Patents Examined by Theodore C Ribadeneyra
  • Patent number: 11746670
    Abstract: An impeller shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine includes an annular impeller shroud disposed about an axial centerline. The impeller shroud includes a shroud inducer portion and a shroud exducer portion disposed radially outward of the shroud inducer portion and extending to an outer radial end of the impeller shroud. The shroud inducer portion and the shroud exducer portion defining an impeller-facing surface of the impeller shroud. The impeller shroud has a pivot point defined between the shroud inducer portion and the shroud exducer portion. The impeller shroud assembly further includes a clearance control device connected to the shroud exducer portion of the impeller shroud proximate the outer radial end. The clearance control device is configured to pivot the shroud exducer portion of the impeller shroud about the pivot point between a first axial position and a second axial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: David Menheere, Timothy Redford
  • Patent number: 11746667
    Abstract: A seal for sealing a gap in a combustion apparatus of a gas turbine between a first side and an opposite second side. The seal includes a steel strap with a flat shape and a first metal web with a flat shape attached to the steel strap on the first side and a second metal web attached to the steel strap on the second side. Thereby the seal has a seal thickness with at least the steel strap plus the first metal web plus the thickness of the second metal web, wherein the seal thickness is at most 0.2-times of width of the seal. The new seal has an Omega shape of the second metal web, which is therefore attached on both sides with a flat shaped portion to the steel strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Markus Raben, Kunyuan Zhou, Wojciech Dyszkiewicz, Adam J. Weaver, Robert H. Bartley, James Bertoncello, Mahmut Faruk Aksit, Ertugrul Tolga Duran, Erdem Gorgun, Sadik Hazer, Ali Ihsan Yurddas
  • Patent number: 11739646
    Abstract: A ball for a ball-chute in a turbine component, the turbine component, and a method of using the ball, are provided. A ball may include a ball body made of a pre-sintered preform (PSP) material. The ball body has an opening defined therethrough having a first cross-sectional area. A hollow member is fixed within the opening defined through the ball body. The hollow member has a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area of the opening, and is made of a material having a melt temperature higher than a melt temperature of the PSP material. The method includes positioning the ball and brazing the ball in place. The hollow member maintains fluid communication through the ball after the brazing, and allows customized metering of the coolant flow therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ethan Conrad Schaeffer, Weston Suchenski
  • Patent number: 11739662
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided having: a turbomachine; a fan section having a fan rotatable by the turbomachine; a nacelle enclosing the fan; and an engine controller positioned within the nacelle. The nacelle defines an inner surface radius (r) along the radial direction inward of the engine controller, wherein the engine controller defines a radial height (?r) along the radial direction, a total volume (V), and a normalized radius (r?). The normalized radius (r?) is a ratio of the inner surface radius (r) to the total volume (V) to cube root, and wherein these parameters are related by the following equation: 0 . 1 ? ( r ? ) - 1 < ? ? r r < K ? ( r ? ) - 4 / 3 , wherein the normalized radius (r?) is between 1.25 and 8 and K is equal to 40%, or the normalized radius (r?) is between 2.75 and 4.5 and K is equal to 65%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., William Morton, Constantinos Minas
  • Patent number: 11739766
    Abstract: A centrifugal compressor includes an impeller configured to drive fluid along a fluid flowpath via a plurality of discrete passages. Each of the discrete passages includes a discrete passage exit. A diffuser portion is disposed circumferentially about the impeller. The diffuser portion includes a plenum connected to each exit of the discrete passages via a plurality of diffuser inlets and an equalization plenum defined adjacent to the impeller. The equalization plenum is fluidly connected to each discrete passage exit via a corresponding slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Vishnu M. Sishtla, William T. Cousins
  • Patent number: 11732656
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This turbine engine assembly includes a case structure and an air conduit. The case structure extends circumferentially about and axially along an axis. The air conduit has a conduit centerline, a conduit first end and a conduit second end. The air conduit extends longitudinally along the conduit centerline between the conduit first end and the conduit second end. The conduit first end is connected to the case structure at a first location. The conduit second end is connected to the case structure at a second location. The air conduit is displaced from the case structure longitudinally between the conduit first end and the conduit second end. At least a majority of the conduit centerline follows a non-straight trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Binek, Matthew E. Lynch
