Rolls-royce Corporation

David S Knott

Martyn Richards

Sivasubramaniam K Sathianathan

Peter Rowland Beckford

David R Midgelow

David Reginald Trainer

John Richard Webster

Kenneth Franklin Udall

Alan Robert Maguire

David Peter Scothern

Andrew Martin Rolt

Ewan Fergus Thompson

John J A Cullen

Alexis Lambourne

Christopher Freeman

Julian Mark Reed

Ian Graham Martindale

Gareth Edward Moore

Kevin A White

Michael R Lawson

Paul Simms

Jonathan P Throssell

David Geary

Aaron J Stevens

Cosimo Buffone

David M Lambert

Czeslaw Paluszkiewicz

Nicholas J Kemsley

Jennifer M Norris

Michael J King

Adrian M Jones

Robert M Hall

Martyn P Adams

Kenneth R Benson

A machine such as a ship's engine has a superconducting component requiring cooling for its operation, and includes a cooling system. The cooling system is operable in first and second modes. In a cool-down phase the cooling system is run in the first mode providing relatively high heat transfer from the superconducting component. On attainment of a desired operating temperature the cooling system is run in the second mode, providing lower heat transfer. This enables a reduced cool-down time of the machine, while allowing economical operation in normal service. The higher level of cooling in the first mode used during the start-up procedure can involve a colder cryogen, or a greater flow of coolant. One way of achieving the latter is to circulate the coolant in normally evacuated regions during the cool-down phase, and then re-establishing the vacuum in these regions for normal service operation.

Superconducting machines

A heat transfer arrangement for a fluid-washed body having first and second ends and a fluid-washed surface extending there-between. The arrangement includes a heat transfer member extending from the first end at least part way along the body towards the second end. A heat source is arranged in use to heat the heat transfer member in the vicinity of the first end of the body. A plurality of thermal control layers are provided on the heat transfer member, each of the layers having a different thermal conductivity and being juxtaposed so as to create a thermal conductivity profile which varies along the length of the member. The arrangement may be used for prevention of icing of an aerofoil body such as a blade, vane or the like.

Heat transfer arrangement for fluid-washed surfaces

A compressor is provided for pressurizing carbon dioxide produced by a carbon dioxide production plant and introducing the pressurized carbon dioxide to a carbon dioxide sequestration system. The compressor has a measuring system which determines the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the production plant. It also has a control system which varies the power of the compressor depending on the determined amount of produced carbon dioxide.

Compressor for pressurising carbon dioxide

A gas turbine engine arrangement comprises a first gas turbine engine, a second gas turbine engine, a differential gearbox and an electrical generator. The differential gearbox has a first input drive, a second input drive and an output drive. The output drive of the differential gearbox is arranged to drive the electrical generator via an external, accessory, gearbox. The external, accessory, gearbox drives other accessories. The first gas turbine is arranged to drive the first input drive of the differential gearbox and the second gas turbine engine is arranged to drive the second input drive of the differential gearbox. The electrical generator and accessories are driven at a constant frequency speed/frequency.

Gas turbine engine arrangement

A drive arrangement for driving, or for being driven by, a fluid is disclosed. The drive arrangement comprises a rotatable member () for receiving the fluid, and having mounted thereon a plurality of drive members (). The drive members () are movable between a drive position, in which the drive members can drive, or be driven by, the fluid, and a non-drive position in which the drive members () are substantially prevented from driving or being driven by a fluid received in the rotatable member ().

Drive arrangement

In order to achieve greater operational efficiency a propulsive arrangement is provided in which a relatively large number of small propulsive assembliesare provided in aircraft structures in particular the wing. The assembliescomprise a flow path within which a compressoris positioned to propel an air flow for propulsion. The compressorsare powered by electricity from an electricity generatorand possibly supplemented by solar cells or fuel cells or wing tip turbine generators. The assembliesare small to allow easy removal for maintenance and repair.

Propulsion arrangement

A database arrangement is provided which presents a user with a results table. This had two dimensions. Column headings show classification headings at a selected level of a classification structure. The rows are classified with additional identification of the content of data items within the database. Each point of the table shows the number of data items meeting the two criteria. The user can thus see the number of results available from various alternative refinements of a search strategy, before the search strategy is restricted.

