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).

  • Patent number: 12644422
    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: March 4, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Timothy S. Snyder, Jeffrey M. Cohen, Peter Cocks, Sean C. Emerson
  • Patent number: 12631139
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a housing, a combustor and a steam injector. The housing includes an air plenum. The combustor is disposed within the air plenum. The combustor includes a combustor wall and a combustion chamber. The combustor wall is disposed between the combustion chamber and the air plenum. The combustor wall includes a quench aperture that extends through the combustor wall from the air plenum to the combustion chamber. The steam injector projects partially into or through the quench aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen K. Kramer, Lance L. Smith, Gregory Boardman, Zhongtao Dai
  • Patent number: 12560122
    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 24, 2025
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin W. Davis, Lance L. Smith, Won-Wook Kim
  • Patent number: 12560326
    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: October 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 12497903
    Abstract: A system includes a substrate and an electrical component mounted to the substrate. The system also includes a structural enclosure positioned around lateral edges of the electrical component and mounted to the substrate. The structural enclosure includes raised walls extending away from the substrate and surrounding the electrical component. The raised walls are configured to block foreign object debris from the electrical component. The system further includes a lid connected to the substrate, where the lid covers the electrical component and the structural enclosure. The system also includes a seal positioned between the structural enclosure and the lid, where the seal is configured to be compressed when the lid is connected to the substrate. In addition, the system includes a thermal interface material positioned between and contacting the electrical component and the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Brian M. Holley, Marc J. Muldoon, Robert H. Dold, Ulf J. Jonsson, Lance L. Smith, Joseph B. Staubach
  • Patent number: 12480450
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael D. Greenberg, Lance L. Smith, Dennis P. Cronin, Nancy Poisson, Christopher D. Ramsey, Neil Terwilliger
  • Patent number: 12473858
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed, a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path, a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output, the exhaust gas flow is split into at least a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, and a condenser where water is extracted from the second exhaust gas flow, and a bottoming cycle where extracted water is transformed into a steam flow and injected into the core flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2025
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith
  • Publication number: 20250327410
    Abstract: A system includes a substrate and an electrical component mounted to the substrate. The system also includes a structural enclosure positioned around lateral edges of the electrical component and mounted to the substrate. The structural enclosure includes raised walls extending away from the substrate and surrounding the electrical component. The raised walls are configured to block foreign object debris from the electrical component. The system further includes a lid connected to the substrate, where the lid covers the electrical component and the structural enclosure. The system also includes a seal positioned between the structural enclosure and the lid, where the seal is configured to be compressed when the lid is connected to the substrate. In addition, the system includes a thermal interface material positioned between and contacting the electrical component and the lid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2024
    Publication date: October 23, 2025
    Inventors: Brian M. Holley, Marc J. Muldoon, Robert H. Dold, Ulf J. Jonsson, Lance L. Smith, Joseph B. Staubach
  • Patent number: 12449126
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a combustor, a fuel injector nozzle and a fuel system. The combustor includes a combustion chamber. The fuel injector nozzle is configured to inject a fuel-steam mixture into the combustion chamber for combustion. The fuel system includes a fuel source, a steam source and a manifold. The manifold is configured to mix fuel received from the fuel source with steam received from the steam source to provide the fuel-steam mixture. The fuel system is configured to deliver the fuel-steam mixture to the fuel injector nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventor: Lance L. Smith
  • Publication number: 20250223930
    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: March 4, 2024
    Publication date: July 10, 2025
    Inventors: Lance L. Smith, Timothy S. Snyder, Jeffrey M. Cohen, Peter Cocks, Sean C. Emerson
  • Publication number: 20250223923
    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: March 24, 2025
    Publication date: July 10, 2025
    Inventors: Dustin W. Davis, Lance L. Smith, Won-Wook Kim
  • Publication number: 20250154900
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed, a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path, a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output, the exhaust gas flow is split into at least a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, and a condenser where water is extracted from the second exhaust gas flow, and a bottoming cycle where extracted water is transformed into a steam flow and injected into the core flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2025
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith
  • Patent number: 12270333
    Abstract: A turbine engine assembly generates an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path. The exhaust gas flow is split into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow. Water is extracted in a condenser from the second exhaust gas flow. The extracted water is transformed into a steam flow in an evaporator system utilizing thermal energy from at least the second exhaust gas flow. An exit flow from the condenser is communicated through an exhaust compressor and compressed to a higher pressure exit flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith
  • Patent number: 12258906
    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: November 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Dustin W. Davis, Lance L. Smith, Won-Wook Kim
  • Publication number: 20250075655
    Abstract: A turbine engine assembly generates an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path. The exhaust gas flow is split into a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow. Water is extracted in a condenser from the second exhaust gas flow. The extracted water is transformed into a steam flow in an evaporator system utilizing thermal energy from at least the second exhaust gas flow. An exit flow from the condenser is communicated through an exhaust compressor and compressed to a higher pressure exit flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith
  • Publication number: 20250043730
    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: October 18, 2024
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Inventors: Neil Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith, Neal R. Herring, Christopher J. Hanlon
  • Patent number: 12215622
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a compressor section where an inlet airflow is compressed, a combustor section where the compressed inlet airflow is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is communicated through a core flow path, a turbine section through which the exhaust gas flow expands to generate a mechanical power output, the exhaust gas flow is split into at least a first exhaust gas flow and a second exhaust gas flow, and a condenser where water is extracted from the second exhaust gas flow, and a first heat exchanger where at least a portion of the extracted water is utilized for cooling a core flow along the core flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil J. Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith
  • Publication number: 20250020078
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a housing, a combustor and a steam injector. The housing includes an air plenum. The combustor is disposed within the air plenum. The combustor includes a combustor wall and a combustion chamber. The combustor wall is disposed between the combustion chamber and the air plenum. The combustor wall includes a quench aperture that extends through the combustor wall from the air plenum to the combustion chamber. The steam injector projects partially into or through the quench aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2024
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: Stephen K. Kramer, Lance L. Smith, Gregory Boardman, Zhongtao Dai
  • Patent number: 12196137
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Neil Terwilliger, Lance L. Smith, Neal R. Herring, Christopher J. Hanlon
  • Publication number: 20240418127
    Abstract: A method of operation is provided during which a fuel-water mixture is directed within a first passage of a fuel injector to a first passage outlet of the fuel injector. The fuel-water mixture includes liquid water and gaseous fuel. The fuel-water mixture is injected into a combustion chamber through the first passage outlet. The combustion chamber is within a combustor of a turbine engine. A fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber is ignited. The fuel-air mixture includes the gaseous fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Tim S. Snyder, Justin M. Locke, Wookyung Kim, Lance L. Smith