Patents Examined by Loren Edwards
  • Patent number: 10041443
    Abstract: A thrust reverser is adapted to be fixed within a turbofan engine nacelle that extends substantially about an engine core cowl. The nacelle and engine core cowl together define an axially extending annular duct for receiving an aft flowing fan bypass air stream that is forwardly redirected upon deployment of the thrust reverser. The nacelle includes an axially translating sleeve, circumferentially arranged translating cascade sets, and axially translatable blocker doors adapted to pivot radially inwardly from the translating sleeve to extend at least partially into the fan bypass air stream. A blocker door deployment drag linkage is pivotally coupled to each of the translating sleeve and the blocker doors. When stowed, an axially extending outer wall of the bypass duct is radially interposed between each blocker door and the fan bypass air stream to assure that the blocker doors remain entirely concealed from the fan bypass air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: David W. Foutch
  • Patent number: 10036324
    Abstract: A turbine exhaust case frame (100) comprises an inner ring (104), an outer ring (102), and a plurality of load-bearing struts (106). The inner ring is configured to carry a load from inner bearings. The outer ring has installation bosses (116) with downward-facing mount surfaces (120). The load-bearing struts connect the inner ring to the outer ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Ariel Scott, John J. Henderson, Ralph D. Harris
  • Patent number: 10036348
    Abstract: A method for controlling a position of a variable nozzle of an aircraft includes the following steps: setting the variable nozzle in a position P(t0) at a time t0 as a preliminary step; step A in which at each instant ti with 1<i<N, an optimal position P(ti) of the variable nozzle is determined according to magnitudes distinctive of the flight of the aircraft; step B measuring a time interval ?ti defined as a difference between ti and t0; and step C by which a displacement of the variable nozzle in a position corresponding to the optimal position P(ti) is authorized when the time interval ?ti is higher than a predetermined minimum threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventors: Pierre Caruel, Hervé Hurlin, Olivier Kerbler
  • Patent number: 10030869
    Abstract: A premix fuel nozzle assembly includes a center body including a sleeve having an inner surface and a pilot premix fuel nozzle assembly that extends axially through the center body within the sleeve and defines a pilot air passage within the center body. The pilot premix fuel nozzle assembly includes a premix tip having a plurality of premix tubes that define premix passages in fluid communication with the pilot air passage. At least one of the premix tubes includes a fuel port. The premix fuel nozzle assembly further includes a pilot fuel flow path that is defined radially between the pilot premix fuel nozzle assembly and the inner surface of the sleeve and a fuel plenum that is at least partially defined between the sleeve inner surface and an outer surface of the premix tip. The fuel ports provide for fluid communication between the fuel plenum and the premix passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael Christopher Gibson, Dereck Joseph Ouellet
  • Patent number: 10030588
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes performing a turbine combustor diagnostic routine including operating a first turbine combustor of a plurality of turbine combustors at a substantially steady state of combustion; adjusting an operational parameter of the first turbine combustor to cause a change in combustion products produced by the first turbine combustor; identifying a first sensor response of a first subset of a plurality of sensors disposed within or downstream from a turbine fluidly coupled to the turbine combustor, the first sensor response being indicative of the change in the combustion products, and wherein the first subset comprises one or more first sensors; correlating the first subset of sensors with the first turbine combustor; and diagnosing a condition of the first subset of the plurality of sensors, the first turbine combustor, or a combination thereof, based on the first sensor response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventor: Eugene Delano White
  • Patent number: 10018117
    Abstract: A device for controlling feed of fluid to equipment, such as a heat exchanger, the device including: a fluid slide valve mounted in a fluid circuit including a slide movable between two positions, a first position in which it allows the fluid to flow through the equipment, and a second position in which it prevents the fluid from flowing through the equipment; a laminar flow constriction arranged in the fluid circuit upstream from the slide valve; and a drive mechanism moving the slide of the slide valve between its two positions by head loss of the fluid in the laminar flow constriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Lauranne Sophie Mottet, Nicolas Potel, Philippe Vertenoeuil
  • Patent number: 10006371
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component is described. The component includes a component wall having an internal surface that is adjacent a flow of coolant and an external surface that is adjacent a flow of gas. The component wall includes a cooling hole that has an inlet defined by the internal surface and an outlet defined by the external surface. The cooling holes also has a metering location having the smallest cross-section area of the cooling hole, an internal diffuser positioned between the inlet and the metering location, an accumulation diverter portion of the internal diffuser and an accumulator portion of the internal diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John McBrien, Thomas N. Slavens, Clifford J. Musto, Timothy J. Jennings, Nicholas M. LoRicco, Sasha M. Moore
  • Patent number: 10006362
