Patents by Inventor Matthew Troy Hafner

Matthew Troy Hafner 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: 11952918
    Abstract: A stator vane includes a platform that defines an opening. The stator vane further includes an airfoil that has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side wall, and a pressure side wall. The airfoil extends radially between a base and a tip. At least one of the base or the tip includes a protrusion. The protrusion extends into the opening of the platform such that the platform surrounds the protrusion of the airfoil. The stator vane further includes a braze joint disposed between and fixedly coupling the platform and the protrusion of the airfoil. The stator vane further includes a cooling circuit defined in at least one of the protrusion or the platform to cool the braze joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, John M. Matthews, Zachary John Snider
  • Publication number: 20240026795
    Abstract: A stator vane includes a platform that defines an opening. The stator vane further includes an airfoil that has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side wall, and a pressure side wall. The airfoil extends radially between a base and a tip. At least one of the base or the tip includes a protrusion. The protrusion extends into the opening of the platform such that the platform surrounds the protrusion of the airfoil. The stator vane further includes a braze joint disposed between and fixedly coupling the platform and the protrusion of the airfoil. The stator vane further includes a cooling circuit defined in at least one of the protrusion or the platform to cool the braze joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, John M. Matthews, Zachary John Snider
  • Patent number: 11767766
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, a base, and a tip. The airfoil further includes a pressure side wall and a suction side wall that extend between the leading edge, the trailing edge, the base, and the tip. The airfoil further includes a plurality of passages that are defined within the airfoil and extend from an inlet at one of the base or the tip. Each passage of the plurality of passages is defined at least partially by a primary impingement wall and a solid side wall. The primary impingement wall is spaced apart from one of the pressure side wall or the suction side wall such that a primary impingement gap is defined therebetween. The primary impingement wall defines a plurality of impingement apertures that direct air in discrete jets across the impingement gap to impinge upon an interior surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John M. Matthews, Christopher Donald Porter, Matthew Troy Hafner
  • Patent number: 11724969
    Abstract: A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) component includes at least one seal surface, the at least one seal surface disposed adjacent an interfacing surface for providing a seal therebetween; and a coating disposed on the seal surface. The coating includes an aluminum oxide and/or a silicon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, John McConnell Delvaux, Jason Robert Parolini, Rajendra Kumar Bordia, Quan Li
  • Patent number: 11660673
    Abstract: An additively manufactured (AM) object may include a body including an opening in an exterior surface thereof, the opening having a shape and a first area at the exterior surface of the body. A mask may be positioned over the opening. The mask has the shape of the opening and a second area that is larger than the first area so as to overhang the exterior surface of the body about the opening. A plurality of support ligaments couple to the mask and the exterior surface of the body at a location adjacent to the opening to support a portion of the mask. A coating can be applied to the object, and the mask removed. The final AM object includes a plurality of ligament elements extending from the exterior surface of the body and through the coating adjacent the opening, each ligament element at least partially surrounded by the coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Christopher Donald Porter, Zachary John Snider, Jeffrey Clarence Jones
  • Publication number: 20230142974
    Abstract: An additively manufactured (AM) object may include a body including an opening in an exterior surface thereof, the opening having a shape and a first area at the exterior surface of the body. A mask may be positioned over the opening. The mask has the shape of the opening and a second area that is larger than the first area so as to overhang the exterior surface of the body about the opening. A plurality of support ligaments couple to the mask and the exterior surface of the body at a location adjacent to the opening to support a portion of the mask. A coating can be applied to the object, and the mask removed. The final AM object includes a plurality of ligament elements extending from the exterior surface of the body and through the coating adjacent the opening, each ligament element at least partially surrounded by the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Christopher Donald Porter, Zachary John Snider, Jeffrey Clarence Jones
  • Patent number: 11480061
    Abstract: A method may include: in a used metal turbomachine blade including a root including a shank, a platform coupled to the shank and an airfoil coupled to the platform, removing the airfoil, leaving a remaining base including the platform, the shank and the root. The method may also form a radially extending opening through the platform into the shank, and insert a ceramic shank nub extending from a ceramic airfoil into the radially extending opening of the remaining base. The ceramic airfoil is fixedly attached to the remaining base. The method allows reuse of the metal shank while providing the lower cooling requirements of a ceramic airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, John McConnell Delvaux, Thomas Raymond Farrell, Markus Feigl
  • Patent number: 11480070
