Search Patents
  • CARBON SEAL ASSEMBLY
    Publication number: 20140154053
    Abstract: A carbon seal assembly comprises an annular member adapted to be secured to a structure. An annular seal runner is sealingly mounted to a shaft to rotate therewith, with the seal runner being made of a material complementary to that of the annular member for magnetic attraction therebetween. An annular carbon seal element is mounted to the annular seal runner to rotate therewith and positioned in a gap between the annular member and the annular seal runner, the annular carbon seal element having an annular wear surface abutting against a face of the annular member. A cross-sectional area of the annular carbon seal element increases as the axial dimension of the annular seal runner decreases for at least a part of the seal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Ivor John Roberts
  • Method of manufacturing nickel based super alloy parts
    Patent number: 11591683
    Abstract: There is provided a method of treating a nickel base super alloy (NiSa) article. First, the NiSa article having fine grains is obtained. The NiSa article has a uniform distribution of the fine grains and substantially uniform mechanical properties throughout. One or more regions within the NiSa article are mechanically deformed. Then, the NiSa article is heat treated to obtain coarse grains in the one or more regions, the coarse grains having a size that is larger than that of the fine grains of the NiSa article outside of the one or more regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Thomas Georges, Orlando Scalzo, Marc Lorenzo Campomanes
  • Air cooler for gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 11274602
    Abstract: A turbofan engine comprising an outer bypass duct, an annular bypass flow path between the outer bypass duct and a core engine, an engine component forming an airflow obstruction adjacent the outer bypass duct, an air cooler having a tube, the tube having at least a sinuous portion extending in the annular bypass flow path, the sinuous portion extending along the outer bypass duct, downstream of the airflow obstruction, the sinuous portion configured for exchanging heat between a fluid circulating in the tube and air circulating in the bypass flow path during operation of the turbofan engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bryan William Olver, Daniel Alecu, Jason Fish, Zoran Markovic
  • Gas turbine engine and cooling air configuration for turbine section thereof
    Patent number: 10941709
    Abstract: The gas turbine engine can have a gas path extending in serial flow communication across a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine, the turbine having at least one multistage turbine section having a front toward the combustion chamber and a rear opposite the front, a plenum radially outward of the gas path, and a plurality of aperture sets interspaced from one another between the front and the rear, the aperture sets providing fluid flow communication from the plenum to the gas path, and a cooling air path having an outlet fluidly connected to the plenum at the rear of the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ion Dinu, Mohammed Ennacer, René Paquet
  • Mounting structure for a gas turbine engine case
    Patent number: 11859506
    Abstract: A structure is provided for a gas turbine engine. This gas turbine engine structure includes an engine case, an engine pylon and an engine line. The engine case includes a base, a mounting boss and a first support element. The base extends axially along and circumferentially about an axial centerline of the engine case. The mounting boss projects radially out from the base. The first support element projects radially out from the base and laterally out from the mounting boss. The first support element is configured as or otherwise includes a peripheral boss. The engine pylon is mounted to the mounting boss. The engine line is coupled to the peripheral boss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Nicholas Guglielmin
  • Apex and face seals with rotary internal combustion engine
    Patent number: 8967988
    Abstract: In one aspect, described is a rotor for a rotary internal combustion engine where a first face seal biased axially outwardly away from the first end face has opposed curled ends abutting a first seal element of a respective one of the adjacent apex seal assemblies, and a second face seal biased axially outwardly away from the second end face has opposed curled ends abutting a second seal element of a respective one of the adjacent apex seal assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eugene Gekht, Jean Thomassin, Sebastien Bolduc, David Gagnon-Martin
  • System and method for dynamic engine motoring
    Patent number: 11486310
    Abstract: There is provided a dynamic motoring system and method for an aircraft engine. Motoring of the engine is initiated for an initial motoring duration and at an initial motoring interval. At least one engine parameter is measured in real-time during the motoring, the at least one engine parameter comprising a temperature of the engine. The initial motoring duration and the initial motoring interval are modified in real-time, based on a value of the at least one engine parameter during the motoring, to obtain a modified motoring duration and a modified motoring interval. The motoring continues for the modified motoring duration and at the modified motoring interval, with a speed of rotation of the engine being controlled using the modified motoring interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Dana Tomescu
  • Starting methods for hybrid-electric aircraft
    Patent number: 11939073
    Abstract: A method includes using an electric motor to start a thermal engine. The electric motor and thermal engine are connected to one another as the electric motor and the thermal engine of a hybrid-electric power plant in an aircraft. The electric motor can be connected to a combining gear box. The thermal engine can be connected to the combining gear box so that the electric motor and the thermal engine can provide torque to the combining gear box in a parallel hybrid-electric configuration. The combining gearbox can output torque to an air mover for providing thrust to the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Paul C. Imel, Sebastien Bergeron, Etienne Plamondon, Samuel Gosselin-Brisson, Leonid Guerchkovitch
  • Composite fan case with integral containment zone
    Patent number: 9032706
