Patents by Inventor Christopher Michael Penny
Christopher Michael Penny 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: 10472975Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor disk comprises a first elongated body having a center portion disposed between a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion, center portion and second end portion define a generally arcuate top portion of the first elongated body. The first elongated body defines a slot that extends axially therethrough. The damper pin further includes a second elongated body having a generally arcuate top portion. The second elongated body is at least partially disposed within the slot and is slideably engaged in an axial direction with the first elongated body.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2015Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Poorna Krishnakumar, Kevin Lee Worley, Christopher Michael Penny, Stephen Paul Wassynger
-
Patent number: 10125635Abstract: A fixture and method for installing turbine buckets is disclosed. The fixture is adapted for mounting a plurality of turbine buckets with dovetails to a rotor wheel of a turbomachine that is separated from an adjacent rotor wheel by a spacer wheel, the rotor wheel and the spacer wheel each having a plurality of circumferentially aligned dovetail slots, the fixture includes: a turbine bucket holder having a dovetail that is configured to engage with one of the dovetail slots of the spacer wheel. The profile of a bucket holder dovetail slot substantially aligns the dovetail of the turbine bucket with a dovetail slot of the rotor wheel for at least partial transfer of a turbine bucket thereto.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2015Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Sandra Beverly Kolvick, Kevin Leon Bruce, Matthew Ryan Ferslew, Stuart Craig Hanson, Thomas Michael Merlau, Joshua Michael Oden, Christopher Michael Penny
-
Publication number: 20170067346Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor disk comprises a first elongated body having a center portion disposed between a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion, center portion and second end portion define a generally arcuate top portion of the first elongated body. The first elongated body defines a slot that extends axially therethrough. The damper pin further includes a second elongated body having a generally arcuate top portion. The second elongated body is at least partially disposed within the slot and is slideably engaged in an axial direction with the first elongated body.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2015Publication date: March 9, 2017Inventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Poorna Krishnakumar, Kevin Lee Worley, Christopher Michael Penny, Stephen Paul Wassynger
-
Publication number: 20170067347Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor shaft includes an elongated body having a center portion disposed between a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion, center portion and second end portion define a generally arcuate top portion of the elongated body that is configured to contact with a groove defined between the adjacent turbine blades. The elongated body includes a first side portion laterally opposed to a second side portion and defines a plurality of laterally extending slots. The slots are axially spaced along the center portion and each slot extends at least partially through at least one of the first side portion or the second side portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2015Publication date: March 9, 2017Inventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Gayathri Puram, Bradley Taylor Boyer, Christopher Michael Penny, Matthew R. Piersall
-
Publication number: 20160201556Abstract: A fixture and method for installing turbine buckets is disclosed. The fixture is adapted for mounting a plurality of turbine buckets with dovetails to a rotor wheel of a turbomachine that is separated from an adjacent rotor wheel by a spacer wheel, the rotor wheel and the spacer wheel each having a plurality of circumferentially aligned dovetail slots, the fixture includes: a turbine bucket holder having a dovetail that is configured to engage with one of the dovetail slots of the spacer wheel. The profile of a bucket holder dovetail slot substantially aligns the dovetail of the turbine bucket with a dovetail slot of the rotor wheel for at least partial transfer of a turbine bucket thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2015Publication date: July 14, 2016Inventors: Sandra Beverly Kolvick, Kevin Leon Bruce, Matthew Ryan Ferslew, Stuart Craig Hanson, Thomas Michael Merlau, Joshua Michael Oden, Christopher Michael Penny
-
Patent number: 9151167Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a turbine assembly includes an airfoil extending from a blade and a dovetail located on a lower portion of the blade, wherein the dovetail has a dovetail contact surface. The turbine assembly also includes a member with a slot configured to couple to the airfoil via the dovetail, the slot having a slot contact surface to contact the dovetail contact surface, wherein the dovetail contact surface is reduced by a relief to alter a fundamental frequency of an assembly of the blade and member.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2012Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: William Scott Zemitis, Christopher Michael Penny
-
Patent number: 9051842Abstract: A system includes a turbine blade, which includes at least one cooling slot configured to convey a coolant in a flow direction from an interior to an exterior of the turbine blade. The cooling slot includes an entrance coupled to the interior and a converging section downstream from the entrance. The converging section includes a first cross-sectional area that decreases in the flow direction. The cooling slot also includes an exit disposed along a trailing edge of the turbine blade.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2012Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Christopher Michael Penny
-
