Having Turbine Patents (Class 60/805)
  • Patent number: 9885482
    Abstract: A method of making an aero-derivative gas turbine engine (100) is provided. A combustor outer casing (68) is removed from an existing aero gas turbine engine (60). An annular combustor (84) is removed from the existing aero gas turbine engine. A first row of turbine vanes (38) is removed from the existing aero gas turbine engine. A can annular combustor assembly (122) is installed within the existing aero gas turbine engine. The can annular combustor assembly is configured to accelerate and orient combustion gasses directly onto a first row of turbine blades of the existing aero gas turbine engine. A can annular combustor assembly outer casing (108) is installed to produce the aero-derivative gas turbine engine (100). The can annular combustor assembly is installed within an axial span (85) of the existing aero gas turbine engine vacated by the annular combustor and the first row of turbine vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventor: David J. Wiebe
  • Patent number: 9766019
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine recuperator recuperator including exhaust passages providing fluid flow communication between an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet being oriented to receive exhaust flow from a turbine of the engine and the exhaust outlet being oriented to deliver the exhaust flow to atmosphere, the exhaust passages having an arcuate profile in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the recuperator to reduce a swirl of the exhaust flow. Air passages are in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust passages and providing fluid flow communication between an air inlet and an air outlet, design to sealingly respective plenum of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, Daniel Alecu, Darius Jehangir Karanjia, Daniel Van Den Ende
  • Patent number: 9399917
    Abstract: An airfoil for a turbine engine includes an airfoil that has pressure and suction sides that extend in a radial direction from a 0% span position at an inner flow path location to a 100% span position at an airfoil tip. The airfoil has a relationship between a leading edge dihedral and a span position. The leading edge dihedral is negative from the 0% span position to the 100% span position. A positive dihedral corresponds to suction side-leaning, and a negative dihedral corresponds to pressure side-leaning. The airfoil is a fan blade for a gas turbine engine. The airfoil has a relationship between a trailing edge dihedral and a span position. The trailing edge dihedral is positive from the 0% span position to the 100% span position. A positive dihedral corresponds to suction side-leaning and a negative dihedral corresponds to pressure side-leaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward J. Gallagher, Byron R. Monzon, Ling Liu, Linda S. Li, Darryl Whitlow, Barry M. Ford
  • Patent number: 9395122
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine recuperator including exhaust passages providing fluid flow communication between an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet being oriented to receive exhaust flow from a turbine of the engine and the exhaust outlet being oriented to deliver the exhaust flow to atmosphere, the exhaust inlet having a smaller cross-sectional area than that of the exhaust outlet, and a cross sectional area of each exhaust passage progressively increasing from the exhaust inlet to the exhaust outlet such as to diffuse the exhaust flow. Air passages are in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust passages and provide fluid flow communication between an air inlet and an air outlet designed to sealingly engage respective plenums of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, Daniel Alecu, Darius Jehangir Karanjia
  • Patent number: 9394828
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine recuperator including a plurality of independent arcuate segments, each segment having an inlet connection member designed to sealingly engage a plenum in fluid flow communication with the compressor discharge, and an outlet connection member designed to sealingly engage a plenum containing the combustor. One of the inlet and outlet connection members is a rigid member forming a rigid connection to the respective plenum, and the other of the inlet and outlet connection members includes a flexible member and forms a floating connection to the respective plenum, the floating connection allowing relative movement between the segment and a remainder of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Andreas Eleftheriou, David Menheere, Daniel Alecu
  • Patent number: 9309774
    Abstract: An arrangement is provided for delivering gases from a plurality of combustors of a can-annular gas turbine combustion engine to a first row of turbine blades including a first row of turbine blades. The arrangement includes a gas path cylinder, a cone and an integrated exit piece (IEP) for each combustor. Each IEP comprises an inlet chamber for receiving a gas flow from a respective combustor, and includes a connection segment. The IEPs are connected together to define an annular chamber extending circumferentially and concentric to an engine longitudinal axis, for delivering the gas flow to the first row of blades. A radiused joint extends radially inward from a radially outer side of the inlet chamber to an outer boundary of the annular chamber, and a flared fillet extends radially inward from a radially inner side of the inlet chamber to an inner boundary of the annular chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Richard C. Charron, David A. Little, Gary D. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9279340
