Patents Assigned to The General Electric Company
  • Patent number: 11970278
    Abstract: A thrust mount assembly includes a thrust link-lever that has a first end region, a second end region, and a fulcrum region disposed between the first end region and the second end region. A thrust link-lever may be coupled or couplable to a fulcrum body of an aft engine-mount at a fulcrum position of the thrust link-lever. When coupled to a turbomachine, the fulcrum position of the thrust link-lever may be laterally offset and/or laterally adjustable relative to an axis of rotation of the turbomachine. A load translated from an engine frame of a turbomachine to an engine-mounting linkage system may be determined and a fulcrum position for the thrust mount assembly may be adjusted laterally relative to an axis of rotation of the turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kudum Shinde, Mahesh Shenvi Khandeparker
  • Patent number: 11970952
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling rotor dynamics at a rotor assembly. The system includes a magnetic actuator and a controller. The magnetic actuator is positioned in magnetic communication with the rotor assembly and is configured to obtain a measurement vector corresponding to the rotor assembly and a measurement vector indicative of a rotor dynamics parameter. The magnetic actuator is further configured to selectively output an electromagnetic force at the rotor assembly. The controller is configured to store and execute instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Guoxin Li
  • Patent number: 11972563
    Abstract: An imaging system and method acquires non-contrast images of a region of interest in a body and determines an entrance criterion based on the non-contrast images. The entrance criterion dictates conditions in which to begin acquiring contrast imaging exposures of the region of interest. An amount of a contrast agent is measured in one or more locations in the imaged body subsequent to acquiring the non-contrast images. The system and method determine that the one or more conditions of the entrance criterion are met based on the amount of the contrast agent that is measured in the imaged body, and acquire one or more contrast images of the region of interest in the imaged body responsive to determining that the one or more conditions of the entrance criterion are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Irvin Jackson, Amy Deubig, John Londt, Christine Carol Hammond, Scott McOlash, Vignesha Ramegowda
  • Patent number: 11970993
    Abstract: A Brayton cycle engine and method for operation. The engine includes an inner wall assembly and an upstream wall assembly each extended from a longitudinal wall into a gas flowpath. An actuator adjusts a depth of the detonation combustion region into the gas flowpath between the inner wall assembly and the upstream wall assembly. The engine flows an oxidizer through the gas flowpath and the inner wall captures a portion of the oxidizer. The engine further adjusts the captured flow of oxidizer via the upstream wall and flows a first flow of fuel to the captured flow of oxidizer to produce rotating detonation gases. The engine flows the detonation gases downstream and to mix with the flow of oxidizer, and flows and burns a second flow of fuel to the detonation gases/oxidizer mixture to produce thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sibtosh Pal, Steven Clayton Vise, Arthur Wesley Johnson, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Joseph Zelina
  • Patent number: 11970957
    Abstract: Acoustic turbofan airfoil apparatus are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a platform of a turbofan engine, the platform including perforations to receive acoustic waves, acoustic chambers protruding from a first side of the platform, the acoustic chambers aligned with the perforations in a radial direction defined by the turbofan engine, the acoustic chambers to attenuate the acoustic waves, and an airfoil protruding from a second side of the platform opposite the first side of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Egbert Geertsema, Nicholas J. Kray, Brandon W. Miller
  • Patent number: 11969962
    Abstract: A method for repairing composite components includes positioning repair material within a repair region of a composite component formed of a composite material. Furthermore, the method includes heating the repair region to a first temperature. Additionally, the method includes heating a remaining portion of the composite component to a second temperature. Moreover, the method includes melt infiltrating the repair region with an infiltrant to densify the repair material. The first temperature is at or above a melting point of the infiltrant and the second temperature is less than the melting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Herbert Chidsey Roberts, Timothy P. Coons, Gregory Willis
  • Patent number: 11970979
    Abstract: A turbine engine and method of operating includes an engine core with a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine in axial flow arrangement. A flow path extends through the engine core from the compressor to the turbine to define a flow direction for a working airflow through the engine core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Ryan Johnson, Paul Hadley Vitt, Eric Joseph Schroeder, Carlos Gilberto Fernandez-Soto
  • Patent number: 11970969
