Patents by Inventor Jeffrey Douglas Rambo

Jeffrey Douglas Rambo 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: 20220243660
    Abstract: A system for energy conversion is provided including a propulsion system, a fuel circuit, a combustion device and turbine separate from the propulsion system, and a load device. A fuel flow control device separates a flow of fuel from the fuel tank into a first portion of fuel and a second portion of fuel. A fuel circuit is configured to provide the first portion of fuel to a heat addition system at the propulsion system. A combustion device receives a flow of oxidizer from a compressor section of the propulsion system via a fluid circuit. The fuel circuit provides the second portion of fuel to the combustion device. The fluid circuit flows combustion gases to the turbine and the propulsion system. The load device is operably coupled to the turbine to receive an output torque via expansion of the combustion gases through the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Gregory Michael Petrasko
  • Publication number: 20220242587
    Abstract: A method and structure for thermal management for a vehicle is provided. The method includes extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system in which the flow of compressed fluid includes a pressure parameter, and generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft. The turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Scott Gregory Edens
  • Publication number: 20220235671
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine defines a working air flowpath and includes an electrical system having an electric machine coupled to the rotary component at least partially inward of the working air flowpath along the radial direction and an electric bus electrically coupled to the electric machine. The electric bus includes an electric line extending through the working air flowpath within or downstream of a turbine section. The engine further includes a cooling system including a cooling fluid supply line and a cooling fluid return line, wherein a portion of the electric line extending though the working air flowpath is substantially embedded within the cooling fluid supply line, and wherein a portion of the cooling fluid supply line extending though the working air flowpath is substantially embedded within the cooling fluid return line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220235715
    Abstract: A turbomachine for a vehicle is provided. The turbomachine includes a manifold configured to channel a flow of fluid therethrough; a first pressure measurement device in communication with the manifold and configured to determine a first pressure difference; a second pressure measurement device in communication with the manifold and configured to determine a second pressure difference; a data selector device in communication with the first pressure measurement device and the second pressure measurement device, wherein the data selector device receives the first and second pressure difference and uses a logic circuit to generate a single pressure signal; and an engine controller operably coupled to the data selector device such that the engine controller receives the single pressure signal indicating a pressure differential of the manifold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220235705
    Abstract: A heat transfer system includes a heat exchanger located at least partially within a coolant flowpath. The heat exchanger defines at least in part a first flowpath and a second flowpath, the first flowpath configured to be in fluid communication with the coolant flowpath, and the second flowpath configured to receive a flow of a motive fluid. The heat transfer system further includes a throttling device that is in fluid communication with the second flowpath of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger receives at least a portion of the flow of the motive fluid from the heat exchanger. The throttling device is also in fluid communication with the coolant flowpath at a location upstream of the heat exchanger for providing the flow of motive fluid to the coolant flowpath at the location upstream of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220236013
    Abstract: A heat exchange system for a gas turbine engine includes a first heat exchanger that defines a first heat source flowpath, a second heat exchanger that defines a second heat source flowpath, and a coolant fluid circuit. The coolant fluid circuit defines a first coolant flowpath that extends through the first heat exchanger and is in thermal communication with the first heat source flowpath, and a second coolant flowpath that extends through the second heat exchanger and is in thermal communication with the second heat source flowpath. The first coolant flowpath and the second coolant flowpath are arranged in a parallel flow configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220235713
    Abstract: A method and system for bleed flow power generation is provided. The engine includes a core flowpath formed by a compressor section, a heat addition system, and an expansion section in serial flow arrangement. A bleed circuit is extended from the core flowpath to extract a portion of compressed fluid from the core flowpath. The method and system include bleeding compressed fluid through a bleed circuit extended in fluid communication from the core flowpath of the engine; flowing the compressed fluid through the bleed circuit to a turbine rotor positioned at the bleed circuit; extracting, via the turbine rotor, energy from the flow of compressed fluid across the turbine rotor; and receiving energy at an electric machine operably coupled to the turbine rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11397059