Patent number: 9011101Abstract: A turbine bucket is provided including a bucket airfoil having an airfoil shape, the bucket airfoil having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 1 wherein the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z are non-dimensional values from 0% to 100% convertible to dimensional distances in inches by multiplying the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z by a height of the airfoil in inches, and wherein X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z, the airfoil profile sections at Z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ross James Gustafson, Christopher Michael Penny, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Luke C Sponsellar, William Scott Zemitis
-
Patent number: 8967957Abstract: A rotating airfoil component equipped with one or more angel wings that inhibit the ingress of a hot working fluid into interior regions of a turbomachine in which the component is installed. The component includes an airfoil and a feature for mounting the component to enable rotation of the component within the turbomachine. An angel wing projects from the component to have a first surface facing the airfoil, an oppositely-disposed second surface facing the mounting feature, and at least one lateral surface therebetween. A thermal-insulating coating system is present on the first surface to inhibit heat transfer from the working fluid to the angel wing but not on the second or lateral surfaces so as not to inhibit heat transfer from the second and lateral surfaces of the angel wing.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2011Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gary Michael Itzel, Christopher Michael Penny, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Kevin Leon Bruce
-
Patent number: 8894376Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a system having a turbomachine including a plurality of turbomachine blades coupled to a rotor, wherein each turbomachine blade has a blade base portion and a flared blade tip portion flared relative to the blade base portion. Additionally, a trailing edge of each turbomachine blade extends along a common plane.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2011Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher Michael Penny, Ross James Gustafson
-
Publication number: 20130209253Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a turbine assembly includes an airfoil extending from a blade and a dovetail located on a lower portion of the blade, wherein the dovetail has a dovetail contact surface. The turbine assembly also includes a member with a slot configured to couple to the airfoil via the dovetail, the slot having a slot contact surface to contact the dovetail contact surface, wherein the dovetail contact surface is reduced by a relief to alter a fundamental frequency of an assembly of the blade and member.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2012Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: William Scott Zemitis, Christopher Michael Penny
-
Publication number: 20130177446Abstract: A system includes a turbine blade, which includes at least one cooling slot configured to convey a coolant in a flow direction from an interior to an exterior of the turbine blade. The cooling slot includes an entrance coupled to the interior and a converging section downstream from the entrance. The converging section includes a first cross-sectional area that decreases in the flow direction. The cooling slot also includes an exit disposed along a trailing edge of the turbine blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2012Publication date: July 11, 2013Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Christopher Michael Penny
-
Publication number: 20130136611Abstract: A turbine bucket is provided including a bucket airfoil having an airfoil shape, the bucket airfoil having a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 1 wherein the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z are non-dimensional values from 0% to 100% convertible to dimensional distances in inches by multiplying the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z by a height of the airfoil in inches, and wherein X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z, the airfoil profile sections at Z distances being joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2011Publication date: May 30, 2013Inventors: Ross James Gustafson, Christopher Michael Penny, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Luke C. Sponseller
-
Publication number: 20130115096Abstract: A rotating airfoil component equipped with one or more angel wings that inhibit the ingress of a hot working fluid into interior regions of a turbomachine in which the component is installed. The component includes an airfoil and a feature for mounting the component to enable rotation of the component within the turbomachine. An angel wing projects from the component to have a first surface facing the airfoil, an oppositely-disposed second surface facing the mounting feature, and at least one lateral surface therebetween. A thermal-insulating coating system is present on the first surface to inhibit heat transfer from the working fluid to the angel wing but not on the second or lateral surfaces so as not to inhibit heat transfer from the second and lateral surfaces of the angel wing.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2011Publication date: May 9, 2013Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gary Michael Itzel, Christopher Michael Penny, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Kevin Leon Bruce
-
Publication number: 20130108452Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a system having a turbomachine including a plurality of turbomachine blades coupled to a rotor, wherein each turbomachine blade has a blade base portion and a flared blade tip portion flared relative to the blade base portion. Additionally, a trailing edge of each turbomachine blade extends along a common plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2011Publication date: May 2, 2013Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher Michael Penny, Ross James Gustafson
-
Publication number: 20130039758Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a turbine airfoil includes a platform and a blade extending from the platform. The airfoil also includes a slot formed in a slashface of the platform, the slot being configured to receive a pressurized fluid via passages and configured to direct the pressurized fluid to a selected region of the turbine airfoil to improve airfoil life.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2011Publication date: February 14, 2013Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Bradley Taylor Boyer, Anthony Louis Giglio, Ross James Gustafson, Christopher Michael Penny