Search Patents
  • Multi-phase cable
    Patent number: 10325697
    Abstract: A multi-phase cable, the cable including a plurality of conductors for conducting currents of two or more different phases, each phase being associated with one or more conductors and each conductor being associated with one respective phase. Each conductor has a cross-section with at least one dimension that is sized to decrease a skin effect of the conductor at a maximum or nominal operation frequency of the conductor. The conductors are arranged to permit free air cooling of the cable on at least two sides of each conductor, and such that each conductor of a given phase has, as immediate neighbors, only conductors of one or more different phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Antwan Shenouda
  • Method and system for operating an aircraft powerplant
    Patent number: 11414175
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating an aircraft powerplant comprising an engine coupled to a variable-pitch propeller capable of generating forward and reverse thrust are described herein. A request to enable a mode for automated reverse thrust is received. Reverse thrust conditions are determined to have been met when the aircraft is on-ground, a blade angle of the propeller is below a blade angle threshold and a position of a power lever is at a selected idle region of the power lever. Reverse thrust of the propeller is triggered when the mode for automated reverse thrust is enabled and the reverse thrust conditions have been met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Giancarlo Zingaro, Sean McCarthy, Jasraj Chahal, Benjamin Bregani, Carmine Lisio
  • Methods and systems for controlling operation of aircraft engines
    Patent number: 10829235
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and a system for controlling operation of an engine of an aircraft. The method comprises, at a controller of the engine, obtaining an actual engine output power for the engine, the actual engine output power based on a propeller rotation speed and a propeller blade pitch angle; converting the actual engine output power to a predicted thrust value; determining an actual engine power limit associated with a thrust limit of a propeller coupled to the engine from the predicted thrust value; and setting a maximum engine power limit of the engine using the actual engine power limit associated with the thrust limit of the propeller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Carmine Lisio, Michel Labrecque
  • Torque ripple control for an aircraft power train
    Patent number: 11628942
    Abstract: A method includes providing thrust to an aircraft through a power train from a heat engine connected to the power train. The method includes controlling an electric motor connected to the power train to counter torque ripple in the power train from the heat engine. A system includes a power train for providing thrust to an aircraft. A heat engine is connected to the power train. An electric motor is operatively connected to the power train. A controller is operatively connected to control the electric motor. The controller includes machine readable instructions configured to cause the controller to control the electric motor to counter torque ripple in the power train from the heat engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Eric LaTulipe
  • Integrated strut-vane nozzle (ISV) with uneven vane axial chords
    Patent number: 9909434
    Abstract: An integrated strut and turbine vane nozzle (ISV) comprising: inner and outer duct walls defining a flow passage therebetween, an array of circumferentially spaced-apart struts extending radially across the flow passage, and an array of circumferentially spaced-apart vanes extending radially across the flow passage. At least one of the struts is aligned in the circumferential direction with an associated one of the vanes and forms therewith an integrated strut-vane airfoil. The adjacent vanes on opposed sides of the integrated strut-vane airfoil have uneven axial chords relative to the other vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Panagiota Tsifourdaris, Edward Vlasic, Niloofar Moradi, Francois Doyon
  • Impeller rotor configured with wear resistant seal land
    Patent number: 11719243
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This turbine engine assembly includes an impeller rotor, a seal land and a lip seal. The impeller rotor is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The impeller rotor is configured from or otherwise includes impeller rotor material. The seal land extends axially along and circumferentially about the rotational axis. The seal land is mechanically attached to and rotatable with the impeller rotor. The seal land is configured from or otherwise includes seal land material that is different than the impeller rotor material. The lip seal radially engages the seal land.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Simon Baker-Ostiguy
  • Aircraft engine lubrication system and method
    Patent number: 11542845
    Abstract: A lubrication system for an aircraft engine includes an engine lubricant tank including at least a supply port hydraulically connectable to the aircraft engine, a lubricant makeup port, and an overfill port, an auxiliary lubricant tank, a lubricant makeup conduit hydraulically connecting the auxiliary lubricant tank to the lubricant makeup port. The lubricant makeup conduit includes a pump operable to move lubricant from the auxiliary lubricant tank to the lubricant makeup port, and an overfill conduit hydraulically connecting the overfill port to the auxiliary lubricant tank. A method of operating a lubrication system of an aircraft engine of an aircraft is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, Daniel Alecu
