Patents by Inventor Lance L. Smith

Lance L. Smith 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).

  • Publication number: 20240093643
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This assembly includes a fuel source and an engine component. The engine component forms a peripheral boundary of the flowpath. The engine component includes a component internal passage. The engine component is configured to receive fuel from the fuel source. The engine component is configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the component internal passage thereby cooling the engine component and providing at least partially cracked fuel. The assembly is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Dustin W. Davis, Lance L. Smith, Won-Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 11920524
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This turbine engine assembly includes a fuel injection system. The fuel injection system includes a first fuel injector and a second fuel injector. The fuel injection system is configured to provide the first fuel injector with first fuel and provide the second fuel injector with second fuel. The first fuel may be or include ammonia. The second fuel is different than the first fuel. The second fuel may be or include hydrogen gas. The first fuel injector is configured to direct the first fuel into the flowpath for combustion. The second fuel injector is configured to direct the second fuel into the flowpath for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Timothy S. Snyder, Jeffrey M. Cohen, Peter Cocks, Sean C. Emerson
  • Publication number: 20240068665
    Abstract: A main mixer including a swirler along an axis, the swirler including an outer swirler with a multiple of outer vanes, and a center swirler with a multiple of center vanes and a swirler hub along the axis, the swirler hub including a fuel manifold and an inner swirler with a multiple of inner vanes that support a centerbody, the multiple of inner vanes interconnect the fuel manifold and the centerbody.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 11859535
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This assembly includes a fuel source and an engine component. The engine component forms a peripheral boundary of the flowpath. The engine component includes a component internal passage. The engine component is configured to receive fuel from the fuel source. The engine component is configured to crack at least some of the fuel within the component internal passage thereby cooling the engine component and providing at least partially cracked fuel. The assembly is configured to direct the at least partially cracked fuel into the flowpath for combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin W. Davis, Lance L. Smith, Won-Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 11815268
    Abstract: A main mixer including a swirler along an axis, the swirler including an outer swirler with a multiple of outer vanes, and a center swirler with a multiple of center vanes and a swirler hub along the axis, the swirler hub including a fuel manifold and an inner swirler with a multiple of inner vanes that support a centerbody, the multiple of inner vanes interconnect the fuel manifold and the centerbody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 11802508
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine that includes a core flow path where air is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with an ammonia based fuel and ignited to generate a high energy combusted gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section. The turbine section is mechanically coupled to drive the compressor section. An ammonia flow path communicates an ammonia flow to the combustor section. A cracking device is disposed in the ammonia flow path. The cracking device is configured to decompose the ammonia flow into a fuel flow containing hydrogen (H2). At least one heat exchanger is upstream of the cracking device that provides thermal communication between the ammonia flow and a working fluid flow such that the ammonia fluid flow accepts thermal energy from the working fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, David Lei Ma, Joseph B. Staubach, Brian M. Holley, Sean C. Emerson
  • Publication number: 20230313735
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine that includes a core flow path where air is compressed in a compressor section, communicated to a combustor section, mixed with an ammonia based fuel and ignited to generate a high energy combusted gas flow that is expanded through a turbine section. The turbine section is mechanically coupled to drive the compressor section. An ammonia flow path communicates an ammonia flow to the combustor section. A cracking device is disposed in the ammonia flow path. The cracking device is configured to decompose the ammonia flow into a fuel flow containing hydrogen (H2). At least one heat exchanger is upstream of the cracking device that provides thermal communication between the ammonia flow and a working fluid flow such that the ammonia fluid flow accepts thermal energy from the working fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, David Lei Ma, Joseph B. Staubach, Brian M. Holley, Sean C. Emerson
  • Patent number: 11745892
    Abstract: Fuel tank inerting systems for aircraft are provided. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a first reactant from a first reactant source and a second reactant from a second reactant source to generate an inert gas that is supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to at least one of cool and condense an output from the catalytic reactor to separate out the inert gas, and a controller configured to perform a light-off operation of the catalytic reactor by controlling at least one light-off parameter and, after light-off occurs, adjusting the at least one light-off parameter to an operating level, wherein the at least one light-off parameter comprises a temperature of the catalytic reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sean C. Emerson, Peter A T Cocks, Lance L. Smith, Eric Surawski
  • Patent number: 11719158
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a combustion chamber, and a fuel injector assembly in communication with the combustion chamber that has a swirler body situated about a nozzle to define an injector passage that converges to a throat. The throat is defined at a distance from the combustion chamber. The nozzle includes a primary fuel injector and an array of secondary plain jet fuel injectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Publication number: 20230129294
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a cracking device that is configured to decompose a portion of an ammonia flow into a flow of component parts of the ammonia flow, a thermal transfer device that is configured to heat the ammonia flow to a temperature above 500° C. (932° F.), a combustor that is configured to receive and combust the flow of component parts of the ammonia flow to generate a high energy gas flow, a compressor section that is configured to supply compressed air to the combustor, and a turbine section in flow communication with the high energy gas flow produced by the combustor and mechanically coupled to drive the compressor section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Peter Cocks, Lance L. Smith
