Patents by Inventor Gregory A. Boardman

Gregory A. Boardman 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: 11971172
    Abstract: A premixer assembly for a combustor includes: at least one ring of premixers, each premixer having a central axis, an annular peripheral wall surrounding a centerbody, and at least one swirler disposed between the centerbody and the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall defines an inlet area of the premixer; and a lip extending forward along the central axis from the peripheral wall, the lip extending at an oblique angle to the axis of symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: David A. Lind, Ajoy Patra, Ting-Yu Tu, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11965653
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine has a combustor liner that has a cold surface side and a hot surface side, the liner defining an upstream end and a downstream end, and a dilution opening through the combustor liner. The dilution opening includes a main dilution hole portion having an upstream edge and a downstream edge, a notched portion disposed at the upstream edge and extending upstream from the upstream edge, the notched portion being in fluid communication with the main dilution hole portion, and a slotted portion disposed at the downstream edge and extending downstream of the downstream edge, the slotted portion being in fluid communication with the main dilution hole portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ranganatha Narasimha Chiranthan, Rimple Rangrej, Saket Singh, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11920792
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for a turbine engine. This apparatus includes a fuel-air mixer, and the fuel-air mixer includes an inner passage, a sidewall, a steam passage, a fuel nozzle and an air swirler. The inner passage extends axially along an axis within the fuel-air mixer. The sidewall extends circumferentially around and axially along the inner passage. The steam passage is embedded within the sidewall and extends along the inner passage. The fuel nozzle is configured to direct fuel into the inner passage. The air swirler is configured to direct swirled air into the inner passage for mixing with the fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gregory Boardman
  • Patent number: 11828465
    Abstract: A turbine engine can include a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement. The combustion section can have a combustor with a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber, as well as a fuel-air mixer including at least one set of mixing tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Michael T. Bucaro, Ajoy Patra, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Publication number: 20230341127
    Abstract: A premixer for a combustor includes: a centerbody having a hollow interior cavity; a swirler assembly radially outward of the centerbody; a peripheral wall disposed radially outward of the centerbody and the swirler assembly such that a mixing duct is defined between the peripheral wall and the centerbody, downstream from the swirler assembly; an annular splitter radially inward of the swirler assembly and radially outward of the centerbody such that a radial gap is defined between the splitter and an outer surface of the centerbody, wherein the splitter includes a trailing edge which extends axially aft of the swirler assembly; a fuel gallery disposed inside the interior cavity of the centerbody; and at least one fuel injector extending outward from the fuel gallery and passing through an injector port communicating with the outer surface of the splitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Ranjeet Kumar Mishra, Jayanth Sekar, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman, Randall C. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20230288069
    Abstract: A mixer for blending fuel and air in a combustor of a turbine engine. The mixer includes a central body having a central passageway and a central axis. The mixer includes a plurality of tubes positioned radially around the central axis and circumferentially around a periphery of the mixer. Each of the tubes of the mixer includes opposed openings and a tangential opening. Each of the tubes of the mixer includes a cylindrical interior mixing passage configured to receive air flow from the opposed openings and the tangential opening and a fuel flow. The opposed openings are configured to spread the fuel flow laterally and the tangential opening is configured to spread the fuel flow tangentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11713881
    Abstract: A premixer for a combustor includes: a centerbody having a hollow interior cavity; a swirler assembly radially outward of the centerbody; a peripheral wall disposed radially outward of the centerbody and the swirler assembly such that a mixing duct is defined between the peripheral wall and the centerbody, downstream from the swirler assembly; an annular splitter radially inward of the swirler assembly and radially outward of the centerbody such that a radial gap is defined between the splitter and an outer surface of the centerbody, wherein the splitter includes a trailing edge which extends axially aft of the swirler assembly; a fuel gallery disposed inside the interior cavity of the centerbody; and at least one fuel injector extending outward from the fuel gallery and passing through an injector port communicating with the outer surface of the splitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ranjeet Kumar Mishra, Jayanth Sekar, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman, Randall C. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20230235884
