Search Patents
  • Patent number: 6745571
    Abstract: A method of combustor cycle air flow adjustment for a gas turbine engine according to the present invention solves the problem of a higher flame temperature in the combustor, thereby affecting the emission levels when a heat-recuperated air flow cycle is used to increase the compressed air temperature. In low emission combustors this impact is severe because emission levels are significantly dependent on the primary combustion zone flame temperature. The method of the present invention includes a step of changing a geometry of an air flow passage and thereby changing distribution of a total air mass flow between an air mass flow for combustion and an air mass flow for cooling in order to ensure that flame temperature in a primary combustion zone of a combustor are maintained substantially the same whether the gas turbine engine is manufactured to operate as a simple air flow cycle engine or as a heat-recuperated air flow cycle engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Peter John Stuttaford, Aleksandar Kojovic
  • Publication number: 20150059349
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor which is cooled by a hybrid cooling apparatus and method. Heat shields cooled by impingement cooling air are present at an upstream section of the combustor liners and exhausted impingement cooling air is substantially discharged outside of the primary zone of the combustor chamber. The single-skinned downstream section of the combustor liners is cooled by effusion cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Bhawan Patel, Parthasarathy Sampath
  • Patent number: 11697505
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system is disclosed that includes at least one hybrid-electric powerplant for delivering power to an air mover for propelling the aircraft, wherein the at least one hybrid-electric powerplant includes a heat engine and an electric motor arranged in a parallel drive configuration or an in-line drive configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jean Thomassin, Eric LaTulipe
  • Patent number: 7454914
    Abstract: A method of distributing fuel in a fuel nozzle comprises: providing at least two helical channels in the fuel nozzle, each having a channel exit port, providing a fuel inlet cavity in fluid communication with the helical channels, and flowing fuel in the fuel inlet cavity, the helical channels and the channel exit ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Lev Alexander Prociw
  • Patent number: 6959552
    Abstract: A radial inlet assembly comprising a radial inlet adapted to be in fluid communication with a compressor, and a restricting member covering the radial inlet and receiving a circumferentially asymmetric airflow, the restricting member partially blocking the airflow around the radial inlet, the restricting member blocking a greater portion of the airflow where the airflow is greater to circumferentially redistribute the airflow in a more symmetric manner in the radial inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: André Leblanc
  • Publication number: 20140208760
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine with a transmission having a first rotatable member coupled to an engine spool, a second rotatable member coupled to a compressor rotor, and coupled rotatable members defining at least first and second alternate transmission paths between the first and second members. Each transmission path defines a different fixed transmission ratio of a rotational speed of the second member on a rotational speed of the first member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Jean DUBREUIL, Stephen KENNY
  • Patent number: 8171634
    Abstract: A method of producing a plurality of effusion holes in a wall of a combustor of a gas turbine engine comprises: determining a hole pattern definition which provides a functional relationship of the spacing between each adjacent hole within the row of holes; using the hole pattern definition to identify individual positions of the effusion holes to be produced; and using a hole producing system to produce the effusion holes at the identified positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Nagaraja Rudrapatna, Bhawan Patel
  • Patent number: 8875519
    Abstract: The method and apparatus for in-flight relighting of a turbofan engine involve in one aspect selectively controlling an accessory drag load on one or more windmilling rotors to permit control of the windmill speed to an optimum value for relight conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Kevin Allan Dooley
  • Publication number: 20110036093
    Abstract: The gas turbine engine comprises at least one electrical generator and an electrical heater associated with a gas path of the engine. The heater is powered by the generator to selectively add heat to the gas turbine cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Kevin Allan DOOLEY
  • Patent number: 7926286
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for a gas turbine engine having a manifold ring, a plurality of spray tip assemblies and a heat shield including at least two heat shield segments cooperating to at least substantially surround a cross-section of the manifold ring around a circumference of the manifold ring, and detachably retained around the manifold ring through a plurality of removable fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Oleg Morenko, Bhawan B. Patel, Nagaraja Rudrapatna, Saeid Oskooei