    Abstract: The present application provides a cooling system for a gas turbine. The cooling system may include a source of CO2, a stator blade cooling system positioned about a casing of the gas turbine and in communication with the source of CO2 and a number of stator blades, and a rotor blade cooling system positioned about a rotor shaft of the gas turbine and in communication with the source of CO2 and a number of rotor blades. A first portion of a flow of CO2 may flow through the stator blade cooling system and returns to the source of CO2 in a first closed loop and a second portion of the flow of CO2 may flow through the rotor blade cooling system and returns to the source of CO2 in a second closed loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mahendhra Muthuramalingam, Ashok Kumar Anand, Veerappan Muthaiah
  • Patent number: 9127555
    Abstract: A method for balancing a rotating assembly of a gas turbine engine includes removing a stator vane from a section of the gas turbine engine. Removing the stator vane provides access to a rotating assembly of the gas turbine engine. The method further includes at least one of adding, removing, and repositioning a weight with respect to the rotating assembly via access to the rotating assembly provided by removing the stator vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Cory P. Muscat, James A. Barber
  • Patent number: 9085053
    Abstract: The tip portion of a blade of a gas turbine is repaired in-situ in the gas turbine without removing the blade from the turbine rotor disk. To facilitate the in-situ repair of the tip portion of the turbine blades, one or more access holes may be provided in the turbine shroud or blade outer air seal circumscribing the plurality of turbine blades extending radially outward from the turbine rotor dick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Susan M. Tholen, Paul M. Lutjen
  • Patent number: 9080464
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a combustor chamber that houses a combustor unit configured to include a combustor that burns fuel to generate combustion gas for rotating a rotor, a turbine unit chamber that houses a turbine-unit rotor blade and a disk that rotate upon reception of the combustion gas, a combustor casing that forms the combustor chamber, and a casing that is configured to include the combustor casing in which a divided portion on a surface orthogonal to a rotation axis of the rotor is not formed in the combustor casing, but is formed in a portion on a downstream side of flow of the combustion gas lower than the combustor casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Arase, Eigo Katou, Masato Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9038394
    Abstract: A turbine system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the turbine system includes a transition duct. The transition duct includes an inlet, an outlet, and a passage extending between the inlet and the outlet and defining a longitudinal axis, a radial axis, and a tangential axis. The outlet of the transition duct is offset from the inlet along the longitudinal axis and the tangential axis. The transition duct further includes an interface feature for interfacing with an adjacent transition duct. The turbine system further includes a convolution seal contacting the interface feature to provide a seal between the interface feature and the adjacent transition duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Scott Flanagan, Jeffrey Scott LeBegue, Kevin Weston McMahan, Daniel Jackson Dillard, Ronnie Ray Pentecost
  • Publication number: 20150128612
    Abstract: A gas or steam turbine is disclosed herein. The turbine may include a throat area formed between adjacent buckets. The turbine also may include a variable throat device associated with at least one of the adjacent buckets. The variable throat device may be configured to vary the throat area between the adjacent buckets for improved part load performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Moorthi Subramaniyan, Jeyamani Doss, Subodh Diwakar Deodhar
  • Publication number: 20150128611
    Abstract: A stacked wheel assembly for a rotor of a rotary machine includes a plurality of stacked wheels for rotation about a common axis and forming a portion of the rotor. Also included is a tie bolt passing through aligned bolt holes of the plurality of stacked wheels for retaining the plurality of stacked wheels in axially stacked relation, the tie bolt extending out of a forward end of a forward wheel of the plurality of stacked wheels and out of an aft end of an aft wheel of the plurality of stacked wheels. Further included is a rotor component disposed adjacent the aft end of the aft wheel. Yet further included is a nut mounted within a forward face of the rotor component, the nut configured to be in threaded engagement with the tie bolt to exert a clamping force on the plurality of stacked wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Rajesh Kumar
  • Publication number: 20150128613
