Patents by Inventor Thomas Klonowski

Thomas Klonowski 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: 20210246827
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft propulsion system, comprising a main transmission unit (12) and at least two turbojet engines connected to the main transmission unit (12), respectively a first turbojet engine (14a) and a second turbojet engine (14b), each turbojet engine comprising a free turbine (24a, 24b), characterized in that the first turbojet engine (14a) comprises a heat exchanger (30) configured to recover some of the thermal energy from the exhaust gas at the outlet of the free turbine, and in that the propulsion system comprises at least one computer (28a, 28b) configured to control the two turbojet engines and to limit the acceleration and the deceleration of the first turbojet engine (14a) when neither of the turbojet engines is broken down, in order to limit the reactor power transients at the heat exchanger (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventors: Olivier Audrey David LAFARQUE, Thomas KLONOWSKI, Antoine Pascal MOUTAUX
  • Patent number: 11085376
    Abstract: The invention concerns an assembly comprising: a fuel supply circuit (15, 15a, 15b) configured to supply fuel to a turbine heat engine, an electronic module (14, 14a, 14b), a power source (13, 13a, 13b) for supplying power to the electronic module (14, 14a, 14b), and a heat exchanger (16, 16a, 16b) positioned to allow a flow of heat from the electronic module (14, 14a, 14b) to the fuel supply circuit (15, 15a, 15b), the assembly being characterised in that the electronic module (14, 14a, 14b) comprises a phase-change material (PCM), configured to change state when the temperature of same reaches a predetermined phase-change temperature (Tf).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas Klonowski, Camel Serghine
  • Patent number: 11047312
    Abstract: An electrical generator is housed in an annular cavity between the casing and the propeller shaft of a turboprop, while imposing little or no additional space requirement and with lightweight ancillary equipment. The rotor of the generator is mounted on an autonomous shaft end. A flange of the outer casing is removable in order to access the generator and to enable its easy removal and remounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas Klonowski, David Cazaux, Olivier Lafargue
  • Publication number: 20210139154
    Abstract: In the field of multi-rotor rotary-wing aircraft a propulsion system for such an aircraft includes a reconfigurable electric network for supplying the electric motors driving the rotors. The system includes: a supply source, a supply bus connected to the supply source, at least four drive units each including an electric motor and its control circuit, and an electrical ring network including: an electrical line which is interrupted at each drive unit and whose ends are connected to the supply bus, and, for each drive unit, a first switch and a second switch that are connected between the control circuit and the electrical line, on either side of the interruption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, Thomas BARRACO, Camel SERGHINE
  • Publication number: 20210003079
    Abstract: An electrical generator is housed in an annular cavity between the casing and the propeller shaft of a turboprop, while imposing little or no additional space requirement and with lightweight ancillary equipment. The rotor of the generator is mounted on an autonomous shaft end. A flange of the outer casing is removable in order to access the generator and to enable its easy removal and remounting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, David CAZAUX, Olivier LAFARGUE
  • Patent number: 10807724
    Abstract: The electrical machine according to the invention is a dual machine, and comprises a first machine which can be reversed and a second machine functioning through induction between two windings. The second machine can be used for de-icing a propeller, the induction-receiving winding being mounted on the propeller shaft. The first electrical machine can function as an electrical engine to ‘taxi’ the aircraft. In certain embodiments, the winding mounted on the stator is common to the two machines and different magnetic flows are utilised to control them. A separate functioning of the two machines and a very good integration into the aircraft engine, with space-saving and low mass, are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas Klonowski, Olivier Lafargue, Antoine Moutaux, Jean-Julien Camille Vonfelt, Bertrand Nogarede
  • Patent number: 10731504
    Abstract: An electric actuator for inlet guide vanes of a gas turbine engine, the electric actuator including a fixed portion secured to a stationary portion of the engine and a movable portion that is mechanically connected to the inlet guide vanes, stationary electromagnets distributed at regular intervals around the periphery of the movable portion and fastened to the fixed portion, and movable electromagnets arranged between the stationary electromagnets, each movable electromagnet being secured on either side to first and second piezoelectric elements, the movable electromagnets and the first and second piezoelectric elements having a degree of freedom of movement relative to the movable portion and having inside faces forming a common line of contact that is tangential to the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Jean-Julien Camille Vonfelt, Thomas Klonowski, Antoine Moutaux
  • Patent number: 10686358