    Abstract: Flow paths and boundary layer restart features are provided. For example, a flow path comprises a flow path wall defining an inner flow path surface and an asymmetric notch defined in the flow path wall. The asymmetric notch comprises a first surface and a second surface and is asymmetric about a first line extending through an intersection of the first and second surfaces. Further, a flow boundary layer restart feature comprises a first surface extending inward with respect to a flow path surface of a flow path and a second surface extending inward with respect to the flow path surface. The second surface is asymmetric with respect to the first surface such that the first and second surfaces define an asymmetric notch. Additionally, a flow path wall may comprise an asymmetric notch that includes a flow expansion angle and a flow contraction angle that are unequal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas Kupiszewski, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Emily Rosette Clark
  • Patent number: 11384649
    Abstract: A propulsion system is provided including a first vane extended along the radial direction. The first vane is configured to rotate relative to a vane axis extended along the radial direction. A second vane is extended along the radial direction. The second vane is positioned aft along the axial direction of the first vane. The second vane forms an inlet opening proximate to a second vane leading edge, and the second vane forms an outlet opening proximate to a second vane trailing edge. The inlet opening and the outlet opening together allow a flow of fluid through the second vane. A heat exchanger is positioned within the second vane. The inlet opening and the outlet opening allow the flow of fluid in fluid communication with the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220213802
    Abstract: A system for controlling blade clearances within a gas turbine engine includes a rotor disk and a rotor blade coupled to the rotor disk. Additionally, the system includes an outer turbine component positioned outward of the rotor blade such that a clearance is defined between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component. Furthermore, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of cooling air bled from the gas turbine engine and transfer heat from the received flow of the cooling air to a flow of coolant to generate cooled cooling air. Moreover, the system includes a valve configured to control the flow of the coolant to the heat exchanger. In this respect, the cooled cooling air is supplied to at least one of the rotor disk or the rotor blade to adjust the clearance between the rotor blade and the outer turbine component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Steven Douglas Johnson, Julius John Montgomery, Brandon Wayne Miller, Robert Proctor, Bradley W. Fintel, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220194622
    Abstract: Systems and methods of operating systems are provided. For example, a system comprises a fuel cooling loop including a cold fuel flowpath having a fuel flowing therethrough, a fuel cooler heat exchanger for cooling the fuel in fluid communication with the cold fuel flowpath, and a cold fuel tank disposed along the cold fuel flowpath for accumulating at least a portion of the cooled fuel. The system further comprises a fuel heating loop including a hot fuel flowpath for a flow of the fuel, a fuel heater heat exchanger for heating the fuel in fluid communication with the hot fuel flowpath, and a hot fuel tank disposed along the hot fuel flowpath for accumulating at least a portion of the heated fuel. The fuel cooling loop is coupled to the fuel heating loop such that the fuel circulates through both the fuel cooling loop and the fuel heating loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Brandon Wayne Miller
  • Publication number: 20220195927
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating systems are provided. For example, a system comprises a heat source for providing a flow of a hot fluid and a fuel flowpath for a flow of a fuel. The fuel flowpath includes a fuel accumulator and a heat exchanger for heat transfer between the hot fluid and fuel. The heat exchanger includes a hot fluid inlet for receipt of the hot fluid at an inlet temperature and a fuel inlet for receipt of the fuel at an inlet temperature. The hot fluid inlet temperature is greater than the fuel inlet temperature such that the fuel is heated through heat transfer with the hot fluid in the heat exchanger. The fuel accumulator accumulates at least a portion of the heated fuel. An exemplary system is selectively operated to heat and circulate the fuel through the fuel flowpath for consumption and/or accumulation in the fuel accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220195925
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating systems are provided. For example, a system comprises a coolant flowpath having a coolant flowing therethrough, a cooling system for cooling the coolant disposed along the coolant flowpath, a fuel flowpath having a fuel flowing therethrough, a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the coolant flowpath and the fuel flowpath for heat transfer between the coolant and the fuel to cool the fuel, and a fuel tank for accumulating the cooled fuel. The fuel is in thermal communication with a first thermal load to cool the load. An exemplary method comprises flowing a heat exchange fluid along a flowpath; flowing a fuel along a fuel flowpath including a fuel tank; passing both the heat exchange fluid and fuel through a heat exchanger to cool the fuel; and controlling the fuel flow from the heat exchanger to the fuel tank for accumulation of the cooled fuel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220186664