  • Patent number: 11732599
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for real-time clearance assessment using a pressure measurement are disclosed. An example method includes determining a first and a second static pressure measurement at a first measurement location and a second measurement location, respectively, relative to the blade tip clearance, determining a normalized pressure measurement using the first and second static pressure measurements, generating a conversion curve to correlate the normalized pressure measurement with a clearance measurement, wherein the conversion curve is developed for the turbine engine during testing at a plurality of operating conditions, and adjusting active clearance control of the blade tip clearance based on the conversion curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Taehong Kim, Aaron J. Sentis
  • Patent number: 11732610
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a gas turbine engine. This gas turbine engine assembly includes a stationary engine structure. The stationary engine structure includes a diffuser, a combustor, an engine case and a plenum. The combustor is disposed within the plenum. The engine case forms a peripheral boundary of the plenum. A gas path extends sequentially through the diffuser, the plenum and the combustor. A first section of the stationary engine structure is formed as a first monolithic body. The first section includes the diffuser and the combustor. A second section of the stationary structure is formed as a second monolithic body. The second section is configured as or otherwise includes the engine case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Binek, Sean R. Jackson
  • Patent number: 11725591
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft including: an engine core including a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor; a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan including a plurality of fan blades; a gearbox that can receive an input from the core shaft, and can output drive to a fan shaft via an output of the gearbox so as to drive the fan at a lower rotational speed than the core shaft; and a fan shaft mounting structure arranged to mount the fan shaft within the engine, the fan shaft mounting structure including at least two supporting bearings connected to the fan shaft. A fan-gearbox axial distance is defined as the axial distance between the output of the gearbox and the fan axial centreline, the fan-gearbox axial distance being greater than or equal to 0.35 m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Mark Spruce
  • Patent number: 11719440
    Abstract: A pre-swirler unit can include: a shroud including a bottom surface and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface; a blade disposed on the top surface and including a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the blade comprises a concave side surface and a convex side surface that are disposed between the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the convex side surface comprises a first plurality of dimples, and wherein the concave side surface comprises a second plurality of dimples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chad Garner, Andres Jaramillo
  • Patent number: 11713679
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbine section that has a plurality of turbine vanes. Each of the turbine vanes includes inner and outer platforms and an airfoil section that extends there between. The airfoil section is hollow and rib-less and has a first end at the outer platform and a second end at the inner platform. The airfoil section is tangentially bowed from the first end to the second end with a radius of curvature that is from 17 centimeters to 130 centimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christian X. Campbell, Howard J. Liles, Russell Kim
  • Patent number: 11713688
    Abstract: A seal segment has an arcuate body having: a first end; a second end circumferentially opposite the first end; a first face; a second face axially opposite the first face; an inner diameter (ID) face; and an outer diameter (OD) face. The seal segment is shaped to interfit with a plurality of identical seal segments first end to second end to form a seal surrounding a central longitudinal axis. The first face has: a circumferential channel closer to the ID face than the OD face; and a plurality of channels extending from the circumferential channel to the OD face. The ID face has: a circumferential channel closer to the first face than the second face; and a plurality of channels extending from the circumferential channel to the second face. The ID face circumferential channel has an open end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Logan Miller, Thomas P. Obligado
  • Patent number: 11708762
