Patents Examined by Ted Kim
  • Patent number: 9441786
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for preserving fluid systems, for example of a fuel system and an oil system of a turbine engine, with at least one drive for driving at least one fuel pump and at least one oil pump, wherein a valve arrangement is provided, which makes transfer-pumping a fluid between the fluid systems possible, an engine having such a device as well as a method for triggering such a device or for preserving fluid systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: MTU AERO ENGINES GMBH
    Inventor: Helmut Streifinger
  • Patent number: 9435258
    Abstract: A system for heating combustor fuel includes a turbine exhaust plenum and a heat exchanger downstream from the turbine exhaust plenum. The heat exchanger has an exhaust inlet, an exhaust outlet, a fuel inlet, and a fuel outlet. An exhaust recirculation plenum has a recirculation inlet connection downstream from the exhaust outlet and a recirculation outlet connection upstream from the exhaust inlet. The system further includes structure for controlling a recirculated exhaust flow from the exhaust outlet into the exhaust recirculation plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Durgaprasad Janapaneedi, Korey Frederic Rendo, Dean Matthew Erickson, Timothy Russell Bilton, Christina Renee Pompey
  • Patent number: 9422905
    Abstract: A multi-shaft aeronautical turboprop engine in which a compressor draws in air coming from an air intake and drives, through an outer first shaft, a first stage of a turbine, which is provided with a second stage that drives a propeller by means of a second shaft mounted coaxially inside the first shaft. A starting system is provided that comprises: an asynchronous reversible electric machine connected by means of a transmission to the first shaft; a synchronous electric machine connected by means of a transmission to the second shaft; a reconfigurable electrical network that, in a phase of dynamic starting of the turboprop engine following its cutting out during flight, enables the transfer of energy produced by the synchronous electric machine, set in rotation by the propeller driven by dynamic effects, to the asynchronous electric machine, which is set in rotation at a lower speed than the asynchronous machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ALENIA AERMACCHI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Vincenzo Anastasio, Fabrizio Cuomo
  • Patent number: 9416752
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has an engine core and an annular by-pass duct, within a surrounding nacelle. An exhaust nozzle of the nacelle includes a selectively deployable noise-reduction section on an inner surface thereof. The noise-reduction section includes an inflatable envelope comprising a fixed outer wall and a displaceable inner wall. At least projections on the inner wall are inwardly displaced when the envelope is pressurized and retracted radially outwardly when the envelope is de-pressurized. When the envelope is pressurized, the inner wall includes portions that project to form a rough surface on the inner surface of the nacelle exhaust nozzle. This thickens the boundary layer and reduces the speed of the gas flow at the outer radius of the nozzle, thus reducing the differential velocity with the ambient air, which reduces the gradient throughout the shear layer thus reducing the noise level of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Ninad Joshi, Gaetan Girard
  • Patent number: 9416751
    Abstract: A system to provide differential movement between a first surface, a second surface and a fixed surface includes a first surface movable between a first position and a second position; a second surface movable with the first surface and further movable beyond the first surface; a shaft connected to the second surface to move the second surface; and a drive unit connected to the fixed surface to drive the shaft to move the second surface relative to the first surface and to allow the shaft to move through the drive unit when the second surface is being moved by the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Teddy L. Jones, Gregory T. Wallen, Kevin Gibbons, William E. Villano
  • Patent number: 9399949
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a turbine using CO2 includes moving blades, stator blades, a working fluid transport flow path, a coolant transport flow path, and a coolant recovery flow path. The stator blades constitute turbine stages together with the moving blades. The working fluid transport flow path is configured to transport the working fluid sequentially to the turbine stages. The coolant transport flow path is configured to transport the coolant by allowing the coolant to sequentially pass through the inside of the stator blades from an upstream to a downstream of the working fluid. The coolant recovery flow path is configured to recover the coolant passing through the inside of the stator blade at a predetermined turbine stage and merge the recovered coolant with the working fluid transport flow path at a turbine stage on an upstream side of the predetermined turbine stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Naoyuki Okamura, Nobuhiro Okizono, Iwataro Sato, Kazutaka Tsuruta, Akihiro Onoda
  • Patent number: 9395122