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to reduce galling that occurs at a tapered thread according to generation of excessive pressure on a tip end side of the tapered thread. In order to attain the above-mentioned object, a tapered thread according to the present invention is characterized in that it is a tapered thread comprising a taper-shaped external thread threadedly engaged with a taper-shaped internal thread formed in a member that is to be fastened, a tapered thread center hole is formed in a bottom surface of the external thread, and a depth of the tapered thread center hole is not more than a half of an axial length of the external thread.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Tatsuya FUKUDA, Yasuyuki WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20150128605
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine is disclosed with a bypass flow path having a bypass nozzle positioned downstream of a fan; a core flow path having a compressor, a combustor, a turbine and an exhaust nozzle; an auxiliary duct fluidly connecting the core flow path and the bypass flow path downstream of the turbine; and a control valve operably connected to the auxiliary duct to control fluid flow from the core flow path into the bypass flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventor: Dmitriy B. Sidelkovskly
  • Publication number: 20150107265
    Abstract: Turbine frequency tuning, fluid dynamic efficiency, and performance can be improved using an airfoil profile and/or an endwall contour including at least one of a pressure side bump, a pressure side leading edge bump, or a suction side trough. In particular, by including two endwall bumps on the pressure side and a trough on the suction side combined with a particular airfoil profile, performance can be further improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Kendall Smith, Harish Bommanakatte, Anthony Louis Giglio, Jason Douglas Herzlinger, Jacob Charles Perry, Alexander Stein
  • Publication number: 20150107266
    Abstract: Turbine frequency tuning, fluid dynamic efficiency, and performance can be improved using a particular airfoil profile, which can be used to determine a throat between adjacent airfoils. By shaping the throat according to the particular profile, the total pressure at an endwall can be energized, improving performance of the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ross James Gustafson, Srinivasa Govardhan Jayana, Spencer Aaron Kareff, Dipesh Dinesh Nanda
  • Publication number: 20150101348
    Abstract: Locking spacer assemblies, rotor assemblies and turbomachines are provided. In one embodiment, a locking spacer assembly includes a first end piece and a second end piece each configured to fit into a space between platforms of adjacent rotor blades, the first end piece and second end piece each comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface having a profile adapted to project into an attachment slot, wherein the inner surfaces of the first and second end pieces generally face each other. The locking spacer assembly further includes an actuator movable between the inner surfaces, the actuator comprising a projection configured to engage the inner surface, the actuator further comprising a plurality of locating protrusions extending from the projection, the locating protrusions configured to fit within locating channels defined in the first end piece and the second end piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Michael Hansen, Michael James Healy, Brian Denver Potter
  • Publication number: 20150101347
    Abstract: A locking spacer assembly for securing adjacent rotor blades includes a first end piece having a platform portion and a root portion that define an angled first inner surface of the first end piece. The root portion defines a first projection adapted to project into a recess portion of the attachment slot. A second end piece fits between the first inner surface and a sidewall portion of the attachment slot and includes a platform portion and a root portion that define a second projection adapted to project into a recess portion of the attachment slot. The platform portion and the root portion define an angled second inner surface and that is configured to mate with the first inner surface. A borehole extends through the platform portion of the first end piece and the root portion of the second end piece and a fastener extends through the borehole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Denver Potter, Michael James Healy, Christian Michael Hansen
  • Publication number: 20150101351
    Abstract: Locking spacer assemblies and turbomachines are provided. In one embodiment, a locking spacer assembly includes a spacer, the spacer including a platform and a plurality of legs extending generally radially inward from the platform. The locking spacer assembly further includes a clamp configured to contact and cause elastic deformation of each of the plurality of legs in a generally axial direction towards each other. The locking spacer assembly further includes a locking lug configured to contact and impart a force against each of the plurality of legs in an opposite generally axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael James Healy, Brian Denver Potter
  • Publication number: 20150101346
    Abstract: A locking spacer assembly for securing adjacent rotor blades includes a first end piece having a platform portion and a root portion that define a first inner surface of the first end piece. The root portion defines a first projection and an opposing second projection of the first end piece. The first projection has an outer profile adapted to project into a first lateral recess of the attachment slot. The second projection has an outer profile adapted to project into a second lateral recess of the attachment slot. A second end piece fits between the first inner surface of the first end piece and a sidewall portion of the attachment slot and includes a platform portion and a root portion. A borehole extends continuously through the first end piece and the second end piece. A fastener configured to engage with a sidewall portion of the attachment slot extends through the borehole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Thomas Foster, Michael James Healy
