Patents by Inventor Christopher James KROGER
Christopher James KROGER 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: 11981419Abstract: The variable pitch propeller assembly includes a hub. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a plurality of propeller blade assemblies spaced circumferentially about the hub. Each of the plurality of propeller blade assemblies configured to rotate a respective propeller blade. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a hydraulic fluid port assembly integrally formed and including at least three hydraulic fluid ports configured to receive respective flows of hydraulic fluid from a stationary hydraulic fluid transfer sleeve. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a pitch actuator assembly coupled in flow communication with at least three hydraulic fluid ports through respective hydraulic fluid transfer tubes. The pitch actuator coupled to the plurality of propeller blade assemblies to selectively control a pitch of the propeller blades. The pitch actuator assembly includes a travel stop configured to limit a rotation of at least one of the pitch actuator assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2021Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Christopher James Kroger
-
Publication number: 20230258134Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; and a gear box, wherein the turbomachine is operably coupled to the fan through the gear box, wherein a gear ratio of the gear box is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 3.0; wherein during operation of the turbofan engine at a rated speed the fan tip speed is greater than or equal to 1000 feet per second. In exemplary embodiments, during operation of the turbofan engine at the rated speed the fan pressure ratio is less than or equal to about 1.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Sean Christopher Binion, Tsuguji Nakano
-
Patent number: 11655768Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; and a gear box, wherein the turbomachine is operably coupled to the fan through the gear box, wherein a gear ratio of the gear box is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 3.0; wherein during operation of the turbofan engine at a rated speed the fan tip speed is greater than or equal to 1000 feet per second. In exemplary embodiments, during operation of the turbofan engine at the rated speed the fan pressure ratio is less than or equal to about 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Sean Christopher Binion, Tsuguji Nakano
-
Publication number: 20230028503Abstract: A turbofan engine is provided. The turbofan engine includes a fan comprising a plurality of rotatable fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed; a turbomachine operably coupled to the fan for driving the fan, the turbomachine comprising a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow order and together defining a core air flowpath; and a gear box, wherein the turbomachine is operably coupled to the fan through the gear box, wherein a gear ratio of the gear box is greater than or equal to 1.2 and less than or equal to 3.0; wherein during operation of the turbofan engine at a rated speed the fan tip speed is greater than or equal to 1000 feet per second. In exemplary embodiments, during operation of the turbofan engine at the rated speed the fan pressure ratio is less than or equal to about 1.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2021Publication date: January 26, 2023Inventors: Arthur William Sibbach, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Sean Christopher Binion, Tsuguji Nakano
-
Publication number: 20220112902Abstract: The variable pitch propeller assembly includes a hub. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a plurality of propeller blade assemblies spaced circumferentially about the hub. Each of the plurality of propeller blade assemblies configured to rotate a respective propeller blade. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a hydraulic fluid port assembly integrally formed and including at least three hydraulic fluid ports configured to receive respective flows of hydraulic fluid from a stationary hydraulic fluid transfer sleeve. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a pitch actuator assembly coupled in flow communication with at least three hydraulic fluid ports through respective hydraulic fluid transfer tubes. The pitch actuator coupled to the plurality of propeller blade assemblies to selectively control a pitch of the propeller blades. The pitch actuator assembly includes a travel stop configured to limit a rotation of at least one of the pitch actuator assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Christopher James Kroger
-
Patent number: 11286853Abstract: A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine and/or an aircraft is provided including a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough. The thermal management system also includes a plurality of heat source exchangers and at least one heat sink exchanger. The plurality of heat source exchangers and the at least one heat sink exchanger are in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. The plurality of heat source exchangers are arranged along the thermal transport bus and configured to transfer heat from one or more accessory systems to the heat exchange fluid, and the at least one heat sink exchanger is located downstream of the plurality of heat source exchangers and configured to remove heat from the heat exchange fluid.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2018Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Matthew Robert Cerny, Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller
-
Patent number: 11221017Abstract: The variable pitch propeller assembly includes a hub. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a plurality of propeller blade assemblies spaced circumferentially about the hub. Each of the plurality of propeller blade assemblies configured to rotate a respective propeller blade. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a hydraulic fluid port assembly integrally formed and including at least three hydraulic fluid ports configured to receive respective flows of hydraulic fluid from a stationary hydraulic fluid transfer sleeve. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a pitch actuator assembly coupled in flow communication with at least three hydraulic fluid ports through respective hydraulic fluid transfer tubes. The pitch actuator coupled to the plurality of propeller blade assemblies to selectively control a pitch of the propeller blades. The pitch actuator assembly includes a travel stop configured to limit a rotation of at least one of the pitch actuator assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Christopher James Kroger
-
Patent number: 11027719Abstract: A method and system for distributed power generation is provided. The method includes determining an operational cycle for the system; determining an average energy requirement of the system based on the operational cycle; configuring a plurality of energy sources each corresponding to the load device to produce a peak efficiency corresponding to the average energy requirement of the system; and coupling the energy source to provide energy to the load device.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2018Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Patrick Michael Marrinan
-
Patent number: 10951095Abstract: In one an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an engine includes a drive shaft; an electric machine including a stator assembly and a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly rotatable relative to the stator assembly; and an electrical break, the drive shaft coupled to the rotor assembly through the electrical break.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2018Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Christopher James Kroger, Christian Xavier Stevenson
-
