公开(公告)号：US12241421B1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US18753264

申请日：2024-06-25

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

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

IPC: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/06 ,  F02C7/36

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine comprising an engine core comprising 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 gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan; an oil loop system arranged to supply oil to the gearbox; and a heat exchange system comprising an air-oil heat exchanger through which the oil flows, a fuel-oil heat exchanger through which the oil and the fuel flow; and a valve arranged to allow a proportion of the oil sent via at least one of the heat exchangers to be varied, is disclosed, the method comprising controlling the valve such that, under cruise conditions, an oil flow ratio of: rate ⁢ of ⁢ oil ⁢ flow ⁢ into ⁢ air - oil ⁢ heat ⁢ exchanger rate ⁢ of ⁢ oil ⁢ flow ⁢ into ⁢ fuel - oil ⁢ heat ⁢ exchanger is in the range from 0 to 0.59.

公开(公告)号：US12163479B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US18125477

申请日：2023-03-23

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Craig W Bemment ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Paul W Ferra ,  Alastair G Hobday ,  Kevin R McNally ,  Andrea Minelli ,  Martin K Yates

IPC: F02C9/28 ,  B64D27/12 ,  B64D37/00 ,  B64D41/00

Abstract: The present application discloses a method of determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel suitable for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the gas turbine engine having a combustor supplied with fuel from a fuel system, the method comprising: determining a mass of the fuel being supplied to the combustor; determining a corresponding volume of the fuel being supplied to the combustor; and determining one or more fuel characteristics based on the determined mass and volume. Also disclosed is a fuel characteristic determination system, a method of operating an aircraft, and an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US12071894B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-27

申请号：US18337519

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: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/06 ,  F02C7/10 ,  F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/36

CPC classification number: F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/06 ,  F02C7/10 ,  F02C7/224 ,  F02C7/36 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2260/205 ,  F05D2260/213 ,  F05D2260/98

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine including an engine core and 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 main gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan via the fan shaft, the main gearbox including gears and journal bearings; a recirculating lubrication system arranged to supply oil to lubricate the gears and journal bearings, the lubrication system including a first oil tank arranged to supply oil to the gears and journal bearings and a second oil tank arranged to supply oil to the journal bearings only. The method includes, at cruise conditions: transferring 200-600 kJ/m3 of heat to the fuel from the oil through the heat exchange system so as to control the oil temperature.

公开(公告)号：US11815031B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-14

申请号：US17853074

申请日：2022-06-29

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Alastair G Hobday ,  Benjamin J Keeler ,  Christopher P Madden

IPC: F02C9/28 ,  B64D37/04 ,  B64D27/10 ,  G08G5/00

CPC classification number: F02C9/28 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D37/04 ,  G08G5/0034

Abstract: A method of operating an aircraft including a gas turbine engine and a plurality of fuel tanks arranged to provide fuel to the gas turbine engine, where at least two of the fuel tanks contain fuels with different fuel characteristics. The method includes obtaining a flight profile for a flight of the aircraft; and determining a fuelling schedule for the flight based on the flight profile and the fuel characteristics. The fuelling schedule governs the variation with time of how much fuel is drawn from each tank. Fuel input to the gas turbine engine may then be controlled in operation in accordance with the fuelling schedule.

公开(公告)号：US10151242B2

公开(公告)日：2018-12-11

申请号：US15672584

申请日：2017-08-09

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Benjamin J Keeler

IPC: F02C7/16 ,  F01D25/10 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/18 ,  F02C7/22

Abstract: An oil cooling system for an engine includes an oil input line configured to receive heated oil from a component, an oil cooler configured to cool oil and direct oil to an oil return line and a first bypass line configured to selectively bypass oil from the input line to the return line without passing through the oil cooler. The first bypass line includes a first oil pressure actuated valve urged toward a closed position, and configured to move toward an open position where a pressure differential across the valve exceeds first predetermined pressure. The first bypass line further includes a second oil pressure actuated valve urged toward an open position, and configured to move toward a closed position where pressure differential across the valve exceeds a second predetermined pressure. The second predetermined pressure is greater than first predetermined pressure, and the first and second valves are provided in series.

公开(公告)号：US12241415B1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US18753128

申请日：2024-06-25

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

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

IPC: F02C7/14 ,  F28D21/00

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine includes an engine core with a turbine, compressor, fuel combustor, and core shaft; a fan upstream of the engine core; a gearbox that receives an input from the core shaft and outputs drive to the fan; an oil loop system supplying oil to the gearbox; and a heat exchange system including: air-oil and fuel-oil heat exchangers, and wherein the oil loop system branches such that part of the oil flows along each branch and the air-oil and fuel-oil heat exchangers are parallel on different branches; and a modulation valve allows the oil sent via each branch to be varied, the method including controlling the heat exchange system wherein, under cruise conditions, a heat transfer ratio of: rate ⁢ of ⁢ heat ⁢ transfer ⁢ from ⁢ oil ⁢ to ⁢ air rate ⁢ of ⁢ heat ⁢ transfer ⁢ from ⁢ oil ⁢ to ⁢ fuel is in the range from 0 to 0.67.

公开(公告)号：US12158115B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-03

申请号：US18337568

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: F02C9/38 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/16 ,  F02C7/224

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine including: a combustor arranged to combust a fuel; and a fuel management system arranged to provide the fuel to the combustor, wherein the fuel management system includes two fuel-oil heat exchangers through which oil and fuel flow, which are arranged to transfer heat between the oil and fuel and include primary and secondary fuel-oil heat exchangers; a fuel pump arranged to deliver the fuel to the combustor, wherein the fuel pump is located between the heat exchangers; and a recirculation valve located downstream of the primary heat exchanger, the recirculation valve arranged to allow a controlled amount of fuel which has passed through the primary heat exchanger to be returned to the inlet. The method includes selecting one or more fuels such that the calorific value of the fuel provided to the gas turbine engine is at least 43.5 MJ/kg.

公开(公告)号：US12152496B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-26

申请号：US18138333

申请日：2023-04-24

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: The present application discloses a method of determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel suitable for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft. The method comprises: determining, during use of the gas turbine engine, one or more exhaust content parameters by performing a sensor measurement on an exhaust of the gas turbine engine; and determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the one or more exhaust parameters including the nvPM content of the exhaust. Also disclosed is a fuel characteristic determination system, a method of operating an aircraft, and an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US12078112B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-03

申请号：US18096858

申请日：2023-01-13

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: G01N21/33 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D47/00 ,  F02C9/00 ,  G01N21/3577 ,  G01N21/64 ,  G01N33/28 ,  B64D37/00 ,  G01N21/35

CPC classification number: F02C9/00 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D47/00 ,  G01N21/33 ,  G01N21/3577 ,  G01N21/64 ,  G01N33/287 ,  B64D37/00 ,  G01N2021/3595

Abstract: A fuel characteristic determination system and method for determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft. The system includes a sensor component that is formed from a nitrile seal material and includes a surface that can be exposed to the fuel; a sensor for measuring a swell parameter of the seal material; and a fuel characteristics determination module for determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the swell parameter. The method includes: exposing one or more seals of a fuel system of an aircraft to fuel within the fuel system; exposing a sensor component, made from the same material as the one or more seals, to the fuel; and measuring a swell parameter of the seal material.

公开(公告)号：US12006872B1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-11

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.