Patents by Inventor Ronald Scott Bunker

Ronald Scott Bunker 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: 10161310
    Abstract: A turbine power generation system with enhanced stabilization of refractory carbides provided by hydrocarbon from high carbon activity gases is disclosed. The disclosure also includes a method of using high carbon activity gases to stabilize hot gas path components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Paul Minnear, Ronald Scott Bunker, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Andrei Tristan Evulet
  • Patent number: 10132166
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. A film hole extends through the substrate to an outlet on the hot surface. A flow conditioning structure is provided upstream of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs
  • Publication number: 20180328190
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine can generate a hot combustion gas flow and provide a cooling fluid flow. A wall can separate the hot combustion gas flow from the cooling fluid flow. Multiple film holes can be disposed in the wall, having an inlet adjacent the cooling fluid flow and an outlet at the hot combustion gas flow such that the cooling fluid flow can be provided to the hot combustion gas flow. The film holes further comprise inlets, such that the inlets can be arranged with the inlets having at least one of a different orientation relative to one another or are non-aligned with each other relative to the cooling fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10088164
    Abstract: A hot gas path component for an engine may generally include a substrate extending between an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The outer surface may be configured to be exposed to a hot gas path of the engine. In addition, the substrate may be formed from a non-metallic composite material. The hot gas path component may also include a thermal coating disposed on the inner surface of the substrate. The thermal coating may be applied to the inner surface so as to have a non-uniform distribution along at least a portion of the inner surface, wherein the non-uniform distribution provides for change in a thermal gradient experienced across the hot gas path component between the outer and inner surfaces of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert Charles Groves, II, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Publication number: 20180274370
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled wall having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. The wall includes one or more film holes that have an outlet provided on the hot surface and a contoured inlet provided on the cooling surface. A contoured portion in the cooling surface encompasses the inlets for two or more film holes in the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Ronald Scott BUNKER, Timothy Deryck STONE
  • Patent number: 10053987
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes forming one or more grooves in a component that comprises a substrate with an outer surface. The substrate has at least one interior space. Each groove extends at least partially along the substrate and has a base and a top. The manufacturing method further includes applying a structural coating on at least a portion of the substrate and processing at least a portion of the surface of the structural coating so as to plastically deform the structural coating at least in the vicinity of the top of a respective groove, such that a gap across the top of the groove is reduced. A component is also disclosed and includes a structural coating disposed on at least a portion of a substrate, where the surface of the structural coating is faceted in the vicinity of the respective groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Scott Andrew Weaver, Don Mark Lipkin, John Brian McDermott
  • Patent number: 10024169
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. A film hole extends through the substrate to an outlet on the hot surface. A flow conditioning structure is provided downstream of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10010937
    Abstract: A method of forming an overhanging structure at a discharge end of a cooling hole that passes through a component. The method includes the step of using an additive manufacturing process to fuse material to a face to build up an edge of the discharge end of the cooling hole to form an overhanging tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 10005160
    Abstract: A method for repairing a component is provided, where the component has a substrate comprising an outer surface and an inner surface and defining one or more grooves. Each groove extends at least partially along the outer surface of the substrate. The component further includes a structural coating, a bond coating, and a thermal barrier coating. The groove(s) and the structural coating define one or more channels for cooling the component. The repair method includes removing the thermal barrier and bond coatings, removing at least a portion of the structural coating in a vicinity of a damaged portion of the component, performing a repair operation on the damaged portion of the component, applying a structural coating at least in a vicinity of the repaired portion of the component, and applying a bond coating and a thermal barrier coating. Additional repair methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 9957816
    Abstract: An engine component with particulate mitigation features is provided. The engine component comprises an internal engine component surface having a cooling flow path on one side thereof and a second component adjacent to the first component. The second component, for example an insert, may have a plurality of openings forming an array wherein the openings extend through the second component at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Jason Randolph Allen, Ryan Nicholas Porter, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Christopher Joseph Greenwell, Timothy Deryck Stone, Andrew Stephen Pritchard
  • Publication number: 20180111200
    Abstract: A method of forming a cooling hole structure on a turbine component having a component wall with inner and outer surfaces, wherein a cooling hole passes through the component wall and fluidly connects the inner surface and the outer surface. The method includes the steps of forming a recess communicating with the hole and the outer surface; and using an additive manufacturing process to form a porous structure in the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051566
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior having full-length ribs, partial-length ribs, passages, or channels can define a cooling circuit for providing a flow of cooling fluid through the airfoil. The tip can include a tip cap forming a portion of the cooling circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051580
    Abstract: An apparatus relating to a rim seal for turbine engine comprising a wing and discourager extending into a cavity to form a labyrinth fluid path. The wing and discourager can each include a radial extension. Cooling air can pass through the rim seal along the labyrinth fluid path to resist the ingestion of hot gas from a mainstream flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051567
    Abstract: An engine component, such as an airfoil, for a turbine engine having a hole, which can be a film hole, within the outer wall of the engine component where cooling air moves from an interior cavity through the hole to an outer surface of the engine component providing a cooling film on the outer surface of the engine component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051568
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component, including an outer wall separating a hot fluid flow from a cooling fluid flow, using the cooling fluid flow to cool the engine component. A region in the component can include a plurality of film holes with a porous material to meter the flow of cooling fluid provided from the engine component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051569
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component such as a turbine engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior of the airfoil can include a porous section having a porosity permitting a volume of fluid, such as air, to pass through the porous section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051565
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine component, such as an airfoil, including a wall to separate a hot flow from a cooling fluid flow. The component can include at least one trench disposed in a hot surface. The trench can be fed with the cooling fluid flow to cool the engine component along the hot surface with the cooling fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20180051571
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for cooling an engine airfoil, including a wall bounding an interior extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge and radially between a root and a tip. A cooling circuit it located within the interior having full-length ribs and partial-length ribs to define the cooling circuit, with the partial length ribs defining a turn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20170370222
    Abstract: Methods for repairing a trailing edge of an airfoil are provided. The method can include removing a portion of the trailing edge of the airfoil to form an intermediate component, and then applying using additive manufacturing a replacement portion on the intermediate component to form a repaired airfoil. The replacement portion defines at least one trailing edge ejection slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20170370221
    Abstract: Methods for repairing a component having a damaged region are provided. The method can include removing the damaged portion from the component to form an intermediate component, wherein the damaged portion has an original geometry; and applying using additive manufacturing a repaired portion onto the intermediate component to form a repaired component. The repaired portion can have a repaired geometry that includes at least one film hole absent in the original geometry, with the film holes being fluidly connected to a cooling supply of the repaired component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker