Patents Examined by Todd N Jordan
  • Patent number: 10858956
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft is provided. The gas turbine engine comprises an engine core comprising a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor. The gas turbine engine further comprises a fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan comprising a plurality of fan blades, the fan generating a core airflow which enters the engine core and a bypass airflow which flows through a bypass duct surrounding the engine core. The gas turbine engine further comprises a circumferential row of outer guide vanes located in the bypass duct rearwards of the fan, the outer guide vanes extending radially outwardly from an inner ring which defines a radially inner surface of the bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Richard Peace, Lucian Ingley
  • Patent number: 10851669
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine for an aircraft is provided. The engine includes an engine core comprising a turbine, a compressor, and a core shaft connecting the turbine to the compressor. The engine further includes core casings surrounding the engine core. The engine further includes an aerodynamic cowl which surrounds the core casings. The engine further includes a propulsive fan located upstream of the engine core, the fan generating a core airflow which enters the core engine and a bypass airflow which enters a bypass duct surrounding the aerodynamic cowl. The engine further includes one or more engine accessories mounted in a space between the core casings and the aerodynamic cowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Inventors: Emile Raya, Lucian Ingley, Zahid M. Hussain
  • Patent number: 10823419
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a combustion system which comprising: a cowl; a deflector configurated to include a ring body, a plurality of swirlers integrated on the ring body and a plurality of arms integrally extending outward from the ring body; an annular inner liner attached with the cowl; and an annular outer liner attached with the cowl. The deflector is positioned between the inner liner and the outer liner; the deflector, the inner liner and the outer line define a combustion chamber thereamong. The deflector is attached to the cowl via the plurality of arms, but the arms are rigid enough to work together to fix the deflector with the cowl while allowing for thermal expansion flexibility therebetween at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ryan Christopher Jones, Scott Matthew Bush, Paul Christopher Schilling, Andrew Scott Bilse
  • Patent number: 10816213
    Abstract: A combustor includes an outer liner, an inner liner, an annular cowl joining upstream ends of the outer and inner liners, and an annular deflector configured to shield the cowl from hot combustion gases in a combustion chamber defined between the outer liner, the inner liner and the deflector. The cowl has at least one opening for introduction of fuel and compressed air. The deflector includes at least one swirler. The cowl defines at least one axial cowl hole, and the deflector defines at least one corresponding axial deflector hole, wherein the corresponding deflector hole and cowl hole are configured to receive a fastener for fastening together the cowl and the deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ryan Christopher Jones, Scott Matthew Bush, Paul Christopher Schilling, Andrew Scott Bilse
  • Patent number: 10801728
    Abstract: A main mixer including a swirler along an axis, the swirler including an outer swirler with a multiple of outer vanes, and a center swirler with a multiple of center vanes and a swirler hub along the axis, the swirler hub including a fuel manifold and an inner swirler with a multiple of inner vanes that support a centerbody, the multiple of inner vanes interconnect the fuel manifold and the centerbody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongtao Dai, Lance L. Smith, Jeffrey M. Cohen
  • Patent number: 10787965
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine in which working gases are provided a linear path within turbine blade passageways of a power turbine in at least one dimension prior to the turning of working gases to provide rotational power. A fan causes cooling air to flow through turbine blade passageways that are not, at the time in the cycle of revolution of the power turbine, receiving a flow of working gases. After exiting said turbine blade passageways, said cooling air mixes with spent working gases, lowering the temperature of the exhaust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Inventor: Terry Michael Van Blaricom
  • Patent number: 10781696
    Abstract: A turbomachine component, gas turbine combustor component, or burner component, including a body with a first, second and third section, the sections being integrally formed with another and built from a same material, and an end face of the first section of the body. The end face, during operation, is exposed to a first temperature higher than a second temperature of a cooling fluid. The second section is located between the first and third section and is formed in parts as a lattice structure. The lattice structure has a plurality of rod-shaped struts, wherein each of a first set of the plurality of struts has a first end, the first end being connected to the first section, and a void penetrated by the plurality of struts, the void providing at least one fluid passage via which the cooling fluid is guidable through an interior of the second section during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jonas Eriksson, Andreas Graichen, Nicklas Johansson, Jenny Larfeldt, Jan-Erik Lundgren, Daniel Lörstad, Erik Munktell