    Abstract: A coolant delivery system for a component of a gas turbine system includes: a plurality of independent circuits of cooling channels embedded within an exterior wall of the component, each independent circuit of cooling channels including a plurality of headers and a plurality of feed tubes fluidly coupling the plurality of headers to a supply of cooling fluid; and an impingement plate connected to the exterior wall of the component by the plurality of feed tubes of the independent circuits of cooling channels, wherein, in each of the plurality of independent circuits of cooling channels, the cooling fluid flows through the plurality of feed tubes and the plurality of headers into the circuit of cooling channels only in response to a formation of a breach in the exterior wall of the component that exposes at least one of the cooling channels of the circuit of cooling channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Brad Wilson VanTassel, Christopher Donald Porter, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam
  • Patent number: 11466581
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle assembly system includes a plurality of nozzle sets, where each nozzle set forms an annulus. The nozzles in each set include an inner endwall and an outer endwall that include joint openings to receive the respective endwall mount ends of an airfoil. The airfoils across the plurality of nozzle sets have an inner endwall mount end and an outer endwall mount end that are identical amongst the plurality of nozzle sets. A wing portion of the airfoil has a selected wing shape that is identical within the respective nozzle set but different amongst the plurality of nozzle sets. In this manner, the endwalls can be removed from an airfoil and replaced with an airfoil having a different wing shape that provides a different pairwise throat area. The system allows changing of a pairwise throat area for a nozzle set without replacing the entirety of each nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, Adam John Fredmonski, Matthew Troy Hafner
  • Patent number: 11454133
    Abstract: An embodiment of an independent cooling circuit for selectively delivering cooling fluid to a component of a gas turbine system includes: a plurality of independent circuits of cooling channels embedded within an exterior wall of the component, wherein the plurality of circuits of cooling channels are interwoven together; an impingement plate; and a plurality of feed tubes connecting the impingement plate to the exterior wall of the component and fluidly coupling each of the plurality of circuits of cooling channels to at least one supply of cooling fluid, wherein, in each of the plurality of circuits of cooling channels, the cooling fluid flows through the plurality of feed tubes into the circuit of cooling channels only in response to a formation of a breach in the exterior wall of the component that exposes at least one of the cooling channels of the circuit of cooling channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Brad Wilson VanTassel, Christopher Donald Porter, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam
  • Patent number: 11434767
    Abstract: An embodiment of an independent cooling circuit for selectively delivering cooling fluid to a component of a gas turbine system includes: at least one coolant feed channel fluidly coupled to a supply of cooling fluid; and an interconnected circuit of cooling channels, including: an interconnected circuit of cooling channels embedded within an exterior wall of the component; an impingement plate; and a plurality of feed tubes connecting the impingement plate to the exterior wall of the component and fluidly coupling a supply of cooling fluid to the interconnected circuit of cooling channels; wherein the cooling fluid flows through the plurality of feed tubes into the interconnected circuit of cooling channels only in response to a formation of a breach in the exterior wall of the component that exposes at least one of the cooling channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Lyndsay Marie Kibler, Brad Wilson VanTassel, Benjamin Paul Lacy, Zachary John Snider, Christopher Donald Porter, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam
  • Publication number: 20220220858
    Abstract: An embodiment of an independent cooling circuit for selectively delivering cooling fluid to a component of a gas turbine system includes: a plurality of independent circuits of cooling channels embedded within an exterior wall of the component, wherein the plurality of circuits of cooling channels are interwoven together; an impingement plate; and a plurality of feed tubes connecting the impingement plate to the exterior wall of the component and fluidly coupling each of the plurality of circuits of cooling channels to at least one supply of cooling fluid, wherein, in each of the plurality of circuits of cooling channels, the cooling fluid flows through the plurality of feed tubes into the circuit of cooling channels only in response to a formation of a breach in the exterior wall of the component that exposes at least one of the cooling channels of the circuit of cooling channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Brad Wilson VanTassel, Christopher Donald Porter, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam
  • Publication number: 20220205363
    Abstract: A coolant delivery system for a component of a gas turbine system includes: a plurality of independent circuits of cooling channels embedded within an exterior wall of the component, each independent circuit of cooling channels including a plurality of headers and a plurality of feed tubes fluidly coupling the plurality of headers to a supply of cooling fluid; and an impingement plate connected to the exterior wall of the component by the plurality of feed tubes of the independent circuits of cooling channels, wherein, in each of the plurality of independent circuits of cooling channels, the cooling fluid flows through the plurality of feed tubes and the plurality of headers into the circuit of cooling channels only in response to a formation of a breach in the exterior wall of the component that exposes at least one of the cooling channels of the circuit of cooling channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Brad Wilson VanTassel, Christopher Donald Porter, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam
  • Patent number: 11333024
