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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8161754 | Continuously variable flow nozzle assembly Varying the fan nozzle flow area in a gas turbine engine allows adjustment of the bypass flow for varying operational conditions such as cruise and take off. However, care must be taken with regard to variation in order not to introduce drag or operational susceptib... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8122723 | Adjustment assembly A fluid flow control device (26, 28) comprising a guide member (30) to guide a fluid passing through a duct (22, 24, 76), the guide member (30) being movable between first and second positions; and an urging arrangement (32) capabl... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8117847 | Hybrid missile propulsion system with reconfigurable multinozzle grid A propulsion system, such as for use in a missile, includes a multinozzle grid having a pair of plates that are separably mechanically coupled together. When coupled together in a first configuration, the plates provide multiple nozzles in a first nozzle configurati... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8020386 | Rollertrack pivoting axi-nozzle A mechanism included in a convergent-divergent nozzle connected to an aftward portion of a gas turbine engine, which mechanism includes at least one actuator configured to be connected to the aftward portion of the engine and to move through one or more positions, a... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7966828 | Variable area nozzle with woven sleeve extension A variable area fan nozzle for use with a gas turbine engine system includes a nozzle section that is attachable to a gas turbine engine for influencing flow through the fan bypass passage of the gas turbine engine. The nozzle section is movable between a first leng... | 06/28/2011 |
| 7950237 | Managing spool bearing load using variable area flow nozzle A turbine engine provides a spool supporting a turbine. The spool is arranged in a core nacelle and includes a thrust bearing. A fan is arranged upstream from the core nacelle and is coupled to the spool. A fan nacelle surrounds the fan and core nacelle and provides... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7874160 | Nozzle-area ratio float bias A mechanism included in a convergent-divergent nozzle connected to an aft portion of a gas turbine engine, which mechanism includes a convergent flap configured to be kinematically connected to the aft portion of the gas turbine engine, a divergent flap pivotally co... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7854124 | Combined control for supplying cooling air and support air in a turbine engine nozzle A balance pressure control is provided for flaps which pivot in a rear of a gas turbine engine nozzle to change the cross-sectional area of the nozzle. An actuator drives a sync ring to move the flaps through a linkage. A supply of pressurized air is also provided t... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7849695 | Rocket thruster comprising load-balanced pintle valve A rocket thruster of this invention includes a nozzle and a valve assembly. The valve subassembly includes a pintle with a head portion, which has a truncated substantially conical surface region facing and concentric with converging and throat regions of the nozzle... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7802432 | Multiple vane variable geometry nozzle Nozzles having variable geometry are disclosed that are comprised of a plurality of vanes that contact one another and can slide with respect to one another. A control element forces the vanes to slide, with contacting sides of the vanes defining an inner flow path ... | 09/28/2010 |
| 7797944 | Gas turbine engine having slim-line nacelle A nacelle assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a nacelle, a variable area fan nozzle, a sensor that detects a windmilling condition and a controller that communicates with the sensor. The variable area fan nozzle is moveable between a first position having a f... | 09/21/2010 |
| 7762078 | Nozzle with temperature-responsive throat diameter Nozzles that offer shape variability to maintain or purposely change the pressure drop across the throat are obtained by constructing the nozzles with components that change their shape, angle, or curvature in response to temperature changes that occur during the fl... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7721550 | Aircraft engine exhaust flap curved strut slot An aircraft engine nozzle assembly includes an adjustable flap portion that is movable about a pivot for changing the size of an exhaust exit area. A bracket having a curved slot establishes a range of possible movement of the flap portion. A link includes a guide m... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7721551 | Fan variable area nozzle for a gas turbine engine fan nacelle A fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) selectively rotates a synchronizing ring relative the static ring to adjust a flap assembly through a linkage to vary an annular fan exit area through which fan air is discharged. By adjusting the FVAN, engine thrust and fuel econom... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7716932 | Dilating fan duct nozzle A turbofan engine includes an engine core and a ducted fan assembly, with the ducted fan assembly including an annular cowling and a dilating fan duct nozzle. The nozzle includes continuous nozzle sections with intermeshing tiles. The tiles include drive tiles that ... | 05/18/2010 |
| 7685825 | Axially split nozzle liner for convergent nozzle A convergent/divergent nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes liners that are attached to the convergent flaps and seals. The liner is formed of two separate plates. By splitting the liner into two separate plates, a thermal break is provided between the two. Ther... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7624579 | Convergent divergent nozzle with supported divergent seals A nozzle system includes a multitude of circumferentially distributed divergent seals that circumscribe an engine centerline. Each divergent seal includes an interface between a forward seal bridge bracket and an aft seal bridge bracket with a forward bridge support... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7587899 | Shape memory alloy actuated adaptive exhaust nozzle for jet engine The proposed adaptive exhaust nozzle features an innovative use of the shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators for actively control of the opening area of the exhaust nozzle for jet engines. The SMA actuators remotely control the opening area of the exhaust nozzle throug... | 09/15/2009 |
| 7578133 | Reduced radar cross section exhaust nozzle assembly An exhaust nozzle assembly includes a plurality of interfitting flap assemblies that are moveable between a maximum area ratio and a minimum area ratio. Each of the pluralities of flap assemblies includes a slot and a wing. The wing fits within an adjacent slot of a... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7571610 | Extendible exhaust nozzle bell for a rocket engine Extendible exhaust nozzle bell for rocket engine of aircraft or spacecraft includes a first part with smaller diameter fixedly arranged on motor of engine and a second part with larger diameter arranged in flexible manner with respect to first part. In a front stowe... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7568348 | Nozzle assembly for rocket and ramjet applications A nozzle assembly for thrust or thrust vector control of a rocket or ramjet, comprising an elongated nozzle housing and a pair of vane members mounted for pivotal movement within a central portion of the nozzle housing. The vane members extend vertically or transver... | 08/04/2009 |