    Abstract: An exhaust device for a compressor bypass bleed system of a ducted fan engine includes a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end and defining a centerline axis from the inlet end to the outlet end, an inlet flow conditioner arranged at the inlet end, the inlet flow conditioner including a plurality of inlet openings for conducting a flow of compressed air therethrough into the housing, and an exit screen arranged at the outlet end of the housing. The exit screen includes a plurality of exit openings therethrough arranged at an acute angle with respect to the centerline axis so as to provide a flow of compressed air therethrough into a bypass flow passage at least partially in a same direction as a bypass airflow through the bypass flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Thomas L. Pugh, Mark E. Linz, Jarrod Paul Sands, John J. Rahaim
  • Patent number: 11970992
    Abstract: An acoustic core may include an array of resonant cells configured as a plurality of resonant cell groups. The resonant cell groups may include a plurality of resonant cells configured as a partitioned resonant cell that include a converging resonant cell and a diverging resonant cell. The converging resonant cell and the diverging resonant cell may be defined by a plurality of cell walls integrally formed with one another and a partition integrally formed with the plurality of cell walls. The partition may at least partially delimit the converging resonant cell from the diverging resonant cell. The converging resonant cell may define an upper resonant space delimited by the partition and a top face of the array of resonant cells. The diverging resonant cell may define a lower resonant space delimited by the partition and a bottom face of the array of resonant cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wendy Wenling Lin, David Herman, Trevor Howard Wood, Nikolai N. Pastouchenko, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Timothy Richard DePuy, Robert William Davidoff
  • Patent number: 11970279
    Abstract: A control system and methods for controlling the position of one or more engine-mounting links of an engine-mounting linkage system are provided. In one aspect, an engine-mounting linkage system includes one or more engine-mounting links that each have an adjustable inclination angle. An inclination angle of a link may be adjusted by an actuator of the control system. One or more controllers of the control system can control the actuator and thus the inclination angle of the link by determining a control command based at least in part on an output received from one or more sensors of the control system. The controllers can then cause the actuator to change the inclination angle of the link based at least in part on the determined control command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Timothy Leo Schelfaut, Anthony Michael Metz, Jonathan Edward Coleman, Thomas P. Joseph
  • Patent number: 11970994
    Abstract: A Brayton cycle engine including a longitudinal wall extended along a lengthwise direction. The longitudinal wall defines a gas flowpath of the engine. An inner wall assembly is extended from the longitudinal wall into the gas flowpath. The inner wall assembly defines a detonation combustion region in the gas flowpath upstream of the inner wall assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sibtosh Pal, Steven Clayton Vise, Arthur Wesley Johnson, Clayton Stuart Cooper, Joseph Zelina
  • Patent number: 11970971
    Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, wherein the turbomachine, the fan, or both include an engine component; a heat source; and a heat transfer system configured to reduce ice buildup or ice formation in the engine component, the heat transfer system in communication with the heat source, the heat transfer system comprising: a first heat transfer component in communication with the heat source; and a second heat transfer component that extends from the first heat transfer component to or through the engine component, wherein the first heat transfer component comprises one of a heat pipe or a graphene rod, and wherein the second heat transfer component comprises the other of the heat pipe or the graphene rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: General Electric Company, General Electric Deutschland Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Rajani Bhanu Poornima M, Vilas Kawaduji Bokade, Subramani Adhiachari, Sesha Subramanian, Pankaj Sharma, Ashish Sharma, Scott Alan Schimmels
  • Patent number: 11971172
    Abstract: A premixer assembly for a combustor includes: at least one ring of premixers, each premixer having a central axis, an annular peripheral wall surrounding a centerbody, and at least one swirler disposed between the centerbody and the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall defines an inlet area of the premixer; and a lip extending forward along the central axis from the peripheral wall, the lip extending at an oblique angle to the axis of symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: David A. Lind, Ajoy Patra, Ting-Yu Tu, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11965425
    Abstract: An airfoil is provided defining a spanwise direction, a chordwise direction, a root end, a tip end, a leading edge end, and a trailing edge end. The airfoil includes: a leading edge extending from the leading edge end; a body extending along the spanwise direction between the root end and the tip end, the body including a plurality of cavity walls defining a plurality of cavities, each of the plurality of cavities having an inlet located at the leading edge; and a porous face sheet positioned on at least one inlet of the plurality of cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Trevor Howard Wood, Kishore Ramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 11964430