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of magnetohydrodynamic generators, and more precisely to such a generator (10) comprising a working fluid flow passage (11) that is defined by a first wall (12) and a second wall (13), an ionizing device (14) for ionizing the working fluid, a pair of arms (15), each connecting together the first and second walls (12, 13) downstream from said ionizing device (14) so as to define, within the flow passage (11), a channel (16) between said arms (15) and said walls (12, 13), said channel (16) being arranged to be traversed by a portion of the working fluid after it has been ionized, a magnet for generating a magnetic field (B) oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow of the working fluid through the channel (16) defined by the pair of arms (15) and said walls (12, 13), and at least one pair of electrodes (17), each of the electrodes (17) in each pair being arranged on a respective side of the channel (16) defined by the pair of arms (15) and said walls (12, 13),
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Safran Helicopter Engines
    Inventors: Camel Serghine, Thomas Klonowski, Stéphane Beddok, Stéphane Richard
  • Publication number: 20200115062
    Abstract: In order to reduce the weight of a hybrid propulsion system for a multi-rotor rotary-wing aircraft, the system comprises at least one inverter configured to supply power in parallel to multiple electric motors intended to drive the corresponding propellers of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Applicant: Safran Helicopter Engines
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, Ludovic MEZIERE, Bernard PLISSONNEAU
  • Publication number: 20200076262
    Abstract: An electric machine including a stator and a rotor configured to be driven in rotation in relation to one another, the rotor including a plurality of permanent magnets, the stator further including a magnetic circuit including poles extending toward the rotor, the machine including windings of conducting elements around each pole and at least one heat sink arranged inside a conducting element and/or between the conducting elements, the heat sink comprising a phase change material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, Camel SERGHINE
  • Publication number: 20190309687
    Abstract: The invention concerns an assembly comprising: a fuel supply circuit (15, 15a, 15b) configured to supply fuel to a turbine heat engine, an electronic module (14, 14a, 14b), a power source (13, 13a, 13b) for supplying power to the electronic module (14, 14a, 14b), and a heat exchanger (16, 16a, 16b) positioned to allow a flow of heat from the electronic module (14, 14a, 14b) to the fuel supply circuit (15, 15a, 15b), the assembly being characterised in that the electronic module (14, 14a, 14b) comprises a phase-change material (PCM), configured to change state when the temperature of same reaches a predetermined phase-change temperature (Tf).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, Camel SERGHINE
  • Publication number: 20190233128
    Abstract: The electrical machine according to the invention is a dual machine, and comprises a first machine which can be reversed and a second machine functioning through induction between two windings. The second machine can be used for de-icing a propeller, the induction-receiving winding being mounted on the propeller shaft. The first electrical machine can function as an electrical engine to ‘taxi’ the aircraft. In certain embodiments, the winding mounted on the stator is common to the two machines and different magnetic flows are utilised to control them. A separate functioning of the two machines and a very good integration into the aircraft engine, with space-saving and low mass, are possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, Olivier LAFARGUE, Antoine MOUTAUX, Jean-Julien Camille VONFELT, Bertrand NOGAREDE
  • Publication number: 20190211702
    Abstract: An electric actuator for inlet guide vanes of a gas turbine engine, the electric actuator including a fixed portion secured to a stationary portion of the engine and a movable portion that is mechanically connected to the inlet guide vanes, stationary electromagnets distributed at regular intervals around the periphery of the movable portion and fastened to the fixed portion, and movable electromagnets arranged between the stationary electromagnets, each movable electromagnet being secured on either side to first and second piezoelectric elements, the movable electromagnets and the first and second piezoelectric elements having a degree of freedom of movement relative to the movable portion and having inside faces forming a common line of contact that is tangential to the movable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Jean-Julien Camille VONFELT, Thomas KLONOWSKI, Antoine MOUTAUX
  • Patent number: 10294868
    Abstract: An assistance device for an aircraft free-turbine turbine engine, the device including first electrical power supply for powering a winding of a starter rotary machine, referred to as a “first” winding, in order to provide first assistance in accelerating the gas generator of the engine. The device further includes a monitor for monitoring the first assistance, and a second power supply for electrically powering a second winding of the rotary machine to provide second assistance in accelerating the gas generator if the monitor observes that the first assistance is insufficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Safran Helicopter Engines
    Inventors: Vincent Poumarede, Jean-Michel Bazet, Thomas Klonowski
  • Patent number: 10151246
