Patents by Inventor Thomas E. Clark

Thomas E. Clark 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).

  • Publication number: 20260264866
    Abstract: A system includes a nacelle, a gas turbine engine, and an electrical machine. The nacelle includes an upper bifurcation and an engine core compartment. The gas turbine engine includes a low pressure spool and is disposed within the nacelle. The electrical machine is disposed within the upper bifurcation and is configured to transfer mechanical power between the low pressure spool and the electrical machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2026
    Publication date: September 10, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Jeffrey T. Morton
  • Publication number: 20260264869
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes an electric device and a closed loop fluid circuit. The electric device includes a device housing and electrical circuitry housed within an interior of the device housing. The closed loop fluid circuit is configured to cool the electrical circuitry. The closed loop fluid circuit includes a circuit path and a plurality of circuit components. The circuit path extends through the circuit components. Each of the circuit components are at least partially housed within the interior of the device housing. The circuit components may include a heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2025
    Publication date: September 10, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici
  • Publication number: 20260264870
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes a first electric machine, a first controller and an air circuit. The first electric machine is configurable as a first electric motor and/or a first electric generator. The first controller is configured to control operation of the first electric machine. The first controller includes first electrical circuitry. The air circuit extends through the first controller. The air circuit is configured to cool the first electrical circuitry using pressurized air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2025
    Publication date: September 10, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici
  • Publication number: 20260258753
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes a first powerplant component, a second powerplant component, a third powerplant component and a fluid system. The fluid system includes a first fluid circuit, a second fluid circuit, a third fluid circuit and a heat exchanger. The first fluid circuit extends through the heat exchanger and is configured to service the first powerplant component. The second fluid circuit extends through the heat exchanger and is configured to service the second powerplant component. The third fluid circuit extends through the heat exchanger and is configured to service the third powerplant component. The heat exchanger is configured as or otherwise includes a radiator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2025
    Publication date: September 3, 2026
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260258755
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes an engine case, an engine core, an electric machine and a shield. The engine core is housed within the engine case. The engine core includes a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. The electric machine is disposed outboard of and mounted with the engine case. The electric machine includes an electric machine rotor, an electric machine stator and an electric machine case. The electric machine rotor is housed within the electric machine case and is rotatable about an axis. The electric machine stator is housed within the electric machine case and is next to the electric machine rotor. The shield is disposed between the electric machine case and the engine case. The shield extends axially along and partially circumferentially about the electric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2025
    Publication date: September 3, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici, Jung Muk Choe
  • Patent number: 12723544
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft powerplant. This assembly includes a first powerplant component, a second powerplant component, a third powerplant component and a fluid system. The fluid system includes a first fluid circuit, a second fluid circuit, a third fluid circuit and a heat exchanger. The first fluid circuit extends through the heat exchanger and is configured to service the first powerplant component. The second fluid circuit extends through the heat exchanger and is configured to service the second powerplant component. The third fluid circuit extends through the heat exchanger and is configured to service the third powerplant component. The heat exchanger is configured as or otherwise includes a radiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2025
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260251092
    Abstract: An assembly for an aircraft powerplant includes a transmission, a first powerplant component, a second powerplant component, a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit. The first fluid circuit is configured to: cool and/or lubricate the first powerplant component; and provide a first working fluid to the transmission to hydraulically actuate the transmission. The first fluid circuit includes a first circuit reservoir, a first circuit pump and a first circuit path extending through the first circuit reservoir, the first circuit pump and the transmission. The second fluid circuit is configured to: cool and/or lubricate the second powerplant component; and provide a second working fluid to the transmission to hydraulically actuate the transmission. The second fluid circuit includes a second circuit reservoir, a second circuit pump and a second circuit path extending through the second circuit reservoir, the second circuit pump and the transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2025
    Publication date: August 27, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici
  • Patent number: 12715600