  • Patent number: 8813504
    Abstract: A protocol for assembling a fuel shut off pin valve assembly for a gas turbine engine. The protocol outlines a specific sequence of events in order to ensure failsafe incorporation of a fuel shut off valve assembly within the low pressure turbine area and specifically within the engine casing of the gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Guy Lefebvre, Claude Giardetti
  • Patent number: 8756937
    Abstract: A method for purging fuel from a fuel system of a gas turbine engine on shutdown of the engine comprises, in one aspect, terminating a fuel supply to the fuel system and using the residual compressed air to create a reversed pressure differential in the fuel system relative to a forward pressure differential of the fuel system used to maintain fuel supply for engine operation, and under the reversed pressure differential substantially purging the fuel remaining in the system therefrom to a fuel source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Kevin Allan Dooley
  • Patent number: 7308794
    Abstract: An improved gas turbine engine combustor with a liner and a dome connected to the liner trough small radius transition portions only, the dome having a plurality of fuel nozzles mounted therein and an interior directly exposed to a combustion region of the combustor, the dome including a plurality of effusion cooling holes provided non-perpendicularly to an entry surface of the holes, the dome being substantially planar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Oleg Morenko, Bhawan Bhai Patel
  • Patent number: 6732529
    Abstract: A method for gas turbine engine off-load starting includes using a starter connected to a rotor of a gas turbine engine to start the gas turbine engine while terminating or reducing torque transmission from the starter to accessory devices until a gas turbine engine starting cycle is completed and the gas turbine engine is operating under a self-sustaining condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Stephen Arthur Anderson
  • Patent number: 7302802
    Abstract: A apparatus and method for improving combustion by improving at least one of temperature distribution in the combustor, pressure distribution around the combustor and combustion noise level in the combustor, by redistributing air around the combustor to modify the structure of the air flow prior to entry into the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Hisham Alkabie
  • Patent number: 8935925
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle sheath has a lateral opening for admitting air about a nozzle stem. The stress distribution along the perimeter of the window is smoothed out by increasing the corner radius of the window corner presenting higher stress concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Bhawan Patel, Nagaraja Rudrapatna
  • Publication number: 20140250896
    Abstract: The build-up of carbon deposition on the front face of a combustor heat shield is discouraged by jetting air out from the front face of the heat shield with sufficient momentum to push approaching fuel droplets or rich fuel-air mixture way from the heat shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Tin Cheung John HU, Robert SZE, Honza STASTNY
  • Patent number: 6983603
    Abstract: A system and a method for detecting gas turbine engine hot section condition using temperature measurements during engine operation. The system comprises a sensing unit for sensing a temperature distribution across a hot combustion gas stream generated by a gas turbine engine combustor. A signal processor receives temperature signals from the sensing unit and generates a combustor malfunction signal when the difference between a maximal temperature and a minimal temperature of the sensed temperature distribution is greater than a predetermined acceptable delta value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventor: Enzo Macchia
  • Patent number: 7950216
    Abstract: A fuel control system having a combustive energy value evaluator determining a combustive energy value of the fuel, and a controller calculating a desired flow rate based at least on the combustive energy value and controlling a fuel metering device such that the fuel flow rate corresponds to the desired fuel flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Kevin A. Dooley, Joseph Brand
  • Patent number: 11280232
    Abstract: Methods and Systems for monitoring an engine fluid level in a fluid recipient are described. In one example, the method comprises, during a fluid replenishing procedure, detecting when the fluid level reaches a level associated with the recipient being full; in response to the detecting, triggering a timer corresponding to a predetermined number of operating hours of the engine based on a fluid volume capacity of the fluid recipient; when the timer expires, verifying the fluid level; and issuing a first alert signal when the fluid level is at the level associated with the recipient being full and the timer has expired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Tatjana Pekovic, John Correia, Robert Pontarelli, Andre Ip