  • Patent number: 11629858
    Abstract: A turbo-expanding cracking assembly includes a plurality of stages each including a rotating blade coupled to an output shaft and a fixed stator, at least one heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to an ammonia containing fuel flow, and a catalyst that is configured to decompose an ammonia containing fuel flow into a flow containing hydrogen (H2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm MacDonald, Sean C. Emerson, Brian M. Holley, Lance L. Smith, Peter Cocks
  • Patent number: 11608797
    Abstract: A hybrid electric gas turbine engine system includes a first compressor and an auxiliary compressor. The first compressor is configured to output first compressed air. The auxiliary compressor is configured to operate in parallel with the first compressor to output second compressed air. A controller is configured to selectively activate the first compressor or the auxiliary compressor based on an operating condition of the hybrid electric gas turbine engine system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Neil Terwilliger
  • Publication number: 20220412268
    Abstract: A hybrid electric engine of an aircraft includes a compressor, a turbine operably connected to the compressor via a variable gear ratio gearbox and a combustor configured to drive the turbine via a flow of combustion products. An electric motor is operably connected to the variable gear ratio rear box and configured to input rotational energy into the gearbox. The input of rotational energy into the gearbox from the electric motor changes a rotational speed of one of the compressor or the turbine relative to the other of the compressor or the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Michael D. Greenberg, Lance L. Smith, Dennis P. Cronin, Nancy Poisson, Christopher D. Ramsey, Neil Terwilliger
  • Publication number: 20220412290
    Abstract: A hybrid electric gas turbine engine system includes a first compressor and an auxiliary compressor. The first compressor is configured to output first compressed air. The auxiliary compressor is configured to operate in parallel with the first compressor to output second compressed air. A controller is configured to selectively activate the first compressor or the auxiliary compressor based on an operating condition of the hybrid electric gas turbine engine system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Neil Terwilliger
  • Publication number: 20220412263
    Abstract: An energy extraction system according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, among other possible things includes an ammonia fuel storage tank assembly that is configured to store a liquid ammonia fuel, a thermal transfer assembly that is configured to transform the liquid ammonia fuel into a vaporized ammonia based fuel, a turbo-expander that is configured to expand the vaporized ammonia based fuel to extract work, and an energy conversion device that is configured to use the vaporized ammonia based fuel from the turbo-expander to generate a work output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Peter Cocks, Joseph B. Staubach
  • Publication number: 20220397067
    Abstract: Hybrid electric propulsion systems are described. The systems include a gas turbine engine having a low speed spool and a high speed spool. The low speed spool includes a low pressure compressor and a low pressure turbine and the high speed spool includes a high pressure compressor and a high pressure turbine. An electric machine is configured to augment rotational power of at least one of the high speed spool and the low speed spool. A controller is configured to control the electric machine to one of add or subtract rotational energy to or from at least one of the high speed spool and the low speed spool during a transition to or from an idle state of operation of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Michael D. Greenberg, Lance L. Smith, Justin R. Urban
  • Publication number: 20220397062
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbine section located at an engine central longitudinal axis, a combustor configured to drive rotation of the turbine with combustion products, and a compressor section coupled to the turbine section at the engine central longitudinal axis and driven by the turbine section. An auxiliary compressor is located fluidly between the compressor section and the combustor such that an airflow exiting the compressor section is directed toward the auxiliary compressor. The auxiliary compressor is driven independently from the compressor section and is configured to output the airflow toward the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Neil Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith, Neal R. Herring, Christopher J. Hanlon
  • Publication number: 20220396365
    Abstract: Examples described herein provide a computer-implemented method that includes monitoring a hybrid electric turbine engine of an aircraft, the hybrid electric turbine engine including a first electric machine associated with a high speed spool and a second electric machine associated with a low speed spool. The method further includes receiving an indication of a failed electric machine, the failed electric machine being an electric machine on another hybrid electric turbine engine of the aircraft. The method further includes, responsive to detecting the failed electric machine, distributing power from one or more of the first electric machine or the second electric machine to a spool associated with the failed electric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Marc J. Muldoon, Christopher D. Ramsey, Coy Bruce Wood, Lance L. Smith
  • Publication number: 20220333534
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine with a flowpath. This turbine engine assembly includes a fuel injection system. The fuel injection system includes a first fuel injector and a second fuel injector. The fuel injection system is configured to provide the first fuel injector with first fuel and provide the second fuel injector with second fuel. The first fuel may be or include ammonia. The second fuel is different than the first fuel. The second fuel may be or include hydrogen gas. The first fuel injector is configured to direct the first fuel into the flowpath for combustion. The second fuel injector is configured to direct the second fuel into the flowpath for combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Timothy S. Snyder, Jeffrey M. Cohen, Peter Cocks, Sean C. Emerson
  • Publication number: 20220299205
    Abstract: A turbo-expanding cracking assembly includes a plurality of stages each including a rotating blade coupled to an output shaft and a fixed stator, at least one heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to an ammonia containing fuel flow, and a catalyst that is configured to decompose an ammonia containing fuel flow into a flow containing hydrogen (H2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Malcolm MacDonald, Sean C. Emerson, Brian M. Holley, Lance L. Smith, Peter Cocks