    Abstract: A method of additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, and/or a method of controlling one or more irradiation parameters of the energy beam system, may include determining an irradiation setting using an irradiation control model and outputting an irradiation control command to an energy beam system based at least in part on the irradiation setting. The irradiation control model may be configured to determine the irradiation setting based at least in part on a power density factor and/or an irradiation vector factor. The irradiation control command may be configured to change one or more irradiation parameters for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object. An additive manufacturing system may include an energy beam system and a control system that includes an irradiation controller. The irradiation controller may include a control module configured to perform such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: Concept Laser GmbH, General Electric Company
    Inventors: Juergen Werner, Benjamin Guenther, Lisa Pastuschka, Manuel Acosta
  • Patent number: 11965653
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine has a combustor liner that has a cold surface side and a hot surface side, the liner defining an upstream end and a downstream end, and a dilution opening through the combustor liner. The dilution opening includes a main dilution hole portion having an upstream edge and a downstream edge, a notched portion disposed at the upstream edge and extending upstream from the upstream edge, the notched portion being in fluid communication with the main dilution hole portion, and a slotted portion disposed at the downstream edge and extending downstream of the downstream edge, the slotted portion being in fluid communication with the main dilution hole portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ranganatha Narasimha Chiranthan, Rimple Rangrej, Saket Singh, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11967743
    Abstract: A propulsion system is provided including: a gas turbine engine including a combustion section having a combustor; and a modular fuel cell assembly. The modular fuel cell assembly includes: a first fuel cell string comprising a first processing unit and a first fuel cell stack, the first fuel cell stack comprising a first fuel cell defining an outlet configured to provide output products from the first fuel cell to the combustor; and a second fuel cell string comprising a second processing unit and a second fuel cell stack, the second fuel cell stack comprising a second fuel cell defining an outlet configured to provide output products from the second fuel cell to the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Honggang Wang, Radislav A. Potyrailo, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11964750
    Abstract: A control system for an engine operatively coupled with a propeller and methods for controlling an engine operatively coupled with a propeller are provided. In one example aspect, the control system includes a controller and an electric propeller governor. The electric propeller governor includes a motor operatively coupled with a flyweight governor spring. The motor is communicatively coupled with the controller. The controller is operable to receive data indicative of the speed of the propeller, determine if the measured speed exceeds a propeller speed threshold, and if the threshold is exceeded, the controller is configured to change a propeller speed set point. Particularly, the controller can cause the motor to change the preload on the flyweight governor spring, which in turn causes adjustment of the propeller speed set point. In this way, propeller speed overshoot is prevented during fast acceleration of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jozef Zakucia, Vojtech Jirasek, Milan Matejka
  • Patent number: 11965697
    Abstract: A heat exchanger is provided. The heat exchanger includes a first wall manifold. The heat exchanger further includes a second wall manifold spaced apart from the first wall manifold. The heat exchanger further includes a plurality of vanes that extend generally circumferentially between the first wall manifold and the second wall manifold. The heat exchanger further includes a plurality of fluid circuits defined within the heat exchanger. Each fluid circuit in the plurality of fluid circuits includes an inlet channel portion and an outlet channel portion defined within the first wall manifold. A return channel portion defined within the second wall manifold. At least one passage portion of a plurality of passage portions defined within each vane of the plurality of vanes. The at least one passage portion extends between the return channel portion and one of the inlet channel portion and the outlet channel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Daggett, Steven Douglas Johnson, Anand P. Roday, Scott Alan Schimmels
  • Patent number: 11965424
    Abstract: A method for providing overspeed protection for a gas turbine engine having an engine shaft includes monitoring, via an overspeed protection system, a torque of the engine shaft. The method also includes determining, via the overspeed protection system, at least one additional condition of the engine shaft. Further, the method includes determining, via the overspeed protection system, an overspeed condition of the gas turbine engine when the torque of the engine shaft drops below a torque threshold and the at least one additional condition of the engine shaft is indicative of the gas turbine engine being in an operational state. Thus, the overspeed condition is indicative of an above normal rotational speed of the engine shaft. In addition, the method includes initiating a shutdown procedure for the gas turbine engine in response to the determined overspeed condition to reduce the rotational speed of the engine shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Erich Alois Krammer, Douglas Scott Jacobs, Joseph Alfred Iannotti