Patents by Inventor Douglas George Shafer

Douglas George Shafer 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: 8499544
    Abstract: A turbogenerator having a gas turbine engine powering generator and a cooling system and an annular heat exchanger powered by a fan disposed across an outer fan duct of the engine. Fan variable inlet and outlet guide vanes may be used to vary power between the fan and the generator which are drivenly connected to a low pressure turbine. Inner and outer portions separated by a rotating shroud of the fan are disposed in annular inner and outer fan ducts respectively. A directed energy weapon may be powered by the generator and cooled by the cooling system. A refrigeration apparatus may be operably disposed between the annular heat exchanger and the directed energy weapon for cooling the directed energy weapon and conditioning power electronics for the weapon. The refrigeration apparatus may include a vapor cycle cooling system and a cold storage containing a phase change material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas George Shafer, Mark Gerard Rettig, Robert John VanderMolen
  • Patent number: 8450888
    Abstract: A brushless starter/generator includes a rotor rotatably mounted within a stator mounted within a housing and an oil cooling system using cooling oil from an engine accessory gearbox for cooling the rotor and the stator. The rotor is fixedly mounted on a rotor shaft having a rotor heat exchanger disposed therein. A stator heat exchanger for cooling the stator includes an oil jacket around the housing. The stator heat exchanger includes a grooved tube around the housing and axially extending axial passages connected to annular inlet and outlet manifolds in the grooved tube. The rotor shaft is operably connected to a power take-off shaft within the gearbox and rotatably supported by a shaft bearing in a gearbox casing of the accessory gearbox. The oil cooling system is a dry cavity oil cooling system which prevents cooling oil from entering an air gap between the rotor and the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas George Shafer, Peter David Toot
  • Publication number: 20110115227
    Abstract: A turbogenerator having a gas turbine engine powering generator and a cooling system and an annular heat exchanger powered by a fan disposed across an outer fan duct of the engine. Fan variable inlet and outlet guide vanes may be used to vary power between the fan and the generator which are drivenly connected to a low pressure turbine. Inner and outer portions separated by a rotating shroud of the fan are disposed in annular inner and outer fan ducts respectively. A directed energy weapon may be powered by the generator and cooled by the cooling system. A refrigeration apparatus may be operably disposed between the annular heat exchanger and the directed energy weapon for cooling the directed energy weapon and conditioning power electronics for the weapon. The refrigeration apparatus may include a vapor cycle cooling system and a cold storage containing a phase change material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Douglas George Shafer, Mark Gerard Rettig, Robert John VanderMolen
  • Publication number: 20100264759
    Abstract: A brushless starter/generator includes a rotor rotatably mounted within a stator mounted within a housing and an oil cooling system using cooling oil from an engine accessory gearbox for cooling the rotor and the stator. The rotor is fixedly mounted on a rotor shaft having a rotor heat exchanger disposed therein. A stator heat exchanger for cooling the stator includes an oil jacket around the housing. The stator heat exchanger includes a grooved tube around the housing and axially extending axial passages connected to annular inlet and outlet manifolds in the grooved tube. The rotor shaft is operably connected to a power take-off shaft within the gearbox and rotatably supported by a shaft bearing in a gearbox casing of the accessory gearbox. The oil cooling system is a dry cavity oil cooling system which prevents cooling oil from entering an air gap between the rotor and the stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Douglas George Shafer, Peter David Toot