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes an engine case, a nacelle wall and an electronic controller. The engine case is configured to house a bladed rotor of a turbine engine. The engine case extends axially along and circumferentially about an axis. The nacelle wall extends axially along and circumferentially about the engine case. The nacelle wall is spaced radially outboard from the engine case by a housing compartment. The housing compartment is formed by and radially between the engine case and the nacelle wall. The electronic controller is disposed in the housing compartment radially next to an inner side of the nacelle wall. A geometry of an outer side of the electronic controller matches a geometry of the inner side of the nacelle wall in a lateral reference plane perpendicular to the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici
  • Patent number: 12716391
    Abstract: An aircraft assembly includes an engine core, a core case, a nacelle structure, a core compartment, a first electric machine and a first driveshaft. The engine core includes a first rotating structure rotatable about a first axis and that includes a first structure rotor. The core case is radially outboard of and houses the engine core. The nacelle structure is radially outboard of and covers the core case. The core compartment is disposed radially between and is formed by the core case and the nacelle structure. The first electric machine is disposed in the core compartment. The first electric machine includes a first machine rotor and a first machine case. The first machine case houses the first machine rotor. The first machine case is connected to and projects out from a section of the core case. The first drivetrain operatively couples the first machine rotor to the first rotating structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici
  • Patent number: 12715594
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes an engine case, a nacelle wall and a power storage integrated with the nacelle wall. The engine case is configured to house at least one bladed rotor of a turbine engine. The engine case extends axially along and circumferentially about an axis. The nacelle wall extends axially along and circumferentially about the engine case. The nacelle wall is spaced radially outboard from the engine case with a housing compartment radially between the engine case and the nacelle wall. The power storage is radially separated from the engine case by the housing compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260233844
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine, an electric machine, and a drive train. The gas turbine engine includes a first spool and a second spool. The electric machine includes a first rotor and a second rotor. The first rotor and the second rotor are concentric about a first axis. The drive train couples the first spool with the first rotor. The drive train is configured to couple the second spool with the second rotor. The drive train includes a tower shaft, a drive shaft, and an angled gear box. The tower shaft is coupled with the first spool. The tower shaft rotatable about a second axis. The drive shaft is operably coupled with the first rotor. The drive shaft is rotatable about a third axis transverse to the second axis. The angled gear box couples the tower shaft with the drive shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2026
    Publication date: August 13, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, John Akin, Jung Muk Choe, Andrew E. Breault
  • Publication number: 20260233843
    Abstract: An aircraft system includes a turbine engine and an air system. The turbine engine includes a flowpath, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. The flowpath extends through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section from an airflow inlet into the flowpath to a combustion products exhaust from the flowpath. The combustor section includes a combustor. The air system includes an air circuit, a first boost compressor, a second boost compressor and a heat exchanger. A circuit inlet into the air circuit is fluidly coupled to the flowpath upstream of the combustor. The air circuit projects out from the circuit inlet and extends through the first boost compressor, the second boost compressor and the heat exchanger. The first boost compressor and the second boost compressor are configurable upstream of the heat exchanger along the air circuit and independently operable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2026
    Publication date: August 13, 2026
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260235076
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, a flowpath, a tail cone structure, an electric machine and an air system. The flowpath includes a flowpath inlet and a flowpath exhaust. The flowpath extends through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section from the flowpath inlet to the flowpath exhaust. The tail cone structure forms an inner peripheral boundary of the flowpath at the flowpath exhaust. The tail cone structure includes an internal volume. The electric machine is disposed within the internal volume. The air system is configured to direct air, bled from the flowpath upstream of the compressor section, into the tail cone structure to cool the electric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2025
    Publication date: August 13, 2026
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260233849
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, a flowpath, a tail cone structure, an electric machine and an electric fan. The flowpath includes a flowpath inlet and a flowpath exhaust. The flowpath extends through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section from the flowpath inlet to the flowpath exhaust. The tail cone structure forms an inner peripheral boundary of the flowpath at the flowpath exhaust. The tail cone structure includes an internal volume and an outlet fluidly coupled with the internal volume. The electric machine is disposed within the internal volume. The electric fan is configured to flow air within the internal volume such that the air cools the electric machine and is exhausted from the tail cone structure through the outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2025
    Publication date: August 13, 2026