    Abstract: The invention provides a vapor cracking catalyst, an application of the vapor cracking catalyst, and a preparation method of the vapor cracking catalyst. In addition, the invention also provides a direct combustion method of a hydrogen gas obtained by vapor cracking. A plenty of cheap raw materials are adopted to prepare the catalyst provided by the invention and it leads to lower cost for production. In addition, the catalyst provided by the invention is capable of controlling the vapor cracking speed steadily so that the hydrogen gas is produced steadily and occurrence of explosion accidents is avoided effectively. The direct combustion method of a hydrogen gas obtained by vapor cracking provided by the invention truly achieves for the first time the fancy of producing hydrogen energy by water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Inventor: Huaichao Chen
  • Patent number: 10006374
    Abstract: An engine that has, in axial flow series, booster compressor, core compressor, combustion equipment, core turbine, and low-pressure turbine. Core turbine drives core compressor via an interconnecting high-pressure shaft. Low-pressure turbine drives booster compressor via an interconnecting low-pressure shaft. Low-pressure turbine also drives external load having a defined speed characteristic that dictates speed of the low-pressure turbine and booster compressor. Booster compressor has one or more rows of variable stator vanes. The method includes: scheduling variation in the angle of variable stator vanes as a function of speed of the booster compressor wherein the vanes open as booster compressor speed increases; measuring or setting one or more operational parameters which are determinative of temperature at entry to core turbine; and biasing scheduling of angle variation of variable stator vanes as a function of operational parameter(s) to reduce variation in temperature at entry to core turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Alasdair Gardner, Arthur Laurence Rowe, Mark David Taylor, Nicholas Howarth
  • Patent number: 9995188
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a valve train mechanism and a fuel supply system of internal combustion engine, and particularly relates to an oil control device of a hydraulic fully variable valve system of the internal combustion engine. This device connected with the hydraulic valve system of internal combustion engine, the device consists of a housing, a rotary valve, a hydraulic accumulator and a transmission mechanism. The rotary valve, the hydraulic accumulator and the transmission mechanism are installed in the housing. The rotary valve consists of a rotary valve shaft and a rotary valve sleeve. The hydraulic accumulator consists of an accumulator piston, an accumulator spring, an end cover, a sealing seat ring and a rubber gasket and is installed in the cavity at one end of the housing. An accumulator chamber is provided between the rotary valve and the hydraulic accumulator. The transmission mechanism consists of a transmission gear, a gear shaft and a cross slide coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Shandong University
    Inventor: Zongfa Xie
  • Patent number: 9982572
    Abstract: An apparatus (10) and method for controlling an angular position of a camshaft (12) in an internal combustion engine having a camshaft phaser (14) for controllably varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and the camshaft (12). The camshaft phaser (14) can be actuated by an electric motor (16) having an actuator shaft (18) operating through a gear reduction drive train (20) having a stationary adjusting member (22) which rotates when a phase change adjustment is desired. A sensor (30) can generate a signal corresponding to an angular position of the stationary adjusting member (22) of the gear reduction drive train (20). An engine control unit (40) can adjust a position of the camshaft (12) through operation of the electric motor (16) for rotating the stationary adjusting member (22) based on the generated signal corresponding to the angular position of the stationary adjusting member (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger T. Simpson
  • Patent number: 9982631
    Abstract: The injection speed of the injection valves in an internal combustion engine is increased by using a single injection valve configured to carry out multiple fuel injections and combustions per rotation cycle. The single-valve propulsion thermal reactor has a casing with upper and lower walls consecutively defining a sleeve for taking in a pressurized air flow, a combustion chamber, and a gas discharge nozzle. The thermal reactor has a single injection valve to inject fresh gas into the combustion chamber, and at least one valve to exhaust burnt gases, which extends about transverse axes. The valves are cylindrical and have multiple surfaces which have a circular cross-section and are separated by facets that define, by a rotation of the valves, the intake and discharge ports for the gases. Preferably, a thermal ignition tank is built into the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Inventor: Michel Aguilar
  • Patent number: 9964003
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a power plant including a gas turbine, a heat recovery boiler arrangement with at least a boiler inlet, and an outlet side with a first exit connected to a stack and a second exit connected to a flue gas recirculation, which connects the second exit to the compressor inlet of the gas turbine. The heat recovery boiler arrangement includes a first boiler flue gas path from the boiler inlet to the first boiler exit, and a separate second boiler flue gas path from the boiler inlet to the second boiler exit. Additionally, a supplementary firing and a subsequent catalytic NOx converter are arranged in the first boiler flue gas path. Besides the power plant a method to operate such a power plant is an object of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventors: Eribert Benz, Klaus Döbbeling, Michael Hoevel
  • Patent number: 9938904