    Abstract: An assistance device for a free-turbine engine of an aircraft having at least two free-turbine engines, the device including an electrical starter machine for providing prolonged assistance to the gas generator of a first engine using energy produced by an electric generator machine driven by the second engine, the device further including at least one electricity storage member electrically connected to the electrical starter machine for providing a burst of assistance to the gas generator, wherein the electrical starter machine is powered by a first power converter enabling it to exchange energy with the storage member for providing the burst of assistance, and that transmits thereto the energy supplied by a second power converter for the prolonged assistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Vincent Poumarede, Thomas Klonowski, Fabien Mercier-Calvairac, Camel Serghine
  • Patent number: 10120013
    Abstract: A method and device for monitoring an electrical network, including: a mechanism detecting electrical signals and additional signals produced in the electrical network, the additional signals being of a different physical nature to the electrical signals; a mechanism for processing the electrical signals to define a first time reference representing a detection time of the electrical signals emitted upon a fault event arising in the electrical network; a mechanism processing the additional signals to define a second time reference representing a detection time of the additional signals emitted upon the fault event arising in the electrical network; and a processor spatially locating the fault event in the electrical network according to the first and second time references.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignees: SAFRAN ELECTRICAL & POWER
    Inventors: Thomas Klonowski, Ludovic Ybanez
  • Publication number: 20180254693
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of magnetohydrodynamic generators, and more precisely to such a generator (10) comprising a working fluid flow passage (11) that is defined by a first wall (12) and a second wall (13), an ionizing device (14) for ionizing the working fluid, a pair of arms (15), each connecting together the first and second walls (12, 13) downstream from said ionizing device (14) so as to define, within the flow passage (11), a channel (16) between said arms (15) and said walls (12, 13), said channel (16) being arranged to be traversed by a portion of the working fluid after it has been ionized, a magnet for generating a magnetic field (B) oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to the flow of the working fluid through the channel (16) defined by the pair of arms (15) and said walls (12, 13), and at least one pair of electrodes (17), each of the electrodes (17) in each pair being arranged on a respective side of the channel (16) defined by the pair of arms (15) and said walls (12, 13),
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Safran Helicopter Engines
    Inventors: Camel SERGHINE, Thomas KLONOWSKI, Stéphane BEDDOK, Stéphane RICHARD
  • Publication number: 20180187604
    Abstract: An assistance device for a free-turbine engine of an aircraft having at least two free-turbine engines, the device including an electrical starter machine for providing prolonged assistance to the gas generator of a first engine using energy produced by an electric generator machine driven by the second engine, the device further including at least one electricity storage member electrically connected to the electrical starter machine for providing a burst of assistance to the gas generator, wherein the electrical starter machine is powered by a first power converter enabling it to exchange energy with the storage member for providing the burst of assistance, and that transmits thereto the energy supplied by a second power converter for the prolonged assistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Vincent POUMAREDE, Thomas KLONOWSKI, Fabien MERCIER-CALVAIRAC, Camel SERGHINE
  • Publication number: 20180171874
    Abstract: The system for rapidly reactivating a turbine engine of an aircraft includes an electrical machine that is DC powered from an on-board electrical power supply network. The system also includes a switch interposed between the on-board network and the electrical machine, an additional set including a plurality N electrical energy storage elements, and a control unit for controlling a device for discharging the storage elements and adapted to enable a series circuit including at least some of the N electrical energy storage elements to be connected in parallel with the on-board network so that when the rapid reactivation system is in operation the electrical machine is powered by a voltage level higher than the voltage level of its nominal characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Thomas KLONOWSKI, Jean-Michel BAZET, Vincent POUMAREDE, Pierre HARRIET
  • Patent number: 9828917
    Abstract: The rapid assistance device applies to a free turbine engine of an aircraft having at least a first free turbine engine provided with a gas generator and associated with an electrical machine capable of operating both as a starter and as a generator, the first engine being capable of being put into a standby mode or into an unwanted shut-down mode, the electrical machine being powered from on on-board electrical energy power supply network. The device further includes at least one electrical energy storage member adapted to be electrically connected to the electrical machine associated with the first engine in order to provide a burst of assistance to the gas generator of that engine. The electrical energy storage member constitutes a non-rechargeable “primary” energy storage member that can be used once only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES, SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE, SAFRAN ELECTRICAL & POWER
    Inventors: Thomas Klonowski, Michel Nollet, Frederic Pailhoux