Patents Examined by Jacek Lisowski
  • Patent number: 11274602
    Abstract: A turbofan engine comprising an outer bypass duct, an annular bypass flow path between the outer bypass duct and a core engine, an engine component forming an airflow obstruction adjacent the outer bypass duct, an air cooler having a tube, the tube having at least a sinuous portion extending in the annular bypass flow path, the sinuous portion extending along the outer bypass duct, downstream of the airflow obstruction, the sinuous portion configured for exchanging heat between a fluid circulating in the tube and air circulating in the bypass flow path during operation of the turbofan engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Bryan William Olver, Daniel Alecu, Jason Fish, Zoran Markovic
  • Patent number: 11262072
    Abstract: Combustor dome assemblies having combustor deflectors are provided. For example, a combustor dome assembly comprises a combustor dome defining an opening; a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) deflector positioned adjacent the combustor dome on an aft side of the assembly; a fuel-air mixer defining a groove about an outer perimeter thereof; and a seal plate including a key. The CMC deflector includes a cup extending forward through the opening in the combustor dome that defines one or more bayonets and a slot. The bayonets are received in the fuel-air mixer groove, and the seal plate key is received in the CMC deflector slot. In another embodiment, where the seal plate may be omitted, a spring is positioned between the fuel-air mixer and the CMC deflector to hold the CMC deflector in place with respect to the combustor dome. Methods of assembling combustor dome assemblies having CMC deflectors also are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon ALlanson Reynolds, Matthew Mark Weaver, Daniel Patrick Kerns
  • Patent number: 11248536
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a system includes a gas turbine controller. The gas turbine controller is configured to receive a plurality of sensor signals from a fuel composition sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a flow sensor, or a combination thereof, included in a gas turbine engine system. The controller is further configured to execute a gas turbine model by applying the plurality of sensor signals as input to derive a plurality of estimated gas turbine engine parameters. The controller is also configured to execute a flame holding model by applying the plurality of sensor signals and the plurality of estimated gas turbine engine parameters as input to derive a steam flow to fuel flow ratio that minimizes or eliminates flame holding in a fuel nozzle of the gas turbine engine system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Karl Dean Minto, Douglas Frank Beadie, Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy
  • Patent number: 11242804
    Abstract: A leakage management assembly for an orifice configured to limit a flow of at least one of a leakage fluid and a cooling fluid past an instrument positioned within the orifice are provided. The leakage management assembly includes a labyrinth ferrule including an annular ferrule body having a central bore extending therethrough. The labyrinth ferrule further includes an annular assembly cone formed at a first end of the labyrinth ferrule. The annular assembly cone includes an annular convergent lip and is configured to facilitate directing the instrument into the central bore. The labyrinth ferrule also includes a plurality of labyrinthine annular restrictions extending from a radially inner surface of the annular body toward the central bore. A combustor and a gas turbine engine including such a seal assembly are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Craig Alan Gonyou, Nathan Joel Mullenix, Fei Huang
  • Patent number: 11242993
    Abstract: A combustor provided with: a nozzle having formed therein an air jet section that causes air to be jetted from a nozzle section; a cylindrical part covering the nozzle from the outer peripheral side thereof and forming an air flow path between the cylindrical part and the nozzle; and a pressure loss section provided to the air flow path. The pressure loss section causes a loss of pressure in the air that flows through the air flow path. The nozzle is provided with: at least one air inlet section that takes in air from an outer peripheral surface that is an upstream side from the pressure loss section; and a flow path-forming section forming a discharge air flow path that guides air that is taken in from the at least one air inlet section to the air jet section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Kei Inoue, Satoshi Takiguchi, Shinji Akamatsu, Kenta Taniguchi, Naoki Abe
  • Patent number: 11236676
    Abstract: The invention aims to shorten the time required for start-up and prevent excessive increases in the heat loads on turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi, Power, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Iwai, Hidefumi Araki, Takuya Takeda
  • Patent number: 11208952
    Abstract: An inlet for use with a nacelle having an axis includes an outer barrel. The inlet further includes a lip skin defining a plurality of elongated exit holes including a first circumferential outer hole, a second circumferential outer hole, and a plurality of center holes located between the first circumferential outer hole and the second circumferential outer hole, the first circumferential outer hole being located at least 10 degrees of an entire circumference of the inlet away from the second circumferential outer hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Lopez, Jose Alonso-Miralles, Richard Olaveson, Stephen M. Erickson
