Patents Examined by Marc Amar
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Patent number: 10378456Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel way of controlling a gas turbine engine using detected temperatures and detected turbine rotor speed. An operating system provides a series of operating modes for a gas turbine combustor through which fuel is staged to gradually increase engine power, yet harmful emissions, such as carbon monoxide, are kept within acceptable levels.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2015Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Peter John Stuttaford, Khalid Oumejjoud, Fred Hernandez, Hany Rizkalla, Timothy Hui, Matthew Yaquinto, Jesse Sewell
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Patent number: 10287976Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan section, a compressor section aft of the fan section, a combustor fluidly connected to the compressor section, and a turbine section fluidly connected to the combustor. The turbine section includes at least a first turbine and a second turbine. The second turbine operates at a higher pressure than the first turbine. A shaft is connected to the first turbine section such that the first turbine section is operable to drive rotation of the shaft. The shaft is a rotational input for a split gear and the split gear is connected to the fan and at least one of the multiple compressors.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2015Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Gary D. Roberge
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Patent number: 10267521Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor has a dome and a shell extending axially from the dome. The dome and the shell cooperates to define a combustion chamber. A dome heat shield is mounted to the dome inside the combustion chamber. A front heat shield is mounted to the shell inside the combustion chamber. The dome heat shield and the front heat shield have axially overlapping portions cooperating to define a flow guiding channel. The flow guiding channel has a length (L) and a height (h). The length (L) is at least equal to the height (h).Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2015Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventors: Michael Papple, Robert Sze
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Patent number: 10267185Abstract: A system may include an exhaust conduit configured to route an exhaust gas from an engine to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The system may also include a coolant supply coupled to the exhaust conduit. The coolant supply is configured to supply a coolant to the exhaust conduit. Additionally, the system may include a controller configured to control the coolant supply to control an exhaust temperature of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust conduit from the engine to the HRSG, or a steam temperature of steam generated by the HRSG, or a combination thereof. The controller may be configured to control the coolant supply differently in a full load condition relative to a part load condition of the system.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2015Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Harold Lamar Jordan, Jr., Kevin Wood Wilkes, John Edward Sholes, Yamil Miguel Morales Valvieja, John D Memmer
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Patent number: 10260745Abstract: The invention relates to a damper for reducing pulsations in a gas turbine, which includes an enclosure, a main neck extending from the enclosure, a spacer plate disposed in the enclosure to separate the enclosure into a first cavity and a second cavity and an inner neck with a first end and a second end, extending through the spacer plate to interconnect the first cavity and the second cavity. The first end of the inner neck remains in the first cavity and the second end remains in the second cavity. A flow deflecting member is disposed proximate the second end of the inner neck to deflect a flow passing through the inner neck. With the solution of the present invention, as a damper according to embodiments of the present invention operates, flow field hence damping characteristic in the second cavity constant regardless the adjustment of the spacer plate in the enclosure.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2018Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA IP UK LIMITEDInventors: Mirko Ruben Bothien, Nicolas Noiray, Bruno Schuermans
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Patent number: 10247110Abstract: A method and system for transitioning a gas turbine from burning gaseous fuel to liquid fuel and purging the liquid fuel therefrom after transfer back to the gaseous fuel are disclosed herein. The method includes pressurizing a volume of liquid fuel in an accumulator with a first volume of motive gas. A valve is opened in response to low gaseous fuel pressure in the gas turbine to permit the volume of liquid fuel to flow through a conduit to the gas turbine. A volume of flushing medium is pressurized in the accumulator with a second volume of motive gas. The valve is opened to permit at least a portion of the volume of flushing medium to flow through the conduit to flush any of the volume of liquid fuel remaining in the conduit after the gas turbine consumes the volume of liquid fuel.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2015Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Alston I. Scipio, David Terry Trayhan, Jr., Sanji Ekanayake, Paul Robert Fernandez
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Patent number: 10240487Abstract: A method to start up and manage a combined cycle thermal plant for energy production comprising the execution according to a set sequence of a plurality of functional groups.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2011Date of Patent: March 26, 2019Assignee: STAMICARBON B.V.Inventor: Ezio Pasqualon
