Patents Examined by Vikansha S. Dwivedi
  • Patent number: 8020366
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is piloted with a pilot flow of fuel delivered to a combustor as a liquid. A first additional flow of the fuel is also delivered to the combustor as a liquid. A second additional flow of the fuel is vaporized and delivered to the combustor as a vapor. A fuel injector may have passageways associated with each of the three flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Curtis C. Cowan
  • Patent number: 8015794
    Abstract: A variable area flow duct and method. In one embodiment the flow duct includes a plurality of helical vanes arranged around an interior surface wall of the flow duct. The vanes cause secondary flow vortices to be developed in the vicinity of each of the vanes that effectively reduce the interior cross-sectional area of the duct that a primary flow sees as it flows through the duct. In various embodiments fluidic injection is employed to suppress the formation of the secondary flow vortices during certain phases of operation, for example, during an afterburn phase of operation of a jet aircraft engine which the flow duct is being used with. In another embodiment, an ablative coating is used over the vanes to suppress the formation of the secondary flow vortices. The ablative material is removed by the hot fluid flow during an afterburn phase of operation, thus exposing the vanes and enabling the subsequent formation of secondary flow vortices to narrow the cross-sectional area of the throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Chad M Winkler, Matthew J Wright
  • Patent number: 8007251
    Abstract: A high pressure radial piston fuel pump is featured having an hydraulic head with two or three individual radial pumping pistons and associated pumping chambers, annularly spaced around a cavity in the head where a rotating eccentric drive member with associated actuation ring are situated. A rolling interaction is provided between the actuation ring and the inner ends of the pistons for intermittent actuation. Relative rotation is provided between the actuation ring and the drive member. Respective inlet and outlet valve trains are situated in the head. The head is attachable to a removable mounting plate, and the drive member is rigidly carried by a drive shaft that is supported by two bushings, one located in the mounting plate and the other in the hydraulic head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Stanadyne Corporation
    Inventor: Ilija Djordjevic
  • Patent number: 7987660
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gas turbine capable of reducing energy consumption while suppressing a so-called cat back phenomenon. The gas turbine includes a combustor-accommodating chamber casing for accommodating therein a combustor which burns fuel and air compressed by a compressor to generate combustion gas and which injects the combustion gas to a turbine. The gas turbine also includes a first air supply passage and a second air supply passage on an upper portion of the combustor-accommodating chamber casing in the vertical direction. The first air supply passage discharges air toward the compressor in the combustor-accommodating chamber casing. The second air supply passage discharges air in a direction different from that of the first air supply passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Iwasaki, Yoshifumi Iwasaki, Shinichi Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7985054
    Abstract: In a multicylindrical rotary compressor constituted to be usable by urging an only first vane with respect to a first roller by means of a spring member to switch a first operation mode in which first and second rotary compression elements perform compression works and a second operation mode in which substantially the only first rotary compression element performs the compression work, an object is to reduce generation of collision noises due to collision of the second vane with the second roller at a time when the first operation mode is switched to the second operation mode, and a pressure in a back-pressure chamber of the second vane is discharged on a low-pressure chamber side in a second cylinder in a case where the first operation mode is switched to the second operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Ogasawara, Takahiro Nishikawa, Masayuki Hara, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Akira Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7980054
    Abstract: A tip turbine engine (10) includes a combustor (30) radially outward of a fan. In order to reduce the heat transfer from the combustor and the high-energy gas stream generated by the combustor, a cold air ejector (38) radially outward of the combustor extends from a forward end of the nacelle (12) to a point rearward of the combustor and an exhaust mixer (110). The cold air ejector includes an annular inlet (17) at the forward end of the nacelle. The cold air ejector draws air over the outer engine case (39) to provide a boundary between the nacelle and the hot outer engine case. The layer of air being pulled past the engine case ejects the heat, thereby preventing the heat from escaping into the nacelle or engine bay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 7980056