    Abstract: A device and methods are provided for controlling a gas turbine engine based at least in part on real-time detection of spatially resolved temperature distributions of a turbine engine components. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting surface temperature of one or more blade elements, by an thermal probe, in a plurality of radial locations of an airfoil row to determine real-time spatially resolved surface temperature data for the one or more blade elements of the airfoil row, and controlling the engine based on the real-time spatially resolved surface temperature data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas N. Slavens, Jr., Charles W. Halderman
  • Patent number: 9932907
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant system that includes: a gas turbine operably connected to a heat recovery steam generator; a first controller for optimizing a shutdown operation defined between an initiating shutdown command and a terminating event, wherein the first is controller configured to execute the steps of: receiving the shutdown initiating command; receiving operating parameters measured by sensors for each of a first component and a second component of the combined cycle power plant, and, based thereupon, determining a current state for each of the first and the second component; based on the current state, deriving an optimized shutdown operating mode for transitioning the first component and the second component from the current state to a shutdown state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Awadesh Kumar Tiwari, Mahesh Kumar Asati
  • Patent number: 9932850
    Abstract: A method, including receiving a turbine system operating parameter. The turbine system operating parameter includes an indication of a frequency variation of an electric power system associated with the turbine system. The method includes determining a correction factor to vary the output of the turbine system according to the frequency variation, wherein the correction factor is based on a droop power response and a nominal droop power ratio. The droop power response is calculated based on a gas turbine power output and a speed-load error. The method further includes varying the output of the turbine system based at least in part on the correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Inventors: Yuhui Chen, Bryan Edward Sweet, Scott William Szepek
  • Patent number: 9933085
    Abstract: A valve includes a modulating chamber for sending and receiving fluid through a first chamber port, a supply chamber, and a damping chamber for sending and receiving a second fluid through a damping chamber port. The valve also includes a passageway between the damping chamber and the supply chamber, and a piston assembly movable within the valve, wherein the piston assembly is configured to open and close a flow control device. The piston assembly includes a rod, a modulating piston attached to the rod movable within the modulating chamber, a supply piston attached to the rod movable within the supply chamber, and a damping piston attached to the rod movable within the passageway and the supply chamber. The piston assembly also includes a damping piston bypass that provides a restricted flow passage between the supply chamber and the damping chamber when the damping piston is located in the passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Earl Jean LaVallee, III
  • Patent number: 9909509
    Abstract: A gas turbine fuel supply method and arrangement is provided. The method of controlling a supply of a fuel to a combustor of a gas turbine having a compressor upstream of the combustor, the method including: supplying the fuel to the combustor; obtaining an inlet air pressure (PT7) at a compressor inlet; obtaining an inlet air temperature (Tinlet) at the compressor inlet; obtaining an outlet air pressure (PT8) at a compressor outlet; estimating a heat input (HIengmodel, HIexpected) of the fuel supplied to the combustor based on the inlet air pressure (PT7), the inlet air temperature (Tinlet) and the outlet air pressure (PT8); comparing the estimated heat input (HIengmodel, HIexpected) with a demanded heat input (FFDEM) to derive an error signal; and controlling a fuel valve regulating the supply of the fuel to the combustor based on the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gareth Huw Davies, Michael Smith
  • Patent number: 9903278
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating operating parameter of a gas-turbine aeroengine is configured to calculate a rotational speed of the low-pressure turbine (N1) by retrieving preset first characteristics by at least a rotational speed of the high-pressure turbine (N2), an engine inlet temperature and a first amount of bled air, to calculate a compensating value (?N1) of the rotational speed of the low-pressure turbine by retrieving preset second characteristics by at least a second amount of bled air, and to calculate the rotational speed of the low-pressure turbine (N1) finally based on the calculated rotational speed of the low-pressure turbine (N1) and the compensating value (?N1) thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Taizo Okada
  • Patent number: 9903236
    Abstract: An adjustable camshaft can be used in a valve drive of an internal combustion engine. The adjustable camshaft may include an inner shaft rotatably supported by and concentric with an outer shaft. A cam element may be rotatably supported on the outer shaft such that the outer shaft extends through a cam bore of the cam element. The cam element may be rotatably-fixed to the inner shaft, in some cases, by way of a bolt. Further, a bearing sleeve that is rotatably-fixed to the cam element may be inserted within the cam bore such that a slide bearing gap is formed between the bearing sleeve and the outer shaft. Furthermore, in some examples the cam element may be a collared cam that has a cam base body and a cam collar adjacent to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA TECCENTER AG
    Inventors: Michael Kunz, Uwe Dietel, Jürgen Meusel