Patents by Inventor Donald Earl Floyd

Donald Earl Floyd 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: 10221717
    Abstract: A gas turbomachine includes a compressor portion, a turbine portion operatively connected to the compressor portion, and a combustor assembly fluidically connected to each of the compressor portion and the turbine portion. A turbine casing includes a body having an outer surface and an inner surface. A clearance control system includes a plurality of fluidically connected fluid channels extending through the turbine casing. The plurality of fluidically connected fluid channels includes a first fluid channel configured to direct a fluid flow in a first axial direction, a circumferential fluid channel configured to direct the fluid flow in a circumferential direction, and a second fluid channel configured to direct the fluid flow in a second axial direction substantially opposite the first axial direction. The first fluid channel includes a first outlet passing through the inner surface, and the second fluid channel including a second outlet passing through the inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Maruthi Prasad Manchikanti, Donald Earl Floyd, Wojciech Grzeszczak, Asish Uppath Naraparambath Ramesh
  • Patent number: 10047633
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a bearing housing of a turbine, wherein the bearing housing is configured to support a shaft of the turbine, and the bearing housing comprises at least one bearing housing ear configured to transfer a load of the bearing housing to an inlet housing of the turbine through a horizontal center line of the bearing housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Exxon Mobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Maruthi Prasad Manchikanti, Kenneth Damon Black, Donald Earl Floyd, II, Gregory Allan Crum
  • Publication number: 20180010617
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is disclosed having a turbine, one or more hydrocarbon gas combustors, and a compressor. The compressor has a rotor assembly with one or more rotor blade rows extending radially outward from an inner wheel disk. The compressor also has a stator assembly with one or more stator vane rows extending radially inward from an inner casing and positioned between adjacent rotor blade rows. The inner casing extends circumferentially around the rotor assembly and is constructed from at least one low-alpha metal alloy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Matthew Stephen Casavant, Kenneth Damon Black, Christian Michael Hansen, Donald Earl Floyd, James Adaickalasamy, Brett Darrick Klingler, Khoa Dang Cao, Kyle Eric Benson, Devin Patrick Perkins, Damian Anthony McClelland
  • Publication number: 20170321569
    Abstract: A gas turbomachine includes a compressor portion, a turbine portion operatively connected to the compressor portion, and a combustor assembly fluidically connected to each of the compressor portion and the turbine portion. A turbine casing includes a body having an outer surface and an inner surface. A clearance control system includes a plurality of fluidically connected fluid channels extending through the turbine casing. The plurality of fluidically connected fluid channels includes a first fluid channel configured to direct a fluid flow in a first axial direction, a circumferential fluid channel configured to direct the fluid flow in a circumferential direction, and a second fluid channel configured to direct the fluid flow in a second axial direction substantially opposite the first axial direction. The first fluid channel includes a first outlet passing through the inner surface, and the second fluid channel including a second outlet passing through the inner surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Maruthi Prasad Manchikanti, Donald Earl Floyd, Wojciech Grzeszczak, Asish Uppath Naraparambath Ramesh
  • Patent number: 9587510
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor section having a turbine combustor that generates combustion products, a turbine section having one or more turbine stages driven by the combustion products, an exhaust section disposed downstream of the turbine section, an oxygen sensor adaptor housing disposed in at least one of the combustor section, the turbine section, or the exhaust section, or any combination thereof, and an oxygen sensor disposed in the oxygen sensor adaptor housing. The oxygen sensor adaptor housing is configured to maintain a temperature of a portion of the oxygen sensor below an upper threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Eugene Delano White, Douglas Frank Beadie, Anthony Wayne Krull, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Patent number: 9458725
    Abstract: A method and system for providing cooling of a turbine component that includes a region to be cooled is provided. A recess is defined within the region to be cooled, and includes an inner face. At least one support projection extends from the inner face. The at least one support projection includes a free end. A cover is coupled to the region to be cooled, such that an inner surface of the cover is coupled to the free end of the at least one support projection, such that at least one cooling fluid passage is defined within the region to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor John Morgan, John Wesley Harris, Jr., Michael James Healy, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Brian Gene Brzek, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Publication number: 20160084102
    Abstract: An abradable seal having a metallic substrate and a multi-layered ceramic coating on the metallic substrate. The multi-layered ceramic coating includes a base layer deposited on the metallic substrate, an abradable layer overlaying the first layer, and an abrading layer overlaying the second layer. The abrading layer is formed of an abrading material. A turbine system and a method for forming an abradable seal are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Surinder Singh PABLA, Luc Stephane LEBLANC, Donald Earl FLOYD
  • Patent number: 9249667
    Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine that includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor is configured to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the stator. In addition, the rotor includes a least one rotary blade, and the at least one rotary blade has a patterned structure of beams and cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Daniel Noble, Joseph Anthony Weber, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Publication number: 20150330252
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include a bearing housing of a turbine, wherein the bearing housing is configured to support a shaft of the turbine, and the bearing housing comprises at least one bearing housing ear configured to transfer a load of the bearing housing to an inlet housing of the turbine through a horizontal center line of the bearing housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Maruthi Prasad Manchikanti, Kenneth Damon Black, Donald Earl Floyd, II, Gregory Allan Crum
  • Patent number: 9175571
