Patents by Inventor Stuart J. Kirby

Stuart J. Kirby 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: 8590308
    Abstract: Problems can arise with regard to noise created by bleed valve arrangements in gas turbine engines. It is known to utilize pressure differential inducing elements such as pepper pots and perforated surfaces in order to attenuate noise from bleed valves. However, these arrangements tend to have a portion which expands such that the exit aperture into a bypass duct wall can significantly affect mechanical strength and operational performance. By providing internally created pepper pots or other pressure differential inducing elements within a path of an arrangement and a constriction to an exit noise attenuation is still achieved but with less detrimental effect with regard to bypass duct wall strength and aerodynamic losses altering operational performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Patent number: 8516827
    Abstract: A bleed valve bleeds hot gases from a compressor into a bypass duct of a gas turbine engine. The valve comprises a diffuser having opposing walls and a divider located between the walls and which define at least two passages through which a bleed fluid flows and into a fluid flow through the bypass duct. The passages are angled towards each other to force the two gas flows together to form a high aspect ratio plume. This plume has a relatively large surface area that that improves mixing with the bypass flow to cool it and prevented otherwise hot bleed flows from impinging on heat sensitive components adjacent the bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Patent number: 8403637
    Abstract: A thermal control system for a turbine casing (2) mounted radially outwardly of and circumferentially surrounding blade tips of the turbine blades, the system comprising: one or more circumferential chamber walls (6), each disposed around the casing (2), each to form a circumferential flow chamber (7) radially outward of said surface of the turbine casing (2), each to form a circumferential gap (12) between the circumferential chamber wall (6) concerned and said surface of the turbine casing (2), and the one or more circumferential chamber walls (6) define at least one opening (9) on the radially inward side of the chamber (7) adjacent the surface of the turbine casing (2) such that a thermal fluid injected into the flow chamber (7) concerned may leak out through the circumferential gap (12) via the opening (9), and means to induce circumferential flow on the surface of the casing (2) bounded by the circumferential flow chamber (7) comprising one or more ducts (8) radially outwardly connected to the or each c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Patent number: 8336316
    Abstract: A noise reduction device, for example for use in a bleed assembly of a gas turbine engine, comprises partitions having apertures which provide contractions and sudden expansions of flow passing through the device, turbulators being provided between the partitions to break up jets issuing from the Apertures. Breaking up the jets before impact with the partitions enables the partitions to be disposed closer together, so enabling adequate noise reduction to be achieved in a device of relatively small thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Publication number: 20100260598
    Abstract: A thermal control system for a turbine casing (2) mounted radially outwardly of and circumferentially surrounding blade tips of the turbine blades, the system comprising: one or more circumferential chamber walls (6), each disposed around the casing (2), each to form a circumferential flow chamber (7) radially outward of said surface of the turbine casing (2), each to form a circumferential gap (12) between the circumferential chamber wall (6) concerned and said surface of the turbine casing (2), and the one or more circumferential chamber walls (6) define at least one opening (9) on the radially inward side of the chamber (7) adjacent the surface of the turbine casing (2) such that a thermal fluid injected into the flow chamber (7) concerned may leak out through the circumferential gap (12) via the opening (9), and means to induce circumferential flow on the surface of the casing (2) bounded by the circumferential flow chamber (7) comprising one or more ducts (8) radially outwardly connected to the or each c
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. KIRBY
  • Publication number: 20100115964
    Abstract: A noise reduction device 40, for example for use in a bleed assembly 30 of a gas turbine engine, comprises partitions 52, 56, 60 having apertures 64, 66, 68 which provide contractions and sudden expansions of flow passing through the device, turbulators 62 being provided between the partitions 52, 56, 60 to break up jets issuing from the apertures 64, 66, 68. Breaking up the jets before impact with the partitions 52, 56, 60 enables the partitions to be disposed closer together, so enabling adequate noise reduction to be achieved in a device of relatively small thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Publication number: 20100115963
    Abstract: A noise reduction device 40, for example for use in a bleed assembly 30 of a gas turbine engine, comprises partitions 50, 52 forming cells 54 having apertures 56, 58, 60 which provide contractions and sudden expansions of flow passing through the device. The apertures 56, 58, 60 are disposed relative to each other so as to force the flow to change direction within the cells 54 to break up jets of gas issuing from the apertures 56, 58, 60. Webs 62, 64, 66 may be provided adjacent the apertures 56, 58, 60 to direct flow and to assist in generating turbulence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Publication number: 20100043447
    Abstract: Problems can arise with regard to noise created by bleed valve arrangements (5, 25, 50, 70) in gas turbine engines (10). It is known to utilise pressure differential inducing elements (29, 59, 55) such as pepper pots and perforated surfaces in order to attenuate noise from bleed valves. However, these arrangements tend to have a portion which expands such that the exit aperture (27, 54) into a bypass duct wall (53) can significantly affect mechanical strength and operational performance. By providing internally created pepper pots (29, 59) or other pressure differential inducing elements within a path of an arrangement (25, 50, 70) and a constriction to an exit (27, 54) noise attenuation is still achieved but with less detrimental effect with regard to bypass duct wall strength and aerodynamic losses altering operational performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Publication number: 20090188257
    Abstract: A bleed valve bleeds hot gases from a compressor into a bypass duct of a gas turbine engine. The valve comprises a diffuser having opposing walls and a divider located between the walls and which define at least two passages through which a bleed fluid flows and into a fluid flow through the bypass duct. The passages are angled towards each other to force the two gas flows together to form a high aspect ratio plume. This plume has a relatively large surface area that that improves mixing with the bypass flow to cool it and prevented otherwise hot bleed flows from impinging on heat sensitive components adjacent the bypass duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby
  • Publication number: 20080016878
    Abstract: A bleed valve (30) for a gas turbine engine (10) comprises a diffuser (50), through which heated compressor bleed air flows (54) into a bypass duct (22) air stream (B), has a plurality of small holes (40). The plurality of holes (40) is divided into two or more arrays of holes (52p,q,r), each array of holes (52p,q,r) is angled (?) away from one another so that their respective bleed flows (54p,q,r) do not coalesce. This separation improves mixing with the air stream (B) and helps prevent hot bleed air damaging nacelle and other engine components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Stuart J. Kirby