  • Publication number: 20150101350
    Abstract: A locking spacer assembly for securing adjacent rotor blades includes a first end piece configured to fit into a space between the platforms of adjacent rotor blades. The first end piece comprises an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface has a profile that is adapted to project into the attachment slot. A second end piece is configured to fit into a space between the platforms. The second end piece comprises an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface has a profile that is adapted to project into the attachment slot. The inner surfaces of the first and second end pieces generally face each other. The first end piece and the second end piece are bonded together either directly or via a spacer block that is inserted between the inner surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael James Healy, Brian Denver Potter
  • Publication number: 20150101349
    Abstract: Locking spacer assemblies, rotor assemblies and turbomachines are provided. In one embodiment, a locking spacer assembly includes a first end piece and a second end piece each configured to fit into a space between platforms of adjacent rotor blades, the first end piece and second end piece each comprising an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface having a profile adapted to project into an attachment slot, wherein the inner surfaces of the first and second end pieces generally face each other. The locking spacer assembly further includes an actuator movable between the inner surfaces, the actuator comprising a projection, the projection comprising a first surface and a second surface formed on the projection and configured to engage the inner surfaces, the first and second surfaces generally perpendicular to radial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Michael Hansen, Michael James Healy, Brian Denver Potter
  • Publication number: 20150096305
    Abstract: A method and system for providing cooling of a turbine component that includes a region to be cooled is provided. A recess is defined within the region to be cooled, and includes an inner face. At least one support projection extends from the inner face. The at least one support projection includes a free end. A cover is coupled to the region to be cooled, such that an inner surface of the cover is coupled to the free end of the at least one support projection, such that at least one cooling fluid passage is defined within the region to be cooled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Victor John Morgan, John Wesley Harris, Jr., Michael James Healy, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, Brian Gene Brzek, Donald Earl Floyd, II
  • Publication number: 20150089958
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Frederick M. Schwarz, William K. Ackermann, Daniel Bernard Kupratis
  • Publication number: 20150089959
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core housing that has an inlet case and an intermediate case that respectively provide an inlet case flow path and an intermediate case flow path. The shaft supports a compressor section that is arranged axially between the inlet case flow path and the intermediate case flow path. A geared architecture is coupled to the shaft, and a fan coupled to and rotationally driven by the geared architecture. The geared architecture includes a sun gear supported on the second end. A first bearing supports the shaft relative to the intermediate case and a second bearing supporting the shaft relative to the inlet case. The second bearing is arranged radially outward from the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Publication number: 20150075178
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade is provided. The turbine rotor blade includes a root, a platform coupled to the root, and an airfoil extending from the platform. The platform has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side edge, and a pressure side edge. The pressure side edge includes a first concave portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Steve Halfmann, Mark C. Morris, Jason Smoke, Brandan Wakefield, Bob Mitlin
  • Publication number: 20150075179
    Abstract: An airfoil is disclosed herein. The airfoil may include a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side defined between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and a pressure side defined between the leading edge and the trailing edge opposite the suction side. The pressure side may include a concave profile about the trailing edge that varies from a profile of a remainder of the pressure side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John David Stampfli, Ajay Keshava Rao, Rudolf Konrad Selmeier
  • Patent number: 8978389