Patent number: 10823066Abstract: A thermal management system for a gas turbine engine and/or an aircraft is provided including a thermal transport bus having a heat exchange fluid flowing therethrough. The thermal management system also includes one or more heat source exchangers and a deicing module. The one or more heat source exchangers and the deicing module are each in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid in the thermal transport bus. The one or more heat source exchangers are configured to transfer heat from one or more accessory systems to the heat exchange fluid, and the deicing module is located downstream of the one or more heat source exchangers for transferring heat from the thermal transfer fluid to a surface of one or more components of the gas turbine engine and/or the aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2015Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Matthew Robert Cerny
-
Patent number: 10823078Abstract: Systems and methods for starting a powerplant are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a starting system of a powerplant includes one or more features that allow for the powerplant to be started electrically with a burst of electrical power and without deriving electrical power from an offboard power source or a relatively heavy onboard energy storage device.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2017Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nathan Evan McCurdy Gibson, Christopher James Kroger, Sean Christopher Binion, Scott Douglas Waun
-
Patent number: 10815886Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The turbine section includes a drive turbine and is located downstream of the compressor section. The gas turbine engine also includes a fan mechanically coupled to and rotatable with the drive turbine such that the fan is rotatable by the drive turbine at the same rotational speed as the drive turbine, the fan defining a fan pressure ratio and including a plurality of fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed. During operation of the gas turbine engine at a rated speed, the fan pressure ratio of the fan is less than 1.5 and the fan tip speed of each of the fan blades is greater than 1,250 feet per second.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Patent number: 10794396Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The gas turbine engine also includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and including an inner wall, the inner wall of the outer nacelle including a plurality of pre-swirl contours positioned forward of the fan blades of the fan along an axial direction and extending inwardly along a radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Trevor Wayne Goerig, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements
-
Patent number: 10724435Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The gas turbine engine also includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide vanes cantilevered from the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along the axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an inner end along the radial direction and it is unconnected with an adjacent part-span inlet guide vane at the inner end.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: General Electric Co.Inventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Patent number: 10711797Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades, each of the plurality of fan blades defining a fan blade span along a radial direction. The gas turbine engine further includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide varies attached to the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along an axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an IGV span along the radial direction, the IGV span being at least about five percent of the fan blade span and up to about fifty-five percent of the fan blade span.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Publication number: 20200172079Abstract: A method and system for distributed power generation is provided. The method includes determining an operational cycle for the system; determining an average energy requirement of the system based on the operational cycle; configuring a plurality of energy sources each corresponding to the load device to produce a peak efficiency corresponding to the average energy requirement of the system; and coupling the energy source to provide energy to the load device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2018Publication date: June 4, 2020Inventors: Christian Xavier Stevenson, Brandon Wayne Miller, Christopher James Kroger, Patrick Michael Marrinan
-
Publication number: 20200141421Abstract: The variable pitch propeller assembly includes a hub. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a plurality of propeller blade assemblies spaced circumferentially about the hub. Each of the plurality of propeller blade assemblies configured to rotate a respective propeller blade. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a hydraulic fluid port assembly integrally formed and including at least three hydraulic fluid ports configured to receive respective flows of hydraulic fluid from a stationary hydraulic fluid transfer sleeve. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a pitch actuator assembly coupled in flow communication with at least three hydraulic fluid ports through respective hydraulic fluid transfer tubes. The pitch actuator coupled to the plurality of propeller blade assemblies to selectively control a pitch of the propeller blades. The pitch actuator assembly includes a travel stop configured to limit a rotation of at least one of the pitch actuator assemblies.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2019Publication date: May 7, 2020Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Christopher James Kroger
-
Publication number: 20200044518Abstract: In one an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an engine includes a drive shaft; an electric machine including a stator assembly and a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly rotatable relative to the stator assembly; and an electrical break, the drive shaft coupled to the rotor assembly through the electrical break.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2018Publication date: February 6, 2020Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Christopher James Kroger, Christian Xavier Stevenson
-
Patent number: 10539076Abstract: A self-contained lubrication fluid circulation system for use with a gas turbine engine defining a core air flowpath includes a sump configured to collect lubrication fluid and a heat source coupled in fluid communication with the sump and configured to transfer heat to the lubrication fluid. The system also includes a heat sink positioned within the sump and coupled in fluid communication with the heat source. A lubrication fluid conduit of the system is configured to channel the lubrication fluid between the heat source and the heat sink, wherein the lubrication fluid conduit is positioned entirely within the sump.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2015Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Kyle Robert Snow, Christopher James Kroger
-
Patent number: 10393137Abstract: The variable pitch propeller assembly includes a hub. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a plurality of propeller blade assemblies spaced circumferentially about the hub. Each of the plurality of propeller blade assemblies configured to rotate a respective propeller blade. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a hydraulic fluid port assembly integrally formed and including at least three hydraulic fluid ports configured to receive respective flows of hydraulic fluid from a stationary hydraulic fluid transfer sleeve. The variable pitch propeller assembly also includes a pitch actuator assembly coupled in flow communication with at least three hydraulic fluid ports through respective hydraulic fluid transfer tubes. The pitch actuator coupled to the plurality of propeller blade assemblies to selectively control a pitch of the propeller blades. The pitch actuator assembly includes a travel stop configured to limit a rotation of at least one of the pitch actuator assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2016Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Christopher James Kroger