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine recuperator including exhaust passages providing fluid flow communication between an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet being oriented to receive exhaust flow from a turbine of the engine and the exhaust outlet being oriented to deliver the exhaust flow to atmosphere, the exhaust inlet having a smaller cross-sectional area than that of the exhaust outlet, and a cross sectional area of each exhaust passage progressively increasing from the exhaust inlet to the exhaust outlet such as to diffuse the exhaust flow. Air passages are in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust passages and provide fluid flow communication between an air inlet and an air outlet designed to sealingly engage respective plenums of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, Daniel Alecu, Darius Jehangir Karanjia
  • Patent number: 9394828
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine recuperator including a plurality of independent arcuate segments, each segment having an inlet connection member designed to sealingly engage a plenum in fluid flow communication with the compressor discharge, and an outlet connection member designed to sealingly engage a plenum containing the combustor. One of the inlet and outlet connection members is a rigid member forming a rigid connection to the respective plenum, and the other of the inlet and outlet connection members includes a flexible member and forms a floating connection to the respective plenum, the floating connection allowing relative movement between the segment and a remainder of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, Daniel Alecu
  • Patent number: 9388769
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a holding assembly to hold a front frame of a thrust reverser to a turbojet engine casing. The assembly includes at least one connecting flange connecting the front frame to the turbojet engine casing, and also a system for locking the connecting flange. The system includes an actuating handle pivotally mounted on one of two facing ends of the connecting flange, and a connecting rod interposed between the other end of the two facing ends and a portion of the actuating handle. The system locks together the two facing ends, and the actuating handle includes a support provided with a groove and a screw for adjusting a free length of the groove. Furthermore, the connecting rod has, at its one end, an axis pivoting and sliding in the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventor: Fabrice Provost
  • Patent number: 9371989
    Abstract: A combustor nozzle includes a first and second liquid fuel passages that terminate at first and second fuel ports. A first diluent passage terminates at a first diluent outlet radially surrounding the second fuel ports. A second diluent passage terminates at a second diluent outlet between the first diluent outlet and the second fuel ports. A third diluent passage surrounds at least a portion of the first and second diluent passages. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a liquid fuel through a first fuel passage and flowing an emulsified liquid fuel through a second fuel passage. The method further includes flowing a first diluent through a shroud surrounding the second fuel passage to a first diluent passage surrounding at least a portion of the second fuel passage and flowing a second diluent through a second diluent passage radially disposed between the first diluent passage and the second fuel passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Allen Boardman, Geoffrey David Myers, William Thomas Ross
  • Patent number: 9366432
    Abstract: A multistaged lean prevaporizing premixing fuel injector apparatus is provided. The fuel injector may be utilized with a turbogenerator. Preheated combustion air from the turbogenerator's recuperator may be utilized by the fuel injector to prevaporize liquid fuel. The injector may provide for premixing of multiple fuel streams and include multiple stages with a flow distributor plate separating adjacent stages. The injector may include multiple stages, with a pilot tube located in a final stage splitting the fuel stream into a premixed pilot stream and a premixed final fuel and air mixture stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Mark G. Mitchell, Junhua Chen
  • Patent number: 9341114
    Abstract: A method for operating a gas power plant is provided, having a gas turbine which has a compressor stage and a turbine stage, and is connected to a generator via an axle, wherein the generator is designed to also be operated as a motor, wherein the method involves the operation of the generator as a motor for the rotatory operation of the axle, as well as a simultaneous discharge of the heated gas flow exiting from the turbine stage and routing of said gas flow to a first heat exchanger for the transfer of thermal energy from the gas flow to a heat exchanger fluid, wherein the heat exchanger fluid is provided to either discharge thermal energy to a heat accumulating medium or it can be used an accumulating medium itself for temporary storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian Brunhuber, Oliver Hirschfelder, Uwe Lenk, Wolfgang Menapace, Nicolas Vortmeyer
  • Patent number: 9316108
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine frames are disclosed. An example gas turbine engine frame may include a generally annular outer casing disposed coaxially about a hub; a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts joined to the hub and the outer casing, individual struts extending radially outwardly from the hub to the outer casing; and a stiffening rail monolithically formed with the outer casing circumferentially between two of the struts. The stiffening rail may extend radially inward beyond the inner surface of the outer casing between the struts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Courtland Earl Pegan, Jr., Kurt Thomas Hildebrand, Scott Patrick Ryczek, Derek Thomas Dreischarf
  • Patent number: 9310082
