Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080219833 | Inducer for a Fan Blade of a Tip Turbine Engine - A fan-turbine rotor assembly for a tip turbine engine includes an inducer with an inducer inlet section and an inducer passage section in communication with a core airflow passage within a fan blade. Each inducer inlet section is canted toward a rotational direction of the fan-turbine rotor assembly such that the inducer inlet section operates as an air scoop during rotation of the fan-turbine rotor assembly. Both axial and centrifugal compression of the airflow occurs within the inducer passage section to effectively pump the airflow through the inducer section and into the core airflow passage. | 09-11-2008 |
20080226453 | Balanced Turbine Rotor Fan Blade for a Tip Turbine Engine - A fan-turbine rotor assembly for a tip turbine engine includes a multiple of fan blades, which include an inducer section ( | 09-18-2008 |
20080273976 | Variable rotor blade for gas turbine engine - A variable rotor blade mechanism for use in a gas turbine engine comprises a blade rotor, a blade, a harmonic drive system, a stepper motor and a bracket. The blade rotor rotates absolutely about an axial engine centerline during operation of the gas turbine engine. The blade extends radially from the blade rotor and is configured to be adjustable by rotation about a radial axis. The harmonic drive system is mounted to the blade rotor and connected to the blade to rotate the blade about the radial axis. The stepper motor drives the harmonic drive with relative rotational input with respect to the absolute rotation of the blade rotor. The bracket is disposed about the engine centerline and supports the stepper motor stationary with respect to the rotation of blade rotor such that the relative rotational input to the stepper motor is generated. | 11-06-2008 |
20090056343 | ENGINE MOUNTING CONFIGURATION FOR A TURBOFAN GAS TURBINE ENGINE - An engine mounting configuration reacts engine thrust at an aft mount. The engine mounting configuration reduces backbone bending of the engine, intermediate case distortion and frees-up space within the core nacelle. | 03-05-2009 |
20090071162 | PERIPHERAL COMBUSTOR FOR TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A tip turbine engine ( | 03-19-2009 |
20090107109 | Variable bypass turbine fan - An engine for powering a vehicle, such as a military aircraft or a commercial aircraft, is provided. The engine broadly comprises a main core with a plurality of spools with each spool having a plurality of compressor blades and a plurality of turbine blades attached thereto. One of the spools has a first set of fan blades attached thereto. The engine further has a variable bypass turbine fan formed by a second set of fan blades. The second set of fan blades is arranged outboard of the main core. The second set of fan blades may be decoupled from the first set of fan blades. | 04-30-2009 |
20090120058 | Tip Turbine Engine Integral Fan, Combustor, and Turbine Case - A tip turbine engine assembly includes an integral engine outer case located radially outward from a fan assembly. The integral outer case includes a rear portion and a forward portion with an arcuate portion that curves radially inwardly to form a compartment. An annular combustor is housed and mounted in the compartment. Fan inlet guide vanes are integrally formed with the arcuate portion to form the integral case portion. The rear portion, forward portion, and fan inlet guide vanes are integrally | 05-14-2009 |
20090133401 | COMBUSTOR FOR TURBINE ENGINE - A turbine engine includes an annular combustor having a combustion chamber defined between an annular outer wall and an annular inner wall. A diffuser case substantially encloses the annular outer and inner walls. A fuel nozzle extends through the diffuser case to an outlet that provides fuel to an interior chamber of the combustor. In one embodiment, front portions of the inner and outer walls curve toward one another and overlap to form an annular gap or manifold through which fuel is distributed to the combustion chamber. | 05-28-2009 |
20090142188 | SEAL ASSEMBLY FOR A FAN-TURBINE ROTOR OF A TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A seal assembly ( | 06-04-2009 |
20090145136 | TIP TURBINE ENGINE WITH MULTIPLE FAN AND TURBINE STAGES - A tip turbine engine ( | 06-11-2009 |
20090148272 | TIP TURBINE ENGINE AND OPERATING METHOD WITH REVERSE CORE AIRFLOW - A tip turbine engine ( | 06-11-2009 |
20090148273 | COMPRESSOR INLET GUIDE VANE FOR TIP TURBINE ENGINE AND CORRESPONDING CONTROL METHOD - A tip turbine engine ( | 06-11-2009 |
20090148276 | SEAL ASSEMBLY FOR A FAN ROTOR OF A TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A seal assembly ( | 06-11-2009 |
20090148287 | FAN BLADE WITH INTEGRAL DIFFUSER SECTION AND TIP TURBINE BLADE SECTION FOR A TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A fan-turbine rotor assembly for a tip turbine engine includes an outer periphery scalloped by a multitude of elongated openings which define an inducer receipt section to receive an inducer section and a hollow fan blade section. Each fan blade section includes a turbine section which extends from a diffuser section. | 06-11-2009 |
20090148297 | FAN-TURBINE ROTOR ASSEMBLY FOR A TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A fan-turbine rotor assembly ( | 06-11-2009 |