    Abstract: The film cooling structure includes a wall part and a cooling hole inclined such that an outlet is positioned rearward of an inlet. The cooling hole includes a straight-tube part and a diffuser part. The diffuser part includes a flat surface, a curved surface curved rearward and forming, together with the flat surface, a semicircular or semi-elliptical channel cross section larger than that of the straight-tube part, a first section and a second section extending from the first section toward the outlet. In the first section, an area of the channel cross section increases as it approaches the outlet. In the second section, the area of the channel cross section increases as it approaches the outlet at an increase rate smaller than that of the first section or is constant. The diffuser part has a width equal to or twice greater than the depth of the diffuser part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Ikehara, Shu Fujimoto, Yoji Okita, Seiji Kubo, Hitoshi Hattori
  • Patent number: 11702945
    Abstract: A fan case assembly adapted for use with a gas turbine engine includes a fan track liner and an annular case. The fan track liner extends circumferentially at least partway about a central axis of the gas turbine engine. The annular case is configured to support the fan track liner at a radial position relative to the central axis. The fan case assembly further includes an air recirculation duct configured to redirect air around the fan track liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Heeter, Daniel E. Molnar, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11702940
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture corresponding to a fan blade with intrinsic damping characteristics are disclosed. An example fan blade comprises an exterior body including a first side and a second side; a first hairpin structure in contact with (a) the first side of the exterior body and (b) the second side of the exterior body; and a second hairpin structure in contact with (a) the first side and (b) the second side, wherein the first hairpin structure and the second hairpin structure are made from different materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ravindra Shankar Ganiger, Viswanadha Gupta Sakala, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Ambika Shivamurthy, Kirti Arvind Petkar
  • Patent number: 11702958
    Abstract: A method of regulating pressure in a thermal transport bus of a gas turbine engine, the method including: operating the gas turbine engine with the thermal transport bus having an intermediary heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough, the thermal transport bus including one or more heat source heat exchangers and one or more heat sink heat exchangers in thermal communication through the intermediary heat exchanger fluid; and adjusting a flow volume of the thermal transport bus using a variable volume device in fluid communication with the thermal transport bus in response to a pressure change associated with the thermal transport bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Alan Schimmels, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller
  • Patent number: 11702942
    Abstract: A rotary machine is provided. The rotary machine includes a rotor disk including a plurality of slots, a plurality of blades mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the rotor disk, each of the blades having a root part inserted into an associated one of the slots, and a retainer restraining axial movement of the plurality of blades, wherein the retainer includes an inner fixing member inserted into a bottom of the slot, an outer fixing member inserted into a lower surface of the root part to abut against the inner fixing member, and a spacer inserted between the outer fixing member and the bottom of the slot to prevent the outer fixing member from being separated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Iurii Goroshchak, Jin Bong Ha
  • Patent number: 11698030
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a compression system blade ratio defined as the ratio of the height of a fan blade to the height of the most downstream compressor blade in the range of from 45 to 95. This results in an optimum balance between installation benefits, operability, maintenance requirements and engine efficiency when the gas turbine engine is installed on an aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Nicholas Howarth, Gareth M Armstrong
  • Patent number: 11692490
    Abstract: An inner shroud block component for a gas turbine. The inner shroud block has a radially inward facing surface with an abradable material applied thereto. The abradable material includes a zone of ridges that extend radially inwardly from the radially inward facing surface to minimize the clearance between the inner shroud block and the blade tip of a turbine blade. The abradable material may be ceramic and may be abraded by the blade tip if contact occurs between the blade tip and the inner shroud block. The zone of ridges extend along the radially inward facing surface in parallel to a direction of rotation of the turbine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES & CONSTRUCTION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Bin Lee, David Ohlschwager, Gene Chong
  • Patent number: 11686202
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a rotor extending circumferentially about a central axis. The rotor includes a ring that extends around the central axis and a mount that extends axially away from the ring. The ring includes an axially facing engagement surface. A blade extends radially outward from the ring of the rotor. A damper is coupled with the mount of the rotor and engaged with the engagement surface to minimize vibrations of the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel E. Molnar, Jr.