    Abstract: A flow control device for use with a pulse detonation chamber including an inlet coupled in flow communication with a source of compressed air. The inlet extends at least partially into the chamber to facilitate controlling air flow into the chamber. The device also includes a body portion extending downstream from and circumferentially around the inlet, wherein the body portion is positioned in flow communication with the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adam Rasheed, Anthony John Dean
  • Patent number: 7980053
    Abstract: A turbine starting controller includes: an optimum starting control unit for predicting, while taking as a variable a turbine acceleration rate/load increase rate as a directly manipulated variable, thermal stress generated in a turbine rotor over a prediction period from a current time to the future, calculating for each control cycle a manipulated variable optimum transition pattern in the prediction period which makes a turbine starting time shortest while keeping the predicted thermal stress equal to or lower than a prescribed value, and determining as an actual optimum manipulated value a value at the current time in the manipulated variable optimum transition pattern; and an rpm/load control unit to which the optimum manipulated variable from the optimum starting control unit is input, for controlling the drive of control valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koji Yakushi, Akimasa Nakai
  • Patent number: 7975486
    Abstract: The invention relates to a burner for premix-type combustion having a cavity which has at least one tangential air inlet slot for the supply of a combustion air flow, a device for the injection of fuel into the cavity which is provided in the region of a burner axis, and a device for the injection of premix fuel into the air inlet slots which is provided centrally in the inflow region of the combustion air flow. The device for the injection of premix fuel into the air inlet slots has at least one fuel supply, the fuel outlet openings of which are arranged in such a way that the premix fuel is introduced into the combustion air flow on both sides of the at least one fuel supply related to a cross-sectional plane at right angles to the burner axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Adnan Eroglu, Majed Toqan
  • Patent number: 7975467
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving a body with 3-degree of freedom angular motion, comprises: a body connected to a fixing part so as to be rotatable centering around a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a roll axis; a pitch axis driving unit for rotating the body centering around the pitch axis; and a yaw axis driving unit for rotating the body centering around the yaw axis. Since one of the pitch axis driving unit and the yaw axis driving unit restricts the body from rotating centering around the roll axis fixed to the body, the conventional roll-rotation restricting link is not needed between the body and the fixing part. Accordingly, a size of the apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Agency for Defense Development
    Inventors: Sung-Jin Cho, Eul-Gon Kim, Hyung-Sik Lee
  • Patent number: 7966818
    Abstract: A gas turbine combustion chamber includes an annular combustion chamber (3) confined by an outer (1) and an inner combustion chamber wall (2) and is provided with several fuel injection nozzles (4). Air deflectors (6) are arranged in a front-side area of the annular combustion chamber (3) over the entire combustion chamber annulus (5) concentrically around a combustion chamber axis (12) and fuel injection nozzles (4) are distributed essentially uniformly over the combustion chamber annulus (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Jochen Becker
  • Patent number: 7966803
    Abstract: A pulsed detonation combustor (PDC) is described. The PDC includes an outer casing defining a first hollow chamber configured to receive a flow and an inner liner. The inner liner includes at least one portion positioned within the first hollow chamber and configured to receive the flow from a plenum formed between the outer casing and inner liner. The PDC further includes a flow turning device with geometric features configured to direct the flow from the plenum to a second hollow chamber defined within the inner liner. The PDC also includes at least one fuel injection port located downstream of an inlet to the outer casing and an ignition device located downstream of the at least one fuel injection port and configured to periodically ignite fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Michael Chapin, Kevin Michael Hinckley, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Anthony John Dean
  • Patent number: 7958734
    Abstract: A cover assembly disposed about a rotor in a gas turbine engine. The cover assembly comprises a first cover, a second cover, and securing structure. The first cover is disposed about the rotor and comprises a forward end and an opposed aft end. The first cover is associated with a case mounting structure that is fixed to an engine casing. The second cover is disposed about the rotor and comprises a forward end and an opposed aft end. At least a portion of the first cover is disposed radially outwardly from the second cover. The securing structure couples the first cover to the second cover and permits relative radial movement between the first and second covers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Hubertus E. Paprotna, Richard Colin Charron, Jody W. Wilson
  • Patent number: 7958716
