Patents by Inventor David Wayne Weber

David Wayne Weber 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: 20240011399
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a body, a cooling passage, a first cooling cavity, a second cooling cavity, a cooling conduit, and a connecting conduit. The body defines an interior and includes a tip rail with an exterior surface extending between a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface. The cooling passage is formed within the interior. The first cooling cavity and the second cooling cavity are spaced from each other within the tip rail. The cooling conduit fluidly couples the cooling passage with the first cooling cavity. The connecting conduit fluidly couples the first cooling cavity to the second cooling cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Nicholas William Rathay, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 11732593
    Abstract: A blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning the radially extending chamber into a leading edge passage within the leading edge of the airfoil and a central passage adjacent to the leading edge passage. One or both camber line ribs connect to a corresponding pressure side outer wall and suction side outer wall at a point aft of the leading edge transverse rib causing the central passage to extend towards one or both of the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall, resulting in a flared center cavity aft of the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 11655718
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a blade tip for a turbine engine can include an blade, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall enclosing an interior for the blade at the tip. A plurality of film-holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the film-holes from the interior of the blade to cool the tip of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Nicholas William Rathay, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Publication number: 20220056805
    Abstract: A blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning the radially extending chamber into a leading edge passage within the leading edge of the airfoil and a central passage adjacent to the leading edge passage. One or both camber line ribs connect to a corresponding pressure side outer wall and suction side outer wall at a point aft of the leading edge transverse rib causing the central passage to extend towards one or both of the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall, resulting in a flared center cavity aft of the leading edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20210404344
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a blade tip for a turbine engine can include an blade, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall enclosing an interior for the blade at the tip. A plurality of film-holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the film-holes from the interior of the blade to cool the tip of the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Nicholas William Rathay, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 11199098
    Abstract: A blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning the radially extending chamber into a leading edge passage within the leading edge of the airfoil and a central passage adjacent to the leading edge passage. One or both camber line ribs connect to a corresponding pressure side outer wall and suction side outer wall at a point aft of the leading edge transverse rib causing the central passage to extend towards one or both of the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall, resulting in a flared center cavity aft of the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 11035237
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a blade tip for a turbine engine can include an blade, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall enclosing an interior for the blade at the tip. A plurality of film-holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the film-holes from the interior of the blade to cool the tip of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Nicholas William Rathay, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 10822986
    Abstract: Turbine shrouds including internal cooling passages are disclosed. The shrouds may include a unitary body including a support portion, an intermediate portion formed integral with and extending from the support portion, and a seal portion formed integral with the intermediate portion, opposite the support portion. The unitary body may also include two opposing slash faces extending between the support portion and the seal portion, a HGP seal slot formed on each of the two opposing slash faces, and at least one plenum and cooling passage extending through the support portion, intermediate portion, and/or the seal portion. The unitary body may also include an exhaust channel and slash face exhaust holes formed in each of the two opposing slash faces. The exhaust channel may be in fluid communication with the cooling passage(s), and the slash face exhaust holes may be in fluid communication with the exhaust channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20200300097
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a blade tip for a turbine engine can include an blade, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall enclosing an interior for the blade at the tip. A plurality of film-holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the film-holes from the interior of the blade to cool the tip of the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Nicholas William Rathay, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 10753207
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an airfoil tip for a turbine engine can include a blade, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall (94) enclosing an interior for the airfoil at the tip. A plurality of film-holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the film-holes from the interior of the airfoil to cool the tip of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nicholas William Rathay, Thomas Earl Dyson, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Publication number: 20200248558
    Abstract: Turbine shrouds including internal cooling passages are disclosed. The shrouds may include a unitary body including a support portion, an intermediate portion formed integral with and extending from the support portion, and a seal portion formed integral with the intermediate portion, opposite the support portion. The unitary body may also include two opposing slash faces extending between the support portion and the seal portion, a HGP seal slot formed on each of the two opposing slash faces, and at least one plenum and cooling passage extending through the support portion, intermediate portion, and/or the seal portion. The unitary body may also include an exhaust channel and slash face exhaust holes formed in each of the two opposing slash faces. The exhaust channel may be in fluid communication with the cooling passage(s), and the slash face exhaust holes may be in fluid communication with the exhaust channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10697308
