Patents by Inventor Kevin Vandevoorde

Kevin Vandevoorde 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: 10352570
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for use in a combustor of a turbine engine includes a mixer assembly including a mixer housing and a fuel nozzle assembly positioned radially inward of the mixer housing. The fuel nozzle assembly includes a substantially annular fuel injection housing and a substantially annular main fuel injector coupled to the fuel injection housing. The main fuel injector includes a body, a fuel delivery passage defined in the body, a swirl chamber defined in the body downstream of the fuel delivery passage, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fuel metering slots defined in the body and coupled in flow communication with and between the fuel delivery passage and the swirl chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Krishnakumar Venkatesan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Shih-Yang Hsieh, Yuxin Zhang, Owen James Sullivan Rickey, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Kevin Vandevoorde
  • Publication number: 20170284678
    Abstract: A fuel injection system for use in a combustor of a turbine engine includes a mixer assembly including a mixer housing and a fuel nozzle assembly positioned radially inward of the mixer housing. The fuel nozzle assembly includes a substantially annular fuel injection housing and a substantially annular main fuel injector coupled to the fuel injection housing. The main fuel injector includes a body, a fuel delivery passage defined in the body, a swirl chamber defined in the body downstream of the fuel delivery passage, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fuel metering slots defined in the body and coupled in flow communication with and between the fuel delivery passage and the swirl chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Krishnakumar Venkatesan, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Shih-Yang Hsieh, Yuxin Zhang, Owen James Sullivan Rickey, Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Kevin Vandevoorde
  • Patent number: 9453461
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel nozzle apparatus includes: an annular outer body, the outer body extending parallel to a centerline axis, and having a generally cylindrical exterior surface extending between forward and aft ends, and having a plurality of openings passing through the exterior surface; an annular main injection ring disposed inside the outer body, the main injection ring including an annular array of fuel posts extending radially outward therefrom; a main fuel gallery extending within the main injection ring in a circumferential direction; a plurality of main fuel orifices, each main fuel orifice communicating with the main fuel gallery and extending through one of the fuel posts; and a suspension structure connecting the main injection ring to the outer body, the suspension structure configured to substantially rigidly locate the position of the main ring in axial and lateral directions while permitting controlled deflection in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael John McCarren, Kevin Vandevoorde
  • Publication number: 20160177834
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel nozzle apparatus includes: an annular outer body, the outer body extending parallel to a centerline axis, and having a generally cylindrical exterior surface extending between forward and aft ends, and having a plurality of openings passing through the exterior surface; an annular main injection ring disposed inside the outer body, the main injection ring including an annular array of fuel posts extending radially outward therefrom; a main fuel gallery extending within the main injection ring in a circumferential direction; a plurality of main fuel orifices, each main fuel orifice communicating with the main fuel gallery and extending through one of the fuel posts; and a suspension structure connecting the main injection ring to the outer body, the suspension structure configured to substantially rigidly locate the position of the main ring in axial and lateral directions while permitting controlled deflection in a radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Nayan Vinodbhai Patel, Duane Douglas Thomsen, Michael John McCarren, Kevin Vandevoorde
  • Patent number: 9097538
    Abstract: A rover for precisely determining the topography of a given parcel by contacting the surface of the parcel includes a GPS module and at least one sensor wheel. The GPS module may be mounted adjacent to and work in concert with the sensor wheel. The attitude and heading of the sensor wheel may be measured with another sensor, such as an AHRS, and the angle of the sensor wheel may be measured with a rotation position sensor. The various data points may be distilled to accurately measure the topography of a given parcel when the relative positions of the GPS module and the center of the sensor wheel are constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Inventors: Steve Bush, Kevin Vandevoorde