  • Patent number: 11199325
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustor fluidly connected to the compressor section via a primary flowpath, a turbine section fluidly connected to the combustor via the primary flowpath, and a plurality of fuel injectors disposed within the combustor. The plurality of fuel injectors including at least one start fuel injector. Also included is a controller having a memory and processor. The memory stores instructions configured to cause the at least one start fuel injector to pulse fuel through the start injector nozzle, thereby preventing stagnant fuel in the start injector nozzle from exceed a coking temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sami Chukrallah, Andre M. Ajami, Robert B. Davis
  • Patent number: 11187156
    Abstract: A combustion engine includes a combustion section; a fuel delivery system for providing a fuel flow to the combustion section, the fuel delivery system including an oxygen reduction unit for reducing an oxygen content of the fuel flow; a thermal management system including a heat sink heat exchanger, the heat sink heat exchanger in thermal communication with the fuel delivery system at a location downstream of the oxygen reduction unit; and a control system including a sensor operable with the fuel delivery system for sensing data indicative of an operability of the oxygen reduction unit and a controller operable with the sensor, the controller configured to initiate a corrective action based on the data sensed by the sensor indicative of the operability of the oxygen reduction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Sridhar Adibhatla, Brandon Wayne Miller, David William Crall
  • Patent number: 11174786
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to monolithic superstructures for supporting a rotating shaft coupled to a rotor relative to a stator. An integral superstructure supports the rotating component. The superstructure includes a bearing portion that contacts the shaft. A stator portion, is spaced a critical dimension radially outward, from the rotor. A first annular transfer portion extends axially forward from the bearing to the stator portion. A second annular transfer portion extends axially aft from the stator portion to a mounting flange. The mounting flange connects the superstructure to a frame. The superstructure maintains a critical dimension between the rotor and the stator as the temperature of the superstructure increases. The rotor may be a compressor impeller in a gas turbine engine and the stator may be an aero component that transfers air into a combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joshua Tyler Mook, John Alan Manteiga, Christopher Williams
  • Patent number: 11149590
    Abstract: An assembly for a gas turbine engine includes ceramic material containing (i.e. ceramic matrix composite) segments and joints that couple the segments together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce High Temperature Composites, Inc., Rolls-Roycfe North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron D. Sippel, Ted J. Freeman, Joseph P. Lamusga, Daniel K. Vetters, Sean E. Landwehr, Bruce E. Varney
  • Patent number: 11149951
    Abstract: In a combustor including a plurality of combustion nozzles, and a gas turbine including the same, fuel can be uniformly mixed with compressed air for each combustion nozzle. The combustor includes a plurality of combustion nozzles arranged in a nozzle casing, and each combustion nozzle includes a nozzle shroud for taking in compressed air; an injection cylinder concentrically disposed in the nozzle shroud and configured to be supplied with fuel for mixing with the compressed air; and a plurality of swirlers circumferentially arranged around the injection cylinder and configured to inject the fuel from the injection cylinder into the shroud. The plurality of swirlers divide an interior space of the nozzle shroud into a plurality of fluid flow regions, and include a pair of adjacent swirlers spaced apart from each other by a circumferential distance that differs from a circumferential distance between another pair of adjacent swirlers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventor: Jaewon Seo
  • Patent number: 11131460
    Abstract: A lean burn fuel injector has a head which has a coaxial arrangement of an inner pilot air-blast fuel injector and an outer main air-blast fuel injector. The pilot fuel injector comprises coaxially arranged inner and outer air swirler passages. The main fuel injector comprises coaxially arranged inner and outer air swirler passages. A first splitter is arranged between the passages. The first splitter has a conical divergent downstream portion. A second splitter is arranged radially within and spaced from the first splitter. The second splitter has a conical convergent portion and a conical divergent downstream portion. The downstream end of the second splitter is upstream of the downstream end of the first splitter. A connecting member connects the downstream end of the second splitter and the downstream portion of the first splitter upstream of the downstream end of the first splitter to form a sharp edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Carl L. Muldal, Luca Tentorio, Hua Wei Huang, Juan Carlos Roman Casado
