Search Patents
  • Method for cleaning the compressor of a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 8337630
    Abstract: There is provided a method for cleaning the compressor of a gas turbine engine. The method comprises providing a fluid passage in the inlet case strut with a nozzle communicating with the fluid passage and the inlet gas path. The fluid passage has a fluid connector for connecting wash/rinse fluid under pressure to the fluid passage. The method further comprises motoring the gas turbine engine, and injecting, through the nozzle, the wash/rinse fluid into the inlet gas path to mix with an incoming flow of air and flow into compressor rotor blades of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Julien de la Bruère-Terreault, Andrew Robert Marshall
  • Method of immobilizing low pressure spool and locking tool therefore
    Patent number: 9234441
    Abstract: A method of immobilizing a low pressure spool assembly including maintaining a body of the locking tool in the annular gas path, attaching a securing portion of the body across an aperture defined through an annular wall delimiting the gas path; positioning a stop connected to the body of the locking tool into a rotary path of a given one of the sets of blades of the low pressure spool assembly; and rotating the high pressure spool assembly thereby biasing a blade of the given set of blades of the low pressure spool assembly against the stop, thereby immobilizing the low pressure spool assembly. A locking tool and a method of performing engine maintenance are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard Root, Hugo Binette
  • Combustor liner and heat shield assembly
    Patent number: 7721548
    Abstract: A combustor heat shield has a body defining a fuel nozzle hole. The back face of the body is mounted adjacent and spaced-apart from a combustor dome. A ridge extends around the nozzle opening to a height adapted to substantially contact the combustor dome. The ridge thereby defines a cooling compartment between the body and the combustor dome. A plurality of slots is provided through the ridge. The slots are closed by the combustor dome to provide cooling holes when the heat shield is mounted on the combustor. The cooling holes direct pressurized cooling air from the compartment to adjacent regions of the back face of the heat shield body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Bhawan B. Patel, Lorin Markarian, Parthasarthy Sampath
  • Pre-emptive fault detection through advanced signal analysis
    Patent number: 10303163
    Abstract: Herein provided are methods and systems for detecting failure of a sensor in a control system for a gas turbine engine. A signal is received from the sensor. A high-pass filter is applied to the signal to produce a high-frequency component signal. A rate of occurrence of signal spikes in the high-frequency component signal is determined. The high-frequency component signal is compared to a component signal threshold which is based on at least one known healthy component signal and at least one faulty component signal. The presence of intermittent open circuits caused by the sensor is detected based on the comparing and on the rate of occurrence of signal spikes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Hai Tao Wu, Michael Conciatori, Tommy Woo, Michael Woinowsky-Krieger
  • System and method for diagnosing a condition of an engine from volcanic ash found in lubricating fluid
    Patent number: 11066950
    Abstract: A method and system for diagnosing a condition of an air-breathing aircraft engine are described. The method comprises obtaining a sample of lubricating fluid from the engine, filtering the sample to obtain a plurality of particles from the lubricating fluid, obtaining chemical composition data for the plurality of particles, determining a quantity of volcanic ash in the lubricating fluid by considering each one of the particles as composed partially of volcanic ash and partially of at least one other material and analyzing the chemical composition data, the volcanic ash having associated thereto a predetermined chemical composition, and diagnosing a condition of the engine based on the quantity of volcanic ash found in the lubricating fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Maurice Jean
  • Lubrication system with porous element
    Patent number: 8752673
    Abstract: A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine including at least one porous element located in a cavity containing at least one rotating component receiving a flow of the lubricant, the porous element being located across a path taken by a portion of the lubricant expelled from the at least one respective rotating component such that the portion of the lubricant circulates therethrough, the at least one porous element being made of a material resistant to a temperature of the lubricant, the at least one porous element reducing a velocity of the portion of the lubricant circulating therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Patrick Thivierge, Mélanie Papillon, Pierre Gauvin, Patrick Arkinson, Robert Scandella, Tom Haslam-Jones, Ritchie Domingo
  • Static take-off port
    Patent number: 11300002
    Abstract: A duct for a gas turbine engine, the duct has a wall defining a flow passage for an airflow, the wall defining a baseline surface, the duct comprising an off-take port for drawing a portion of the airflow out of the duct, the off-take port including a projected portion projecting away from the baseline surface into the flow passage, a conduit opening defined within the projected portion for receiving the portion of the airflow, and an off-take conduit communicating with the conduit opening for directing the portion of the airflow away from the duct, the projected portion having a hump upstream of the conduit opening relative to a direction of the airflow and a scoop downstream of the opening relative to the direction of the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ivan Sidorovich Paradiso, Daniel Alecu