Databases

An electrical power generation assembly comprising a main body having a low density to provide lift and wind driven means on its surface to generate electrical power. The main body has a part-circular, or a part-elliptical, cross section frontal region. The main body has a first distance and a second distance. The ratio of the first distance to the second distance is equal to or more than 0.5 and equal to or less than 5 according to the shape of the frontal region of the main body. The ratio of the diameter of the wind driven means to the first distance is equal to or less than 0.25.

Electrical power generation assembly

An indentor for contacting a bearing surface, the indentor comprising a contact surface complimentary to that of the bearing surface, wherein the indentor comprises an integral tapering portion which tapering portion defines part of the contact surface, the tapering portion at its distal edge defining an edge of contact between the contact surface and the bearing surface.

Indentor arrangement

A gas turbine engine fan blade ( ) comprises a root portion ( ) and an aerofoil portion ( ). The aerofoil portion ( ) has a leading edge ( ), a trailing edge ( ), a concave metal wall portion ( ) extending from the leading edge ( ) to the trailing edge ( ) and a convex metal wall portion ( ) extending from the leading edge ( ) to the trailing edge ( ). The aerofoil portion ( ) has a hollow interior ( ) and the interior ( ) of the aerofoil portion ( ) is at least partially filled with a vibration damping material ( ). The vibration damping material ( ) comprises a material having viscoelasticity for example one formed by mixing an amine terminated polymer and bisphenol a-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin.

Turbomachine blade

A turbofan gas turbine engine ( ) comprises a fan rotor ( ) carrying a plurality of radially extending fan blades ( ). A fan blade containment assembly ( ) surrounds the fan blades ( ) and the fan blade containment assembly ( ) comprises a generally annular, or frustoconical, cross-section casing ( ). At least one corrugated sheet metal ring surrounds the casing ( ) wherein the corrugations extend with axial and/or circumferential components.

Gas turbine engine blade containment assembly

A component (,) for a gas turbine engine rotor assembly comprises a wall member (,) for at least partially bridging a space between adjacent rotor blades (,) and a root member (,) for insertion into a groove in the rotor disc (,) of the rotor assembly. The root member (,) includes bearing surfaces (,) for bearing against complementary surfaces (,) in the groove on rotation of the disc. The annulus filler (,) comprises a plurality of layers of carbon fiber reinforced plastics material, the layers being oriented substantially perpendicular to the bearing surfaces (,).

Relating to bladed structures for fluid flow propulsion engines

A seal arrangement (,) between relatively movable components (,) includes at least one magnet (,) on a first component (,) and at least one magnet (,) on the second component (,). A clearance (,) is defined between the at least one magnet (,) on the first component (,) and the at least one magnet (,) on the second component (,). Springs (,) bias the at least one magnet (,) on the first component (,) and the at least one magnet (,) on the second component (,) towards each other. The at least one magnet (,) on the first component (,) and the at least one magnet (,) on the second component (,) are arranged to repel each other against the spring (,) to control the clearance (,).

Seal arrangement

A fan rotor assembly (30) for a gas turbine engine (10) comprises a fan rotor (32) and a plurality of radially extending fan blades (34). Each fan blade (34) has a root (64) which is retained in a corresponding groove (54) in the periphery of the hub (54) of the fan rotor (32). Each fan blade root (64) comprises four axially spaced root portions (66, 68, 70 and 72) which locate in a corresponding number of axially spaced groove portions (56, 58, 60 and 62). The flanks (94, 98) of two of the root portions (66, 70) are arranged at an angle to the axis of the fan rotor (32) and the flanks (96, 100) of the other two root portions (68, 72) are arranged at an angle in the opposite sense. The flanks (74, 76, 78 and 80) of the groove portions (56, 58, 60 and 62) are arranged at the same angle as the flanks (94, 96, 98 and 100) of the corresponding root portions (66, 68, 70 and 72). The arrangement provides improved retention of the fan blades (34) and reduces the weight of the fan blades (34) and fan rotor (32).

Rotor assembly

A fan for a gas turbine engine comprises a rotary disc carrying an annular array of radially extending fan blades. Each fan blade has a root portion which is radially constrained within a generally axially extending groove formed within a disc rim. The blade root comprises two portions each radially convergent toward one another with respect to the axis of rotation of the disc. The groove within the disc also comprises two base portions each being correspondingly radially convergent toward one another. Axial retention of the blade root within the groove is achieved by the centrifugal component of the blade load acting in an opposite direction to any applied axial load in the forward or rearward direction.

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Loughborough, United Kingdom

David S Knott