Patents Examined by Lorne Meade
  • Patent number: 8899255
    Abstract: A turbojet engine nacelle, including an air intake structure for directing an airflow towards a fan of the turbojet engine, a middle structure attached to the air intake structure for surrounding the fan of the turbojet engine, the air intake structure including an inner panel attached to the middle structure and defining a fixed structure with the middle structure, and an outer panel including an air intake lip at the end thereof opposite the middle structure, the outer panel being longitudinally translatably movable relative to the inner panel. The nacelle further includes at least one rod having one end attached onto a flange of the air intake lip and a mechanism rigidly connected to the middle structure for securing and locking the other end of each rod by applying a traction force thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Herve Jean Albert Mouton, Thomas Alain Christian Vincent
  • Patent number: 8881529
    Abstract: A gas turbine, in particular a gas turbine aircraft engine, including a fuel supply device and a control device, wherein at least parts of the control device, in particular of an engine control device, are integrated into the fuel supply device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Wittmann
  • Patent number: 8869506
    Abstract: A nacelle for a turbojet engine of an aircraft is provided that includes a fan case, an internal structure positioned upstream from the fan case, and a thrust reverser positioned downstream from the fan case. The thrust reverser includes a cowl delimiting an external line (LE) and including two removable half cowls. A device for absorbing circumferential stresses are shaped so as to lock the half cowls in the closed position when it occupies a locking configuration on the one hand and for allowing the opening of the half cowls when it occupies an unlocking configuration on the other hand. The stress absorbing device is positioned under an upstream portion of a pylon and is exclusively attached to the half cowls in order to allow the opening of the two half cowls independently of the opening/closing of an external fan cowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Aircelle
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Joret, Peter Segat, Guy Bernard Vauchel, Georges Alain Bouret
  • Patent number: 8850826
    Abstract: A gas turbine power generation system having a carbon production apparatus and a carbon fuel cell to generate electricity. The carbon production apparatus is functionally connected to the fuel cell to provide carbon to the fuel cell to generate electricity. The system is configured to power the carbon production apparatus with a portion of the electricity generated from the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: EGT Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard P. Ennis
  • Patent number: 8839624
    Abstract: A combustion device for a gas turbine that includes a portion having first and second walls that defines an inside of the combustion device, a zone between the first and second walls and an outside of the combustion device. A plurality of first passages connect the inside of the combustion device to the zone between the first and second walls and a plurality of second passages connect the zone between the first and second walls to the outside of the combustion device. A plurality of chambers are defined within the zone between the first and second walls, each chamber being connected with one first passage and at least one second passage. Each chamber defining a Helmholtz damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Alexander Schnell, Nicolas Noiray, Felix Reinert, Diane Lauffer, Bruno Schuermans
  • Patent number: 8820045
    Abstract: A drain assembly for an auxiliary power unit having a hot zone formed by a combustor case comprises a fire enclosure, a drain fitting, a discharge port and a piston seal. The fire enclosure encapsulates the hot zone of the combustor case. The drain fitting connects to the fire enclosure. The discharge port extends from the combustor case into the drain fitting. The piston seal is positioned between the drain fitting and the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brian C. DeDe, David Lau, David Ronald Adair, Christine Ingrid Schade
  • Patent number: 8800260
    Abstract: A fan variable area nozzle (FVAN) includes a flap driven through a cable which circumscribes the fan nacelle. The cable is strung through a multiple of flaps to define a flap set of each circumferential sector of the EVAN. An actuator system includes a compact high power density electromechanical actuator which rotates a spool to deploy and retract the cable and effectively increase or decrease the length thereof between the spool and a fixed attachment to increase and decrease the fan nozzle exit area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Zaffir Chaudhry
  • Patent number: 8769963
