Patents by Inventor Lance P. Bell

Lance P. Bell 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: 6073436
    Abstract: A gas turbine fuel injector has a fuel mixing barrel, including an air swirler incorporating a fuel flow outlet, suspended in the combustor air stream by a cantilevered injector body. The cantilevered body is mounted in the combustor wall and includes a fuel flow control valve in a valve chamber located in a part of the body in a relatively cool air surrounding the combustor. The fuel outlet is located towards the downstream end of the swirler barrel. A purge passage is provided from a location towards the upstream end of the barrel extending into the outlet side of the valve chamber. When fuel flow is shut-off a pressure differential between the upstream and downstream ends of the swirler barrel causes an air flow up the purge passage into the valve chamber and down the main fuel passage to purge residual fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Lance P. Bell, Kevin M. Munro
  • Patent number: 5799491
    Abstract: A plurality of heat resistant tiles are provided which combine to form an internal liner around the walls of an annular combustor. In a first embodiment a plurality of tiles are arranged in an overlapping relationship to form a fully annular shield around an upstream bulkhead wall. In a second embodiment a plurality of tiles are arranged row by row in an overlapping relationship to form a protective shield around the combustors radially spaced sidewalls. In both embodiments the tiles are attached to the combustor in such a manner that at least one edge of the tiles is clamped against the combustor by an overlapping portion of a neighboring tile. The underside of the tile is exposed to a high pressure flow of cooling air which issues as a film over the exposed surface of the tile. The underside of each tile is sealed by virtue of the clamping effect holding the overlapping edges of adjacent tiles in sealing engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Lance P. Bell, Neil Gater, Anthony Pidcock, Desmond Close, Simon Cross