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Patent number: 10227927Abstract: In a featured embodiment, a gas turbine engine has a compressor section having a downstream rotor and a diffuser downstream of the compressor section. A combustor receives air downstream of the diffuser. A turbine section has at least one component to be cooled. A conduit is spaced from the diffuser and defines a cooling airflow path. The cooling airflow path is separate from an airflow downstream the diffuser, and passing to the combustor. The conduit passes cooling air to the component to be cooled.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2014Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Brandon W. Spangler, Ricardo Trindade
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Patent number: 10228140Abstract: A gas-only cartridge for a fuel nozzle includes a flange that defines a plurality of apertures for receiving a gaseous fuel, an outer tube that is coupled to the flange and an inner tube that extends axially within the outer tube. The inner tube and the outer tube define a fuel passage therebetween and the fuel passage is in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures of the flange. A fuel distribution tip is disposed at a downstream end of the gas-only cartridge and defines a plurality of fuel ports circumferentially spaced along and annularly arranged about an outer surface of the fuel distribution tip. The fuel ports are in fluid communication with the fuel passage.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: March 12, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: David William Cihlar, Patrick Benedict Melton, William David York
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Patent number: 10215060Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel apparatus and methods for augmenting the power of a gas turbine engine, improving gas turbine engine operation, and reducing the response time necessary to meet changing demands of a power plant. Improvements in power augmentation and engine operation include systems and methods for preheating a steam injection system.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2014Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: POWERPHASE LLCInventors: Robert J. Kraft, Scott Auerbach
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Patent number: 10208670Abstract: The present invention relates to a gas-turbine combustion chamber having a combustion chamber wall, to which combustion chamber tiles are fastened by means of bolts, where in the bolt fastening area in the combustion chamber wall at least one impingement cooling hole is provided, the center axis of which is inclined to the center axis of the bolt and intersects a transition area between the bolt and the combustion chamber tile.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2013Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KGInventors: Miklos Gerendas, Maren Fanter, Volker Herzog, Sermed Sadig
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Patent number: 10202856Abstract: A decoupled gas turbine engine includes a high spool assembly and a low spool assembly each having a rotational axis that are spaced from one-another. The engine further includes a combustor that may have a centerline spaced from the rotational axes of each spool assembly. Turning ducts of the engine are configured to re-direct airflow from one spool assembly to the next and/or between one spool assembly and the combustor.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2015Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Stephen K. Kramer, Jesse M. Chandler
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Patent number: 10202906Abstract: A two-shaft gas turbine having high operability is provided. The two-shaft gas turbine includes: a gas generator having a compressor, a combustor and a high pressure turbine; a power turbine having a low pressure turbine; a load connected to the power turbine; a motor/generator capable of rotatably driving the gas generator and capable of extracting power from the gas generator; electric equipment controlling the rotational driving and the power extraction by delivering electric power between the electric equipment and the motor/generator; and a control device controlling the electric equipment, wherein the combustor has a plurality of combustion regions to which a fuel is supplied through fuel adjustment means which are independent from each other, and the control device controls a delivery amount of the electric power delivered by the electric equipment corresponding to the number of combustion regions to which the fuel is supplied.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2014Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuro Morisaki, Naohiro Kusumi, Noriaki Hino, Tomomichi Ito, Kazuo Takahashi
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Patent number: 10196936Abstract: An oil supply system for a gas turbine engine has a lubricant pump delivering lubricant to an outlet line. The outlet line is split into at least a hot line and into a cool line, with the hot line directed primarily to locations associated with an engine that are not intended to receive cooler lubricant, and the cool line directed through one or more heat exchangers at which lubricant is cooled. The cool line then is routed to a fan drive gear system of an associated gas turbine engine. A method and apparatus are disclosed. The heat exchangers include at least an air/oil cooler wherein air is pulled across the air/oil cooler to cool oil. The air/oil cooler is provided with an ejector tapping compressed air from a compressor section to increase airflow across the air/oil cooler.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Ethan K. Stearns, Jorn A. Glahn, Daniel J. McKaveney
