# US 12,215,628 B2 · Aircraft system with gas turbine engine powered compressor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,628 B2 - Document ID: US12215628B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/091,860 - Filed: 2022-12-30 - Published: 2024-01-25 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-22 - Assignees: Rtx Corporation - Applicants: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Steven W. Burd; Christopher A. Eckett - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215628B2 ## CPC - F02C 7/32: Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries - F02C 7/36: Power transmission arrangements between the different shafts of the gas turbine plant, or between the gas-turbine plant and the power user ({F02C3/107 - F02C3/13 and} F02C7/32 take precedence; couplings for transmitting rotation F16D; gearing in general F16H) - F02C 3/073: the compressor and turbine stages being concentric - F02C 3/10: with another turbine driving an output shaft but not driving the compressor - F02C 3/113: with variable power transmission between rotors - F02C 3/14: characterised by the arrangement of the combustion chamber in the plant (combustion chambers per se F23R; F02C3/205 takes precedence) - F02C 6/18: using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) - F02C 6/206: {the vehicles being airscrew driven} - F02K 3/06: with front fan - F05D 2220/323: for aircraft propulsion, e.g. jet engines - F05D 2220/50: for auxiliary power units (APU's) - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F02K: JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (features of jet-propulsion plants common to gas-turbine plants, air intakes or fuel supply control of air-breathing jet-propulsion plants F02C7/00, F02C9/00) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract An aircraft system is provided that includes a gas turbine engine, a gearbox and at least one compressor. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a turbine section, a combustor section and a rotating structure. The combustor section is fluidly coupled with and between the compressor section and the turbine section. The rotating structure includes a compressor section rotor within the compressor section and a turbine section rotor within the turbine section. The at least one compressor includes a compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox. The gas turbine engine may be dedicated to powering the at least one compressor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft system, comprising: a gas turbine engine including a compressor section, a turbine section, a combustor section and a rotating structure, the combustor section fluidly coupled with and between the compressor section and the turbine section, and the rotating structure including a compressor section rotor within the compressor section and a turbine section rotor within the turbine section; an engine flowpath extending sequentially through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section; a gearbox; at least one compressor including a compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox, wherein the gas turbine engine is dedicated to powering the at least one compressor, and the at least one compressor comprises a centrifugal flow compressor; and a compressor flowpath extending through the at least one compressor to at least one fluid component outside of the gas turbine engine, wherein the compressor flowpath is discrete from the engine flowpath. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the gearbox is configured as a constant speed transmission between the rotating structure and the compressor rotor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the gearbox is configured as a variable speed transmission between the rotating structure and the compressor rotor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising a driven rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the driven rotor is rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of the compressor rotor; and the compressor rotor is rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of the driven rotor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the driven rotor comprises a propulsor rotor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising a second compressor including a second compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The aircraft system of claim 7, wherein the second compressor rotor is rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of the compressor rotor; and the compressor rotor is rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of the second compressor rotor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The aircraft system of claim 7, wherein a second compressor flowpath extends through the second compressor and is discrete from the engine flowpath. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising: a heat recovery circuit including a first heat exchanger, a turbine expander, a second heat exchanger and a recovery circuit compressor; the first heat exchanger arranged downstream of the turbine section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The aircraft system of claim 10, further comprising a driven rotor rotatably driven by a rotor of the turbine expander. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising: a fuel circuit including a fuel source, a heat exchanger and a fuel injector; the heat exchanger arranged downstream of the turbine section, and the heat exchanger fluidly coupled between the fuel source and the fuel injector; and the fuel injector arranged within the combustor section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, further comprising: a heat exchanger including a first heat exchanger path and a second heat exchanger path; the first heat exchanger path fluidly coupled between the compressor section and the combustor section; and the second heat exchanger path fluidly coupled with and downstream of the turbine section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine and the at least one compressor are configured for operation throughout aircraft flight. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the gas turbine engine and the at least one compressor are configured to receive air from discrete inlets. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fluid component includes at least one nozzle. ### Claim 17 An aircraft system, comprising: a gas turbine engine including a compressor section, a turbine section, a combustor section and a rotating structure, the combustor section fluidly coupled with and between the compressor section and the turbine section, and the rotating structure including a compressor section rotor within the compressor section and a turbine section rotor within the turbine section; a gearbox; a first compressor including a first compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of a second compressor rotor; and a second compressor including the second compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of the first compressor rotor; wherein the gas turbine engine is configured to power operation of the first compressor and the second compressor at least during aircraft cruise. ### Claim 18 A method, comprising: providing a system for an aircraft; the system including a gas turbine engine, a gearbox, a first compressor, and a second compressor; the gas turbine engine including a compressor section, a turbine section, a combustor section and a rotating structure, the combustor section fluidly coupled with and between the compressor section and the turbine section, and the rotating structure including a compressor section rotor within the compressor section and a turbine section rotor within the turbine section, wherein the gas turbine engine is dedicated to powering at least the first compressor; the first compressor comprising a first compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of a second compressor rotor; the second compressor comprising the second compressor rotor rotatably driven by the rotating structure through the gearbox independent of the first compressor rotor; operating the gas turbine engine to drive rotation of the first compressor rotor through the gearbox at least during cruise of the aircraft. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the gas turbine engine is further operated to drive the rotation of the first compressor rotor through the gearbox during at least one of taxiing of the aircraft, takeoff of the aircraft, climb of the aircraft, descent of the aircraft or landing of the aircraft.