Patents by Inventor Howard L. Foltz

Howard L. Foltz 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: 5307637
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor is provided with a combustor dome plate film cooling means having an annular slotted ring to provide a film starting means upstream of a multi-hole film cooled single wall metal dome plate which is annular in shape. One particular embodiment provides a starting slot in the form of a plurality of rings surrounding the edges of the air/fuel nozzle inlet apertures in the dome plate. The cooling holes are disposed in concentric circles about the apertures and angled along radii emanating from the center of the apertures. This produces a cooling film emanating radially from the ring like circular slots around each air/fuel nozzle inlet aperture in the dome plate. Another embodiment provides a starting slot in the form of circumferential rails circumferentially disposed about the inner and outer circumferential edges of dome plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard W. Stickles, Howard L. Foltz, Keith K. Taylor, George E. Cook, Thomas MacLean, Willard J. Dodds
  • Patent number: 5261223
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor liner having conventional dilution holes disposed therethrough and multi-hole film cooling holes to provide a cooling film on the hot side of the liner is provided with generally rectangular film starting apertures disposed downstream, with respect to the predetermined cooling film flow direction, of the dilution holes in predetermined otherwise cooling film dry areas on the hot side of the combustor liner. In one embodiment the multi-hole film cooling holes and the rectangular film starting apertures are angled sharply in the downstream direction and angled in a circumferential direction which generally coincides with a predetermined swirl angle of the flow along the surface of the liner within the combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Howard L. Foltz
  • Patent number: 5220795
    Abstract: A method of diluting combustion gases in a gas turbine engine combustor includes injecting primary dilution air into the combustion gases, and injecting trim dilution air into the combustion gases adjacent to the injected primary dilution air. A dilution air injector for practicing the method includes a plate, or centerbody in an exemplary embodiment, having a primary dilution hole for injecting a portion of compressed air into combustion gases as primary dilution air, and a trim dilution hole for injecting a portion of the compressed air into the combustion gases as trim dilution air. The primary and trim dilution holes are sized and configured so that the primary and trim dilution air cooperate with each other for penetrating into and diluting a predetermined portion of the combustion gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Willard J. Dodds, Stanley K. Widener, Keith K. Taylor, Howard L. Foltz, Steven C. Steffens
  • Patent number: 4896510
    Abstract: A shield is disposed in spaced relationship to the exterior surface of the combustor liner of a gas turbine engine and extends over a plurality of very small holes formed in the combustor liner so as to block flow of air to these holes. Further, the shield provides a space between the shield and the combustor liner for receiving reverse flow of air. A portion of the air flowing along the exterior surface of the combustor liner is diverted for reverse flow in the path provided between the shield and the combustor liner. A lesser plurality of substantially larger holes are provided in the combustor liner at the point of reversal of the air so that the dirt particles in the air, because of the centrifugal force acting thereon, tend to flow through these larger holes. A second group of larger holes are provided in the combustor liner approximately at the forward end of the space between the shield and the combustor liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1990
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Howard L. Foltz
  • Patent number: H1380
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor cooling system for imperforate non-metallic combustor liners has a wall positioned adjacent to the liners forming therewith a cavity. The wall has a plurality of inlets for admitting cooling air into the cavity and a plurality of outlets for exhausting the cooling air into a separate passageway after it impinges the liners. The exhausted cooling air is transferred upstream of the liner where it is combined with fuel for burning rather than discharged downstream as cooling film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Inventors: Ely E. Halila, Howard L. Foltz