    Abstract: A combustor-to-transition seal (301) includes a spring clip assembly (322, 422, 522) and a first spring metal ring (340, 441) or a ring assembly (440,540) that includes the first spring metal ring (441) and a second spring metal ring (442). Such combustor-to-transition seal (301) provides a first seal (321) and a second seal (331, 531) when at a junction of a combustor (108, 308, 508) and a transition (114, 314, 514). In an embodiment, the first spring metal ring (340) has a plurality of apertures (342) through the ring (340) that provide effusion cooling of the ring (340). The plurality of apertures (342) regulates a flow of cooling fluid to maintain an acceptable temperature of the ring (340). In an alternative embodiment, the second spring metal ring (442) has grooves (446) that regulate a flow of cooling fluid to maintain an acceptable temperature of the ring assembly (440).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: William R. Ryan
  • Patent number: 8745987
    Abstract: A late lean injection (LLI) manifold is provided and includes a central nozzle and first and second side nozzles positioned at circumferential locations defined around a vessel, a connector, a first leg, to which the connector is connected, formed to define a tube extending from the central nozzle to the first side nozzle such that fuel is communicable between the connector, the central nozzle and the first side nozzle and a second leg. The second leg is formed to define a tube extending from the central nozzle to the second side nozzle such that the fuel is communicable between the central nozzle and the second side nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Jonathan Hale Kegley, Crystal McGee McConnaughhay, Bryan Wesley Romig
  • Patent number: 8745989
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an annular reverse-flow combustor with a combustor inner liner enclosing a combustion chamber. The inner liner having a dome portion at an upstream end of the combustor and a downstream combustor exit defined between a small exit duct portion and a large exit duct portion. At least one of the dome portion, the small exit duct portion and the large exit duct portion is made of a separately formed hemi-toroidal shell composed of a ceramic matrix composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Lev Alexander Prociw, Aleksander Kojovic, David C. Jarmon, Jun Shi, Shaoluo L. Butler
  • Patent number: 8745990
    Abstract: An electrical machine is embedded into the compressor assembly of a gas turbine engine. An electrical system interface module distributes electrical current to and from the embedded electrical machine for starting the gas turbine engine and for operating accessory components. Accordingly, the gas turbine engine and accessory components can be started and operated without a power-takeoff shaftline and without an external accessory gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Philip Burkholder, Rigoberto J. Rodriguez, Steven Gagne, Kenneth M. Pesyna
  • Patent number: 8726670
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine augmentor includes an inter-liner cavity including an axially extending annular gap separating augmentor and tailpipe liners. A purge flow cavity is in fluid communication with a fan bypass duct and with the cavity. An ejector in fluid communication with the bypass duct includes an ejector nozzle positioned and aimed to direct an ejector nozzle flow from inside the ejector nozzle across the cavity. The purge flow cavity may be bifurcated into forward and aft purge flow cavities which are in fluid communication with the ejector and inter-liner cavity respectively. An annular dividing wall having ejector metering apertures may be disposed between the forward purge flow cavity and an ejector plenum of the ejector. An annular trapped vortex cavity pilot may be located upstream of the annular gap. The aft purge flow cavity may be outwardly bounded by a seal having purge metering apertures disposed therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frank Gerald Bachman, Randy Lee Lewis, Robert Steven Bockwich, Shane Bunnag
  • Patent number: 8726668
    Abstract: A pilot fuel injector tip includes concentric primary and secondary pilot fuel nozzles having a circular primary exit axially aft and downstream of an annular secondary exit respectively. A fuel nozzle assembly includes a pilot swirler flowpath section having an annular inwardly tapering conical flowpath section surrounding primary and secondary exits. An inwardly tapering conical wall section radially inwardly bounding flowpath section defines a conical surface. Exits are located at or axially forward or upstream of the conical surface. An annular secondary fuel supply passage in secondary pilot fuel nozzle includes a secondary fuel swirler with an array of helical spin slots that may have rectangular cross sections. A chamfered leading edge of an annular wall section disposed between an outer pilot swirler and an inlet to an injector cooling flowpath surrounding the second pilot swirler includes a radially inwardly facing conical chamfered surface for deflecting dirt from cooling flowpath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Alfred Albert Mancini
