Patents by Inventor Stephen CAULFEILD

Stephen CAULFEILD 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: 11466622
    Abstract: An aerospace component, for example, used in a gas turbine engine, includes the following structurally-integrated layers: a metallic layer and a composite layer having reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix material. The aerospace component can also include an insulating layer disposed between the metallic layer and the composite layer where the insulating layer has a thermal conductivity that is lower than a thermal conductivity of the composite layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Kin-Leung Cheung, Bryan William Olver, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Patent number: 11384658
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This turbine engine assembly includes a stationary structure, a rotating structure, a bearing. The rotating structure rotatable about an axis relative to the stationary structure. The bearing supports the rotating structure. The stationary structure includes a flexible bearing support and a crushable bumper. The flexible bearing support supports the bearing. The crushable bumper is arranged radially outward of and axially overlaps the flexible bearing support. The stationary structure is configured such that: the flexible bearing support is disengaged from the crushable bumper during a first mode of operation; and the flexible bearing support contacts the crushable bumper during a second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Stephen Caulfeild
  • Publication number: 20210246807
    Abstract: The fan case can be used around a rotary fan of a turbofan engine, the rotary fan including a plurality of circumferentially interspaced blades protruding radially from a rotor, the fan blade case including a first annular wall providing a radially outward delimitation to a gas path around the blades, the first wall being configured to allow blade penetration therethrough while absorbing at least 30% of the kinetic energy in the event of detachment of one of said blades, and a second annular wall surrounding the first annular wall, the second annular wall configured to cooperate with the first annular wall for containing the detachment of the fan blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventor: Stephen CAULFEILD
  • Patent number: 11002148
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite part of a gas turbine engine. The method includes assembling the composite part of a first composite material and a second composite material. The second composite material defines an outer surface of the composite part, and is selected to be curable at a cure temperature generated by heat from operation of the engine. The first composite material is selected to have an operating temperature limit less than the cure temperature. The method includes placing the composite part within the engine so that, in use, the second composite material is cured by exposure to the heat generated from operation of the engine. The second composite material thermally shields the first composite material from the heat generated from operation of the engine. The method includes operating the engine to cure the second composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bryan W. Olver, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Patent number: 10767690
    Abstract: A bearing housing for connecting a bearing to a supporting structure of a gas turbine engine is discussed. The bearing housing has an inner wall and an outer wall radially spaced apart from the inner wall between which an annular space is defined. A device extends from the inner wall toward the outer wall and includes at least a first and a second member in series between the inner and outer walls, the second member having a radial stiffness greater than a radial stiffness of the first member. The device may operate in multiple operating stages, where in a first stage the first member of the device deforms to absorb at least partially a vibration load over a given range of vibration amplitude when the bearing housing deflects, and where in a subsequent second stage the second member of the device increases a total radial stiffness of the assembly of the bearing housing and device over the bearing housing alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Czeslaw Wojtyczka, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Patent number: 10711625
    Abstract: A gaspath traversing component of a gas turbine engine comprises a wall having an outer edge surface and a thickness relative to the gaspath, the wall having a plurality of layers of composite materials forming the thickness. A wear indication layer is embedded within the plurality of layers of composite material, the wear indication layer being visually contrasting with the composite material. The wear indication layer is positioned interiorly of at least one layer of said plurality of layers of composite material relative to the outer edge surface. A method for attending to a gas traversing component of a gas turbine engine is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Stephen Caulfeild, Kin-Leung Cheung, Mathieu Poulin, Bryan William Olver
  • Publication number: 20200095938
    Abstract: An aerospace component, for example, used in a gas turbine engine, includes the following structurally-integrated layers: a metallic layer and a composite layer having reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix material. The aerospace component can also include an insulating layer disposed between the metallic layer and the composite layer where the insulating layer has a thermal conductivity that is lower than a thermal conductivity of the composite layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Kin-Leung CHEUNG, Bryan William OLVER, Stephen CAULFEILD
  • Publication number: 20200096041
    Abstract: A bearing housing for connecting a bearing to a supporting structure of a gas turbine engine is discussed. The bearing housing has an inner wall and an outer wall radially spaced apart from the inner wall between which an annular space is defined. A device extends from the inner wall toward the outer wall and includes at least a first and a second member in series between the inner and outer walls, the second member having a radial stiffness greater than a radial stiffness of the first member. The device may operate in multiple operating stages, where in a first stage the first member of the device deforms to absorb at least partially a vibration load over a given range of vibration amplitude when the bearing housing deflects, and where in a subsequent second stage the second member of the device increases a total radial stiffness of the assembly of the bearing housing and device over the bearing housing alone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Czeslaw WOJTYCZKA, Stephen CAULFEILD
  • Publication number: 20190292939
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite part of a gas turbine engine. The method includes assembling the composite part of a first composite material and a second composite material. The second composite material defines an outer surface of the composite part, and is selected to be curable at a cure temperature generated by heat from operation of the engine. The first composite material is selected to have an operating temperature limit less than the cure temperature. The method includes placing the composite part within the engine so that, in use, the second composite material is cured by exposure to the heat generated from operation of the engine. The second composite material thermally shields the first composite material from the heat generated from operation of the engine. The method includes operating the engine to cure the second composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Bryan W. OLVER, Stephen CAULFEILD
  • Patent number: 10364700
