Patents by Inventor Xiuzhang James Zhang

Xiuzhang James Zhang 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: 10704406
    Abstract: A blade for a turbomachine includes an airfoil extending radially between a root and a tip with a tip shroud coupled to the tip of the airfoil. The tip shroud includes a platform having an outer surface extending generally perpendicular to the airfoil. The tip shroud also includes a forward rail extending radially outward from the outer surface of the platform. The forward rail is oriented generally perpendicular to a hot gas path of the turbomachine. A cooling cavity is defined in a central portion of the platform. The tip shroud also includes a cooling channel extending between the cooling cavity and an ejection slot formed in the forward rail. The ejection slot is positioned radially outward of the outer surface of the platform of the tip shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jalindar Appa Walunj, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Stephen Paul Wassynger, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Patent number: 10648346
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade that includes a tip shroud attached to the outboard tip of the airfoil. The tip shroud may include an axially and circumferentially extending planar component in which an inboard surface opposes an outboard surface, and a shroud edge that connects the inboard surface to the outboard surface and defines an outboard profile of the tip shroud. The tip shroud may include a seal rail protruding from the outboard surface of the tip shroud and a cutter tooth disposed on the seal rail. The cutter tooth may be formed as a circumferential section of the seal rail that is axially thickened. The seal rail may further include a leakage gap formed therethrough that is configured to increase a leakage level during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Lisa DeBellis
  • Patent number: 10487660
    Abstract: This disclosure provides components and methods for blade extensions with internal features. An airfoil extends from a root connector and includes an airfoil body defining at least one air channel enclosed within the airfoil body. The air channel extends to a build surface. An additive extension extends from the build surface of the airfoil body. The additive extension includes an additive structure extending the air channel from the build surface to an external surface of the additive extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Kassy Moy Hart, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Patent number: 10247009
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine system. The rotor blade includes a platform having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface. A shank portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. The shank portion and the platform collectively define a shank pocket. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the radially outer surface of the platform. The shank portion, the platform, and the airfoil collectively define a cooling passage extending from a cooling passage inlet defined by the shank portion or the platform and directly coupled to the shank pocket through the platform to a cooling passage outlet defined by the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Melbourne James Myers, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Stuart Samuel Collins, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Joseph Block
  • Patent number: 10196903
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine. The rotor blade includes a platform comprising a radially inner surface, an undulating radially outer surface, a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion, a pressure-side slash face, and a suction-side slash face. An airfoil extends outwardly from the undulating radially outer surface of the platform to an airfoil tip. A connection portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. The platform, the airfoil, and the connection portion collectively define a cooling circuit extending from an inlet in the connection portion through the airfoil to a plurality of outlet plena in the platform. Two or more outlet plena of the plurality of outlet plena are spaced equidistant from the undulating radially outer surface of the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Nicholas Alvin Hogberg
  • Patent number: 10184342
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes a tip shroud having a seal rail. The seal rail includes a tangential surface extending between tangential ends. The turbine blade includes a root portion configured to couple to a rotor and an airfoil portion extending between the root portion and the tip shroud. The seal rail includes a cooling passage extending along a length of the seal rail. The cooling passage is fluidly coupled to a cooling plenum to receive a cooling fluid via an intermediate cooling passage extending between the cooling passage and a cooling plenum. The seal rail includes cooling outlet passages fluidly coupled to the cooling passage. The cooling outlet passages are disposed within the seal rail and extend between the cooling passage and the tangential surface of the seal rail. The cooling outlet passages are configured to discharge the cooling fluid from the tip shroud via the tangential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, James Tyson Balkcum, III, Ian Darnall Reeves, Joseph Anthony Cotroneo
  • Publication number: 20180355727