    Abstract: A heat exchanger for an aircraft includes an inlet plenum housing defining an inlet plenum configured to receive a fluid and an outlet plenum housing defining an outlet plenum configured to discharge the fluid. Furthermore, the heat exchanger includes a core configured to heat or cool a first portion of the fluid, with the core defining a plurality of fluid passages extending from the inlet plenum to the outlet plenum. Moreover, the heat exchanger includes a passive bypass defining a passive bypass flow path fluidly coupled to and extending between the inlet plenum and the outlet plenum. As such, the passive bypass flow path is in parallel with at least a portion of the core such that a second portion of the fluid bypasses at least a portion of the core and flows continuously and unobstructed through the passive bypass flow path to the outlet plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew Ryan Johns, Alex William Ariapad, Nicolas Kristopher Sabo, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Ramon Martinez, Jared Wolfe
  • Publication number: 20220128317
    Abstract: A system for heat exchange and leak detection is generally provided, the system including a heat exchanger including a first wall defining a first passage containing a first fluid. A leak detection enclosure containing a leak detection medium is defined between the first wall and a second wall surrounding the first wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Nicholas Taylor Moore, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Hendrik Pieter Jacobus de Bock, William Dwight Gerstler
  • Publication number: 20220111969
    Abstract: A system for cooling aircraft components includes a compressor configured to receive air bled from a gas turbine engine and compress the received air. Additionally, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed air from the compressor and cool the compressed air; a turbine configured to receive the cooled air from the heat exchanger, with the cooled air expanding as the cooled air flows through the turbine. Furthermore, the system includes a defroster configured to receive the expanded air from the turbine, with the defroster further configured to capture frozen particulate matter from the expanded air. As such, at least a portion of the cooled air from the heat exchanger is routed to the defroster to melt the captured frozen particulate matter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220111968
    Abstract: A system for cooling aircraft components includes a compressor configured to receive air bled from a gas turbine engine and compress the received air. Additionally, the system includes a water separator configured to receive the compressed air from the compressor and remove moisture from the compressed air to dry the compressed air. Furthermore, the system includes a turbine configured to receive the dried air from the heat exchanger, with the dried air expanding as the dried air flows through the turbine. Moreover, the system includes a defroster configured to receive the expanded air from the turbine, with the defroster further configured to capture frozen particulate matter from the expanded air. As such, the moisture removed from the compressed air by the water separator is routed to the defroster to melt the captured frozen particulate matter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11300365
    Abstract: A system for heat exchange and leak detection is generally provided, the system including a heat exchanger including a first wall defining a first passage containing a first fluid. A leak detection enclosure containing a leak detection medium is defined between the first wall and a second wall surrounding the first wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Nicholas Taylor Moore, Daniel Alan Niergarth, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Hendrik Pieter Jacobus de Bock, William Dwight Gerstler
  • Patent number: 11293375
    Abstract: An ejector assembly includes a primary nozzle in fluid communication with a primary fluid inlet, a secondary nozzle in fluid communication with a secondary fluid inlet, the primary nozzle being oriented concentrically within the secondary nozzle and the secondary nozzle having a venturi downstream of the primary nozzle, and the primary nozzle having a variable cross-sectional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arvind Namadevan, Hari Shanker Thakur, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Arnab Sen, Siddhartha Pal
  • Patent number: 11280198
    Abstract: An apparatus for a turbine engine comprising an outer casing, an engine core provided within outer casing and having a at least one set of blades, and through which gasses flow in a forward to aft direction, an outer drum located within the outer casing to define an annular cavity. A set of seals extending between the first surface and the second surface to define at least one cooled cavity within the annular cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arnab Sen, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Rajesh Kumar, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Alan Roy Stuart, Robert Proctor, Christopher Charles Glynn