  • Patent number: 10774691
    Abstract: A combined cycle plant includes: a plurality of turbine devices; and a connection line, in which each of the plurality of turbine devices includes a gas turbine unit which includes a gas turbine, a first compressor, and a waste heat recovery boiler, a steam turbine unit which includes a steam turbine, and a second compressor which is driven by power obtained from the steam turbine and contributes to compression of a process gas in a plant, and steam supply lines which supplies steam lead out from the waste heat recovery boiler to the steam turbine, and the connection line is disposed between the steam supply lines configuring the plurality of turbine devices and connect the plurality of steam supply lines to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES COMPRESSOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Hideki Nagao
  • Patent number: 10767564
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an air turbine starter is provided. The air turbine starter comprising: a turbine wheel including a hub integrally attached to a turbine rotor shaft and a plurality of turbine blades extending radially outward from the hub; an inlet housing at least partially surrounding the turbine wheel; a nozzle located upstream from the turbine wheel and contained within the inlet housing defining an inlet flowpath between the nozzle and the inlet housing, the inlet flowpath directs air flow into the turbine blades; and a plurality of turbine vanes rotatably connected to the nozzle, each turbine vane extending radially from the nozzle into the inlet flowpath towards the inlet housing; wherein the plurality of turbine vanes are operable to adjust air flow through the inlet flowpath by rotating each turbine vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Myles R. Kelly, James S. Elder
  • Patent number: 10760793
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a fuel nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine. The fuel nozzle assembly includes a centerbody extended along a nozzle centerline axis and generally concentric thereto and an outer sleeve surrounding the centerbody and extended along the nozzle centerline axis and generally concentric thereto. The centerbody defines an outer wall extended at least partially along the nozzle centerline axis in which the centerbody defines a first fuel passage therewithin and one or more first fuel exit openings through the outer wall. Each first fuel exit opening is discrete from another along the outer wall. The outer sleeve and centerbody together define a first air passage therebetween. The first fuel passage and the first fuel exit opening are in fluid communication with the first air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Alfred Albert Mancini, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael Anthony Benjamin
  • Patent number: 10753610
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustor is disclosed, comprising: a combustor liner; a combustor casing, at least partly housing the combustor liner, and a liner support arrangement. The liner support arrangement comprises individual support elements located between the combustor liner and the combustor casing. Each support element comprises a liner support member fixed to the combustor liner and a casing support member fastened to the combustor casing. Each casing support member comprises a casing stop seat fixed on the combustor casing and a replaceable casing stop, detachably coupled to the casing stop seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE SRL
    Inventors: Egidio Pucci, Michele Provenzale
  • Patent number: 10746106
    Abstract: An IGV opening command value is corrected to calculate an actual opening equivalent value that indicates an approximate value of an actual opening. A temperature estimation value, for a case where a mixture of fuel and in-flowing air is combusted, is calculated using the actual opening equivalent value, atmospheric conditions, and an output from a gas turbine. A fuel distribution command value that indicates distribution of fuel output from a plurality of fuel supply systems is calculated on the basis of the temperature estimation value. The fuel distribution command value and a fuel control signal command value that indicates the total flow rate of fuel to be output to the plurality of fuel supply systems are acquired, and respective valve openings of fuel flow rate regulating valves of the fuel supply systems are calculated on the basis of the fuel distribution command value and the fuel control signal command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Yamamoto, Takashi Sonoda, Ryuji Takenaka, Hikaru Katano, Eiki Anzawa, Sosuke Nakamura, Fuminori Fujii, Shinichi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 10738701
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the first vane stage. The seal assembly includes a plurality of openings communicating cooling airflow into a gap between an aft end of the combustor and the first vane stage. A combustor assembly and method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 10697369
