Patents by Inventor David Wesley Ball, Jr.

David Wesley Ball, Jr. 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: 20100232945
    Abstract: A turbomachine system includes a compressor having a compressor intake and a compressor extraction outlet, and an inlet system fluidly connected to the compressor intake and the compressor extraction outlet. The inlet system includes a plenum having a first end portion that extends to a second end portion through an intermediate portion. The inlet system also includes a heating system having a plurality of conduits extending horizontally through the intermediate portion of the plenum and arranged in a vertical relationship. Heated air from the compressor extraction outlet passes through the plurality of conduits and raises a temperature of ambient air passing through the plenum and into the compressor intake.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, David Wesley Ball, JR., Valery Ivanovich Ponyavin, Douglas Scott Byrd
  • Publication number: 20100170218
    Abstract: A method for recovering energy from bleed air from a compressor of a gas turbine is provided. The method includes directing bleed air from a compressor of a gas turbine into a cooling unit. The bleed air is compressed air from the compressor, and the bleed air is not directed into a combustion chamber of the gas turbine. The method also includes cooling the bleed air within the cooling unit. The method further includes expanding the cooled bleed air within a turbo-expander to generate power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ravi Praveen Eluripati, David Wesley Ball, JR., Brittany Sater, Jatila Ranasinghe
  • Publication number: 20100096474
    Abstract: An ejector system and method of operation for combining high and low pressure fluid flow streams is disclosed. A nozzle chamber communicates with a high pressure fluid flow stream and a suction chamber communicates with a low pressure fluid flow stream. The outlet of the nozzle chamber exit into the suction chamber and include multiple nozzles such that the high pressure flow stream exits the nozzle chamber in multiple flow streams having multiple surface areas for interlayer drag between the flows. The low pressure fluid flow stream is entrained by the high pressure fluid flow streams exiting the multiple nozzles to define an intermediate pressure flow stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, David Wesley Ball, JR., Ravi Praveen Eluripati, Christina Renee Pompey, Kenneth Neil Whaling
  • Publication number: 20100054926
    Abstract: A thermal management system includes: a turbine assembly including an inlet housing, a compressor in fluid communication with the inlet housing, a power turbine in fluid communication with the compressor, and an exhaust assembly in fluid communication with the power turbine; and at least one heat pipe having a first portion disposed in thermal communication with the inlet housing and a second portion disposed in thermal communication with the exhaust assembly, the at least one heat pipe configured to transfer thermal energy from the exhaust assembly to at least one of input gas entering the inlet housing and at least one component of the inlet housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, David Wesley Ball, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100040482
    Abstract: An ejector comprising a motive inlet, a motive nozzle separably secured to the motive inlet, a suction chamber about the motive nozzle, a suction fluid inlet to the suction chamber, a mixing tube in fluid communication with the suction chamber and the motive nozzle, a diffuser in fluid communication with the mixing tube and distal the suction chamber and the motive nozzle, and an outlet from the diffuser is provided. A nozzle comprising at least two concentric arc nozzle portions is also provided. An ejector comprising a mixing tube including a flexible layer adapted to compress or stretch, thereby allowing a mixing tube diameter to change is further provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kenneth Neil Whaling, Dean Matthew Erickson, Hua Zhang, David Wesley Ball, JR., James L. Davis, Michael Savale, Douglas S. Byrd
  • Publication number: 20100028140
    Abstract: A turbomachine includes a compressor having an intake portion and an outlet portion. The compressor compresses air received at the intake portion to form a compressed airflow that is passed from the outlet portion. The turbomachine also includes an intercooler operatively connected downstream from the compressor. The intercooler includes a plurality of heat pipes that are configured to extract heat from the compressed airflow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, Jatila Ranasinghe, David Wesley Ball, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100024424
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant includes a steam turbine section having an inlet section and an outlet section. The steam turbine section passes steam from the inlet section toward the outlet section. The combined cycle power plant also includes a condenser fluidly connected to the outlet section of the steam turbine section. The condenser includes a plurality of heat pipes configured to extract latent heat from steam passing from the steam turbine section to form condensed water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, Jatila Ranasinghe, David Wesley Ball, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100018180
    Abstract: Disclosed is a turbomachine including at least one exhaust pathway along which exhaust is directed and released to ambient and at least one exhaust processor capable of removing regulated substances from the exhaust. One or more ambient air inlets are located at the at least one exhaust pathway upstream of the at least one exhaust processor. The at least one exhaust pathway is configured such that ambient air is capable of being urged into the at least one exhaust pathway through the one or more ambient air inlets by an acceleration of the exhaust along the at least one exhaust pathway. The ambient air urged into the at least one exhaust pathway reduces a temperature of the exhaust to increase effectiveness of the at least one exhaust processor. Further disclosed is a method for releasing turbomachine exhaust to ambient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Hua Zhang, David Wesley Ball, JR., Thomas Francis Taylor
  • Publication number: 20090101822
    Abstract: A fuel moisturization sensor system is disclosed. The fuel moisturization sensor system includes a first light source configured for emitting light through a fuel and moisture flow path at a first wavelength, wherein the first wavelength is at least partially absorbable by the moisture when in a vapor phase and substantially not absorbable by the fuel, and a second light source configured for emitting light through the fuel and moisture flow path at a second wavelength, wherein the second wavelength is preferentially scattered by moisture when in a liquid phase and substantially not absorbed by the fuel or by the moisture when in a vapor phase, a detector system configured to detect light transmitted through the flow path at the first and second wavelengths and to generate a first data signal corresponding to the transmission at the first wavelength and a second data signal corresponding to the transmission at the second wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Chayan Mitra, Ayan Banerjee, Sandip Maity, Bruce Gordon Norman, David Wesley Ball, Jr., Aarron Dell Johansen
  • Publication number: 20090038313
    Abstract: An apparatus for supplying water to a misting system for an inlet of a gas turbine, includes a diversion of heated feedwater from a loop and to a pump, the pump providing high-pressure feedwater to the misting system. A combined cycle power plant and a method for supplying water are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: David Wesley Ball, JR., Leroy Omar Tomlinson, Douglas Frank Beadie