    Abstract: A turbine engine can include a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section in serial flow arrangement. The combustion section can have a combustor with a combustor liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber, as well as a fuel-air mixer including at least one set of mixing tubes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Michael T. Bucaro, Ajoy Patra, Perumallu Vukanti, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11692709
    Abstract: A mixer for blending fuel and air in a combustor of a turbine engine. The mixer includes a central body having a central passageway and a central axis. The mixer includes a plurality of tubes positioned radially around the central axis and circumferentially around a periphery of the mixer. Each of the tubes of the mixer includes opposed openings and a tangential opening. Each of the tubes of the mixer includes a cylindrical interior mixing passage configured to receive air flow from the opposed openings and the tangential opening and a fuel flow. The opposed openings are configured to spread the fuel flow laterally and the tangential opening is configured to spread the fuel flow tangentially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Publication number: 20230003385
    Abstract: A premixer array for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of swirled premixer tubes and a plurality of non-swirled premixer tubes. The premixer array further includes a pilot tube for providing a pilot product. The plurality of swirled premixer tubes may guide and spread out the pilot product in a radial direction, in a circumferential direction, or both in a radial direction and a circumferential direction. The plurality of swirled premixer tubes may include clockwise swirled and counterclockwise swirled premixers. Also, included is a method of controlling the flow of pilot products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman, Vishal Sanjay Kediya
  • Publication number: 20220412560
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine has a combustor liner that has a cold surface side and a hot surface side, the liner defining an upstream end and a downstream end, and a dilution opening through the combustor liner. The dilution opening includes a main dilution hole portion having an upstream edge and a downstream edge, a notched portion disposed at the upstream edge and extending upstream from the upstream edge, the notched portion being in fluid communication with the main dilution hole portion, and a slotted portion disposed at the downstream edge and extending downstream of the downstream edge, the slotted portion being in fluid communication with the main dilution hole portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Ranganatha Narasimha Chiranthan, Rimple Rangrej, Saket Singh, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11506388
    Abstract: A pilot pre-mixer for a gas turbine engine has a pilot body that includes an internal mixing chamber, a first end on an upstream side of the internal mixing chamber, a second end on a downstream side of the internal mixing chamber, a fuel injector at the first end and communicable with the internal mixing chamber, a plurality of first oxidizer inlet ports arranged to provide an oxidizer agent from outside of the pilot body to the internal mixing chamber, and a plurality of pilot outlet ports at the second end and communicable with the internal mixing chamber, each of the plurality of pilot outlet ports having an outlet on the second end for dispensing a pilot fluid mixture into a combustion zone of a combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory A. Boardman, Pradeep Naik, Bassam Sabry Mohammad Abdelnabi, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Narasimhan S. Sahana
  • Publication number: 20220357038
    Abstract: A pilot pre-mixer for a gas turbine engine has a pilot body that includes an internal mixing chamber, a first end on an upstream side of the internal mixing chamber, a second end on a downstream side of the internal mixing chamber, a fuel injector at the first end and communicable with the internal mixing chamber, a plurality of first oxidizer inlet ports arranged to provide an oxidizer agent from outside of the pilot body to the internal mixing chamber, and a plurality of pilot outlet ports at the second end and communicable with the internal mixing chamber, each of the plurality of pilot outlet ports having an outlet on the second end for dispensing a pilot fluid mixture into a combustion zone of a combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Gregory A. Boardman, Pradeep Naik, Bassam Sabry Mohammad Abdelnabi, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Narasimhan S. Sahana
  • Patent number: 11454396
