公开(公告)号：US12240614B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US18209136

申请日：2023-06-13

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

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

IPC: B64D37/04 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D41/00 ,  F02C7/22 ,  F02C9/26

Abstract: A power system for an aircraft includes one or more gas turbine engines arranged to burn a fuel so as to provide power to the aircraft; a plurality of fuel tanks each arranged to contain a fuel to be used to provide power to the aircraft; and a fuel manager. At least two of the fuel tanks contain different fuels, which have different proportions of a sustainable aviation fuel. The fuel manager is arranged to store information on the fuel contained in each fuel tank; and to control fuel supply so as to select a specific fuel accordingly to power at least the majority of operations on the ground. The fuel manager may additionally identify which tank contains the fuel with the highest proportion of a sustainable aviation fuel; and that fuel may be used to power at least the majority of operations on the ground.

公开(公告)号：US12180899B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-31

申请号：US17853191

申请日：2022-06-29

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Christopher P Madden

IPC: F02C9/26 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D37/30 ,  F02C7/22 ,  F23R3/36

Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft, including: staged combustion system having pilot fuel injectors and main fuel injectors, staged combustion system being operable in pilot-only range of operation and pilot-and-main range of operation; and fuel delivery regulator arranged to control delivery of fuel to pilot and main fuel injectors. Fuel delivery regulator arranged to receive fuel from a first fuel source containing a first fuel having a first fuel characteristic and a second fuel source containing a second fuel having a different second fuel characteristic. The fuel delivery regulator is arranged to deliver fuel to the pilot fuel injectors during at least part of the pilot-only range of operation having a different fuel characteristic from fuel delivered to one or both of the pilot and main fuel injectors during at least part of the pilot-and-main range of operation. A method of operating a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US12168958B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-17

申请号：US18211809

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Christopher P Madden ,  Craig W Bemment ,  Andrew T Smith ,  Peter Swann

IPC: F23R3/28 ,  B64D27/10 ,  F02C7/264

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine having a combustor having a combustion chamber and a plurality of fuel spray nozzles configured to inject fuel into the combustion chamber. The fuel spray nozzles have a first subset of fuel spray nozzles and a second subset of fuel spray nozzles. The combustor is operable in a condition in which the first subset of fuel spray nozzles are supplied with more fuel than the second subset of fuel spray nozzles. A ratio of the number of fuel spray nozzles in the first subset of fuel spray nozzles to the number of fuel spray nozzles in the second subset of fuel spray nozzles is in the range of 1:2 to 1:5. The method includes providing a fuel to the plurality of fuel spray nozzles having a calorific value of at least 43.5 MJ/kg. A gas turbine engine can be for an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US12123362B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-22

申请号：US18225427

申请日：2023-07-24

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  Christopher P Madden ,  Craig W Bemment

IPC: F02C9/40 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F23R3/34

CPC classification number: F02C9/40 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F23R3/343 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2270/08 ,  F05D2270/306 ,  F05D2270/31 ,  F05D2270/71

Abstract: An aircraft has first and second fuel sources containing fuels with different characteristics, and one or more gas turbine engines powered by the fuels and each having a staged combustion system having pilot and main fuel injectors and being operable in pilot-only and pilot-and-main ranges of operation. The gas turbine engines each have a fuel delivery regulator arranged to control fuel delivery to the pilot and main fuel injectors. The method includes: obtaining a proposed mission description; obtaining nvPM impact parameters for the gas turbine engines, the impact parameters being associated with each operating condition of the proposed mission; calculating an optimised set of one or more fuel characteristics for each flight condition of the proposed flight defined in the flight description based on the nvPM impact parameters; and determining a fuel allocation based on the optimised set of one or more fuel characteristics.

