Windage cover that covers fasteners coupling a ring gear assembly to an output shaft
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12055059
A windage cover for a plurality of fasteners coupling a ring gear assembly to an output shaft. The windage cover includes a clip retention member abutting an integral cover shell of the output shaft, and a foot portion configured to be inserted into a pilot groove between an integral lip and an arm portion of the output shaft. The windage cover also includes a wall portion connected to the foot portion, the wall portion being retained at one end of the wall portion by the clip retention…
Light weight fan casing configurations for energy absorption
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12055054
Light weight fan casing configurations for energy absorption are disclosed herein. An apparatus includes a first set of metal bands positioned within a containment casing of a turbofan engine, and a second set of metal bands traversing the first set of metal bands, the first set of metal bands and the second set of metal bands to surround at least a portion of the turbofan engine.
Curved beams stacked structures-compliant shrouds
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12055046
Curved beams stacked structures-compliant shrouds for gas turbine engines are disclosed. An example shroud assembly comprising a plurality of concave curved beams, a plurality of convex curved beams, and a plurality of bumpers, wherein a first concave curved beam of the plurality of concave curved beams is inversely coupled to a first convex curved beam of the plurality of convex curved beams, a second concave curved beam of the plurality of concave curved beams, inversely coupled to a…
Resin for production of porous ceramic stereolithography and methods of its use
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12054437
A ceramic resin is provided, along with its methods of formation and use. The ceramic resin may include a crosslinkable precursor, a photoinitiator, ceramic particles, and pore forming particles. The ceramic resin may be utilized to form a ceramic casting element, such as via a method that includes forming a layer of the ceramic resin; applying light onto the ceramic resin such that the photoinitiator initiates polymerization of the crosslinkable precursor to form a crosslinked polymeric…
Ceramic matrix composite structures with controlled microstructures fabricated using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI)
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12054432
According to a method set forth herein a plurality of preform plies having first and second preform plies can be associated together to define a preform. The preform can be subject to chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) processing to define a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) structure.
Active clearance control of fan blade tip closure using a variable sleeve system
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049828
Variable sleeve clearance control systems for gas turbine engines are disclosed. An example variable sleeve clearance control system for a gas turbine engine includes a sleeve comprising a first end and a second end, the first end of the sleeve coupled to a first spring that biases the sleeve inward, and the second end of the sleeve coupled to a second spring that biases the sleeve outward, a proximity sensor to measure a clearance width, and a controller for each of the first and second…
Electric machine
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12051952
A stator core is provided that can define a plurality of core slots in a surface thereof. The core slots can extend between a first and a second end portion of the stator core. A winding can be housed in the core slots. The winding can define a channel through at least a portion thereof. A cooling system can be operably coupled with the channel and can be configured to move a cooling fluid through the channel. A turbulator can be positioned within the channel. The turbulator can be…
Overall engine efficiency rating for turbomachine engines
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049849
A turbomachine engine can include a fan assembly, a vane assembly, a core engine, a gearbox, and an overall engine efficiency rating. The fan assembly can include a plurality of fan blades. The vane assembly can include a plurality of vanes, and the vanes can, in some instances, be disposed aft of the fan blades. The core engine can include a low-pressure turbine. The gearbox includes an input and an output. The input of the gearbox is coupled to the low-pressure turbine of the core…
Variable bleed valves with struts for aerodynamic stability
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049845
Variable bleed valves with struts for aerodynamic stability are described. An apparatus described herein includes a variable bleed valve port, and a strut disposed within the variable bleed valve port, the strut defining a plane and a plurality of holes disposed perpendicularly to the plane, the plurality of holes disposed in a pattern to dampen an acoustic response associated with the variable bleed valve port.
Rotor disks with disk post inserts and methods of assembling the same
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049833
A rotor disk for a gas turbine engine includes disk posts extending in a radial direction from a disk body. Each of the disk posts includes an insert receiving slot extending axially through the disk post and a disk post pressure surface. Disk post inserts are assembled within the insert receiving slots of each of the disk posts. A blade is retained by disk post pressure surfaces of each of the disk posts.
