold, the method includes stopping supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold and supplying pressurized gas to the second fuel manifold via the second flow divider valve to flush fuel in the second fuel manifold into the combustor and hinder coking in the second fuel manifold and associated nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Cédric SAINTIGNAN, Joseph Daniel Maxim CIRTWILL, Kian MCCALDON, Marc-André TREMBLAY, David WADDLETON, Ignazio BROCCOLINI, Stephen TARLING
  • Publication number: 20200362763
    Abstract: Methods and systems of operating a gas turbine engine in a low-power condition are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes supplying fuel to a combustor by supplying fuel to a first fuel manifold and a second fuel manifold of the gas turbine engine. The method also includes, while supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold: stopping supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold; and supplying pressurized air to the second fuel manifold to flush fuel in the second fuel manifold into the combustor and hinder coking in the second fuel manifold and associated fuel nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: James Robert JARVO, Cédric SAINTIGNAN, Joseph Daniel Maxim CIRTWILL, Kian MCCALDON, Marc-Andre TREMBLAY, David WADDLETON
  • Publication number: 20200080490
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base including a securing assembly configured to be matingly connected to a casing of the gas turbine engine, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a flow impeding member extending along the axis and having a distal end spaced from the base and extending axially relative to the axis beyond the rod end, the flow impeding member sized and configured such that the distal end extends into a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine upon the base connected to the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080484
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base including a securing assembly configured to be matingly connected to a casing of the gas turbine engine, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a combustor liner plug extending circumferentially around the heater rod, the combustor liner plug being sized and configured to extend inside an aperture in a combustor liner of the gas turbine engine when the base is connected to the casing between the heater rod and a periphery of the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080483
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, and a plurality of fins disposed circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod, the fins extending axially along at least a portion of the glow plug heater rod. A gas turbine engine including such an igniter is further disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080482
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base; a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end; and a structure having open porosity disposed adjacent the glow plug heater rod. A method of operating the igniter and a gas turbine engine having such an igniter are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080492
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the igniter having a ventilation path extending from an inlet to an outlet, the inlet fluidly connectable to a spacing located between a casing and a combustor liner of the gas turbine engine, the outlet extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod and oriented axially relative to the axis, the outlet fluidly connectable to a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine delimited by the combustor liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080530
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base; a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end; and a fuel receiver adjacent the heater rod, the fuel receiver including a portion located closest to the heater rod, the rod end protruding axially relative to the axis from the fuel receiver portion located closest to the heater rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard Freer, Kian McCaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
  • Publication number: 20200080489
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod, the heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a peripheral wall extending circumferentially around the rod end and having a distal end directed away from the base, a gap between the peripheral wall and the heater rod, the rod end being axially retracted relative the distal end of the peripheral wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080491
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method of servicing a gas turbine engine having a spark plug igniter connected to a spark plug igniter socket of the engine, the method including: removing the spark plug from the spark plug igniter socket of the gas turbine engine; inserting a glow plug igniter having a base configured for matingly engaging the spark plug igniter socket; and securing the glow plug igniter to the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080488
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base including a securing assembly configured to be matingly connected to a casing of the gas turbine engine, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis to a rod end distal from the base, the glow plug heater rod sized such that that the rod end is exposed to a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine when the base is connected to the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080529
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base, a glow plug heater rod, the glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, a sleeve extending circumferentially around the glow plug heater rod along at least a portion of a length of the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve having an inner surface spaced from the glow plug heater rod to provide a gap between the inner surface and the glow plug heater rod, the gap extending radially relative to said axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20200080486
    Abstract: There is disclosed an igniter for a gas turbine engine including: a base; a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end; and a sleeve extending at least partially axially along the heater rod, the sleeve having an inner surface facing and spaced apart from the rod, the inner surface defining a pocket adjacent to the heater rod and having a radial depth relative to the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Richard FREER, Kian MCCALDON, Tin-Cheung John HU, Michel BOUSQUET, André FORTIN
  • Publication number: 20190153956
    Abstract: A method of minimizing damage to a tip of an igniter in a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes mounting the igniter to a liner of the combustor downstream of the fuel nozzles using a floating collar, and directing pressurized air from a plenum surrounding the combustor through a plurality of purge openings and into an annular cavity surrounding the tip of the igniter. The purge openings are located in one or both of the igniter and the floating collar, and create cooling purge air jets into the annular cavity. The purge openings are formed within an arc that is disposed upstream of a bisecting plane extending along an igniter axis to a chamber axis of the combustor, such that the igniter axis lies in the bisecting plane. The igniter is free from the purge openings downstream of the bisecting plane relative to the stream of hot gases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Robert SZE, Kian MCCALDON, Honza STASTNY
  • Patent number: 10215419
    Abstract: A floating collar assembly for a gas turbine engine combustor includes a ferrule having a peripheral wall and a recessed surface bounded by the peripheral wall, the recessed surface of the ferrule including a particulate collecting groove adjacent the peripheral wall, and a cap secured to the peripheral wall of the ferrule. The recessed surface of the ferrule, an interior surface of the cap and the peripheral wall of the ferrule define a cavity. A floating collar is disposed within the cavity and includes a peripheral flange inwardly spaced a distance from the peripheral wall of the ferrule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jakub Strzepek, Sri Sreekanth, Kian McCaldon, Honza Stastny, Dan Titirica