公开(公告)号：US12098684B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US18098433

申请日：2023-01-18

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  Christopher P Madden ,  Craig W Bemment

IPC: F02C9/40 ,  F02C9/28

CPC classification number: F02C9/40 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2220/80 ,  F05D2270/306 ,  F05D2270/31

Abstract: A aircraft gas turbine engine and operation method, the engine including: a staged combustion system having pilot and main fuel injectors, and operates in a pilot-only range wherein fuel delivers to pilot fuel injectors, and a pilot-and-main operation range wherein fuel is delivered to at least the main fuel injectors. The engine further includes a fuel delivery regulator to pilot and main fuel injectors, which receives fuel from a first and second source containing fuels each with different characteristics. The staged combustion system switches between pilot-only and pilot-and-main range operation when in steady cruise mode, the mode defining a boundary between first and second engine cruise operation range. The fuel delivery regulator delivers fuel to pilot fuel injectors during at least part of the first engine cruise operation with different fuel characteristics from fuel delivered to one or both pilot and main fuel injectors the second engine cruise operation range.

公开(公告)号：US12085029B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-10

申请号：US18084083

申请日：2022-12-19

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

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

IPC: F02C9/40 ,  F01D21/00 ,  F02C9/28

CPC classification number: F02C9/40 ,  F01D21/003 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2260/83 ,  F05D2270/07 ,  F05D2270/71

Abstract: A method of operating an aircraft that includes a propulsion system. The propulsion system includes a gas turbine engine and a fuel tank arranged to provide fuel to the gas turbine engine. The method includes: determining at least one fuel characteristic of the fuel arranged to be provided to the gas turbine engine; and controlling the propulsion system based on the at least one fuel characteristic.

公开(公告)号：US12060838B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-13

申请号：US18099490

申请日：2023-01-20

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 method of generating a maintenance schedule for an aircraft including one or more gas turbine engines powered by an aviation fuel. The method includes: determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel; and generating a maintenance schedule according to the one or more fuel characteristics. Also disclosed is a method of maintaining an aircraft, a maintenance schedule generation system and an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US12044177B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-23

申请号：US18337636

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: F02C7/224 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F23R3/28

CPC classification number: F02C7/224 ,  F02C9/28 ,  F23R3/28 ,  F05D2260/221

Abstract: A method of operating a gas turbine engine is disclosed, the gas turbine engine comprising a combustor arranged to combust a fuel; and a fuel management system arranged to provide the fuel to the combustor. The fuel management system comprises two fuel-oil heat exchangers through which oil and the fuel flow, the heat exchangers arranged to transfer heat to the fuel and comprising a primary fuel-oil heat exchanger and a secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger; and a fuel pump arranged to deliver the fuel to the combustor, wherein the fuel pump is located between the two heat exchangers. The method comprises controlling the fuel management system so as to transfer between 200 and 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：US11643978B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-09

申请号：US17570433

申请日：2022-01-07

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Peter Swann ,  Christopher P Madden

IPC: F02C9/28 ,  F23R3/34 ,  F02C7/22

CPC classification number: F02C9/28 ,  F23R3/343 ,  F02C7/22 ,  F05D2220/323 ,  F05D2270/07 ,  F05D2270/13 ,  F05D2270/303 ,  F05D2270/311 ,  F05D2270/313 ,  F05D2270/335

Abstract: An aircraft including lean-burn gas turbine engines operating in pilot-plus-mains mode with a given initial fuel flow W0, a method of controlling the optical depth of contrails produced by a first group of engines includes the steps of (i) reducing fuel flow to each engine in the first group to change the operation of each engine from pilot-plus-mains mode to pilot-only mode, and (ii) adjusting fuel flow to one or more engines in a second group of engines such that the total fuel flow to engines of the second group is increased, all engines of the second group remaining in pilot-plus-mains mode, and wherein the set of lean-burn engines consists of the first and second groups. Depending on atmospheric conditions, the average optical depth of contrails produced by the engines may be enhanced or reduced compared to when all engines operate in pilot-plus-mains mode with a fuel flow W0.

公开(公告)号：US11585278B1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-21

申请号：US17853144

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

Abstract: A method of determining one or more fuel characteristics of an aviation fuel for powering a gas turbine engine of an aircraft includes: measuring one or more trace substance parameters of the fuel, the one or more trace substance parameters each associated with a respective trace substance in the fuel; and determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the one or more trace substance parameters. Further, a fuel characteristic determination system, a method of operating an aircraft, and an aircraft.