    Abstract: A method for operating a combined cycle power plant, wherein the combined cycle power plant has a gas turbine and a steam turbine and also a shutting-down device, and wherein, for shutting down the gas turbine and the steam turbine, the gas turbine and the steam turbine are operated within a time window that extends from the beginning of the shutting-down procedure at a first time to the falling of the steam temperature to a lower limit value at a second time by the shutting device in such a way that the gas turbine and the steam turbine are relieved substantially at the same time and the block power falls to zero, thermal energy that is stored in the combined cycle power plant preventing immediate falling of a steam temperature to operation below a minimum power output of the gas turbine within the time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marc Borowski, Edwin Gobrecht, Matthias Heue, Matthias Migl, Erich Schmid
  • Patent number: 10690057
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an end cover assembly for a combustor of a turbomachine. The end cover assembly includes an end cover and a bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly positioned downstream from the end cover. The bundled tube fuel nozzle assembly includes a plurality of fuel nozzle tubes. A flame detector sight tube couples to the end cover. The flame detector sight tube is aligned with one of the fuel nozzle tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Mark William Pinson, Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 10655488
    Abstract: In a gas turbine in which a seal member seals a gap between a transition piece and a nozzle end wall in a turbine first stage, the transition piece and the nozzle end wall has a seal groove. The seal member includes a hook portion that slides in the turbine radial direction with respect to the flange and a seal plate portion inserted in the groove. The groove and the portion are configured to include a surface contact region in which a surface of the groove and the portion are in surface contact with each other, a non-contact region disposed on a side closer to the transition piece than the region, and a hole provided at the portion so as to face the surface in the groove across a gap in the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Horiuchi, Shinichi Higuchi, Hisato Tagawa, Kenji Shingai, Takemitsu Miura
  • Patent number: 10641491
    Abstract: A segmented annular combustion system includes integrated combustor nozzles, each of which has a fuel injection panel disposed radially between an inner liner segment and an outer liner segment. The fuel injection panel includes an aft end portion, a first side wall, a second side wall, premixing channels defined between the first side wall and the side wall, and injection outlets defined along at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall. The aft end portion defines a turbine nozzle portion. An interior portion between the first side wall and the second side wall includes walls that extend between the first and second side walls, thereby partitioning the interior portion into discrete air cavities. The air cavities and the liner segments may be cooled by impingement inserts or panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Stanley Kevin Widener, Michael John Hughes
  • Patent number: 10634355
    Abstract: A nozzle includes a nozzle body defining a longitudinal axis. The nozzle body includes an inner air passage fed by a radial swirler and having a converging conical cross-section. A first fuel circuit is radially outboard from the air passage with respect to the longitudinal axis. A second fuel circuit is radially outboard from the first fuel circuit with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first fuel circuit and the second fuel circuit extends from a respective fuel circuit inlet to a respective annular fuel circuit outlet. An outer air passage is defined between a fuel circuit outer wall and an outer air passage wall, wherein the outer air passage is a converging non-swirling outer air passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Lev Alexander Prociw, Jason A. Ryon
  • Patent number: 10633106
    Abstract: A system is provided for alternating starter use during multi-engine motoring in an aircraft. The system includes a first engine starting system of a first engine and a controller. The controller is operable to coordinate control of the first engine starting system to alternate use of power from a power source relative to use of the power by one or more other engine starting systems of the aircraft while maintaining a starting spool speed of the first engine below a resonance speed of the starting spool during motoring of the first engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Gelwan, Jesse W. Clauson, Frederick M. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 10627167
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine having a heat absorption device and an associated method are disclosed. The gas turbine engine includes a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, a bleed fluid cavity, and the heat absorption device. The combustor is coupled to the compressor. The turbine is coupled to the compressor and the combustor. The bleed fluid cavity is formed at a first predefined location in the compressor. The heat absorption device is disposed in the bleed fluid cavity and includes a casing, a flow path, and a phase change material. The casing includes an inlet and an outlet. The flow path is within the casing, extends between the inlet and the outlet, and directs an input bleed fluid separated from a fluid stream discharged from the compressor. The phase change material is filled in the casing, separated from the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Karthikeyan Sampath, Atanu Saha, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Sanjeev Sai Kumar Manepalli