Patents by Inventor Daniel L. Tweedt

Daniel L. Tweedt 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).

  • Publication number: 20240018900
    Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes an aft housing for low drag for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the aft housing, wherein the housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the axial extent of the aft blade root to the aft end of the aft housing. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum aft of the aft blade root and a second point forward of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing. The ratio of the first radius to the second radius is greater than or equal to 1.081.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Syed Arif Khalid, Daniel L. Tweedt, David B. Riddle
  • Publication number: 20230322360
    Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes a forward housing for high efficiency for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the forward housing, wherein the forward housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the forward-most end of the forward housing through the axial extent of a forward blade root. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes a first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum forward of the forward blade root and a second point aft of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing. The ratio of the first radius to the second radius is greater than or equal to 1.029.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid
  • Publication number: 20230322412
    Abstract: A flow conditioning structure is disposed about a central axis of an unducted thrust producing apparatus. The unducted thrust producing apparatus has a propeller that generates thrust in a working fluid by rotating about the central axis. The propeller is comprised of blades each with a free end. Each blade also has a leading edge where the working fluid enters during forward thrust operation. The flow conditioning structure comprises a structure forming a passage and the structure forming the passage controls a speed and a direction of the working fluid drawn into the unducted thrust producing apparatus so as to approximate operational speeds and operational directions of the working fluid entering the unducted thrust producing apparatus during operations of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Andrew Breeze-Stringfellow, Syed Arif Khalid, William J. Solomon, Alexander Hills
  • Patent number: 11753144
    Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes a forward housing for high efficiency for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the forward housing, wherein the forward housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the forward-most end of the forward housing through the axial extent of a forward blade root. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes a first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum forward of the forward blade root and a second point aft of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing. The ratio of the first radius to the second radius is greater than or equal to 1.029.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid
  • Publication number: 20230249810
    Abstract: A blade for an open rotor includes a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure side and the suction side intersecting at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein for at least 30% of a span of the blade, the meanline of the airfoil section is shaped such that a relative curvature parameter is greater than 1.2 in a first region, less than 0.75 in a second region, and greater than 0.9 in a third region, wherein the relative curvature parameter of a region is defined by ??n/??tot/?(x/c)n wherein ? corresponds to the inverse tangent of the slope of a meanline curve, subscript n indicates the region, and x/c is a chordwise location normalized by the chord and wherein the first region comprises at least x/c=0.0 to 0.15 and the third region comprises at least x/c=0.80 to 1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore Ramakrishnan, Valeria Andreoli, Daniel L. Tweedt
  • Publication number: 20230124580
    Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes a forward housing for high efficiency for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the forward housing, wherein the forward housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the forward-most end of the forward housing through the axial extent of a forward blade root. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes a first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum forward of the forward blade root and a second point aft of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing. The ratio of the first radius to the second radius is greater than or equal to 1.029.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid
  • Patent number: 11608743
    Abstract: A blade for an open rotor includes a pressure side and a suction side, the pressure side and the suction side intersecting at a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein for at least 30% of a span of the blade, the meanline of the airfoil section is shaped such that a relative curvature parameter is greater than 1.75 in a first region, less than 0.75 in a second region, and greater than 1.2 in a third region, wherein the relative curvature parameter of a region is defined by ??n/??tot/?(x/c)n wherein ? corresponds to the inverse tangent of the slope of a meanline curve, subscript n indicates the region, and x/c is a chordwise location normalized by the chord, and wherein the first region comprises at least x/c=0.0 to 0.10 and the third region comprises at least x/c=0.85 to 1.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel L. Tweedt, Syed Arif Khalid
  • Patent number: 11572827
    Abstract: Apparatuses and systems are provided herein for unducted propulsion systems. The system includes an aft housing for low drag for high subsonic sustained flight. A plurality of blades are affixed to the aft housing, wherein the housing defines a flowpath curve extending from the axial extent of the aft blade root to the aft end of the aft housing. The flowpath curve is described by an axial direction parallel to an axis of rotation and a radius from the axis of rotation. The flowpath curve includes first point having a first radius where the radius reaches a maximum aft of the aft blade root and a second point forward of the first point having a second radius where the radius stops decreasing. The ratio of the first radius to the second radius is greater than or equal to 1.081.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Syed Arif Khalid, Daniel L. Tweedt, David B. Riddle
  • Publication number: 20130336806
    Abstract: A rotating radial tube pump has a rotary portion and an extended inlet integral therewith, both of which rotate about a longitudinal axis through the extended inlet. The rotary portion has a traverse passageway with outlet openings at each end and an inlet opening into the transverse passageway. The extended inlet has a passageway traversing between an extended inlet opening and an extended outlet opening at each end of the passageway. The extended outlet opening communicates with the inlet opening of the passageway through the rotary portion. As the extended inlet and the rotary portion are rotated about a longitudinal axis through the extended inlet, the fluid flows into an inlet opening of the passageway traversing the extended inlet and then into the passageway traversing the rotary portion and then is expelled radially outward from outlet openings at each end of the passageway traversing the rotary portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Lonnie Reid, Daniel L. Tweedt