  • Through-flow gas turbine engine with electric motor and electric generator
    Patent number: 11384693
    Abstract: A through-flow gas turbine engine includes a core comprising multiple spools rotatable about a center axis. An accessory gearbox (AGB) is drivingly engaged to the core and disposed aft of the outlet. A reduction gearbox (RGB) is drivingly engaged to the core and disposed forward of the inlet. The RGB has an RGB output to provide rotational output to a rotatable load. An electric motor is drivingly engaged to the rotatable load. An electric generator is configured to provide electrical power to the electric motor. One of the electric motor and the electric generator is disposed axially between the outlet and the AGB and the other of the electric motor and the electric generator is disposed axially between the inlet and the RGB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Guy Lefebvre
  • System and method for monitoring temperature of a gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11396823
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring a temperature of a gas turbine engine are described. The method comprises obtaining individual sensor readings from functioning temperature sensors of a sensor array, where a number of the functioning temperature sensors is less than a total number of temperature sensors in the sensor array; applying correction factors to the individual sensor readings of the functioning temperature sensors based on deviations of the individual sensor readings from a total average temperature of all the temperature sensors in the array, to obtain corrected individual sensor readings; and determining a corrected total average temperature as a sum of the corrected individual sensor readings divided by the number of functioning temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Martin Drolet, Melanie Brillant
  • Turbine stator outer shroud cooling fins
    Patent number: 10822987
    Abstract: A stator of a gas turbine engine is provided. A static shroud of the stator defines a platform having a radially outer surface. An impingement plate has impingement holes extending therethrough, and the impingement plate is radially spaced apart from the radially outer surface of the platform. The impingement holes are configured to direct a high-speed cooling air flow transversally to the radially outer surface of the stator shroud. A plurality of protrusions project away from the radially outer surface of the platform along a protrusion axis. The protrusions have a cruciate cross-sectional shape when viewed in a plane normal to the protrusion axis. A method of cooling a stator of a gas turbine engine is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Marc Tardif, Michael Papple, Jason Gillespie
  • Active clearance control system and method for an aircraft engine
    Patent number: 11655725
    Abstract: There is provided a system and a method for controlling a tip clearance between a turbine casing and turbine blade tips of an aircraft engine. At least one operational parameter of the aircraft engine is obtained. Based on the at least one operational parameter, a current value of the tip clearance and a target value of the tip clearance are determined. A limiting factor to be applied to the target value of the tip clearance is computed. The limiting factor is applied to the target value of the tip clearance to obtain a tip clearance demand for the aircraft engine. A tip clearance control apparatus of the aircraft engine is controlled based on a difference between the current value of the tip clearance and the tip clearance demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Poissant, Cristina Crainic
  • Health monitoring of igniters
    Patent number: 9135755
    Abstract: Methods and associated devices useful for the health monitoring of igniters of gas turbine engines are disclosed. Exemplary embodiments disclosed include the use of an accumulated spark count to an igniter to obtain an indication of wear on the igniter and/or the remaining life of the igniter. An exemplary method disclosed includes: receiving one or more signals indicative of a commanded spark count to the igniter for one or more ignition events; processing the one or more signals indicative of the commanded spark count to the igniter, determining a total accumulated commanded spark count to the igniter; and generating one or more signals indicative of at least one of an estimated wear on the igniter or an estimated remaining life of the igniter based on the total accumulated commanded spark count to the igniter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Michael Youssef
  • Combustion system for a gas turbine engine and method of operating same
    Patent number: 9683744
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprises a combustion system comprising a secondary annular combustor and a primary combustor in fluid communication with the secondary combustor, a secondary fuel injector associated with the secondary combustor, a primary fuel injector associated with the primary combustor, and a ECU controlling fuel delivery to the secondary and primary fuel injectors. The primary fuel injector delivers fuel to the primary combustor. The ECU allows fuel to be delivered to the secondary fuel injector in addition to the primary fuel injector only when a fuel amount higher is requested delivered by the primary fuel injector. A method of operating a gas turbine engine is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bhawan B. Patel, Oleg Morenko
  • Overthrust protection system and method
    Patent number: 10487752