  • Patent number: 11125114
    Abstract: A turbomachine base plate is disclosed. The base pate includes an upper metal plate and a lower metal plate. The upper metal plate forms a turbomachine supporting surface. The base plate further includes an intermediate layer between the upper metal plate and the lower metal plate and bonded thereto. A frame extends peripherally around the intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE TECNOLOGIE SRL
    Inventors: Marco Menchicchi, Paolo Condello, Emanuele Checcacci, Domenico Zaffino
  • Patent number: 11112119
    Abstract: A turbo machine including an annular liner assembly defining a reverse flow combustion chamber is generally provided. The liner assembly includes a first piece defining an inner diameter (ID) combustor inlet portion, an outer diameter (OD) combustor outlet portion, and an outer diameter turbine shroud portion, in which the first piece defines a substantially solid volume between the inner diameter combustor inlet portion and the outer diameter combustor outlet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Mackenzie Christopher Hock
  • Patent number: 11085647
    Abstract: A combustor includes a liner having an outlet end to pass combustion gas and a liner flange protruding outward from the outlet end; a transition piece to discharge combustion gas from the liner to a turbine, the transition piece having an inlet end for coupling to the outlet end of the liner and a transition piece flange protruding outward from the inlet end to face the liner flange; and a first elastic support installed on the liner flange to protrude toward the transition piece flange. A force applied from the transition piece elastically deforms an elastic arch of the first elastic support, which includes a movable support that is spaced apart from the liner flange if the force applied from the transition piece does not primarily deform the elastic arch. An auxiliary elastic support installed inside the first elastic support elastically deforms if the force secondarily deforms the elastic arch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Inventor: Heonseop Jin
  • Patent number: 11079112
    Abstract: In a combustor, and in a gas turbine including the same, a path in which compressed air is mixed with fuel may be increased in each of a plurality of main nozzles. The combustor includes a nozzle casing axially extending in parallel with an extension line (PL); and a plurality of main nozzles to mix and inject compressed air and fuel, the plurality of main nozzles arranged inside the nozzle casing along an imaginary annular line, at least one main nozzle having a center axis inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the extension line. A central nozzle surrounded by the main nozzles may be disposed in the nozzle casing so as to be parallel to the extension line. Thus, the at least one main nozzle has a path in which the fuel and the compressed air flow that is longer than in the central nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventor: Jaewon Seo
  • Patent number: 11054138
    Abstract: A shroud structure and a combustor burner using the shroud structure are provided for improving swozzle flow. The shroud structure includes a shroud configured to surround a combustion nozzle and a plurality of swirlers provided along a circumferential row of the combustion nozzle, the shroud having an outer circumferential surface in which a plurality of inlets are formed to draw in compressed air flowing outside the shroud, the compressed air being drawn into the shroud before being mixed with fuel. The inlets are disposed, at positions spaced apart from each other, before a circumferential row of the outer circumferential surface of the shroud that faces a first fuel injector provided on an inner circumferential surface of a combustor casing so that compressed air guided into the inlet is supplied to a region formed around a second fuel injector provided in the swirlers in the shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventors: Moon Soo Cho, In Chan Choi
  • Patent number: 11047303
    Abstract: A supply duct of a compressor of a turbine engine, formed from internal and external walls of revolution around an axis and opposite one another to define a circulation stream of a fluid, is provided. The stream allows the fluid to be routed from the inlet of the duct to the inlet of the compressor. The radius of the external wall at the inlet of the duct is greater than the radius of the duct at the inlet of the compressor. The duct includes a portion for which the radius of the external wall along the portion is less than the radius of the external wall at the inlet of the compressor, and the radius of the internal wall along the portion of the duct is less than the radius of the internal wall at the inlet of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Jacky Novi Mardjono, Norman Bruno André Jodet
  • Patent number: 11015529
    Abstract: A combustion liner or component produced through the use of additive manufacturing techniques. The combustion liner or other component may be formed having a feature based optimized cooling circuit at least partially embedded in the thickness of the material. The internal cooling circuit, may be used, along with other benefits, to control the temperature of the component and prevent hot-spots and uneven heat distribution across the surface of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Aaron Wertz