  • Patent number: 8720182
    Abstract: A variable area fan nozzle for use with a gas turbine engine system includes a nozzle having a cross-sectional area associated with a discharge air flow from a fan bypass passage. The nozzle is selectively moveable between multiple static positions for varying the cross-sectional area and multiple thrust reverse positions that are different from the static positions for reversing a direction of the discharge flow from the fan bypass passage to produce a thrust reversing force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Ashok K. Jain
  • Patent number: 8713947
    Abstract: A power plant arrangement and method of operation is provided. The power plant arrangement includes at least one main air compressor and at least one gas turbine assembly. Each assembly includes a turbine combustor for mixing a portion of compressed ambient gas with a portion of a recirculated low oxygen content gas flow and a fuel stream for burning to form the recirculated low oxygen content gas flow. A recirculation loop for recirculating at least a portion of the recirculated low oxygen content gas flow from the turbine to a turbine compressor is provided. At least one auxiliary apparatus is fluidly connected to the main air compressor and may be at least partially powered by the compressed ambient gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Samuel David Draper, Kenneth William Kohl
  • Patent number: 8707708
    Abstract: A combustor liner with an input end and an output end includes an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall. At least one of the inner wall and outer wall is three-dimensionally contoured. The inner wall and the outer wall form a combustion chamber with the contours creating alternating expanding and constricting regions inside the chamber causing combustion gases to flow in the circumferential and axial directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joel H. Wagner, Paul M. Lutjen
  • Patent number: 8689563
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle guide plate has mirror symmetry about a first plane perpendicular to the fuel nozzle guide plate and mirror symmetry about a second plane parallel to the fuel nozzle guide plate. The fuel nozzle guide plate is attached to an air swirler, which is mounted in an opening of a bulkhead for mixing air and fuel at an upstream side of a combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin Joseph Low
  • Patent number: 8689559
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system of operating a combustion system that has Lean direct injection (LDI) functionality. The method and system provides a passive cooling system for an injector of the LDI system. The method and system may also provide a means to direct the flow of the fluid exiting the injector of the LDI system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gilbert O. Kraemer, Jonathan D. Berry, Richard F. Keyser
  • Patent number: 8683812
    Abstract: In an air mixing arrangement wherein a primary fluid is introduced through an opening in a wall to be mixed with a secondary fluid flowing along the wall surface, the opening is airfoil shaped with its leading edge being orientated at an attack angle with respect to the secondary fluid flow stream so as to thereby enhance the penetration and dispersion of the primary fluid stream into the secondary fluid stream. The airfoil shaped opening is selectively positioned such that its angle of attack provides the desired lift to optimize the mixing of the two streams for the particular application. In one embodiment, a collar is provided around the opening to prevent the secondary fluid from contacting the surface of the wall during certain conditions of operation. Multiple openings maybe used such as the combination of a larger airfoil shaped opening with a smaller airfoil shaped opened positioned downstream thereof, or a round shaped opening placed upstream of an airfoil shaped opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio R. Bertolotti, David S. Liscinsky, Vincent C. Nardone, Michael K. Sahm, Bernd R. Noack, Daniel R. Sabatino
  • Patent number: 8667800
    Abstract: A flameless burner for a gas turbine engine includes a burner body having a longitudinal axis, an upstream section and a downstream section. The upstream section of the burner body defines a primary swirl generating chamber having air swirlers associated therewith. The primary swirl generating chamber is adapted and configured to receive compressor discharge air through the air swirlers. The strong swirl of the compressor discharge air forms a recirculation zone that entrains combustion product gases toward the burner body. Fuel injectors are operatively connected to the downstream section of the burner body for issuing fuel into the recirculated combustion product gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Michael D. Cornwell, Nicholas R. Overman, Ephraim Gutmark