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).

  • Publication number: 20160332251
    Abstract: A method of forming structure on a component includes: providing a component having a first surface; adhering powder to the first surface; and directing a beam from a directed energy source to fuse the powder in a pattern corresponding to a layer of the structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Scott BUNKER, William Thomas CARTER, Wayne Charles HASZ
  • Publication number: 20160333735
    Abstract: An engine component assembly is provided with an insert having cooling features. The engine component comprises a cooled engine component surface having a 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. The second engine component has a plurality of discrete cooling features disposed on a surface facing the first component and near the plurality of cooling openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventor: Ronald Scott BUNKER
  • Patent number: 9476306
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes providing a substrate having one or more grooves formed therein. One or more coatings having one or more grooves formed therein are disposed on the substrate and in fluid communication with the one or more grooves in the substrate. A cover coating is disposed on a portion of an outermost surface of the one or more coatings, having one or more cooling outlets formed therein and in fluid communication with the one or more grooves in the one or more coatings. The substrate, the one or more coatings and the cover coating define therein a cooling network for cooling a component. A component having a cooling network defined therein a substrate, one or more coatings disposed on at least a portion of the substrate, and a cover coating disposed over at least a portion of an outermost coating of the one or more coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20160273363
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. The substrate includes one or more film holes that have a metering section defining a metering diameter and a diffusing section that defines a hooded length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Scott BUNKER, Frederick Alan BUCK, Robert David BRIGGS, Gulcharan Singh BRAINCH, Kevin Robert FELDMANN
  • Patent number: 9435208
    Abstract: A component includes a substrate having outer and inner surfaces, where the inner surface defines at least one hollow, interior space. The outer surface defines pressure side and suction side walls, which are joined together at leading and trailing edges of the component. The outer surface defines one or more grooves that extend at least partially along the pressure or suction side walls in a vicinity of the trailing edge. Each groove is in fluid communication with a respective hollow, interior space. The component further includes a coating disposed over at least a portion of the outer substrate surface. The coating comprises at least a structural coating that extends over the groove(s), such that the groove(s) and the structural coating together define one or more channels for cooling the trailing edge. A method of forming cooling channels in the vicinity of the trailing edge is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20160252250
    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: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Scott BUNKER, Jason Randolph ALLEN, Robert Charles GROVES, II, Aaron Ezekiel SMITH
  • Publication number: 20160251967
    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: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Publication number: 20160251966
    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: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert David Briggs
  • Publication number: 20160245094
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. The substrate includes one or more film holes that have a passage with an inlet and an outlet, where the passage includes portions that are angled relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Scott BUNKER, Frederick Alan BUCK
  • Publication number: 20160208700
    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: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: William Paul Minnear, Ronald Scott Bunker, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Andrei Tristan Evulet
  • Publication number: 20160201507
    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. A film hole in the wall has an inlet, an outlet, and a passage connecting the inlet and outlet that defines an inflection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventor: Ronald Scott BUNKER
  • Publication number: 20160201476
    Abstract: An airfoil for a turbine engine includes a cooling cavity and a cooling fluid supply cavity which supplies cooling fluid to the cooling cavity through a passage. The cooling cavity can be provided with a swirl feature for imparting a swirling motion to the cooling fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Inventors: Ronald Scott BUNKER, Robert Frederick BERGHOLZ, Robert David BRIGGS, Kevin Robert FELDMANN
  • Publication number: 20160186626
    Abstract: An engine component for a gas turbine engine includes a film-cooled substrate having a hot surface facing hot combustion gas and a cooling surface facing a cooling fluid flow. The substrate includes one or more film holes that have a multi-faceted diffusing section configured to improve the adhesion of a coating on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventor: Ronald Scott BUNKER
  • Patent number: 9366184