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine (10), including: a turbine having radial inflow impellor blades (38); and an array of advanced transition combustor assemblies arranged circumferentially about the radial inflow impellor blades (38) and having inner surfaces (34) that are adjacent to combustion gases (40). The inner surfaces (34) of the array are configured to accelerate and orient, for delivery directly onto the radial inflow impellor blades (38), a plurality of discrete flows of the combustion gases (40). The array inner surfaces (34) define respective combustion gas flow axes (20). Each combustion gas flow axis (20) is straight from a point of ignition until no longer bound by the array inner surfaces (34), and each combustion gas flow axis (20) intersects a unique location on a circumference defined by a sweep of the radial inflow impellor blades (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: David J. Wiebe
  • Patent number: 8966878
    Abstract: A compressor compresses air to produce compressed air. A mixture of fuel and the compressed air is combusted in a combustor to produce combustion gas. The combustion gas is supplied to a turbine to obtain rotational power. High-temperature gas accumulated in a space partitioned by an exhaust-side bearing portion that rotatably supports a turbine shaft and an exhaust diffuser is discharged through an exhaust gas passage. The high-temperature gas is sucked into the exhaust gas passage by exhaust gas flowing in the exhaust diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Satou, Masao Terazaki
  • Publication number: 20150052902
    Abstract: A jet engine having an air intake and a compression section having first and second separate flow paths coupled to the air intake, the second flow path containing a fuel rich, fuel air mixture having an equivalence rate above the mixture flammability limit, the first flow path containing only air, a burner turbine section, the compression section being coupled directly to the burner turbine section, and means for injecting air from the first flow path into the fuel rich fuel air mixture of the said flow path in the burner turbine section to generate intraturbine diffusion layer burning of said fuel air mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventor: DARREN LEVINE
  • Patent number: 8955222
    Abstract: A cross-sectional area (Dout) of a transition piece outlet is set within a range of 0.79£DoutDin£0.9, relative to a cross-sectional area (Din) of a transition piece inlet of a combustor, and in a first stage turbine nozzle of a turbine connected to the transition piece outlet, a size (Hin) in a radial direction between upstream ends of the inner shroud and the outer shroud has a same dimension as a size (a) in a radial direction of the transition piece outlet. In a combustor transition piece that is included in the combustor having a center line (S) arranged with an angle to an axial center (R) of a rotor of a gas turbine and that guides combustion gas to the turbine, a cross-sectional area is monotonously reduced from the transition piece inlet in which the combustion gas flows to the transition piece outlet from which the combustion gas flows out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sosuke Nakamura, Satoshi Takiguchi, Norihiko Motoyama, Taiki Kinoshita, Yoshikazu Matsumura
  • Publication number: 20150041590
    Abstract: An airfoil includes a main portion formed of a base material and having an inner core comprising a hollow region. Also included is a trailing edge region of the main portion. Further included is a trailing edge supplement structure comprising a low-melt superalloy operatively coupled to the base material proximate the trailing edge region. Yet further included is at least one cooling passage fluidly coupling the inner core of the main portion to an inner region of the trailing edge region. Also included is a trailing edge region exhaust path disposed in the inner region and configured to route a cooling airflow in a span-wise direction of the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Richard Kirtley, David Edward Schick, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 8950192
    Abstract: A gas turbine includes a turbine section; an annular combustor disposed upstream of the turbine section and configured to discharge a hot gas flow on an outlet side to the turbine section; an outer shell delimiting the combustor and splittable at a parting plane; a plenum enclosing the outer shell; a rotor; a turbine vane carrier encompassing the rotor; a plurality of stator vanes disposed on the vane carrier, and at least two sealing segments forming a ring, each of the at least two sealing segments having an inner edge and a head and a foot section and being movably mounted on the inner edge by the foot section to the outer shell and by the head section to the turbine vane carrier so as to mechanically connect the combustor to the turbine vane carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Remigi Tschuor, Russell Bond Jones, Luis J. Rodriguez, Hartmut Haehnle, Marion Duggan (-Oneil)
  • Publication number: 20150027131
    Abstract: An axial compressor includes: a rotor as a rotational shaft; a plurality of rotor blades mounted on the rotor; a compressor casing that covers the rotor and the rotor blades; a plurality of stator vanes mounted on the compressor casing. The rotor blades and the stator vanes are each disposed in a circumferential direction of the rotational shaft to form a rotor-blade cascade and a stator-vane cascade, respectively. The rotor-blade cascade and the stator-vane cascade are arranged in plural rows, respectively, in an axial direction of the rotational shaft. The stator vane has a dovetail as a base for supporting a vane section. The compressor casing has a dovetail groove formed therein. The dovetail groove extends in the circumferential direction of the rotational shaft to receive the dovetail inserted therein to fix the stator vanes. Two or more stator vanes, the stator vanes belonging to stator-vane cascades different from each other, are fixed in the dovetail groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroki TAKEDA, Yasuo TAKAHASHI, Chihiro MYOREN