| 7555904 | Thermally compliant rivet connection for connecting turbine engine liner to convergent flap and seal for turbine nozzle A bracket for attaching a liner to the divergent flaps and seals in a gas turbine engine convergent/divergent nozzle includes a rivet connection. There is clearance between a rivet and an opening in the bracket. This clearance allows for thermal expansion in both an... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7546738 | Turbine engine nozzle A turbine engine nozzle assembly has an upstream flap and a downstream flap pivotally coupled thereto for relative rotation about a hinge axis. An actuator linkage is coupled to the flaps for actuating the nozzle between a number of throat area conditions. First and... | 06/16/2009 |
| 7533533 | Jet engine with a variable section nozzle of which at least one flap pivots about a pin, pins for flaps The jet engine of the invention comprises an exhaust nozzle of variable section, comprising at least one flap pivot mounted about a pin, the pin being joined to the fixed structure of the jet engine via two braces each comprising a bore for housing the pin, the flap... | 05/19/2009 |
| 7520135 | Variable-section turbomachine nozzle A variable-section turbomachine nozzle comprises a plurality of moving flaps, and a moving flap control system comprising control levers each associated with a respective moving flap, the control levers comprising both controlled levers that are actuated directly by... | 04/21/2009 |
| 7475548 | Vectorable nozzle with pivotable triangular panels A vectorable nozzle includes convergent and divergent sections and a throat therebetween. Heightwise spaced apart upper and lower walls outwardly bound a nozzle flowpath and extend aftwardly through the convergent and divergent sections from the nozzle inlet to the ... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7475547 | Convergent turbojet exhaust nozzle A convergent turbojet exhaust nozzle comprising a ring of hinged flaps made up of controlled flaps and of follower flaps disposed in alternation and co-operating at their upstream ends with a peripheral sealing gasket arranged at the outlet from an afterburner chann... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7458221 | Variable area nozzle including a plurality of convexly vanes with a crowned contour, in a vane to vane sealing arrangement and with nonuniform lengths A variable area nozzle comprising a concentric support and a plurality of convexly contoured self sealing vanes is disclosed and claimed. The vanes are circumferentially and rotatably mounted to the concentric support forming a nozzle infinitely positionable between... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7377099 | System and method for cooling lateral edge regions of a divergent seal of an axisymmetric nozzle An axisymmetric nozzle for a gas turbine engine has divergent flaps and seals disposed about a central longitudinal axis thereof. The divergent flaps and seals each have an inner surface defining cooling air inlet holes at an upstream portion, cooling air exit holes... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7310949 | Method and apparatus for arresting a crack within a body An inseparable assembly includes a body having a first surface and a second surface. The body includes an oxide-based ceramic matrix composite material having a first predetermined ductility. The assembly further includes a crack extending through the body between t... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7302793 | Methods and apparatus to reduce turbine engine nozzle basesheet stresses A method facilitates assembling a flap system for a gas turbine engine exhaust nozzle including at least one backbone assembly. The method comprises providing a basesheet including a pair of circumferentially-spaced sides coupled together by an upstream side and a d... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7299636 | Extendible exhaust nozzle bell for a rocket engine An exhaust nozzle bell for a rocket engine including a first part arranged on a motor of the rocket engine, and a second part coupled to the first part. The second part having a stowed position in which the second part surrounds the first part and is positioned clos... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7287369 | Method for extending a nozzle and extended nozzle for rocket drives A method for extending a nozzle for a rocket engine is described, in which at least one second region of the contour of the nozzle is arranged as an extension of a first region of the contour of the nozzle. This extension of the first region by the second region occ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7284709 | System and method for hydronic space heating with electrical power generation This invention provides a system and method for cogeneration of electric power and building heat that efficiently interfaces a liquid-cooled electric power generator with a multi-zone forced hot water (hydronic) space heating system. The system and method utilizes a... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7269951 | Throat retention apparatus for hot gas applications A nozzle for use in a hot gas valve is provided that includes a housing, an insert, and a throat retainer. The housing is constructed of an insulating material and has a flow path formed therein. The flow path has a throat section. The insert is made of material cap... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7264203 | Spider actuated thrust reverser A thrust reverser includes reverser doors circumferentially spaced around a nacelle. An arcuate yoke is disposed coaxially around the nacelle. An actuator is mounted tangentially to the yoke for rotary movement thereof. Actuator rods join the doors to the yoke for s... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7225622 | Turbine engine nozzle A turbine engine nozzle assembly has an upstream flap and a downstream flap pivotally coupled thereto for relative rotation about a hinge axis. An actuator linkage is coupled to the downstream flap along a forward portion thereof for actuating the upstream flaps and... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7213393 | Device for supplying cooling air to exhaust nozzle flaps A device for supplying cooling air to a hollow flap of an exhaust nozzle in a turbojet engine. The device includes a tube connecting the hollow flap to a cooling air source. The tube comprises at least one telescopic portion and at least one ball-joint connection. | 05/08/2007 |
| 7200999 | Arrangement for bleeding the boundary layer from an aircraft engine An aircraft engine comprising a nacelle, a first wall and fan outlet guide vanes. The fan outlet guide vanes comprises a plurality of stator vanes extending between a second wall and a third wall. The nacelle having apertures at a region of low pressure. A means to ... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7178325 | Divergent flap for a gas turbine engine A divergent flap assembly of a gas turbine engine includes a hotsheet, a backbone structure for supporting the hotsheet, and a plow portion secured to the backbone structure to bridge a gap between the hotsheet and an external flap. The plow portion is fabricated fr... | 02/20/2007 |
