Patents by Inventor Brian Thomas Hazel

Brian Thomas Hazel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7364807
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an article is provided. The article comprises a substrate comprised of silicon containing material, an environmental barrier coating (EBC) overlying the substrate and a thermal barrier coating (TBC) on the environmental barrier coating. The thermal barrier coating comprising a compound having a rhombohedral phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brett Allen Rohrer Boutwell, Irene Spitsberg, Christine Govern, Bangalore A. Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel, Ramgopal Darolia, Curtis Alan Johnson, Yan Gao, Mark Daniel Gorman
  • Patent number: 7357994
    Abstract: A coating system for Si-containing materials, particularly those for articles exposed to high temperatures. The coating system exhibits improved resistance to corrosion from sea salt and CMAS as a result of using aluminate compounds to protect silicate-containing layers of the coating system. The coating system includes an environmental barrier coating, a thermal barrier coating overlying the environmental barrier coating and formed of a thermal-insulating material, and a transition layer between the environmental barrier coating and thermal barrier coating, wherein the transition layer contains at least one aluminate compound and/or alumina.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Irene Spitsberg
  • Patent number: 7354651
    Abstract: An article comprising a silicon-containing substrate, a silicide-containing bond coat layer overlying the substrate, and an environmental barrier coating (EBC) overlying the bond coat layer, wherein the EBC comprises a corrosion resistant outer layer comprising a corrosion resistant metal silicate. A process is also provided for forming the corrosion resistant outer layer over the silicide-containing bond coat layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Irene Spitsberg, Brett Allen Boutwell
  • Patent number: 7341797
    Abstract: A protective coating for use on a silicon-containing substrate, and deposition methods therefor. The coating has a barium-strontium-aluminosilicate (BSAS) composition that is less susceptible to degradation by volatilization and in corrosive environments as a result of having at least an outer surface region that consists essentially of one or more stoichiometric crystalline phases of BSAS and is substantially free of a nonstoichiometric second crystalline phase of BSAS that contains a substoichiometric amount of silica. The coating can be produced by carrying out deposition and heat treatment steps that result in the entire coating or just the outer surface region of the coating consisting essentially of the stoichiometric celsian phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irene Spitsberg, Brian Thomas Hazel, Christine Govern
  • Patent number: 7326468
    Abstract: An article comprising a substrate formed of a silicon-comprising material, such as an article exposed to the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. The article further comprises an environmental barrier layer, e.g., an alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate, and a top coat comprising hafnia stabilized with from about 0.5 mole % to about 10 mole % of an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, and lanthanide metals, and mixtures thereof. The article optionally comprises a transition layer between the environmental barrier layer and the top coat. A method for preparing a thermal/environmental barrier coating on a substrate formed of a silicon-comprising material is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irene Spitsberg, Christine Govern, Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel, David Joseph Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7318955
    Abstract: Thermal barrier coating (TBC) and a method of depositing a TBC having a modulated columnar microstructure that exhibits increased impact resistance. The TBC is deposited to have a columnar microstructure in which columns extend from a substrate surface. The columns having inner regions contacting the surface, outer regions near an outermost surface of the TBC, and interior regions therebetween. The inner regions of the columns are substantially normal to the substrate surface and at least one of the interior and outer regions of the columns are nonaligned with its respective inner regions, so that the columns of the columnar microstructure are continuous but modulated between the inner and outer regions to reduce tensile stresses within the columns resulting from particle impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ramgopal Darolia, Brett Allen Rohrer Boutwell, Brian Thomas Hazel, Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Joseph David Rigney, Roger D. Wustman
  • Patent number: 7314674
    Abstract: A composition comprising a particulate corrosion resistant component, and a glass-forming binder component. The particulate corrosion resistant component comprises from 0 to about 95% alumina particulates, and from about 5 to 100% corrosion resistant non-alumina particulates having a CTE greater than that of the alumina particulates. Also disclosed is an article comprising a turbine component comprising a metal substrate and a corrosion resistant coating having thickness up to about 10 mils (254 microns) overlaying the metal substrate. At least the layer of this coating adjacent to the metal substrate comprises a glass-forming binder component and the particulate corrosion resistant component adhered to the glass-forming binder component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Michael James Weimer
  • Patent number: 7311940
    Abstract: The present invention is a gas turbine engine turbine blade comprising an airfoil section having at least an exterior surface, a platform section having an exterior surface, an under platform section having an exterior surface, and a dovetail section having an exterior surface. The blade further comprises a corrosion resistant coating on a surface of a turbine blade section selected from the group consisting of the exterior surface of the under platform section, the exterior surface of the dovetail section, and combinations thereof, the corrosion resistant coating comprising a particulate corrosion resistant component comprising from about 5 weight percent to about 100 weight percent corrosion resistant non-alumina particulates having a CTE greater than that of alumina particulates and balance alumina particulates, and a binder component. The present invention also includes methods for making such a gas turbine engine blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel
  • Publication number: 20070292624
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a thermal barrier coating for inclusion in a thermal barrier coating/environmental barrier coating system (TBC/EBC system) for use on a silicon based substrate is disclosed. The thermal barrier coating comprising up to about 9 mol percent of a stabilizer and up to 91 mol percent of primary oxide selected from the group consisting of zirconia, hafnia and mixtures thereof. The stabilizer comprises: a first metal oxide selected from the group consisting of yttria, calcia, ceria, scandia, magnesia, india and mixtures thereof, a second metal oxide of a trivalent metal atom selected from the group consisting of lanthana, gadolinia, neodymia, samaria, dysprosia, ytterbia, erbia, and mixtures thereof. The first metal oxide is in an amount of from about 3 to about 5 mol %, the second metal oxide is in an amount of from about 0.25 to about 6 mol %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Bangalore A. Nagaraj, Irene Spitsberg, Christine Govern, Brian Thomas Hazel