  • Publication number: 20150020531
    Abstract: A power plant system is provided having a high temperature battery, supplied with fluid via at least one supply line, for storing and releasing electrical energy, a gas turbine for generating electrical energy, and a heat exchanger which is designed to extract thermal energy from the exhaust stream of the gas turbine and transfer said thermal energy to the fluid, which fluid can be supplied after heat transfer to the high temperature battery via the at least one supply line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Marc Hanebuth, Sylvio Kosse, Uwe Lenk
  • Publication number: 20140366556
    Abstract: A vane seal assembly for a gas turbine engine comprises of a case including a first connector. A notch in the case adjoins the groove. A vane having a second connector mates with the first connector. A seal assembly is provided between the vane and the case to provide a sealed cavity adjoining the notch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Anton G. Banks, Robert L. Hazzard
  • Publication number: 20140345295
    Abstract: A fluid supercharging device (3, 5), comprising: a rotating shaft (7); a vane disc (308) coaxially fixed to the rotating shaft (7); a plurality of fan blades (301) fixed around a perimeter of the vane disc (308); the back side of the fan blades 301 being provided with at least one fluid guiding inlet (305), an end of the back side distal from the vane disc (308) is provided with a fluid guiding outlet (306, 307), a fluid channel (304) communicating the fluid guiding inlet (305) with the fluid guiding outlet (306, 307) is provided along a lengthwise direction inside the fan blades; the fan blades (301) rotate to generate a centrifugal force such that a fluid flows into the fluid channel via the fluid guiding inlet on the back side, and flows out of the fluid guiding outlet along the lengthwise direction of the fan blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventor: Xiaoyi Zhu
  • Patent number: 8893504
    Abstract: An igniter arranged to ignite combustion in a primary flow including a fuel and air mixture, the igniter including one or more geometric features arranged to: induce a shockwave flow structure at least partially disposed in the primary flow; and ignite the fuel and air mixture by virtue of the shockwave flow structure. The present disclosure also relates to a method of igniting combustion in a primary flow including a fuel and air mixture, the method including: providing one or more geometric features arranged to induce a shockwave flow structure; inducing the shockwave flow structure at least partially in the primary flow; and igniting the fuel and air mixture by virtue of the shockwave flow structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Basile Vigneron, Richard J. Tunstall
  • Patent number: 8895134
    Abstract: A running-in coating for a compressor housing is disclosed. The running-in coating has at least two layers where a first layer is dimensionally stable and at least one additional layer has run-in capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Smarsly, Renate Mendritzki, Horst Mueller-Wittek
  • Publication number: 20140338350
    Abstract: A gas turbine is configured to operate with a high temperature combustion gas stream. The gas turbine may include a combustor that provides a combustion gas stream including charged particles and at least one turbine stage including at least one high temperature surface that may be driven with a voltage selected to repel the charged particles. The at least one high temperature surface may output a film-cooling layer including cool air, the film-cooling layer being stabilized by Coulombic forces between the voltage and the charged particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventor: ROBERT E. BREIDENTHAL
  • Publication number: 20140331687
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, assemblies, and systems for power production that can allow for increased efficiency and lower cost components arising from the control, reduction, or elimination of turbine blade mechanical erosion by particulates or chemical erosion by gases in a combustion product flow. The methods, assemblies, and systems can include the use of turbine blades that operate with a blade velocity that is significantly reduced in relation to conventional turbines used in typical power production systems. The methods and systems also can make use of a recycled circulating fluid for transpiration protection of the turbine and/or other components. Further, recycled circulating fluid may be employed to provide cleaning materials to the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Miles R. Palmer, Jeremy Eron Fetvedt, Rodney John Allam
  • Patent number: 8876482
    Abstract: A blade for use in a gas turbine engine has an airfoil including a leading edge and a trailing edge. A sheath is positioned at the leading edge and secured to the airfoil by a first adhesive formed of a first material. The sheath is formed of a second material that is distinct from said first material. The first material is less electrically conductive than the second material. A grounding element is in contact with the sheath. The grounding element is in contact with a portion of the airfoil formed of a third material that is more electrically conductive than the first material. The grounding element and the portion of the airfoil together form a ground path from the sheath into the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: James R. Murdock