    Abstract: A connecting system for metal component and CMC components, a turbine blade retaining system and rotating component retaining system are provided. The connecting system includes a retaining pin, a metal foam bushing, a first aperture disposed in the metal component, and a second aperture disposed in the ceramic matrix composite component. The first aperture and the second aperture are configured to form a through-hole when the metal component and the ceramic matrix composite component are engaged. The retaining pin and the metal foam bushing are operably arranged within the through-hole to connect the metal component and the ceramic matrix composite component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Donald Earl Floyd
  • Patent number: 9121301
    Abstract: A thermal isolation apparatus is provided and includes an annular casing surrounding a turbine bucket stage and defining an annular recess from an interior facing surface thereof, an annular shroud disposed within the casing to provide for a predefined clearance about rotating bucket tips of the turbine bucket stage, the shroud including an annular main member and an annular flange extending from an outwardly facing surface of the main member and being sized to fit within the recess and a thermal barrier formed of porous material, which is interposed between opposing surfaces of the casing and the flange within the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Earl Floyd, David Martin Johnson
  • Publication number: 20150096305
    Abstract: A method and system for providing cooling of a turbine component that includes a region to be cooled is provided. A recess is defined within the region to be cooled, and includes an inner face. At least one support projection extends from the inner face. The at least one support projection includes a free end. A cover is coupled to the region to be cooled, such that an inner surface of the cover is coupled to the free end of the at least one support projection, such that at least one cooling fluid passage is defined within the region to be cooled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor John Morgan, John Wesley Harris, Jr., Michael James Healy, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Brian Gene Brzek, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Publication number: 20150033757
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor section having a turbine combustor that generates combustion products, a turbine section having one or more turbine stages driven by the combustion products, an exhaust section disposed downstream of the turbine section, an oxygen sensor adaptor housing disposed in at least one of the combustor section, the turbine section, or the exhaust section, or any combination thereof, and an oxygen sensor disposed in the oxygen sensor adaptor housing. The oxygen sensor adaptor housing is configured to maintain a temperature of a portion of the oxygen sensor below an upper threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Eugene Delano White, Douglas Frank Beadie, Anthony Wayne Krull, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Publication number: 20140271154
    Abstract: A turbine inner shell for a turbine engine includes one or more mounting grooves, each of which receives a fluid conduit. A temperature controlling fluid is circulated through fluid conduit to selectively heat or cool surrounding portions of the turbine inner shell, to thereby control the thermal growth of those portions of the turbine inner shell. This makes it possible to selectively control a clearance between the tips of rotating turbine blades and the surrounding shrouds of the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Earl FLOYD, Kenneth Black
  • Publication number: 20140070058
    Abstract: A tube holder for use in turbomachinery includes a housing having a passage for receiving a tube, the housing adapted for attachment to a turbomachinery component; and a metal foam component located within the housing and arranged to engage a length portion of the tube to thereby hold the tube within the housing and reduce undesirable vibrations in the tube during operation of the turbomachinery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Bradley James MILLER, Donald Earl FLOYD, II
  • Publication number: 20130251515
    Abstract: A thermal isolation apparatus is provided and includes an annular casing surrounding a turbine bucket stage and defining an annular recess from an interior facing surface thereof, an annular shroud disposed within the casing to provide for a predefined clearance about rotating bucket tips of the turbine bucket stage, the shroud including an annular main member and an annular flange extending from an outwardly facing surface of the main member and being sized to fit within the recess and a thermal barrier formed of porous material, which is interposed between opposing surfaces of the casing and the flange within the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Earl Floyd, David Martin Johnson
  • Publication number: 20130243600
    Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine that includes a stator and a rotor. The rotor is configured to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the stator. In addition, the rotor includes a least one rotary blade, and the at least one rotary blade has a patterned structure of beams and cavities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Patrick Daniel Noble, Joseph Anthony Weber, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Publication number: 20130243601
    Abstract: A connecting system for metal component and CMC components, a turbine blade retaining system and rotating component retaining system are provided. The connecting system includes a retaining pin, a metal foam bushing, a first aperture disposed in the metal component, and a second aperture disposed in the ceramic matrix composite component. The first aperture and the second aperture are configured to form a through-hole when the metal component and the ceramic matrix composite component are engaged. The retaining pin and the metal foam bushing are operably arranged within the through-hole to connect the metal component and the ceramic matrix composite component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Donald Earl FLOYD
  • Publication number: 20130202420
    Abstract: A turbine shell is provided, and includes a body portion and at least one plate. The body portion has a forward portion and an aft portion. The plate is located between the forward portion and the aft portion. The plate is part of a plate frame heat exchanger, which is part of the body portion of the turbine shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Donald Earl Floyd
  • Publication number: 20120009058
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a first turbine alignment component for a turbine engine; and a shim comprises a metal foam. The shim mounts between a first surface of the first turbine alignment component and a second surface of a second turbine alignment component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Earl Floyd, II, Kenneth Damon Black