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention include turbine buckets and systems employing such buckets. Various particular embodiments include a turbine bucket having: an airfoil having: a suction side; a pressure side opposing the suction side; a leading edge spanning between the pressure side and the suction side; and a trailing edge opposing the leading edge and spanning between the pressure side and the suction side; a base connected with a first end of the airfoil along the suction side, pressure side, trailing edge and the leading edge; and a tip shroud connected with a second end of the airfoil along the suction side, the pressure side, the trailing edge and the leading edge, the tip shroud including a tip shroud fillet connecting the airfoil and the tip shroud and having a non-uniform thickness across an axial length of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Neil Ristau, Zachary James Taylor, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10619491
    Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure provides for a turbine airfoil. The turbine airfoil may include a trailing edge having: a set of cooling channels having a first cooling channel fluidly connected to a second cooling channel; a first section having a first pin bank cooling arrangement, the first section fluidly connected to the first cooling channel; a second section having a second pin bank cooling arrangement, the second section fluidly connected to the second cooling channel and being radially inward of the first section; and a pressure side panel having a third pin bank cooling arrangement, the pressure side panel fluidly connected to the first cooling channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, Brendon James Leary, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10605090
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting to the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning a leading edge passage from the radially extending chamber. The rib configuration may also include a first center transverse rib connecting to the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning an intermediate passage from the radially extending chamber directly aft of the leading edge passage. The intermediate passage is defined by the pressure side outer wall, the suction side outer wall, the leading edge transverse rib and the first center transverse rib, and thus spans airfoil between its outer walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10605096
    Abstract: A blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning the radially extending chamber into a leading edge passage within the leading edge of the airfoil and a central passage adjacent to the leading edge passage. One or both camber line ribs connect to a corresponding pressure side outer wall and suction side outer wall at a point aft of the leading edge transverse rib causing the central passage to extend towards one or both of the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall, resulting in a flared center cavity aft of the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10605098
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling a blade tip for a turbine engine can include an blade, such as a cooled turbine blade, having a tip rail extending beyond a tip wall enclosing an interior for the blade at the tip. A plurality of film-holes can be provided in the tip rail. A flow of cooling fluid can be provided through the film-holes from the interior of the blade to cool the tip of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Earl Dyson, Nicholas William Rathay, Brendon James Leary, Gregory Terrence Garay, Gustavo Adolfo Ledezma, David Wayne Weber, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 10598028
    Abstract: An edge coupon for an airfoil is provided. The coupon includes: a coupon body including: a coolant feed; an outward leg extending toward an edge of the coupon and fluidly coupled to the coolant feed; a return leg extending away from the edge of the coupon and radially offset from the outward leg along a radial axis of the coupon; a turn for fluidly coupling the outward leg and the return leg; a collection passage fluidly coupled to the return leg; and a coupling region configured to mate with an airfoil body of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Frank Hoskin, David Wayne Weber, Gregory Thomas Foster
  • Publication number: 20200063574
    Abstract: A blade includes an airfoil defined by a pressure side outer wall and a suction side outer wall connecting along leading and trailing edges and form a radially extending chamber for receiving a coolant flow. A rib configuration may include: a leading edge transverse rib connecting the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall and partitioning the radially extending chamber into a leading edge passage within the leading edge of the airfoil and a central passage adjacent to the leading edge passage. One or both camber line ribs connect to a corresponding pressure side outer wall and suction side outer wall at a point aft of the leading edge transverse rib causing the central passage to extend towards one or both of the pressure side outer wall and the suction side outer wall, resulting in a flared center cavity aft of the leading edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Brendon James Leary, Gregory Thomas Foster, Michelle Jessica Iduate, David Wayne Weber
  • Patent number: 10465527
    Abstract: A core for an airfoil casting, including: a cantilevered core section; and a boss extending from the cantilevered core section to an outer profile of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Wayne Weber, Gregory Thomas Foster, Robert Peter Hanet
  • Patent number: 10450950
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade according to various embodiments includes: a body having: a leading edge; a trailing edge; a suction side extending between the leading edge and the trailing edge; a pressure side, opposing the suction side; a root; and a tip opposing the root; and a trailing edge cooling circuit contained within the body, the trailing edge cooling circuit including: a first section extending from the root toward the tip along the pressure side; a second section extending from the first section toward the trailing edge; and a third section extending from the trailing edge along the suction side, wherein the trailing edge cooling circuit is configured to direct flow of a heat transfer fluid from the first section to the second section, and from the second section to the third section, without releasing the heat transfer fluid from the body at the trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: David Wayne Weber