Textron Innovations Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Keith David Weaver

Andrew Jordan Birkenheuer

Nicholas James Plagianos

Thomas Mast

Michael P Pujol

Thomas Dewey Parsons

Paul Madej

Karl R Burge

Karl Burge

Chris James Ludtke

Richard G Otten

David M Angell

David Angell

Scott David Poster

John Robert Wittmaak, Jr

Jon Damon Bennett

David Michael Tiedeman

Brennan Loyd Stults

Richard Lee Thackway

Stephen Dickison

Embodiments are directed to a rotorcraft comprising an airframe having an engine compartment, an engine disposed within the engine compartment, at least one fire bottle configured to hold a fire extinguishing agent, at least one agent tube coupled to the fire bottle and configured to carry the fire extinguishing agent to the engine compartment, and a nozzle on the at least one agent tube, the nozzle positioned below the engine and oriented in a upward-facing direction. The nozzle has at least one opening that is closed by a spring-loaded valve.

Fire extinguishing discharge nozzle for helicopter engine compartment

An aircraft nacelle includes a forward cruise inlet, a forward-cruise-inlet conduit coupled to the forward cruise inlet and operable to supply air from the forward cruise inlet to an engine housed by the aircraft nacelle, an inlet barrier filter, an inlet-barrier-filter compartment coupled to the inlet barrier filter, a plurality of gills coupled between the inlet-barrier-filter compartment and the engine and operable to be in an open state and a closed state, a filter-purge door coupled to the inlet-barrier-filter compartment and operable to be in a closed state and an open state. When the plurality of gills are in the closed state and the filter-purge door is in the open state, air from the filter-purge door flows from the inlet-barrier-filter compartment through the inlet barrier filter.

Ram filter purge system

A method and system for controlling a fluid valve are described that avoid the effects of hysteresis. In hysteresis, the power signals associated with a valve position are different on the upstroke and downstroke. As a result, predicting the valve position can be difficult if you only know the current power signal. Instead of using upstrokes and downstrokes, a valve can momentarily be set to zero power, or a rest position when receiving a new command signal. This way the command signal is applied from a zero power or rest position, making the valve position more predictable and accurate.

Modulating butterfly valve control

A transition duct assembly includes a shared connector, and a plurality of primary cooling pathways for cooling one or more systems or components. Each primary cooling pathway includes a transition duct in fluid communication with the shared connector, and a transition connector in fluid communication with the transition duct.

Articulating bifurcated integrated transition duct assembly

Embodiments are directed to a rotorcraft comprising an airframe having an engine compartment, an engine disposed within the engine compartment, at least one fire bottle configured to hold a fire extinguishing agent, at least one agent tube coupled to the fire bottle and configured to carry the fire extinguishing agent to the engine compartment, and a nozzle on the at least one agent tube, the nozzle positioned above the engine and oriented in a downward-facing direction. The nozzle has at least one opening and is configured to allow liquid to drain out of the at least one opening instead of allowing the liquid to flow into the at least one agent tube. The nozzle may have a chamfer opening that faces downward.

A thermal management system and method includes: a drive shaft; one or more fans or impellers in fluid communication with at least a portion of the drive shaft; and one or more air management baffles configured to direct air flow between the impeller and the portion of the drive shaft. In one embodiment, the system and method further includes insulation positioned about the at least a portion of the drive shaft.

Active thermal management for fire-tolerant drive systems

A cooling apparatus includes a shared cooling device for one or more systems or components, and a plurality of primary cooling pathways. Each of the primary cooling pathways includes a transition duct and a fan. The transition duct is in fluid communication with the shared cooling device. The fan is in fluid communication with the transition duct.

Redundant cooling system

A duct interface system and method includes a duct having a first end and a second end; a first receptacle for the first end of the duct and/or a second receptacle for the second end of the duct; and one or more first seals between the first end of the duct and the first receptacle and/or one or more second seals between the second end of the duct and the second receptacle.

Floating ducts

A gas-leak management system including a primary duct; and a leak-management duct, at least a portion of the leak-management duct surrounding at least a portion of the primary duct, wherein the leak-management duct includes a gap between the portion of the primary duct and the portion of the leak-management duct, and including one or more vent holes in fluid communication with the gap.

Growing community of inventors

North Richland Hills, TX, United States of America

Keith David Weaver