    Abstract: A turbine component includes a root and an airfoil extending from the root to a tip opposite the root. The airfoil forms a leading edge and a trailing edge portion extending to a trailing edge. Radial cooling channels in the trailing edge portion of the airfoil permit radial flow of a cooling fluid through the trailing edge portion. Each radial cooling channel has a first end at a lower surface at a root edge of the trailing edge portion or at an upper surface at a tip edge of the trailing edge portion and a second end opposite the first end at the lower surface or the upper surface. A method of making a turbine component and a method of cooling a turbine component are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sandip Dutta, James Zhang, Gary Michael Itzel, John McConnell Delvaux, Matthew Troy Hafner
  • Patent number: 11319816
    Abstract: A turbine component includes a root and an airfoil extending from the root to a tip opposite the root. The airfoil forms a leading edge and a trailing edge portion extending to a trailing edge. A plurality of axial cooling channels in the trailing edge portion of the airfoil are arranged to permit axial flow of a cooling fluid from an interior of the turbine component at the trailing edge portion to an exterior of the turbine component at the trailing edge portion. A method of making a turbine component includes forming an airfoil having a trailing edge portion with axial cooling channels. The axial cooling channels are arranged to permit axial flow of a cooling fluid from an interior to an exterior of the turbine component at the trailing edge portion. A method of cooling a turbine component is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sandip Dutta, James Zhang, Gary Michael Itzel, John McConnell Delvaux, Matthew Troy Hafner
  • Publication number: 20220118514
    Abstract: An additively manufactured (AM) object may include a body including an opening in an exterior surface thereof, the opening having a shape and a first area at the exterior surface of the body. A mask may be positioned over the opening. The mask has the shape of the opening and a second area that is larger than the first area so as to overhang the exterior surface of the body about the opening. A plurality of support ligaments couple to the mask and the exterior surface of the body at a location adjacent to the opening to support a portion of the mask. A coating can be applied to the object, and the mask removed. The final AM object includes a plurality of ligament elements extending from the exterior surface of the body and through the coating adjacent the opening, each ligament element at least partially surrounded by the coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Christopher Donald Porter, Zachary John Snider, Jeffrey Clarence Jones
  • Patent number: 11215074
    Abstract: A flow regulating system for increasing a flow of cooling fluid supplied to a cooling system of a component of a gas turbine system is provided. The flow regulating system includes: a pneumatic circuit embedded within a section of the component, the pneumatic circuit including a set of interconnected pneumatic passages; and a pressure-actuated switch fluidly coupled to the pneumatic circuit. The pressure-actuated switch is activated in response to a formation of a breach in the section of the component and an exposure of at least one of the pneumatic passages of the pneumatic circuit embedded in the section of the component. The activation of the pressure-actuated switch increases the flow of cooling fluid supplied to the cooling system of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, Matthew Troy Hafner, Lyndsay Marie Kibler
  • Patent number: 11187105
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed, including a first article, a second article, at least one interface structure, and a thermal break directly adjacent to the at least one interface structure. The first article includes a first material composition having a first thermal tolerance. The second article includes a second material composition having a second thermal tolerance greater than the first thermal tolerance. The first article and the second article are in contact with one another through the interface structure. The thermal break interrupts a thermal conduction path from the second article to the first article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, Jason Robert Parolini, Canan Uslu Hardwicke
  • Patent number: 11179917
    Abstract: A CMC ply assembly is disclosed including at least one matrix ply interspersed amongst a plurality of CMC plies. Each of the plurality of CMC plies includes a first matrix and a plurality of ceramic fibers. The at least one matrix ply includes a second matrix and is essentially free of ceramic fibers. The plurality of CMC plies and the at least one matrix ply are arranged in an undensified ply stack having an article conformation. A CMC article is disclosed including a plurality of densified CMC plies and at least one densified matrix ply interspersed amongst the plurality of densified CMC plies. A method for forming the CMC article is disclosed including forming, carburizing, infusing a melt infiltration agent into, and densifying the CMC ply assembly. The melt infiltration agent infuses more completely through the at least one matrix ply than through the plurality of CMC plies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew Troy Hafner, John McConnell Delvaux, Glenn Curtis Taxacher, Zachary John Snider
  • Patent number: 11174738
    Abstract: Aspects of the embodiments set forth a sacrificial plug system including a component having a surface and at least one cooling hole in the surface; a sacrificial plug integrally formed with the component and integrally formed in the at least one cooling hole, where the sacrificial plug includes a top portion; a cover portion; and a bottom portion, the bottom portion integrally formed, engaged to, and connected to at least one cooling hole. The sacrificial plug system also includes at least one connective member integrally formed with the bottom portion of the sacrificial plug and integral with an inner wall of each respective at least one cooling hole; each at least one connective member being severable from the respective inner wall when a force is applied to the top portion, thus permitting the sacrificial plug to be removed from the at least one respective cooling hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, Matthew Troy Hafner, Jeffrey Clarence Jones