  • Patent number: 7250225
    Abstract: An intermetallic composition suitable for use as an environmentally-protective coating on surfaces of components used in hostile thermal environments, including the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections of a gas turbine engine. The coating contains the gamma-prime (Ni3Al) nickel aluminide intermetallic phase and either the beta (NiAl) nickel aluminide intermetallic phase or the gamma solid solution phase. The coating has an average aluminum content of 14 to 30 atomic percent and an average platinum-group metal content of at least 1 to less than 10 atomic percent, the balance of the coating being nickel, incidental impurities, and optionally hafnium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Ramgopal Darolia, Brett Allen Rohrer Boutwell, David John Wortman
  • Patent number: 7247393
    Abstract: An intermetallic composition suitable for use as an environmentally-protective coating on surfaces of components used in hostile thermal environments, including the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections of a gas turbine engine. The coating contains the gamma-prime (Ni3Al) nickel aluminide intermetallic phase and either the beta (NiAl) nickel aluminide intermetallic phase or the gamma solid solution phase. The coating has an average aluminum content of 14 to 30 atomic percent and an average platinum-group metal content of at least 1 to less than 10 atomic percent, the balance of the coating being nickel, one or more of chromium, silicon, tantalum, and cobalt, optionally one or more of hafnium, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, and cerium, and incidental impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Ramgopal Darolia, Brett Allen Rohrer Boutwell, David John Wortman
  • Publication number: 20070141371
    Abstract: A composition comprising a glass-forming binder component and a particulate corrosion resistant component. The particulate corrosion resistant component comprises corrosion resistant particulates having: a CTEp of at least about 4 and being solid at a temperature of about 1300° F. (704° C.) or greater; and a maximum median particle size defined by one of the following formulas: (a) for a CTEp of 8 or less, an Mp equal to or less than (4.375×CTEp)?10; and (b) for a CTEp of greater than 8, an Mp equal to or less than (?4.375×CTEp)+60, wherein CTEp is the average CTE of the corrosion resistant particulates and wherein Mp is the median equivalent spherical diameter (ESD), in microns, of the corrosion resistant particulates. Also disclosed is an article comprising a turbine component comprising a metal substrate and a corrosion resistant coating overlaying the metal substrate, as well as a method for forming at least one layer of the corrosion resistant coating adjacent to the metal substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Michael James Weimer
  • Patent number: 7115326
    Abstract: An article comprising a substrate formed of a silicon-comprising material, such as an article exposed to the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. The article further comprises an environmental barrier layer, e.g., an alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate, and a top coat comprising zirconia or hafnia stabilized with up to about 10 mole % of an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, and lanthanide metals, and mixtures thereof. The article further comprises a transition layer between the environmental barrier layer and the top coat, the transition layer comprising zirconia or hafnia stabilized with up to about 10 mole % of an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, and lanthanide metals; and a low CTE oxide selected from the group consisting of niobia and tantala; and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irene Spitsberg, Christine Govern, Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel, David Joseph Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7115327
    Abstract: An article comprising a substrate formed of a silicon-comprising material, such as an article exposed to the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. The article further comprises an environmental barrier layer, e.g., an alkaline earth metal aluminosilicate, and a top coat comprising zirconia or hafnia stabilized with an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, and lanthanide metals, and mixtures thereof. The article further comprises a transition layer between the environmental barrier layer and the top coat, the transition layer comprising zirconia or hafnia stabilized with an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, and lanthanide metals; and a low CTE oxide selected from the group consisting of niobia and tantala; and mixtures thereof. A method for preparing a thermal/environmental barrier coating system on a substrate formed of a silicon-comprising material is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irene Spitsberg, Christine Govern, Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel, David Joseph Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7019537
    Abstract: A non-destructive method of detecting and measuring machining induced surface defects on gas turbine engine components is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes positioning an evanescent microwave microscope probe adjacent a turbine component surface, and scanning the turbine component surface by moving at least one of the evanescent microwave microscope probe and the component surface in an x-y plane while maintaining a predetermined distance between the probe and the component surface constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Ramgopal Darolia
  • Patent number: 6921251
    Abstract: A turbine engine rotor component, such as a compressor or turbine disk or seal element, is protected from corrosion by depositing an aluminum or chromium coating on the component. The deposition can be performed by a vapor deposition process, such as metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), to a coating thickness of from about 0.2 to about 50 microns, typically from about 0.5 to about 3 microns. In one embodiment, the method is conducted in a vapor coating container having a hollow interior coating chamber, and includes the steps of loading the coating chamber with the component to be coated; and flowing a tri-alkyl aluminum or chromium carbonyl coating gas into the loaded coating chamber at a specified temperature, pressure, and time to deposit an aluminum or chromium coating on the surface of the component. The coated component is then heated in a nonoxidizing atmosphere to a specified temperature to form an aluminide or chromide coating on the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Frederick Ackerman, Michael James Weimer, Joseph Aloysius Heaney, Robert George Zimmerman, Jr., Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel, Nripendra Nath Das
  • Publication number: 20040227525
    Abstract: A non-destructive method of detecting and measuring machining induced surface defects on gas turbine engine components is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes positioning an evanescent microwave microscope probe adjacent a turbine component surface, and scanning the turbine component surface by moving at least one of the evanescent microwave microscope probe and the component surface in an x-y plane while maintaining a predetermined distance between the probe and the component surface constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Inventors: Brian Thomas Hazel, Ramgopal Darolia