    Abstract: A turbofan engine which has a composite fan case surrounding a fan with a plurality of fan blades is disclosed. The composite fan case includes a containment zone having an inner fabric layer composed of resin-impregnated fibers substantially uni-axially oriented in a common angular direction corresponding to a blade release angle of the fan blades. The fan case also includes a composite outer shell and an energy absorbing core disposed radially between the inner fabric layer and the composite outer shell. The energy absorbing core includes non resin impregnated multidirectional fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Andrew R. Marshall
  • 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
  • METHOD OF IMMOBILIZING LOW PRESSURE SPOOL AND LOCKING TOOL THEREFORE
    Publication number: 20140255147
    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: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard ROOT, Hugo BINETTE
  • DC bus voltage control
    Patent number: 11649065
    Abstract: In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a system for aircraft power. The system includes a DC/DC converter having a DC input and a DC output and a switching circuit connecting the DC input to the DC output operable to vary voltage at the DC output. A control module is operatively connected to the switching circuit for variable control of the DC output. The control module includes machine readable instructions to cause the control module to receive input indicative of altitude and control the switching circuit to vary voltage of the DC output as a function of environmental conditions such as altitude and humidity. In embodiments the altitude sensor is operatively connected to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Richard Freer
  • Power plant thrust management system for turboprop engines
    Patent number: 10473038
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating a turboprop engine having a high pressure spool and a low pressure spool rotating independently from one another. Each spool contains at least one compressor stage and the low pressure spool is connected to a propeller. The method comprises determining a target temperature-corrected rotational speed of the low pressure spool for a given set of operating parameters; and controlling a mechanical speed of the low pressure spool to maintain the temperature-corrected rotational speed of the low pressure spool substantially constant throughout at least a portion of a range of a power demand on the turboprop engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Keith Morgan, Ghislain Plante, Tania Fauchon
  • Method of starting turbine engine from low engine speed
    Patent number: 7861534
    Abstract: A method of starting a turbine engine at a first engine speed value which is lower than a second engine speed value designed for a normal engine starting operation, comprises varying a fuel flow into a combustor of the engine to start the engine in repeatedly alternating speed acceleration and deceleration cycles in order to create an engine speed augmentation in each of the speed acceleration and deceleration cycles, thereby achieving the second engine speed value while preventing the engine from being overheated, and then beginning the normal engine starting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Andrej Terlecki, Graham Bridges, Christopher Day, Mark Laderman
  • MID TURBINE FRAME SYSTEM FOR GAS TURBINE ENGINE
    Publication number: 20100132369
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an engine casing component, such as a mid turbine frame system, which may includes an outer case surrounding a spoke or strut casing. Load transfer spokes of the spoke casing extend between the outer case and an inner case of the spoke casing. A bearing housing supported by the engine casing may include a fuse arrangement for isolating bearing seizure loads from the engine casing. A seal arrangement may be provided to centralize the rotors after the fuse fails. The mid turbine frame may be provided to have a desired flexibility through the configuration of the casing and bearings in design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eric DUROCHER, John PIETROBON, Lam NGUYEN
  • Asymmetric combustor heat shield panels
    Patent number: 9534784
    Abstract: A combustor heat shield assembly comprises a circumferential array of heat shield panels individually mounted to an inner surface of a combustor shell. Each heat shield panel has opposed front and back faces, the back face facing the inner surface of the combustor shell and being spaced therefrom to define an air gap. The front and back faces have a perimeter including opposed lateral edges extending between opposed circumferentially extending edges. The lateral edges of adjacent heat shield panels have complementary non-linear profiles defining an asymmetric heat shield panel interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Nigel Caldwell Davenport, Eduardo David Hawie
  • Segmented multi-lobe mixer
    Patent number: 10082043
    Abstract: A multi-lobe exhaust mixer has an annular body composed of a plurality of circumferentially adjacent lobe segments. The lobe segments may be made of a ceramic matrix composite material to reduce the weight of the mixer and ensure proper behavior when exposed to high thermal gradients. Each lobe segment may have partial lobes at circumferentially opposed ends thereof and at least one complete lobe therebetween. The partial lobes of the circumferentially adjacent lobe segments combining to conjointly form complete lobes at the junction between the circumferentially adjacent lobe segments. The partial lobes may be nested into each other to dampen vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Guy Lefebvre, Rene Paquet
  • Fuel injector for fuel spray nozzle
    Patent number: 10047959
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a fuel spray nozzle of a gas turbine engine combustor includes an angular lip axially projecting into an upstream section of an annular passage to guide a fuel layer vortex to flow along a radially outer passage wall of the annular passage and to guide an air layer vortex to fill into and pass through an annular space between the fuel layer vortex and a radially-inner passage wall of the annular passage. The air layer vortex is free of mixing with the fuel layer vortex before the fuel layer vortex is discharged from the annular passage for fuel atomization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bhawan B. Patel, Oleg Marenko
  • HEALTH MONITORING OF IGNITERS
    Publication number: 20150036781
    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: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Michael Youssef
  • 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
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