    Abstract: A fuel injector and mini-mixer system includes a mixing element tube configured to mix air and fuel prior to injecting the air and fuel into a combustor, an injector positioned within the mixing element tube, the injector being configured to inject a fluid into the mixing element tube, one or more air inlet slots positioned on one or more sides of the injector, one or more fuel injection holes configured to inject fuel into the mixing element tube, and one or more delta wing vortex generators positioned within an internal wall of the mixing element tube, the one or more delta wing vortex generators configured to generate a vortex pair that accelerates the mixing of air and fuel injected into the mixing element tube. Additional air slots can be provided downstream of the delta wing vortex generators to energize the vortex pair or lift fuel away to prevent flameholding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory A. Boardman, Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Pradeep Naik, Jeffrey M. Martini
  • Publication number: 20220290863
    Abstract: A mixer for blending fuel and air in a combustor of a turbine engine. The mixer includes a central body having a central passageway and a central axis. The mixer includes a plurality of tubes positioned radially around the central axis and circumferentially around a periphery of the mixer. Each of the tubes of the mixer includes opposed openings and a tangential opening. Each of the tubes of the mixer includes a cylindrical interior mixing passage configured to receive air flow from the opposed openings and the tangential opening and a fuel flow. The opposed openings are configured to spread the fuel flow laterally and the tangential opening is configured to spread the fuel flow tangentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Pradeep Naik, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Publication number: 20220290862
    Abstract: A mixer for providing a fuel-air mixer to a combustor of an engine. The mixer may include a fuel flow and an air flow entering an interior passage of the mixer. The air flow may be comprised of three separate air flows. The first air flow may be parallel to a central axis of the mixer for pulling the fuel into the interior passage. The second air flow may be inclined with respect to the central axis of the mixer and the third air flow may be tangential to the mixer body. The second air flow and the third air flow may push the fuel flow toward the interior passage and away from the boundary layer flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Vishal Sanjay Kediya, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman, Manampathy G. Giridharan
  • Publication number: 20220042683
    Abstract: A premixer assembly for a combustor includes: at least one ring of premixers, each premixer having a central axis, an annular peripheral wall surrounding a centerbody, and at least one swirler disposed between the centerbody and the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall defines an inlet area of the premixer; and a lip extending forward along the central axis from the peripheral wall, the lip extending at an oblique angle to the axis of symmetry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: David A. Lind, Ajoy Patra, Ting-Yu Tu, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Patent number: 11175046
    Abstract: A premixer assembly for a combustor includes: at least one ring of premixers, each premixer having a central axis, an annular peripheral wall surrounding a centerbody, and at least one swirler disposed between the centerbody and the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall defines an inlet area of the premixer; and a lip extending forward along the central axis from the peripheral wall, the lip extending at an oblique angle to the axis of symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: David A. Lind, Ajoy Patra, Ting-Yu Tu, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman
  • Publication number: 20210207808
    Abstract: A premixer for a combustor includes: a centerbody having a hollow interior cavity; a swirler assembly radially outward of the centerbody; a peripheral wall disposed radially outward of the centerbody and the swirler assembly such that a mixing duct is defined between the peripheral wall and the centerbody, downstream from the swirler assembly; an annular splitter radially inward of the swirler assembly and radially outward of the centerbody such that a radial gap is defined between the splitter and an outer surface of the centerbody, wherein the splitter includes a trailing edge which extends axially aft of the swirler assembly; a fuel gallery disposed inside the interior cavity of the centerbody; and at least one fuel injector extending outward from the fuel gallery and passing through an injector port communicating with the outer surface of the splitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Ranjeet Kumar Mishra, Jayanth Sekar, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman, Randall C. Boehm
  • Publication number: 20200355371
    Abstract: A premixer assembly for a combustor includes: at least one ring of premixers, each premixer having a central axis, an annular peripheral wall surrounding a centerbody, and at least one swirler disposed between the centerbody and the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall defines an inlet area of the premixer; and a lip extending forward along the central axis from the peripheral wall, the lip extending at an oblique angle to the axis of symmetry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: David A. Lind, Ajoy Patra, Ting-Yu Tu, Pradeep Naik, Gregory A. Boardman