    Abstract: A blade for a turbomachine includes an airfoil extending radially between a root and a tip with a tip shroud coupled to the tip of the airfoil. The tip shroud includes a platform having an outer surface extending generally perpendicular to the airfoil. The tip shroud also includes a forward rail extending radially outward from the outer surface of the platform. The forward rail is oriented generally perpendicular to a hot gas path of the turbomachine. A cooling cavity is defined in a central portion of the platform. The tip shroud also includes a cooling channel extending between the cooling cavity and an ejection slot formed in the forward rail. The ejection slot is positioned radially outward of the outer surface of the platform of the tip shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Jalindar Appa Walunj, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Stephen Paul Wassynger, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Patent number: 10138735
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, an airfoil for a rotor blade of a gas turbine includes a normalized pressure side wall portion thickness, a normalized suction side wall portion thickness, a normalized leading edge wall thickness, and a normalized trailing edge wall thickness. The values of theses thicknesses define the pressure side wall portion thickness, the suction side wall portion thickness, the leading edge wall thickness, and the trailing edge wall thickness, which improve heat transfer, flow distribution, and mechanical load transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Nicholas Alvin Hogberg, Kenneth Earl Williams
  • Patent number: 10107108
    Abstract: A rotor blade includes an airfoil having a blade tip and a tip cavity formed at the blade tip. The tip cavity includes a tip cap that is recessed radially inwardly from the tip and surrounded continuously by pressure and suction side walls of the airfoil. The tip cap further includes an aperture that extends through the tip cap and provides for fluid communication between an internal cavity defined within the airfoil and the tip cavity. An exhaust port provides for fluid communication out the tip cavity through one of the pressure side wall, the suction side wall or the trailing edge. A portion of at least one of the suction side wall and the pressure side wall that defines the tip cavity extends obliquely outwardly from the tip cavity with respect to a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Clarence Jones, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Mitchell Allan Merrill
  • Patent number: 10066488
    Abstract: A turbomachine blade is disclosed including an airfoil including a cooling fluid plenum extending therein and a trailing edge cooling opening extending from the cooling fluid plenum through a trailing edge of the airfoil. A platform may couple the airfoil to a shank, the platform including a trailing edge extending downstream relative to the shank. At least one cooling conduit delivers a cooling fluid radially inward from at least one of the cooling fluid plenum and the trailing edge cooling opening to a wheel space that is adjacent the shank and radially inward from the trailing edge of the platform. A related turbomachine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Melbourne James Myers, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180171802
    Abstract: This disclosure provides components and methods for blade extensions with internal features. An airfoil extends from a root connector and includes an airfoil body defining at least one air channel enclosed within the airfoil body. The air channel extends to a build surface. An additive extension extends from the build surface of the airfoil body. The additive extension includes an additive structure extending the air channel from the build surface to an external surface of the additive extension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Kassy Moy Hart, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Patent number: 9995146
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. Also included is a cooling channel extending in a radial direction and tapering inwardly toward the trailing edge, the cooling channel at least partially defined by a pressure side face and a suction side face. Further included is a first plurality of turbulators protruding from one of the pressure side face and the suction side face to define a first height, the first plurality of turbulators extending toward the trailing edge of the turbine airfoil and spaced radially from each other. Yet further included is a second plurality of turbulators protruding from one of the pressure side face and the suction side face to define a second height that is less than the first height, the second plurality of turbulators extending toward the trailing edge of the turbine airfoil and spaced radially from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Nicholas Alvin Hogberg, Gary Michael Itzel, Mitchell Allan Merrill, Xiuzhang James Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180010467
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade that includes a tip shroud attached to the outboard tip of the airfoil. The tip shroud may include an axially and circumferentially extending planar component in which an inboard surface opposes an outboard surface, and a shroud edge that connects the inboard surface to the outboard surface and defines an outboard profile of the tip shroud. The tip shroud may include a seal rail protruding from the outboard surface of the tip shroud and a cutter tooth disposed on the seal rail. The cutter tooth may be formed as a circumferential section of the seal rail that is axially thickened. The seal rail may further include a leakage gap formed therethrough that is configured to increase a leakage level during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Kevin Richard Kirtley, Lisa DeBellis
  • Publication number: 20170342841
