Patents by Inventor Kevin Richard Kirtley

Kevin Richard Kirtley 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: 20130051976
    Abstract: A flow control module for a turbomachine includes an inlet extending to an outlet through a flow passage having at least one side wall. A flow control member is arranged within the flow control module. The flow control member is secured to the at least one side wall between the inlet and the outlet. The flow control member is selectively passively activated to extend into the flow passage to block cooling fluid passing through the flow control module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Patent number: 8206115
    Abstract: An engine stage includes a row of airfoils joined to corresponding platforms to define flow passages therebetween. Each airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides and extends in chord between opposite leading and trailing edges. Extending from a surface of the platforms is a trailing edge ridge structure which adjoins the pressure sides, suction sides, and trailing edges of the airfoils with their respective platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anurag Gupta, Brian Chandler Barr, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Anna Tam
  • Patent number: 8011886
    Abstract: A lift device for a wind turbine blade. The lift device includes a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall. The lift device is configured to be coupled to the wind turbine blade along a leading edge of the wind turbine blade, and to generate lift when airflow is directed across a surface of the lift device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Balaji Subramanian, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Kevin James Standish
  • Publication number: 20110097210
    Abstract: An airfoil is provided and includes a pressure surface and a suction surface. Radially corresponding surface characteristics of the pressure and suction surfaces at a spanwise local portion of the airfoil are formed to cooperatively define at least one of a camber line and a thickness distribution plot of the airfoil as having a radius of curvature with at least two sign changes. The number of sign changes decreases along a radial dimension of the airfoil measured from the spanwise local portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Publication number: 20100143152
    Abstract: A lift device for a wind turbine blade. The lift device includes a first sidewall and an opposing second sidewall. The lift device is configured to be coupled to the wind turbine blade along a leading edge of the wind turbine blade, and to generate lift when airflow is directed across a surface of the lift device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Inventors: Balaji Subramanian, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Kevin James Standish
  • Patent number: 7553122
    Abstract: A flow control system for a centrifugal compressor includes a plurality of suction holes provided in a diffuser and configured to facilitate suction of a flow control stream from a boundary layer fluid from the diffuser. A plurality of blowing holes are provided in a first interconnecting duct coupled to a de-swirl vane unit and configured to facilitate blowing of the flow control stream into the first interconnecting duct. The blowing holes may also be provided in a suction side or an end wall side of the de-swirl vane unit or in a second interconnecting duct coupled between the de-swirl vane unit and an impeller or an upstream diffuser of another compression stage. A manifold is coupled between the suction holes and the blowing holes and configured to direct flow of the flow control stream from the suction holes to the blowing holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Patent number: 7549282
    Abstract: A bypass channel for use in an inter-turbine transition duct assembly of a turbine engine is connected to a suction port disposed upstream of a high-pressure turbine and at least two injection openings disposed downstream of the high-pressure turbine. The flow through the bypass channel is motivated by the natural pressure difference across the high-pressure turbine. The flow out of the at least two injection openings is used to energize the boundary layer flow downstream of the high-pressure turbine in order to allow for the use of a more aggressively expanded inter-turbine duct without boundary layer separation. Methods for optimizing the flow through the turbine engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Fredric Widenhoefer, Paolo Graziosi, Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Publication number: 20090104028
    Abstract: An apparatus for distributing a fluid in a gas flow path inside a turbomachine, comprising: a device for introducing the fluid into the gas flow path; and wherein the device is positioned within the gas flow path. A method for installing an apparatus that will distribute a fluid in a gas flow path inside a turbomachine, the method comprising: machining a casing groove along an inner surface of a casing; machining at least one port into the casing that is in fluid communication with the casing groove; machining an internal cavity in at least one stator blade that is in fluid communication with the casing groove; machining at least one orifice, that is in fluid communication with the internal cavity, on an orifice surface of the stator blade; and coupling a fluid supply to the at least one port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard Robert Trewin, Jason Paul Mortzheim, Edip Sevincer, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Roointon Erach Pavri, Xiaoyue Liu
  • Publication number: 20080156187
    Abstract: A particle separator which broadly comprises: an inner wall, an outer wall and a splitter, wherein the inner and outer walls define an air intake passageway, and wherein the splitter is positioned between the inner and outer walls so as to define a scavenge air flow passageway connected to the intake passageway and a main air flow passageway connected to the intake passageway; the inner wall having a humped-shaped portion between the intake passageway and the main air flow passageway; the humped-shaped portion having a peak and a radius of curvature at any point on the hump-shaped portion of the inner wall after the peak corresponding to a degree of curvature of from about 30 to about 60 degrees; and a boundary layer control mechanism for providing active boundary layer control along the inner wall after the peak and within the main air flow passageway. Also provided is a method for providing active boundary layer flow control along the inner wall after the peak and within the main air flow passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Walter Jackson Tingle, Wayne R. Oliver, Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Patent number: 7220100
    Abstract: A turbine stage includes a row of airfoils joined to corresponding platforms to define flow passages therebetween. Each airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides and extends in chord between opposite leading and trailing edges. Each platform includes a crescentic ramp increasing in height from the leading and trailing edges toward the midchord of the airfoil along the pressure side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Anna Tam, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Scott Henry Lamson
  • Patent number: 7137245
    Abstract: A bypass channel for use in an inter-turbine transition duct of a gas turbine engine is connected to a suction port disposed upstream of a high-pressure turbine and an injection port disposed downstream of the high-pressure turbine. The flow through the bypass channel is motivated by the natural pressure difference across the high-pressure turbine. The flow out of the injection nozzle is used to energize the boundary layer flow downstream of the high-pressure turbine in order to allow for the use of a more aggressively expanded inter-turbine duct without boundary layer separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paolo Graziosi, Kevin Richard Kirtley
  • Patent number: 7134842
    Abstract: A turbine stage includes a row of airfoils joined to corresponding platforms to define flow passages therebetween. Each airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides and extends in chord between opposite leading and trailing edges. Each platform has a scalloped flow surface including a bulge adjoining the pressure side adjacent the leading edge, and a bowl adjoining the suction side aft of the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anna Tam, Ching-Pang Lee, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Ronald Scott Bunker, Scott Henry Lamson, Scott Michael Carson
  • Patent number: 7128082
    Abstract: A system for control of a fluid flow. The system includes an array of fluidic oscillators. Each fluidic oscillator carries an oscillating flow of the fluid and includes a throat, an input port connected to the throat, two control ports connected to the throat and two output ports extending from the throat. A feedback line is connected to each of the two output ports and each of the two control ports. The system further includes a plenum connected to the input ports of the fluidic oscillators to supply the fluid to the fluidic oscillators and a feedback chamber disposed along each feedback line of each fluidic oscillator to provide a feedback path for the control fluid to cause oscillatory fluid motion between the first output port and the second output port, the frequency of which may be modulated by adjusting the volume of the feedback chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ciro Cerretelli, Kevin Richard Kirtley