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite part of a gas turbine engine. The method includes assembling the composite part of a first composite material and a second composite material. The second composite material defines an outer surface of the composite part, and is selected to be curable at a cure temperature generated by heat from operation of the engine. The first composite material is selected to have an operating temperature limit less than the cure temperature. The method includes placing the composite part within the engine so that, in use, the second composite material is cured by exposure to the heat generated from operation of the engine. The second composite material thermally shields the first composite material from the heat generated from operation of the engine. The method includes operating the engine to cure the second composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bryan W. Olver, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Patent number: 9909501
    Abstract: An acoustic structure for a gas turbine engine comprising a noise reduction layer and a fire protector layer connected to the noise reduction layer. The noise reduction includes a perforated inner wall adapted to be in contact with a first fluidic environment, and a noise reduction adjacent to the inner wall. The fire protector layer includes a non-perforated outer wall adapted to be in contact with a second fluidic environment having potentially a fire, a fire protector adjacent to the outer wall, and a pressure resisting wall disposed between the fire protector and the noise reduction. The second fluidic environment is under a pressure lower than a pressure of the first fluidic environment. The inner and outer walls are load-bearing walls of the acoustic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Stephen Caulfeild, Bryan Olver, Kin-Leung Cheung
  • Publication number: 20170370246
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite part of a gas turbine engine. The method includes assembling the composite part of a first composite material and a second composite material. The second composite material defines an outer surface of the composite part, and is selected to be curable at a cure temperature generated by heat from operation of the engine. The first composite material is selected to have an operating temperature limit less than the cure temperature. The method includes placing the composite part within the engine so that, in use, the second composite material is cured by exposure to the heat generated from operation of the engine. The second composite material thermally shields the first composite material from the heat generated from operation of the engine. The method includes operating the engine to cure the second composite material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Bryan W. Olver, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Patent number: 9194296
    Abstract: A bypass duct of a gas turbine engine has an inner bypass duct wall having a front end portion which is rigidly mounted to an engine core case and a rear end portion which is flexibly mounted to the core case. The flexible mounting between the rear portion of the inner bypass duct wall and the core case allows hot engine areas of the core case to thermally grow and contract relative to the inner bypass duct wall without imposing additional loads on the inner bypass duct wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ljubisa Vrljes, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Patent number: 9068476
    Abstract: The link rod can have a core portion supported inside an annular bypass duct with a bypass air passage extending radially therebetween, the link rod comprising a hot end fitting, a cold end, and an elongated and hollow strut body of composite material and having an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape, the strut body being secured to the hot end fitting and extending between the hot end fitting and the cold end, the hot end fitting having a metal body housing a spherical bearing mountable to the core portion, and the cold end housing a spherical bearing mountable to the bypass duct wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Stephen Caulfeild, Bryan Olver
  • Publication number: 20150176425
    Abstract: A gaspath traversing component of a gas turbine engine comprises a wall having an outer edge surface and a thickness relative to the gaspath, the wall having a plurality of layers of composite materials forming the thickness. A wear indication layer is embedded within the plurality of layers of composite material, the wear indication layer being visually contrasting with the composite material. The wear indication layer is positioned interiorly of at least one layer of said plurality of layers of composite material relative to the outer edge surface. A method for attending to a gas traversing component of a gas turbine engine is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Stephen CAULFEILD, Kin-Leung CHEUNG, Mathieu POULIN, Bryan William OLVER
  • Publication number: 20150118023
    Abstract: An acoustic structure for a gas turbine engine comprising an noise reduction layer and a fire protector layer connected to the noise reduction layer. The noise reduction includes a perforated inner wall adapted to be in contact with a first fluidic environment, and an noise reduction adjacent to the inner wall. The fire protector layer includes a non-perforated outer wall adapted to be in contact with a second fluidic environment having potentially a fire, a fire protector adjacent to the outer wall, and a pressure resisting wall disposed between the fire protector and the noise reduction. The second fluidic environment is under a pressure lower than a pressure of the first fluidic environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: STEPHEN CAULFEILD, BRYAN OLVER, KIN-LEUNG CHEUNG
  • Patent number: 8979491
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a rear mounting structure incorporating a mounting apparatus attached to a bypass duct wall with a link device of six rods for transferring core portion related inertia-induced loads, from an inner case of the core portion in a short circuit across an annular bypass air passage to the bypass duct wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bernard Heyerman, Bryan Olver, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Publication number: 20130309070
    Abstract: A bypass duct of a gas turbine engine has an inner bypass duct wall has a front end portion which is rigidly mounted to an engine core case and a rear end portion which is flexibly mounted to the core case. The flexible mounting between the rear portion of the inner bypass duct wall and the core case allows hot engine areas of the core case to thermally grow and contract relative to the inner bypass duct wall without imposing additional loads on the inner bypass duct wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Ljubisa VRLJES, Stephen Caulfeild
  • Publication number: 20130164126
    Abstract: The link rod can have a core portion supported inside an annular bypass duct with a bypass air passage extending radially therebetween, the link rod comprising a hot end fitting, a cold end, and an elongated and hollow strut body of composite material and having an aerodynamic cross-sectional shape, the strut body being secured to the hot end fitting and extending between the hot end fitting and the cold end, the hot end fitting having a metal body housing a spherical bearing mountable to the core portion, and the cold end housing a spherical bearing mountable to the bypass duct wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Stephen Caulfeild, Bryan Olver
  • Publication number: 20120051903
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a rear mounting structure incorporating a mounting apparatus attached to a bypass duct wall with a link device of six rods for transferring core portion related inertia-induced loads, from an inner case of the core portion in a short circuit across an annular bypass air passage to the bypass duct wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bernard HEYERMAN, Bryan OLVER, Stephen CAULFEILD