    Abstract: A natural gas production well secondary purpose turbine electric power generator system includes: a.) a natural gas production well from an underground or underwater natural gas well production field that produces natural gas at the surface at an elevated pressure of at least 500 psi and at least 200 psi in excess of desired pressure delivered to gas processing or gas distribution lines; b.) a natural gas valving subsystem connected to said well; and, c.) a power generating turbine subsystem, including at least one gas driven turbine located in at least one of said well and said gas valving subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Inventor: Mark R. Ziegenfuss
  • Patent number: 7958735
    Abstract: A turbine static structure having reduced leakage air is disclosed. A static structure turbine support ring having few segments is disclosed in which the segments have improved thermal expansion capability with reduced air leakage. A plurality of radially extending slots are placed in the segments to reduce stiffness. In order to minimize air leakage through the support ring, generally circumferential slots are placed in the ring and connect with the generally radially extending slots. Positioned in each of the generally radially extending slots and generally circumferential slots, and in contact with each other, are two sheet metal plates. The plates are staked to the support ring structure so as to provide a seal member, yet compensate for thermal growth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Power Systems Manufacturing, LLC
    Inventors: Charlie Ellis, J. Page Strohl, Matt Thomas
  • Patent number: 7954310
    Abstract: A fuel purge system for a combustion turbine engine fuel supply system (32) to remove fuel from the fuel system (32). The system (32) includes a fuel supply line (40, 42, 44) for supplying fuel from a fuel source (38) to a plurality of burner nozzles (41, 43, 45) of the engine (34). A bi-directional flow divider (52a, 52b, 52c) is located in the fuel supply line (40, 42, 44) for receiving fuel from the fuel source (38) on an inlet side of the flow divider (52a, 52b, 52c) and for dividing the fuel to a plurality of fuel output lines (60, 62, 64) connected to the plurality of burner nozzles (41, 43, 45). A purging fluid line (88, 92, 96) is connected to each fuel output line (60, 62, 64) for supplying purging fluid to the fuel supply line (40, 42, 44), and a diverter valve (100, 102, 104) and drain line (106, 108, 110) are connected to the fuel supply line (40, 42, 44) on said inlet side of the flow divider (52a, 52b, 52c) for draining the purging fluid and fuel to a drain system (112).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: John C. Nest
  • Patent number: 7954328
    Abstract: A flame holder for an augmentor includes geometry to produce large radial variations in heat release to prevent coupling with modes within the exhaust duct that produce combustor screech. A surface of the flame holder varies axially in a radial direction to produce a radial phase variation in heat released from the flame holder. The radially changing surface produces radially non-uniform and unsteady heat release that does not couple with acoustic modes within the exhaust duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Oliver V. Atassi
  • Patent number: 7950219
    Abstract: A dual mode combustor of a gas turbine engine contains at least one dual mode combustor device having a combustion chamber, a fuel air mixing element, a high frequency solenoid valve and a fuel injector. During a first mode of operation the dual mode combustor device operates in a steady, constant pressure deflagration mode, receiving its fuel from the fuel injector. In a second mode of operation the dual mode combustor device operates in a pulse detonation mode, receiving its fuel from the high frequency solenoid valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Adam Rasheed, Anthony John Dean
  • Patent number: 7950236
    Abstract: An annular exhaust duct of a gas turbine engine includes inner and outer cases co-axially disposed, and radially spaced apart by a plurality of airfoils radially extending therebetween. The outer case includes a connection apparatus for supportably connecting the exhaust duct to the gas turbine engine and the inner case includes an axial end portion at a rear end thereof for connection with a tail cone. The axial end portion bends radially and inwardly at a rear extremity thereof to stiffen the rear end of the inner ease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Durocher, Guy Lefebvre
  • Patent number: 7950905
    Abstract: A high pressure radial piston fuel pump is featured having an hydraulic head with two individual radial pumping pistons and associated pumping chambers, annularly spaced around a cavity in the head where a rotating eccentric drive member with associated actuation ring are situated. A rolling interaction is provided between the actuation ring and the inner ends of the pistons for intermittent actuation. Relative rotation is provided between the actuation ring and the drive member. Each piston has a piston bore that has a centerline that intersects the actuation ring but is offset (X) from the drive axis as viewed in cross section perpendicularly to the drive axis and the piston bore centerlines are parallel to each other but offset (Y) from each other as viewed in longitudinal section along the drive axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Stanadyne Corporation
    Inventor: Ilija Djordjevic