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine and method for operating a gas turbine engine includes compressing an air stream in a compressor and combusting the compressed air stream to generate a post combustion gas. The post combustion gas is expanded in a first turbine. The expanded combustion gas exiting the first turbine is split into a first stream, a second stream and a third stream in a splitting zone including one or more aerodynamically shaped flow diverters. The first stream of the expanded combustion gas is combusted in a reheat combustor. An outer liner and flame stabilizer of the reheat combustor are cooled using the second stream of the expanded combustion gas. An inner liner of the reheat combustor is cooled using the third stream of the expanded combustion gas and a portion of the second stream of the expanded combustion gas passing through the one or more flame stabilizers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Andrei Tristan Evulet
  • Patent number: 9335215
    Abstract: A temperature measurement system includes at least one filament configured to emit thermal radiation in a relatively broad and substantially continuous wavelength band that is at least partially representative of a temperature of the at least one filament. The system also includes an optical system configured to receive at least a portion of the thermal radiation emitted from the filament. The optical system includes a wavelength splitting device configured to split the emitted thermal radiation into at least one relatively narrow wavelength band of thermal radiation. The optical system also includes a detector array configured to receive the at least one relatively narrow wavelength band of thermal radiation and to generate electrical signals at least partially representative of the received thermal radiation. The temperature measurement system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the detector array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Guanghua Wang, Nirm Velumylum Nirmalan, Todd Garrett Wetzel, Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert Michael Zacharias, Shawn David Wehe, Robert David Briggs, Jonathan Edward Slepski
  • Patent number: 9328663
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine and method for operating a gas turbine engine includes compressing an air stream in a compressor and generating a post combustion gas by combusting a compressed air stream exiting from the compressor in a combustor. The post combustion gas is expanded in a first turbine. The expanded combustion gas exiting from the first turbine is split into a first stream, a second stream and a third stream. The first stream of the expanded combustion gas is combusted in a reheat combustor. An outer liner and flame stabilizer of the reheat combustor are cooled using the second stream of the expanded combustion gas. An inner liner of the reheat combustor is cooled using the third stream of the expanded combustion gas and a portion of the second stream of the expanded combustion gas passing through the one or more flame stabilizers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 9327384
    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, and each groove extends at least partially along the substrate and has a base. The manufacturing method further includes forming one or more access holes through the base of a respective groove, to connect the groove in fluid communication with the respective hollow interior space. The manufacturing method further includes forming at least one connecting groove in the component, such that each connecting groove intersects at least a subset of the one or more grooves. The manufacturing method further includes disposing a coating over at least a portion of the outer surface of the substrate, such that the groove(s) and the coating together define one or more channels for cooling the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 9297267
    Abstract: A system for removing heat from a turbine includes a component in the turbine having a supply plenum and a return plenum therein. A substrate that defines a shape of the component has an inner surface and an outer surface. A coating applied to the outer surface of the substrate has an interior surface facing the outer surface of the substrate and an exterior surface opposed to the interior surface. A first fluid channel is between the outer surface of the substrate and the exterior surface of the coating. A first fluid path is from the supply plenum, through the substrate, and into the first fluid channel, and a second fluid path is from the first fluid channel, through the substrate, and into the return plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gary Michael Itzel, Kevin R. Kirtley, Christian Lee Vandervort, Ronald Scott Bunker
  • Patent number: 9284231
    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: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Paul Minnear, Ronald Scott Bunker, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Andrei Tristan Evulet
  • Patent number: 9278462
    Abstract: A method of machining a component including a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface defining at least one interior space includes: disposing a distributed medium having a plurality of irregularly shaped particles in the interior space and forming at least one hole in the substrate, while the distributed medium is disposed within the interior space, such that the distributed medium provides backstrike protection for an opposing wall during the formation of the hole(s). Each hole extends through the substrate to provide fluid communication with the respective interior space; and the method further includes removing the distributed medium from the interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert R. Niblock, Paul H. Tacheron, Steven J. Craigen, Mohamed A. Hashish, Ronald Scott Bunker, Andrew Lee Trimmer