Patents by Inventor Nicholas V. Caldwell

Nicholas V. Caldwell 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: 10006833
    Abstract: A method for optimizing size and position parameters of an array of vortex generator blades configured on an offset diffuser in an inlet of an aircraft engine. The method includes providing a computational fluid dynamic analysis of air flowing through the diffuser that identifies a height of a local boundary layer at a plurality of positions across the diffuser substantially parallel to the flow of air and a flow velocity vector at each of the plurality of positions at one half of a height of the local boundary layer. The method also includes determining an angle orientation of the blades using the boundary layer height and the flow vector, determining the length and height of the blades using the boundary layer height, and determining the number and spacing of the blades using the width of the diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Nicholas V. Caldwell, Trajaen J. Troia, Richard Crouse