Patents by Inventor Russell Kim

Russell Kim 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: 12385402
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section that are formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies, skin fiber plies, platform fiber plies, and a cooling passage that extends through selected ones of the plies to provide a cooling circuit through the airfoil section and into the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Wilkins, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20250146421
    Abstract: A combined gas turbine engine vane and blade outer air seal assembly includes a vane having an airfoil extending from the leading edge to a trailing edge, and has an outer platform. The outer platform has a cooling channel that extends into the airfoil to receive cooling air. The outer platform extends to an integral blade outer air seal to be positioned radially outwardly of a turbine blade in a gas turbine engine. At least a portion of the vane and the blade outer air seal are formed of ceramic matrix composite materials. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2023
    Publication date: May 8, 2025
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim
  • Patent number: 12292193
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustion chamber and a liner that bounds at least a portion of the combustion chamber. The liner includes a first side facing the combustion chamber and a second side facing away from the combustion chamber. The liner is formed of a lay-up of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies that have a first CMC ply on the first side, a second CMC ply on the second side, and intermediate CMC plies between the first and second CMC plies. At least one of the intermediate CMC plies has a pattern of voids that define cooling channels in the combustor panel. The cooling channels are bound on lateral channel sides by the at least one of the intermediate CMC plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace
  • Publication number: 20250137377
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section that are formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies, skin fiber plies, platform fiber plies, and a cooling passage that extends through selected ones of the plies to provide a cooling circuit through the airfoil section and into the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Peter Wilkins, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim, James T. Roach
  • Publication number: 20250137375
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a platform and an airfoil section. The airfoil section and the platform are formed of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) having fiber plies and a ceramic matrix, the fiber plies include first and second groups of core fiber plies that respectively define first and second radial tubes that circumscribe first and second internal cavities in the airfoil section. Skin fiber plies define an exterior of the airfoil section, wrap around the first and second groups of core fiber plies, and flare outwardly through a fillet into the platform. Platform fiber plies extend in the platform adjacent the skin fiber plies. There is at least one closed-circuit cooling passage defined in the fiber plies. The cooling passage initiates from the first internal cavity, extends within the platform, and ends at the second internal cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Jonas BANHOS, Peter WILKINS, James T. ROACH, Russell KIM, Raymond SURACE
  • Publication number: 20250116197
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil section that defines a trailing edge region that includes a trailing edge. The airfoil section is formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes core fiber plies and skin fiber plies. The core fiber plies define a radial tube that has a radiused end in the trailing edge region. The skin fiber plies wrap around the core fiber plies and a filler element in the trailing edge region is aft of the internal cavity and is sandwiched between the skin fiber plies on the pressure side and the skin fiber plies on the suction side. There is at least one cooling passage that includes a first, inlet orifice section that opens to the internal cavity at a location forward of the radiused end and that extends through the core fiber plies, and a second, outlet orifice section that extends through the trailing edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace
  • Publication number: 20250116193
    Abstract: A CMC airfoil includes core fiber plies that define a radial tube that circumscribes an internal cavity, and skin fiber plies that define an exterior of the airfoil section. There is a filler element in the trailing edge region aft of the internal cavity and sandwiched between the skin fiber plies on the pressure side and the skin fiber plies on the suction side. At least one cooling passage includes at least one inlet orifice section that opens to the internal cavity and extends through the core fiber plies, a radially-elongated multi-dimensional plenum connected with the at least one inlet orifice section, a plurality of outlet orifice sections extending through the trailing edge, and a plurality of intermediate passage sections bound by at least one of the skin plies and the filler element and connecting the radially-elongated multi-dimensional plenum with the plurality of outlet orifice sections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Inventors: James T. ROACH, Jonas BANHOS, Russell KIM, Raymond SURACE
  • Patent number: 12196095
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes an airfoil body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and having a suction wall and a pressure wall. An outer surface of the airfoil body is formed by an outer coat defining around the pressure and suction sides, a leading edge and a trailing edge. An internal cross-rib is formed within a cavity in the airfoil body. The internal cross-rib extends to be secured to the outer coat adjacent the leading edge and the trailing edge, and extending across the internal cavity to form a junction such that the cross-rib is x-shaped. The outer coat and the cross-rib are formed of ceramic matrix composites. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim
  • Publication number: 20250003589
    Abstract: A combustor includes a combustion chamber and a liner that bounds at least a portion of the combustion chamber. The liner includes a first side facing the combustion chamber and a second side facing away from the combustion chamber. The liner is formed of a lay-up of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies that have a first CMC ply on the first side, a second CMC ply on the second side, and intermediate CMC plies between the first and second CMC plies. At least one of the intermediate CMC plies has a pattern of voids that define cooling channels in the combustor panel. The cooling channels are bound on lateral channel sides by the at least one of the intermediate CMC plies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace
  • Publication number: 20240401485
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil section and a platform that has a non-gaspath side, a flange that extends from the non-gaspath side, and a gaspath side from which the airfoil section extends. The flange is comprised of a sandwich composite that includes first and second ceramic matrix composite (CMC) skins that each have at least one 2-D ceramic fiber ply, and a cellular core disposed between the first and second CMC skins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Raymond Surace, James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos
  • Publication number: 20240401487
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes providing a core blank made of a cellular material, shaping the core blank into a cellular core, forming a fiber preform that has an airfoil section and a platform by laying-up first and second ceramic fiber ply skins on the cellular core such that in the platform the cellular core is sandwiched radially between the first and second ceramic fiber ply skins, the first and second ceramic fiber ply skins each include at least one 2-D ceramic fiber ply, and densifying the fiber preform with a ceramic matrix.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Raymond Surace, James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos
  • Publication number: 20240375394
    Abstract: A method of reinforcing a ceramic sandwich structure includes forming a ceramic core, assembling the sandwich structure by disposing the core between and in physical contact with a first panel and a second panel, and weaving a plurality of z-fibers at least partially through a thickness of the sandwich structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Jamshid Kavosi, James T. Roach
  • Patent number: 12104496
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes a component wall that has an exterior core gaspath side and an opposed interior side. The component wall is formed of a ceramic matrix composite that includes a plurality of fiber plies disposed in a ceramic matrix. The component wall includes a corner that connects first and second wall sections. The fiber plies extend continuously through the first wall section, the corner, and the second wall section. The fiber plies are in a stacked contiguous arrangement in the first and second wall sections and at least some of the fiber plies separate from one another in the corner to define one or more void pockets there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Russell Kim
  • Patent number: 12078081
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil wall that circumscribes a main cavity and defines radially inner and outer ends, leading and trailing edges, and pressure and suction sides. The airfoil wall includes a lay-up of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies that span the radially inner and outer ends and have an inner-most CMC ply bounding at least a portion of the main cavity, an exterior skin CMC ply, and intermediate CMC plies between the inner-most CMC ply and the exterior skin CMC ply. At least one of the intermediate CMC plies has cutout voids that define cooling channels in the airfoil wall. The cooling channels are bound on lateral sides by the at least one of the intermediate CMC plies, bound on an inner side by a first adjacent one of the CMC plies, and bound on an outer side by a second, different adjacent one of the CMC plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim, James T. Roach
  • Patent number: 12055071
    Abstract: A vane arc segment includes a ceramic matrix composite fairing that has first and second platforms and an airfoil section that extends in a radial direction there between. Each of the first and second platforms includes axially-facing leading and trailing sides, a core gaspath side, and a non-core gaspath side. The non-core gaspath side of the first platform has a flange that projects radially there from and extends adjacent the trailing side. The flange has a radial face that is sloped with respect to the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Howard J. Liles
  • Patent number: 12055068
    Abstract: A ceramic matrix composite airfoil includes a high-pressure surface and a low-pressure surface connected at a leading edge and a trailing edge. The high-pressure surface and the low-pressure surface extend from a first end to a second end. A leading edge cooling passage includes an inlet portion, a midspan portion and an outlet portion. A cross-sectional flow area of the midspan portion is less than a cross-sectional flow area of either the inlet portion or the outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, Ravon Venters, Russell Kim, Raymond Surace, James T. Roach
  • Patent number: 12044132
    Abstract: A seal arc segment includes a wall that defines radially inner and outer sides, forward and aft ends, and first and second circumferential sides. The wall includes a CMC ply lay-up of a radially inner-most CMC ply on the inner side, a radially outer-most CMC ply on the radially outer side, and radially intermediate CMC plies therebetween. At least one of the radially intermediate CMC plies has cutout voids that define cooling channels in the wall. The cooling channels are bound on lateral channel sides by the at least one of the radially intermediate CMC plies, bound on a radially inner channel side by a first adjacent one of the CMC plies, and bound on a radially outer channel side by a second, different adjacent one of the CMC plies. The radially outer-most CMC ply includes at least one inlet hole connected to the cooling channels for providing cooling air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Banhos, James T. Roach, Russell Kim
  • Patent number: 12044145
    Abstract: An airfoil includes an airfoil section that has an airfoil wall that circumscribes an internal airfoil cavity and defines leading and trailing ends and pressure and suction sides. The airfoil wall is formed of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) laminate comprised of fiber plies disposed in a ceramic matrix. The fiber plies include a skin fiber ply that defines an exterior of the airfoil section and at least one inner fiber ply that lines the skin fiber ply. At least one inner fiber ply locally terminates at one of the leading end or the trailing end such that the airfoil wall has fewer of the fiber plies in the leading end or the trailing end than in each of the pressure side and the suction side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Howard J. Liles, Kathryn S. Read
  • Patent number: 12006842
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes an airfoil section and a platform that has a non-gaspath side and a gaspath side from which the airfoil section extends. The platform is comprised of a sandwich composite that has first and second ceramic matrix composite (CMC) skins that each include at least one 2-D ceramic fiber ply. The first and second CMC skins are disposed, respectively, on the gaspath side and the non-gaspath side, and there is a cellular core disposed radially between the first and second CMC skins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Russell Kim, Raymond Surace, James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos
  • Publication number: 20240175373
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes an airfoil body extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and having a suction wall and a pressure wall. An outer surface of the airfoil body is formed by an outer coat defining around the pressure and suction sides, a leading edge and a trailing edge. An internal cross-rib is formed within a cavity in the airfoil body. The internal cross-rib extends to be secured to the outer coat adjacent the leading edge and the trailing edge, and extending across the internal cavity to form a junction such that the cross-rib is x-shaped. The outer coat and the cross-rib are formed of ceramic matrix composites. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James T. Roach, Jonas Banhos, Russell Kim