20090158748 | Direct induction combustor/generator - A combustor/coil assembly for direct electromagnetic induction from a detonation wave comprises an annular combustor, a magnetic field source and a port. The annular combustor comprises an inner liner and a coaxial outer liner. The outer liner is electrically insulated from the inner liner. The magnetic field source generates a substantially axial magnetic field inside the annular combustor. The port introduces reactants into the annular combustor to form the detonation wave. The detonation wave induces a voltage between the inner liner and the outer liner by forming a current loop between the inner liner and the outer liner. | 06-25-2009 |
20090162187 | COUNTER-ROTATING COMPRESSOR CASE AND ASSEMBLY METHOD FOR TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A tip turbine engine ( | 06-25-2009 |
20090169385 | FAN-TURBINE ROTOR ASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRAL INDUCER SECTION FOR A TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A fan-turbine rotor assembly for a tip turbine engine includes a fan hub with an outer periphery scalloped by a multitude of elongated openings which extend into a fan hub web. Each elongated opening defines an inducer section and a blade receipt section to retain a hollow fan blade section. The blade receipt section retains each of the hollow fan blade sections adjacent each inducer section. The inducer sections are cast directly into the fan hub which minimizes leakage between each fan blade section and each of the respective inducer sections to minimize airflow leakage and increase engine efficiency. | 07-02-2009 |
20090169386 | ANNULAR TURBINE RING ROTOR - A fan-turbine rotor assembly ( | 07-02-2009 |
20090232643 | Plurality of individually controlled inlet guide vanes in a turbofan engine and corresponding controlling method - A tip turbine engine according to the present invention includes a plurality of independently variable inlet guide vanes for the fan and/or for the compressor. An actuator is operatively coupled to each of the flaps, such that each actuator can selectively vary the flap of its associated inlet guide vane. In one embodiment, the inlet guide vanes each include a pivotably mounted flap that is variable independently of the flaps of at least some of the other inlet guide vanes. In another embodiment, the inlet guide vanes each include at least one fluid outlet or nozzle directing pressurized air, as controlled by the associated actuator, to control inlet distortion. | 09-17-2009 |
20090232650 | TIP TURBINE ENGINE AND CORRESPONDING OPERATING METHOD - A tip turbine engine has a more efficient core airflow path from the hollow fan blades, through the combustor and to the combustion chamber of a combustor. The turbine engine includes a rotatable fan having a plurality of radially-extending fan blades each defining compressor chambers extending radially therein. A turbine is mounted to the outer periphery of the fan. A diffuser at a radially outer end of each compressor chamber turns core airflow through the compressor chamber toward the combustor. The high velocity, high pressure core airflow from the compressor chambers in the hollow fan blades is diffused before the compressed core airflow enters the combustor, thereby improving the efficiency of the tip turbine engine. Further, the overall diameter of the tip turbine engine is reduced by the arrangement of the diffuser case in a position not directly radially outward of the fan blades. | 09-17-2009 |
20100263388 | Vapor cooled static turbine hardware - A cooling system for a gas turbine engine includes a non-rotating component extending into an engine flowpath, a vapor cooling assembly configured to transport thermal energy from a vaporization section to a condenser section through cyclical evaporation and condensation of a working medium sealed within the vapor cooling assembly, wherein the vaporization section is located at least partially within the non-rotating component, and wherein the condenser section is located outside the non-rotating component and away from the engine flowpath. | 10-21-2010 |
20120111018 | TIP TURBINE ENGINE WITH REVERSE CORE AIRFLOW - A tip turbine engine provides increased efficiency while eliminating or reducing the number of axial compressor stages by moving the core airflow inlet aft of the fan. As a result, the core airflow entering the core airflow inlet is the fan exhaust, which is already at an increased pressure. A portion of the fan exhaust is guided radially inward, then axially forward and then radially outward through compressor chambers in the hollow fan blades for further, centrifugal compression. | 05-10-2012 |
20120121425 | ANNULAR TURBINE RING ROTOR - A fan-turbine rotor assembly includes one or more turbine ring rotors. Each turbine ring rotor is cast as a single integral annular ring. By forming the turbine as one or more rings, leakage between adjacent blade platforms is minimized which increases engine efficiency. Assembly of the turbine ring rotors to the diffuser ring includes axial installation and radial locking of each turbine ring rotor. | 05-17-2012 |
20140219772 | INDIVIDUAL INLET GUIDE VANE CONTROL FOR TIP TURBINE ENGINE - A tip turbine engine according to the present invention includes a plurality of independently variable inlet guide vanes for the fan and/or for the compressor. An actuator is operatively coupled to each of the flaps, such that each actuator can selectively vary the flap of its associated inlet guide vane. In one embodiment, the inlet guide vanes each include a pivotably mounted flap that is variable independently of the flaps of at least some of the other inlet guide vanes. In another embodiment, the inlet guide vanes each include at least one fluid outlet or nozzle directing pressurized air, as controlled by the associated actuator, to control inlet distortion. | 08-07-2014 |