公开(公告)号：US20250003592A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-02

申请号：US18882197

申请日：2024-09-11

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; the gas turbine engine includes a combustor. The combustor includes a combustion chamber and a plurality of fuel spray nozzles configured to inject fuel into the combustion chamber. The plurality of fuel spray nozzles includes 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 fuel to the one or more fuel-oil heat exchangers. Also provided is a gas turbine engine for an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US20230193838A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

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：US20240271566A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-15

申请号：US18643441

申请日：2024-04-23

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 gas turbine engine includes an engine core with a combustor; a turbine including turbine blades; a compressor as a source of cooling air for the turbine blades; and an inducer to accelerate and direct the cooling air onto the turbine blades, and a modulating valve to allow or block cooling air flow into a subset of airflow passageways of the inducer; and a fuel management system to provide fuel to the combustor. The fuel management system includes a primary fuel-oil heat exchanger and a secondary fuel-oil heat exchanger through which oil and the fuel flow, to transfer heat between the oil and the fuel. A method of operating the engine includes using the modulating valve to adjust the cooling air flow based on turbine inlet temperature; and 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：US20240209801A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

申请号：US18337545

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Christopher P. MADDEN ,  David M. BEAVEN ,  Craig W. BEMMENT ,  Paul W. FERRA ,  Benjamin J. KEELER ,  Peter SWANN ,  Martin K. YATES

IPC: F02C9/40 ,  F02C3/20 ,  F23R3/28

CPC classification number: F02C9/40 ,  F02C3/20 ,  F23R3/28 ,  F05D2240/35

Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a gas turbine engine, the gas turbine engine comprising: a rich burn, quick quench, lean burn (RQL) combustor having a number of fuel spray nozzles in the range 14-22 or a number of fuel spray nozzles per unit engine core size in the range 2 to 6. The method comprises operating the gas turbine engine such that a reduction of 10-70% in an average of particles/kg of nvPM in the exhaust of the gas turbine engine when the engine 10 is operating at 85% available thrust for given operating conditions and particles/kg of nvPM in the exhaust of the gas turbine engine when the engine is operating at 30% available thrust for the given operating conditions is obtained when a fuel provided to the combustor is a sustainable aviation fuel instead of a fossil-based hydrocarbon fuel.

公开(公告)号：US20240209779A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

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：US20230313743A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-05

申请号：US18328991

申请日：2023-06-05

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: F02C9/28

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

Abstract: The present application provides 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 includes: passing UV-visual spectrum light through the fuel; measuring a transmittance parameter indicating the transmittance of light through the fuel; determining one or more fuel characteristics of the fuel based on the transmittance parameter; and communicating the one or more fuel characteristic to a control module of the gas turbine engine or the aircraft. Also disclosed is a fuel characteristic determination system, a method of operating an aircraft, and an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US20230193831A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-22

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

CPC classification number: F02C9/00 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D47/00 ,  G01N33/287 ,  G01N21/64 ,  G01N21/33 ,  G01N21/3577 ,  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：US20210277839A1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-09

申请号：US17189663

申请日：2021-03-02

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Christopher P. MADDEN ,  Peter SWANN

IPC: F02C9/40

Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft. The gas turbine comprises a combustor, a fuel injection system connected with a source of fuel and configured to inject fuel into the combustor, a water injection system connected with a source of water and which is configured to inject water into the combustor, and a control system. The control system is configured to identify an atmospheric condition; determine a water-fuel ratio for injection into the combustor of the gas turbine engine in response to the atmospheric condition; and control injection of fuel and water by the fuel injection system and the water injection system according to said water-fuel ratio to control an soot emissions caused by combustion of fuel therein.

公开(公告)号：US20240209800A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

申请号：US18337531

申请日：2023-06-20

Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE plc

Inventor： Christopher P. MADDEN ,  David M. BEAVEN ,  Craig W. BEMMENT ,  Paul W. FERRA ,  Benjamin J. KEELER ,  Peter SWANN

IPC: B64D37/34 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/16 ,  F02C7/232 ,  F02C9/28

CPC classification number: B64D37/34 ,  F02C7/14 ,  F02C7/16 ,  F02C7/232 ,  F02C9/28

Abstract: Provided is a method of operating a gas turbine engine. The engine includes a combustor having a plurality of fuel spray nozzles and a fuel system arranged to provide fuel to the combustor. The system includes: fuel pump; fuel distributing valve downstream of the pump arranged to distribute fuel to the plurality of nozzles and bias fuel flow to the nozzles such that a first subset of the plurality of nozzles receives more fuel than a second subset of the plurality of nozzles; and fuel-oil heat exchanger. The method includes providing a fuel to the combustor and transferring heat from oil to the fuel in the fuel-oil heat exchanger before the fuel enters the combustor so as to lower a viscosity of the fuel to 0.58 mm2/s or lower on entry to the combustor at cruise conditions. Also provided is a gas turbine engine for an aircraft.

公开(公告)号：US20230366357A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-16

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

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

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.