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260235075
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system assembly includes a vane structure, a tail cone structure, an electric machine and an air system. The vane structure includes an inner platform, an outer platform and a plurality of vanes. Each of the vanes extends radially across the flowpath from the inner platform to the outer platform. The vanes include a first vane and a second vane. The tail cone structure forms an inner peripheral boundary of the flowpath downstream of the vane structure. The tail cone structure includes an internal volume. The electric machine is disposed within the internal volume. The air system is configured to direct air from an air source radially outboard of the flowpath, radially inward across the flowpath through the first vane and the second vane, into the tail cone structure to cool the electric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2025
    Publication date: August 13, 2026
    Inventors: Murat Yazici, Thomas E. Clark
  • Patent number: 12703499
    Abstract: An aircraft system includes an environmental control system and a propulsion system. The propulsion system includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, a bypass flowpath, an air circuit, a working fluid system and a heat exchanger. The bypass flowpath bypasses the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The air circuit includes a circuit inlet fluidly coupled to the bypass flowpath. The air circuit is configured to direct air received from the bypass flowpath through the circuit inlet to the environmental control system. The working fluid system includes a fluid circuit. The working fluid system is configured to service one or more components of the propulsion system using a liquid working fluid directed through the fluid circuit. The heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat energy between the air in the air circuit and the liquid working fluid in the fluid circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2025
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2026
    Assignee: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici
  • Publication number: 20260226842
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system includes an open propulsor rotor, a turbine engine and an air system. The turbine engine is configured to drive rotation of the open propulsor rotor about an axis. The turbine engine includes an engine rotor and a shroud. The engine rotor includes a plurality of rotor blades arranged circumferentially around the rotor base in an array. The shroud is next to and circumscribes the array of the rotor blades. The air system includes an electric boost compressor, an air circuit and a clearance control device. The air circuit extends longitudinally through the electric boost compressor from an air source to the clearance control device. The clearance control device is configured to control a clearance between the shroud and the rotor blades using air received from the air source through the air circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2025
    Publication date: August 6, 2026
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Morton, Thomas E. Clark
  • Publication number: 20260226839
    Abstract: A component for a gas turbine engine includes a component body formed of ceramic matrix composite lamina and has at least one hook. The at least one hook has an attachment region radially inward of the at least one hook. The attachment region is radially thinner from a hook end of the at least one hook to a remote end, and then becomes radially thicker. A slot is formed through a radial thickness of the at least one hook from the hook end in a remote direction, such that there are two sections of the attachment region. A gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2026
    Publication date: August 6, 2026
    Inventors: Carson A. Roy Thill, Thomas E. Clark, Danielle Mahoney, Andrew D. Keene
  • Patent number: 12698901
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having an axial centerline is provided that includes compressor, combustor, and turbine sections, a tangential on board injector (TOBI) system, and an HPC leakage guide structure. The compressor section has a high pressure compressor (HPC) that includes an HPC aft hub. The TOBI system extends circumferentially around the engine axial centerline, and has a plurality of nozzles and an inner radial flange. The HPC leakage guide structure has forward and aft ends. The forward end is disposed and configured to receive a leakage flow from the HPC and the aft end is engaged with the TOBI inner radial flange. The HPC leakage guide structure and the HPC aft hub define an HPC aft hub cavity. The HPC aft hub cavity extends between the forward and aft ends and has a flow area that is non-decreasing in a direction from the forward end to the aft end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2026
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: William K. Ackermann, Andrew E. Breault, Thomas E. Clark, Daniel B. Kupratis
  • Publication number: 20260218620
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine disposed within a nacelle is provided that includes an open rotor propulsion system, compressor, combustion, and turbine sections, a lubrication system, and a turbine active clearance control system. The turbine active clearance control system includes first and second valves, a heat exchanger, and a nacelle air inlet device. The heat exchanger receives air from the air inlet device, accepts a lubricant flow therethrough, and permits heat transfer between the air flow and the lubricant to produce a conditioned air flow. The first valve receives conditioned air flow from the heat exchanger and may pass the conditioned air flow to the second valve. The second valve receives a second air flow from the air inlet device. The turbine active clearance control system may operate in a heating mode in which conditioned air flow, or a combined air flow is provided to the turbine case clearance control segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2026
    Publication date: July 30, 2026
    Inventors: Thomas E. Clark, Murat Yazici