公开(公告)号：US12196133B1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US18753092

申请日：2024-06-25

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Andrea Minelli ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Kevin R McNally ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/06 ,  F02C7/36

Abstract: A method of operating an aircraft gas turbine engine including: a core including a turbine, a compressor, a combustor to combust fuel, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan upstream of the core; a fan shaft; a bearing supporting the fan shaft; an oil loop system supplying oil to the bearing; and a heat exchange system including: an air-oil heat exchanger through which oil in the oil loop system flows; and a fuel-oil heat exchanger through which oil in the oil loop system and fuel flow to transfer heat between the oil and the fuel; and a bypass pipe to allow a proportion of the oil to flow past one of the air-oil and the fuel-oil heat exchanger; and a bypass valve to allow the proportion of the oil sent through the bypass pipe to be varied.

公开(公告)号：US12152497B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-26

申请号：US18328225

申请日：2023-06-02

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  David M Beaven ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Alastair G Hobday ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Christopher P Madden ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F01D21/00 ,  F02C9/28

Abstract: A method of determining one or more fuel characteristic of an aviation fuel suitable for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft is disclosed. The method includes: determining, during use of the gas turbine engine, one or more contrail parameters related to contrail formation by the gas turbine engine. The determining of the one or more contrail parameters includes performing a sensor measurement on a region behind the gas turbine engine in which a contrail is or can be formed. The method also includes determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the one or more contrail parameters. A fuel characteristic determination system, a method of operating an aircraft and an aircraft are also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US12098677B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US18337497

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Alastair G Hobday ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Andrea Minelli ,  Andrew T Smith ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/32

CPC classification number: F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/32 ,  F05D2260/20

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine having an engine core having a turbine, a compressor, a combustor arranged to combust a fuel, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core; a fan shaft; a gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan via the fan shaft; a heat exchange system having at least one fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to transfer heat to the fuel; and a fuel pump arranged to deliver the fuel to the combustor, wherein the fuel pump is located downstream of the at least one fuel-oil heat exchanger. The method includes operating the gas turbine engine using a fuel having a lubricity of between 0.71 mm and 0.90 mm wear scar diameter (WSD) at 25° C.

公开(公告)号：US11994072B1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-28

申请号：US18337559

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Christopher P Madden ,  Andrea Minelli ,  Peter Swann ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/18 ,  F02C7/232 ,  F02C9/28

CPC classification number: F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/18 ,  F02C7/232 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2260/213 ,  F05D2270/303

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine is disclosed, the gas turbine engine comprising an engine core comprising a combustor arranged to burn a fuel; a turbine, the turbine comprising a plurality of turbine blades; a compressor arranged to be used as a source of cooling air for the turbine blades; and an inducer arranged to accelerate and direct the cooling air onto the turbine blades and comprising a plurality of airflow passageways and a modulating valve arranged to control cooling air flow into a subset of the passageways; and a fuel management system arranged to provide the fuel to the combustor, the fuel having a sulphur content of less than 30 ppm. The fuel management system comprises two fuel-oil heat exchangers through which oil and the fuel flow. The method comprises using the modulating valve to adjust the cooling air flow based on turbine inlet temperature.

公开(公告)号：US11708796B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-25

申请号：US17853103

申请日：2022-06-29

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  David M Beaven ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Alastair G Hobday ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Christopher P Madden ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C9/00 ,  F02C9/28

CPC classification number: F02C9/28 ,  F05D2260/80 ,  F05D2270/303 ,  F05D2270/304 ,  F05D2270/708 ,  F23N2221/10

Abstract: The present application discloses a method of determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel used for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft. The method comprises: determining one or more performance parameters of the gas turbine engine during a first time period of operation of the gas turbine engine; and determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the one or more performance parameters. A method of operating an aircraft, a fuel characteristic determination system, and an aircraft are also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US12168957B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-17

申请号：US18337603

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Kevin R McNally ,  Andrea Minelli

IPC: F02C7/224 ,  F23R3/28

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine is disclosed, the gas turbine engine comprising a fuel delivery system arranged to provide fuel; a combustor arranged to combust at least a proportion of the fuel; a primary fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to have up to 100% of the fuel provided by the fuel delivery system flow therethrough; and a secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to have a proportion of the fuel from the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger flow therethrough. Fuel is arranged to flow from the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger to the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger and oil is arranged to flow from the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger to the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger. The method comprises transferring 200-600 KJ/m3 of heat to the fuel from the oil in the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger at cruise conditions.

公开(公告)号：US12098679B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US18337615

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: Rolls-Royce plc

Inventor： Christopher P Madden ,  David M Beaven ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Paul W Ferra ,  Barani P Gunasekaran ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Peter Swann ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C7/262 ,  F23R3/34 ,  F02C7/22 ,  F02C7/264 ,  F02C9/46 ,  F23R3/28

CPC classification number: F02C7/262 ,  F23R3/343 ,  F02C7/222 ,  F02C7/264 ,  F02C9/46 ,  F23R3/28

Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine comprises a staged combustor comprising an arrangement of fuel spray nozzles in which fuel flow is biased to a subset of the nozzles adjacent one or more ignitors during a re-light procedure. The method comprises providing fuel to the combustor having a calorific value of at least 43.5 MJ/kg. Also disclosed is a gas turbine engine.

公开(公告)号：US12098675B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US18337546

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Kevin R McNally ,  Andrea Minelli

IPC: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/36 ,  F23K5/20

CPC classification number: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/36 ,  F23K5/20 ,  F05D2260/20 ,  F23K2300/204

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine, the engine including an engine core with a turbine, a compressor, a combustor arranged to combust a fuel, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan upstream of the engine core; a fan shaft; a main gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan via the fan shaft; a primary oil loop system to supply oil to lubricate the main gearbox; and a heat exchange system to transfer heat between the oil and the fuel, the oil having an average temperature of at least 180° C. on entry to the heat exchange system at cruise conditions. The method includes transferring heat from the oil to the fuel to lower the fuel viscosity to a value of less than or equal to 0.58 mm2/s on entry to the combustor at cruise conditions.

公开(公告)号：US11988144B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-21

申请号：US18337516

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Alastair G Hobday ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Christopher P Madden ,  Andrea Minelli ,  Andrew T Smith ,  Peter Swann ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/36

CPC classification number: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/36 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2260/213

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine including an engine core including a turbine, compressor, combustor to combust a fuel, and core shaft connecting the turbine and compressor; a fan upstream of the engine core; a fan shaft; a gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan via the fan shaft; a primary oil loop system to supply oil to the gearbox; and a heat exchange system. The method includes controlling the heat exchange system to adjust fuel viscosity to be lower than or equal to 0.58 mm2/s on entry to the combustor at cruise conditions.

公开(公告)号：US11920514B1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-05

申请号：US18337749

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Kevin R McNally ,  Andrea Minelli

IPC: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/16 ,  F02C7/22

CPC classification number: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/16 ,  F02C7/22 ,  F05D2260/213 ,  F05D2260/98

Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a fuel delivery system arranged to provide fuel; a combustor arranged to combust at least a proportion of the fuel; a primary fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to have up to 100% of the fuel provided by the fuel delivery system flow therethrough; and a secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger arranged to have a proportion of the fuel from the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger flow therethrough. Fuel is arranged to flow from the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger to the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger whereas oil is arranged to flow from the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger to the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger. The method includes using at least one of the primary fuel-oil heat exchanger and the secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger to heat the fuel so as to adjust the fuel viscosity to a maximum of 0.58 mm2/s on entry to the combustor at cruise conditions.