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine includes a fuel nozzle having a central swirler that circumferentially surrounds a downstream end of the fuel nozzle. A primary combustion zone is defined within the central swirler. The combustor further includes an outer swirler that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the central swirler and a venturi that is disposed downstream from the primary combustion zone. The venturi includes an inner surface. The central swirler imparts angular swirl to a compressed working fluid so as to rapidly mix and react the fuel rich primary zone products with the working fluid. The outer swirler imparts angular swirl to a compressed working fluid so as to provide a cooling boundary layer along the inner surface of the venturi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Gilbert Otto Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9297623
    Abstract: The system of the present disclosure includes at least one flow deflector located outside the nozzle of the mobile and hinged on the rear bottom of the latter, and angular orientation means for the deflector by rotation about the longitudinal axis of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: MBDA FRANCE
    Inventor: Laurent Carton
  • Patent number: 9249734
    Abstract: A combustor includes an upstream surface that extends radially across at least a portion of the combustor, a downstream surface that extends radially across at least a portion of the combustor and is axially separated from the upstream surface, and a plurality of tubes that extend through the downstream surface. A resonator is upstream from at least one of the tubes, and a fluid passage extends through the resonator and into the least one tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Patrick Benedict Melton, Keith Cletus Belsom, Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 9249757
    Abstract: A propulsion system is disclosed that uses metal fuel particles heated to a range from 3000° K to 6000° K by reaction with oxygen in air inside a cyclone combustor to form metal oxides that are retained and removed from the combustor for re-conversion to metal, while nitrogen in the air is heated to the temperatures that on supersonic exhaust propels 50,000 ton monohull ships to from 50 to 100 knots. The ship can accelerate by electromagnetic force from a MHD generator-accelerator rendered electrically conducting by alkali metal seed injection into the gas. Also disclosed are 10 MW to 1000 MW Closed Cycle MHD power plants fired by natural gas into a top half of a falling pebble bed heat exchanger that transfers 2000° K to 3000° K heat to a noble or diatomic gas in a bottom half of the exchanger that on exit is seeded with an alkali metal rendering the gas conducting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Inventor: Bert Zauderer
  • Patent number: 9243804
    Abstract: A system includes a plurality of interconnected mixing assemblies configured to mix a first fuel and water to generate a first mixture, and mix a second fuel and the water to generate a second mixture. The first and second fuel mixtures are configured to combust in a plurality of combustors of a gas turbine. The interconnected mixing assemblies include first and second fuel passages, a water passage, first and second mixers, first and second fuel valves, and first and second water valves disposed in an integrated housing. The first fuel valve has a first fuel flow coefficient between approximately 1.0 to 1.5, the second fuel valve has a second fuel flow coefficient between approximately 3.0 to 5.0, the first water valve has a first water flow coefficient between approximately 0.4 to 0.55, and the second water valve has a second water flow coefficient between approximately 3.5 to 5.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, Tailai Hu, Sudhakar Todeti, Kenneth Eugene Selfridge
  • Patent number: 9243587
    Abstract: The invention relates to a nacelle (1) for an aircraft bypass turbojet engine comprising, in downstream cross section, an inner fixed structure (8) intended to surround part of the bypass turbojet engine and an outer structure (9) at least partially surrounding the inner fixed structure (8) so as to delimit an annular flow path (10), the outer structure (9) comprising at least one inner flap (101) positioned facing the annular flow path (10), an outer flap (103) not in contact with the annular flow path (10) at least partially surmounting each inner flap (101) in aerodynamic continuity with the rest of the outer structure (9), and an intermediate flap (105) positioned between each inner flap (101) and each outer flap (103), said intermediate flap (105) being capable of translational movement so as to increase or decrease the cross section of the annular flow path (10), and each inner flap (101) and each outer flap (103) being capable of rotational movement so as to remain in permanent contact with the interme
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventors: Herve Hurlin, Olivier Kerbler, Olivier Gilo
  • Patent number: 9222439
    Abstract: A cryogenic-propellant rocket engine includes: at least a first tank for a first liquid propellant; a second tank for a second liquid propellant; a third tank for an inert fluid; an axisymmetrical nozzle including a combustion chamber, a device for injecting first and second liquid propellants into the combustion chamber, a nozzle throat, and a divergent section; and a heater device including at least one duct for conveying the inert fluid and arranged outside the nozzle in immediate proximity thereof, but without making contact therewith, to recover energy of thermal radiation emitted when the rocket engine is in operation and to heat the inert fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Olivier Dobek, Daniel Le Dortz