Low-noise blade for an open rotor
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049306
A blade for an open rotor includes a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure side and the suction side intersecting at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein for at least 30% of a span of the blade, the meanline of the airfoil section is shaped such that a relative curvature parameter is greater than 1.2 in a first region, less than 0.75 in a second region, and greater than 0.9 in a third region, wherein the relative curvature parameter of a region is defined by…
Platelet activation and growth factor release using electric pulses
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12042526
Methods and systems for releasing growth factors are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a blood sample is exposed to a sequence of one or more electric pulses to trigger release of a growth factor in the sample. In certain embodiments, the growth factor release is not accompanied by clotting within the blood sample.
Sump arrangement for a gas turbine engine
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12044169
A gas turbine engine including a compressor section including a compressor and a turbine section located downstream of the compressor section. The turbine section including a high pressure turbine, a low pressure turbine, a sump positioned between the high pressure turbine and the low pressure turbine, and a rotating cross flow arrangement defining a plurality of guiding passages fluidly coupling the compressor to the sump.
Segmented leading edge guards
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12044147
Examples disclosed herein include a fan blade of a gas turbine engine. The disclosed fan blade includes a main body having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The fan blade includes a leading edge guard covering the leading edge and a leading section of the main body adjacent to the leading edge. The leading edge guard includes a plurality of leading edge guard segments consecutively arranged in a spanwise direction along the leading edge of the fan blade. Each of the plurality of…
Method of operating a fuel cell assembly for an aircraft
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12043406
A method of operating a fuel cell assembly for an aircraft is provided. The method includes: receiving flight load predictor data for a scheduled flight of the aircraft prior to initiation of the scheduled flight of the aircraft; and reconfiguring the fuel cell assembly in response to the received flight load predictor data prior to the initiation of the scheduled flight of the aircraft, wherein reconfiguring the fuel cell assembly comprises adding or removing a fuel cell module to or…
Hybrid propulsion system for use during uncommanded thrust loss and method of operating
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12043399
A hybrid-electric propulsion system includes a propulsor, a turbomachine, and an electrical system having an electric machine coupled to the turbomachine. A method for operating the propulsion system includes operating, by one or more computing devices, the turbomachine to rotate the propulsor and generate thrust for the aircraft; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, data indicative of an un-commanded loss of the thrust generated from the turbomachine rotating the propulsor;…
Rotating airfoil assembly
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12043368
A rotating airfoil including a body and a vibration absorber located within the body. The body has a root end and a tip. The rotating airfoil has a natural frequency, and the vibration absorber has a natural frequency. The natural frequency of the vibration absorber is different than the natural frequency of the rotating airfoil.
Additive manufacturing apparatuses and methods
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12042988
Additive manufacturing apparatuses, components of additive manufacturing apparatuses, and methods of using such manufacturing apparatuses and components are disclosed. An additive manufacturing apparatus may include a recoat head for distributing build material in a build area, a print head for depositing material in the build area, one or more actuators for moving the recoat head and the print head relative to the build area, and a cleaning station for cleaning the print head.
Additive manufacturing apparatus and fluid flow mechanism
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12042866
An additive manufacturing (AM) apparatus is provided, having a build unit including a powder delivery mechanism, a powder recoating mechanism, and an irradiation beam directing mechanism. The AM apparatus further includes a rotatable build platform having an inner diameter and an outer diameter. A fluid flow mechanism includes an inlet body forming an inlet plenum and a collector body extended from the inlet body. The collector body forms a collector plenum in fluid communication with…
Casting assembly
Granted: July 23, 2024
Patent Number:
12042848
A casting assembly includes at least a first body and a second body. The first body can be a core and the second body can be a shell. The first body has a first interior surface and a first exterior surface. The second body has a second interior surface spaced from a second exterior surface. A portion of the second interior surface is spaced from and facing the first exterior surface. The first body having a casting hollow, where the casting hollow is at least partially defined by the…