    Abstract: An overthrust protection system for an aircraft engine. The system comprises an engine overspeed protection unit comprising overspeed logic and an overspeed solenoid valve controlled by the overspeed logic, the overspeed logic configured to energize the overspeed solenoid valve for removing fuel flow to the engine upon detection of an overspeed condition of the aircraft engine; and an overthrust controller coupled to the overspeed protection unit and configured to measure engine thrust and to detect an overthrust condition when an engine thrust threshold has been exceeded, and configured to trigger energizing of the overspeed solenoid valve upon detection of the overthrust condition and an aircraft-on-ground condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Janusz Fiedler, Tatjana Pekovic, Dave Sellors, Amandeep Singh Chahal
  • Methods and systems for calculation of feedrate
    Patent number: 9329592
    Abstract: Methods and systems for calculating a feedrate for programming a multi-axis machining tool. For at least one control block in a defined machining path: a displacement of a defined machine control point from a previous control block to a current control block is determined; a displacement of a defined feedrate control point from the previous control block to the current control block is determined; a compensation ratio is calculated as a ratio between the displacement of the defined machine control point and the displacement of the defined feedrate control point; and a feedrate for the machine control point is calculated by applying the compensation ratio to a desired feedrate. The calculated federate is used in a control block of a multi-axis machining tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Vincent Thomasset-Laperriere, Amr Elfizy
  • Turbofan engine and core link therefore
    Patent number: 11111856
    Abstract: The turbofan engine can have a core engine, a bypass duct surrounding the core engine, an annular bypass flow path between the bypass duct and the core engine, and a plurality of core links extending across the bypass path and supporting the core engine relative to the bypass duct, and a fluid passage having a heat exchange portion in a given one of the core links, the heat exchange portion being configured for heat exchange with the bypass flow path, an inlet leading into the given core link and to the heat exchange portion, and an outlet extending from the heat exchange portion and out of the given core link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP
    Inventor: Bryan William Olver
  • Method and system for starting an engine
    Patent number: 11002238
    Abstract: Methods and systems for starting an aircraft propulsion engine are described herein. Operation of the engine is controlled by an engine controller having a first channel and a second channel. An engine start request is received on the second channel while the first channel is inactive. It is determined which one of the first channel and the second channel was used to conduct a last successful engine start. Responsive to determining that the last successful engine start was conducted on the second channel, a predetermined time period is waited to elapse and for the first channel to reinitialize before commanding, via the first channel, an engine start based on the engine start request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Michael Youssef, Alexandre Charest, Giancarlo Zingaro, Jasraj Chahal, Carmine Lisio, Darragh McGrath
  • DUAL CYCLE INTERCOOLED HYDROGEN ENGINE ARCHITECTURE
    Publication number: 20230133397
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine includes a primary gas path having, in fluid series communication: an air inlet, a compressor fluidly connected to the air inlet, a combustor fluidly connected to an outlet of the compressor, and a turbine section fluidly connected to an outlet of the combustor section. In embodiments, a hydrogen expansion turbine is in fluid communication to receive hydrogen from the gaseous hydrogen outlet of the heat exchanger. In certain embodiments, the gas turbine engine includes a heat exchanger having a gas conduit fluidly connected to the primary gas path, and a fluid conduit in fluid isolation from the gas conduit and in thermal communication with the gas conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Scott Smith
  • Support for electric machine in a turbine engine
    Patent number: 9003811
    Abstract: Devices and methods for supporting an accessory (32) in a gas turbine engine (10) are disclosed. The accessory (32) may have an interface (36) for coupling to a shaft (24) of the gas turbine engine (10). The device may comprise a first support (38) configured to support a first portion (34) of the accessory (32) proximal the interface (36) and a second support (40) configured to support a second portion (35) of the accessory (32) distal from the interface (36). The second support (40) may be configured to provide a lower resistance to relative displacement between the accessory (32) and structure (42) of the engine (10) than does the first support (34).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Barry Barnett, David Denis
  • Plate cooler for aircraft electronic components
    Patent number: 11414202
    Abstract: A plate cooler or heat exchanger includes a channel plate defining first cooling channels on a first side of the channel plate and second cooling channels on a second side of the channel plate opposite to the first side. The first cooling channels are arranged side-by-side in a first direction of coolant flow from a first common inlet to a first outlet. The second cooling channels are arranged side-by-side in a second direction of coolant flow from a second common inlet separate from the first common inlet to a second outlet separate from the first outlet. The second direction of coolant flow is transverse or counter to the first direction of coolant flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Dana Tomescu, Guillaume Berton
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