  • Patent number: 8875483
    Abstract: A gas turbine generator set includes a compressor unit including at least one compressor, at least one generator and at least one combustion chamber. Exhaust gases from at least one turbine are recirculated for a further thermal utilization. At least one cooling fluid compressor is configured to compress a cooling fluid including at least one of fresh air and a portion of the recirculated exhaust gases for a cooling of thermally loaded parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Hans Wettstein
  • Publication number: 20140318141
    Abstract: Embodiments of hot streak alignment for gas turbine durability include structures and methods to align hot streaks with the leading edges of aligned first stage nozzle vanes in order to improve mixing of the hot streaks with cooling air at a stator nozzle of a first stage turbine and reduce usage of cooling air at first stage non-aligned stator nozzle vanes disposed adjacent to the aligned stator vanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: General Electric Company
  • Publication number: 20140318151
    Abstract: A volute (10) with two chambers for a gas turbine (50), including a circumferential conduit (11) in the form of a spiral, a first opening (12) oriented tangentially to the said circumferential conduit (11), toward the outside of the said circumferential conduit (11), and a second circumferential opening (13) located at the center of the said circumferential conduit (11). A wall (15) separates the said circumferential conduit (11) into two symmetrical chambers (18) (19), with a first fluid and a second fluid being able to circulate independently and in an isolated manner between the said first opening (12) and the said second opening (13). The said first opening (12) allows a linear flow of the two fluids between the said circumferential conduit (11) and a chamber exterior to the said circumferential conduit (11), while the said second opening (13) allows a radial flow of the said two fluids between the said circumferential conduit (11) and a chamber interior to the said circumferential conduit (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Olivier HONNORAT, Christophe DUBOURG, Jan KRYSINSKI
  • Patent number: 8863530
    Abstract: A device comprising a combustion toroid for receiving combustion-induced centrifugal forces therein to continuously combust fluids located therein and an outlet for exhaust from said combustion toroid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Power Generation Technologies Development Fund L.P.
    Inventor: Ernst Bergen
  • Patent number: 8839599
    Abstract: An axially aligned combustion engine with a rotationally fixed housing and rotationally disposed rotor is presented. Particularly, the rotor includes an engine assembly and one or more air compressor assemblies axially aligned about an axis within the housing. The engine assembly includes a plurality of radially disposed combustion chambers extending from a closed interior edge outward toward an at least partially open access port disposed at an outer peripheral edge of the engine assembly. As the engine assembly rotates within the housing, the radially disposed combustion chambers are successively aligned with or communicatively disposed with an air manifold to receive compressed air, actuator(s) to receive fuel and ignite the fuel, and an exhaust manifold to expel the combusted gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Inventor: Juan Pedro Mesa, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140260326
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan with a plurality of fan blades rotatable about an axis, and a compressor section that includes at least first and second compressor sections. An average exit temperature of the compressor section is between about 1000° F. and about 1500° F. The engine also includes a combustor that is in fluid communication with the compressor section, and a turbine section that is in fluid communication with the combustor. A geared architecture is driven by the turbine section for rotating the fan about the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Karl L. Hasel
  • Publication number: 20140260325
    Abstract: A fluid plenum including a body defining an internal cavity having an inlet and an outlet. The fluid plenum further includes at least one wall positioned in the internal cavity that divides the internal cavity into first and second passageways, and which also divides the inlet into first and second inlet portions, and divides the outlet into first and second outlet portions. The first passageway receives fluid through the first inlet portion and directs fluid to the first outlet portion, and the second passageway receives fluid through the second inlet portion and directs fluid to the second outlet portion. The first and second passageways extend first and second lengths that are different from one another, and also generate a substantially common back-pressure at the first and second inlet portions during flow of a fluid stream through the inlet, including a first sub-stream of the fluid stream through the first passageway and a second sub-stream of the fluid stream through the second passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventor: John M. Roach, III