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine system. The rotor blade includes a platform having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface. A shank portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. The shank portion and the platform collectively define a shank pocket. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the radially outer surface of the platform. The shank portion, the platform, and the airfoil collectively define a cooling passage extending from a cooling passage inlet defined by the shank portion or the platform and directly coupled to the shank pocket through the platform to a cooling passage outlet defined by the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Melbourne James Myers, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Stuart Samuel Collins, Camilo Andres Sampayo, Joseph Block
  • Patent number: 9810072
    Abstract: A rotor blade includes a mounting portion comprising a mounting body that is formed to receive a coolant therein. An airfoil portion extends substantially radially outwardly from the mounting body and includes an airfoil body. The mounting body and the airfoil body define a plurality of primary cooling passages that extend substantially radially therein for routing the coolant through the airfoil body. Each of the primary cooling passages includes a cooling flow outlet that is formed along a tip portion of the airfoil body. The airfoil body further defines a plurality of trailing edge cooling passages, each having a coolant outlet that is formed along a trailing edge portion of the airfoil body. At least a portion of the trailing edge cooling passages are formed along a radially outer portion of the trailing edge proximate to the tip portion of the airfoil body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Zhirui Dong, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Jason Adam Neville
  • Publication number: 20170298744
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes a tip shroud having a seal rail. The seal rail includes a tangential surface extending between tangential ends. The turbine blade includes a root portion configured to couple to a rotor and an airfoil portion extending between the root portion and the tip shroud. The seal rail includes a cooling passage extending along a length of the seal rail. The cooling passage is fluidly coupled to a cooling plenum to receive a cooling fluid via an intermediate cooling passage extending between the cooling passage and a cooling plenum. The seal rail includes cooling outlet passages fluidly coupled to the cooling passage. The cooling outlet passages are disposed within the seal rail and extend between the cooling passage and the tangential surface of the seal rail. The cooling outlet passages are configured to discharge the cooling fluid from the tip shroud via the tangential surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, James Tyson Balkcum, III, Ian Darnall Reeves, Joseph Anthony Cotroneo
  • Patent number: 9759070
    Abstract: The present application provides a turbine bucket. The turbine bucket may include an airfoil and a tip shroud attached to the airfoil. The tip shroud may include a cooling core and an enhanced cooling surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Melbourne James Myers, Robert Joseph Testa, Jr., Haiping Wang
  • Publication number: 20170234142
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine. The rotor blade includes a platform having a radially inner surface and a radially outer surface. A connection portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. An airfoil extends radially outwardly from the radially outer surface of the platform to an airfoil tip. The airfoil includes a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion. The platform, the airfoil, and the connection portion collectively define a cooling circuit extending from an inlet defined by the connection portion to one or more outlet passages at least partially defined by the trailing edge portion of the airfoil. At least one of the one or more outlet passages include an entrance and an exit radially inwardly offset from the entrance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Nicholas Alvin Hogberg, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Gary Michael Itzel, Mohankumar Banakar
  • Publication number: 20170204730
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a gas turbine engine. The rotor blade includes a platform comprising a radially inner surface, an undulating radially outer surface, a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion, a pressure-side slash face, and a suction-side slash face. An airfoil extends outwardly from the undulating radially outer surface of the platform to an airfoil tip. A connection portion extends radially inwardly from the radially inner surface of the platform. The platform, the airfoil, and the connection portion collectively define a cooling circuit extending from an inlet in the connection portion through the airfoil to a plurality of outlet plena in the platform. Two or more outlet plena of the plurality of outlet plena are spaced equidistant from the undulating radially outer surface of the platform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Adebukola Oluwaseun Benson, Xiuzhang James Zhang, Nicholas Alvin Hogberg
  • Patent number: 9708916
    Abstract: A casted turbine bucket having at least one machined plenum including a plenum chamber and at least one plenum passage connected to a plenum inlet at a root portion of turbine bucket, and a method to feed cooling flow to the turbine bucket using the machined plenum that receives cooling flow from the root portion of the turbine bucket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Xiuzhang James Zhang, Lisa DeBellis, Haiping Wang