  • Compact torque measurement system
    Patent number: 4682505
    Abstract: A compact torque measuring device for a gas turbine engine which has an output shaft. The torque measurement device includes a pair of tubular concentric shafts of elastic deformable material. The inner shaft is fixed to the output shaft and includes peripheral reference teeth fixed to the output shaft. The concentric shafts are fixed together at the other end in a cantilever manner. Peripheral teeth are mounted to the outer concentric shaft adjacent and interposed with the reference teeth. A magnetic electrical detector is provided to measure relative displacement between the teeth, and thus the torque magnitude can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1987
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Pierre Morissette, Alexander W. Stewart, Keith H. Taylor
  • Single skin combustor with heat transfer enhancement
    Patent number: 10260751
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine comprises a single skin liner defining a combustion chamber. The single skin liner has an inner surface facing the combustion chamber and an outer surface exposed to a coolant flow discharged in a plenum extending from the outer surface of the single skin liner to the engine casing. Cooling holes extend through the single skin liner. Cooling protuberances, such as fins or pin fins, project integrally from the outer surface of the single skin liner into the plenum, the cooling fins being interspersed between the cooling holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Tin-Cheung John Hu, Si-Man Amy Lao, Sri Sreekanth, Michael Papple
  • Inter-shaft bearing connected to a compressor boost system
    Patent number: 10746188
    Abstract: A multi-spool gas turbine engine comprises a low pressure (LP) spool and a high pressure (HP) spool. The LP spool has an LP shaft for transferring a torque from an LP turbine to an LP compressor. The HP spool has an HP shaft for transferring a torque from an HP turbine to an HP compressor. The LP shaft is coaxially mounted inside the HP shaft. An inter-shaft bearing is mounted radially between the LP shaft and the HP shaft. The inter-shaft bearing is disposed axially between the HP compressor and the LP compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ian A. MacFarlane, Sean Powers, Martin Poulin, Jean-Jacques Forest
  • Reverse flow ceramic matrix composite combustor
    Patent number: 8745989
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an annular reverse-flow combustor with a combustor inner liner enclosing a combustion chamber. The inner liner having a dome portion at an upstream end of the combustor and a downstream combustor exit defined between a small exit duct portion and a large exit duct portion. At least one of the dome portion, the small exit duct portion and the large exit duct portion is made of a separately formed hemi-toroidal shell composed of a ceramic matrix composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Lev Alexander Prociw, Aleksander Kojovic, David C. Jarmon, Jun Shi, Shaoluo L. Butler
  • Impeller exducer cavity with flow recirculation
    Patent number: 11268536
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor for an aircraft engine is disclosed, having an impeller mounted for rotation about an axis. The impeller has impeller blades extending from an inducer end to an exducer end. A shroud extends over the impeller blades. A main flow passage is defined between the shroud and the impeller, a cavity fluidly communicates with the main flow passage via at least one extraction port and at least one reinjection port. The reinjection port is fluidly connected to the main flow passage upstream of the extraction port relative to a flow direction through the main flow passage. The reinjection port is disposed upstream of the exducer end of the impeller blade, in an exducer portion of the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Hien Duong
  • Method of assembling a capacitor assembly
    Patent number: 9761375
    Abstract: A method of assembling a capacitor assembly comprises positioning a plurality of capacitors in respective sockets formed in a non-conductive matrix by vibrating the plurality of capacitors and disposing the array of capacitors and the non-conductive matrix between a positive terminal plate and a negative terminal plate. The capacitors are electrically coupled with the positive terminal plate and the negative terminal plate and mechanically secured between the positive terminal plate and the negative terminal plate. The array of capacitors includes a void cooperating with a first opening in the positive plate and a second opening in the negative plate to form a passage. The void includes a location where at least one capacitor is omitted from the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Kevin Allan Dooley, Joshua Bell
  • Hybrid gas-electric turbine engine
    Patent number: 10717539