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Patent number: 10190501Abstract: A ducted fan gas turbine engine has a propulsive fan, a fan case surrounding the fan, a core engine, and a plurality of support structures which transmit loads from the core engine to the fan case. Each support structure has two support struts which extend from the core engine to a joint radially outwardly of the fan case. The support struts are spaced apart at the core engine but converge to meet at the joint. Each support structure further has two structural elements which extend from the joint to respective fixing positions on the fan case at opposite sides of the joint.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventor: Adam M Bagnall
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Patent number: 10190539Abstract: A hypersonic vehicle has a body, a control surface, and a hypersonic air-breathing engine. The engine includes a converging inlet having a fixed cowling having a first cross-sectional area and a throat having a second cross-sectional area. A flow restrictor is movable between a stowed position and a fully deployed position. The flow restrictor has a third cross-sectional area that is smaller than the first cross-sectional area, such that a consistent gap is formed between a periphery of the flow restrictor and an inner surface of the cowling with the flow restrictor in the fully deployed position and the difference between the first cross-sectional area and the third cross-sectional area is approximately equal to the second cross-sectional area.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventors: Kevin Gerald Bowcutt, Thomas Russell Smith
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Patent number: 10161356Abstract: A turbofan engine having a turbine engine, a nacelle surrounding a portion of the turbine engine, and a thrust reverser. The thrust reverser comprises a movable control surface movable to and from a reversing position and a thrust reverser actuation system having at least one actuator operably coupled to the movable control surface to move the movable control surface into and out of the reversing position. A guide comprising a rail and a bogie having at least one rotatable bearing surface coupled to the rail for relative translational movement between the rail and bogie connects the turbine engine to the movable control surface such that operation of the at least one actuator moves the movable control surface by translation movement between the rail and the bogie.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLCInventors: John S. Mears, George Stephen Billisits, Chad Russell Wentling
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Patent number: 10151270Abstract: An engine cowling of an aircraft gas-turbine engine with a thrust-reversing device, with a core engine and a bypass duct surrounding the latter, and with a front cowling enclosing the bypass duct and a rear cowling movable in the axial direction, as well as with cascade elements arranged over the circumference which can be placed by a substantially axial movement into an intermediate space resulting from a movement of the rear cowling relative to the front cowling, characterized in that the cascade elements are connected directly to the rear cowling, that the rear cowling has a rounded outer leading edge and that the cascade element has at its rear area a flow-guiding element, in front of which several thrust-reversing stator vanes are arranged and behind which at least one flow stator vane is arranged whose curvature shape matches the rounding of the outer leading edge of the rear cowling.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KGInventors: Predrag Todorovic, Carlos Omar Marquez Gutierrez, Gero Schieffer
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Patent number: 10138817Abstract: A booster assembly for a gas turbine engine having a first rotor assembly comprising a low pressure turbine drivingly connected to a fan via a first shaft and a second rotor assembly comprising a second turbine drivingly connected to a high pressure compressor via a second shaft. The booster assembly comprises a further compressor arranged to be disposed about said common axis between the fan and high-pressure compressor in a direction of flow and a gearing having first and second input rotors and an output rotor. The first input rotor is arranged to be driven by the first rotor assembly and the second input rotor is arranged to be driven by the second rotor assembly such that the output rotor drives the further compressor in dependence upon the difference in rotational speed between the first and second rotor assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2013Date of Patent: November 27, 2018Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KGInventor: Gideon Daniel Venter
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Patent number: 10132241Abstract: A method of manufacturing an assembly including a first structure which is arranged to be rigidly connected to a housing of a turbojet engine; a second annular structure surrounding the first structure; and a hyperstatic trellis of connecting rods which maintains the first structure relative to the second structure, is provided. The method includes mounting the connecting rods of the hyperstatic trellis between the structures; and pre-stressing at least one of the connecting rods to a pre-determined level, which is carried out before the mounting thereof between the structures.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2014Date of Patent: November 20, 2018Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINESInventors: Francois Robert Bellabal, Nicolas Florent