    Abstract: A hybrid gas-electric turbine engine for turboprop or turboshaft applications is disclosed together with associated methods. In various embodiments disclosed herein, the turbine engine comprises a turbine configured to be driven by a flow of combustion gas; a turbine shaft configured to be driven by the turbine and transfer power to a load coupled to the turbine engine and an electric motor configured to transfer power to the load coupled to the turbine engine. The rotor may have a rotor axis of rotation that is radially offset from a shaft axis of rotation of the turbine shaft. In some embodiments, the electric motor may be a multi-rotor electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: David H. Menheere
  • CUP MILL FOR AIRFOILS
    Publication number: 20080131216
    Abstract: A cup milling cutter for machining an integrated bladed rotor is provided a plurality of cutting inserts removably attached to a cup shaped body to form a virtual cutting ring about an axis of rotation at the open end of the cup shaped body when the cup shape body is rotated by a drive spindle. The virtual cutting ring has outer and inner diameter cutting edges and a middle cutting edge therebetween. The virtual cutting ring is sized in a width greater than the thickness of the open end of the cup shaped body to permit the virtual cutting ring in a multi-axis simultaneous motion, to machine the airfoils of the integrated bladed rotor using the respective cutting edges without any interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ioan SASU, Bertrand TURCOTTE
  • Gas turbine engine recuperator with floating connection
    Patent number: 9394828
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine recuperator including a plurality of independent arcuate segments, each segment having an inlet connection member designed to sealingly engage a plenum in fluid flow communication with the compressor discharge, and an outlet connection member designed to sealingly engage a plenum containing the combustor. One of the inlet and outlet connection members is a rigid member forming a rigid connection to the respective plenum, and the other of the inlet and outlet connection members includes a flexible member and forms a floating connection to the respective plenum, the floating connection allowing relative movement between the segment and a remainder of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, Daniel Alecu
  • LIQUID HYDROGEN EVAPORATORS AND HEATERS
    Publication number: 20230045911
    Abstract: In accordance with at least on aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a hydrogen fuel system for aircraft. The hydrogen fuel system includes a gas turbine engine and a fuel feed conduit. The fuel feed conduit is defined at least in part by, in fluid series, a liquid hydrogen tank fluidly connected to a combustor of the gas turbine engine, a liquid hydrogen pump to drive fuel to the combustor of the gas turbine engine, an evaporator, and an electric heat source in thermal communication with the evaporator to add heat into a flow of hydrogen passing through the evaporator. In embodiments, the electric energy source associated with the electric heat source to power the electric heat source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2021
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Scott Smith
  • Process for joining powder injection molded parts
    Patent number: 11383299
    Abstract: A process for joining two or more powder injection molded parts by preparing at least two green parts from a feedstock including a binder and an injection powder. Placing the two or more green part into intimate contact, and maintaining the two green parts in intimate contact at a position with a linkage between the at least two green parts to produce an interconnected green assembly. Placing the assembly under shape retaining conditions, melting the binder of the interconnected green assembly under shape retaining conditions to produce a seamless body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Orlando Scalzo, Marc Lorenzo Campomanes, Melissa Despres, Alain Bouthillier, Vincent Savaria
  • System and method for purging a fuel manifold of a gas turbine engine using a pump
    Patent number: 11486303
    Abstract: Methods and systems of operating a gas turbine engine in a low-power condition are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes supplying fuel to a combustor by supplying fuel to a first fuel manifolds and a second fuel manifold of the gas turbine engine. The method also includes, while supplying fuel to the combustor by supplying fuel to the first fuel manifold: stopping supplying fuel to the second fuel manifold; and using a pump to drive gas into the second fuel manifold to flush fuel in the second fuel manifold into the combustor and hinder coking in the second fuel manifold and associated fuel nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Antwan Shenouda
  • Systems and methods for filling a fuel manifold of a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11760500
    Abstract: Systems and method for filling a fuel manifold comprising at least a primary and a second manifold of a gas turbine engine are described. The method comprises providing fuel flow to the secondary manifold of the gas turbine engine, the secondary manifold being partly or completely empty; monitoring at least one engine operational parameter of the gas turbine engine as fuel fills the secondary manifold; and accelerating the engine when a transition threshold is reached, the transition threshold being associated with the engine operational parameter and indicative that fuel has reached the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Poi Loon Tang, Philippe Beauchesne-Martel, James Robert Jarvo
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