Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Gene D. Fleischhauer
  • Patent number: 5490380
    Abstract: A combustion chamber 42 for an axial flow rotary machine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed for controlling the production of emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen. In one embodiment, the combustion chamber has a pilot zone 108 which extends axially and a main zone 106 axially adjacent to the pilot zone which has a divergent outer wall having a divergent end region 178 through which locally swirling gases are injected into swirling gases from the pilot zone 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1996
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Marshall
  • Patent number: 5486090
    Abstract: A turbine shroud segment for use in a gas turbine engine includes a serpentine channel along at least one axial edge of the segment. Various construction details are developed that disclose a channel for efficiently flowing cooling fluid through an axial edge of a shroud segment. In a particular embodiment, a turbine shroud segment includes a leading edge serpentine channel and a trailing edge serpentine channel. Both serpentine channels include ducts that extend to the serpentine channels from a point inward of adjacent retaining hooks. Cooling fluid flowing onto the outward surface of the segments flows through the ducts and along the serpentine channels to cool the leading and trailing edges of the segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph J. Thompson, Daniel E. Kane
  • Patent number: 5464227
    Abstract: A seal assembly 46 for a rotary machine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which block the migration of oil from a compartment such as a bearing compartment 22. In one detailed embodiment, an annular clearance gap G is provided with an outwardly tapered surface (98; 118; 98, 118) to energize a boundary layer or to block lubricating fluid from migrating from the bearing compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Eric G. Olson
  • Patent number: 5462405
    Abstract: A coolable airfoil having internal cooling passages 82, 84, 74 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed to increase cooling in critical locations of the airfoil. In one embodiment, a pair of side-by-side spanwisely extending passages 82, 84 flow cooling air to the tip passage 74 which extends rearwardly in a flag-like manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Richard W. Hoff, David R. Martin
  • Patent number: 5443230
    Abstract: An aircraft wing 18 and nacelle 24 combination includes a double cambered pylon 28 extending between the wing and the nacelle to support an aircraft engine 22. The pylon includes an airfoil 30 extending in a generally vertical direction having a leading edge 32 and a trailing edge 39. The airfoil is curved away from the aircraft in an axial rearward direction and a portion of the airfoil is curved toward the aircraft in the vertical direction from the nacelle toward the wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Wesley K. Lord, Andrea L. Karalus
  • Patent number: 5423173
    Abstract: A fuel injector 28 utilizing air, a liquid fluid and a gaseous fluid is disclosed. Various construction details are developed to enhance mixing and reduce carbon monoxide emissions for a given level of nitrous oxide emissions. In one detailed embodiment, the fuel nozzle 28 has two radially spaced passages 68, 104 for air having swirlers 86, 114, a liquid fluid passage 57 for water therebetween and a gaseous fluid fuel passage 118 which injects fuel into one of the air passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Donald T. Lemon, Aaron S. Hu, Barry C. Schlein, Theodore G. Fox
  • Patent number: 5419115
    Abstract: An assembly of a bulkhead 48 and fuel nozzle guide 62 for a fuel nozzle 46 disposed in a combustion chamber 24 is disclosed. Various construction details which provide for positively cooling components of the assembly are developed. In one detailed embodiment, the nozzle fuel guide is spaced from the bulkhead to form an annular gap G.sub.1 which is divided by a heat shield 72 into annular orifices 108, 112 for supplying to cooling air passages 126, 128 bounded by the heat shield 72.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Butler, Roger J. Comeau, Franklin J. Davis, James R. Harders, Thomas J. Malitsky, Randy McKinney, Gordon Pfeifer
  • Patent number: 5406799
    Abstract: A combustion chamber 42 for an axial flow rotary machine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed for controlling the production of emissions such as carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen. In one embodiment, the combustion chamber has a pilot zone 108 which extends axially and a main zone 106 axially adjacent to the pilot zone which has a divergent outer wall having a divergent end region 178 through which locally swirling gases are injected into swirling gases from the pilot zone 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Richard L. Marshall
  • Patent number: 5403159
    Abstract: A coolable airfoil 10 has a plurality of spanwisely extending passages. Various construction details are developed to increase the cooling effectiveness of the internal structure and decrease the need for cooling air. In one particular embodiment, a leading edge passage 56 has film cooling air flowing over the passage to shelter the passage from the hot working medium gases. This sheltered cooling air is then mixed with heated cooling air from a tortuous passage 84, 92 flowing through the mid-chord region 68 of the blade. In one embodiment, the coating air is supplied to a chordwisely extending tip passage 74 to cool the airfoil tip region and is mixed in the passage 74.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: United Technoligies Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis J. Green, George J. Yamarik
  • Patent number: 5400491
    Abstract: A repair apparatus 78 for repairing the combustion chamber assembly 32 of a gas turbine engine 20 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which increase the speed of the repair process and the structural integrity of the repaired combustion chamber assembly. In one particular embodiment, the repair =apparatus has a support assembly 82 which is adapted by locating pins 98 to engage the lug mountings 48 of the combustion chamber assembly 32.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Chester E. Yaworsky, Galen H. Reed
  • Patent number: 5397215
    Abstract: A flow directing assembly 24, 24a for a rotary machine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed to decrease aerodynamic losses and promote the ease of design. In one particular embodiment, a concave region 58 of an end wall is employed to create convex wall regions 54, 56 upstream and downstream of the concave region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Spear, Bruce P. Biederman
  • Patent number: 5395211
    Abstract: A stator assembly 14 having a spline-type connection between an inner case 24 and an outer case 26 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed, which ensure that the spline-type connection permits relative radial growth between the inner case and the outer case while providing for a rigid interconnection between the cases during blade failures which transfer loads from the outer case to the inner case. In one particular embodiment, the inner case has attached thereto a plurality of spline-type spacers 54 each having an inwardly facing surface 82 which is adapted to engage an outwardly facing surface 74 on a portion of the support structure for the outer case to restrain the outer case against radially outward movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5374162
    Abstract: A coolable rotor blade 16 having an airfoil section 18 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which increase the cooling effectiveness under the airfoil section 18 under a variety of operative conditions. In one detailed embodiment, an array of rows of cooling air holes has two staggered rows in the spanwise direction which are spaced spanwisely in the row and chordwisely from row to row in a predetermined manner to ensure adequate cooling to the leading edge region should the aerodynamic leading edge shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis J. Green
  • Patent number: 5337805
    Abstract: An airfoil core has a frame formed of passage forming elements supporting a pair of spanwisely extending passage forming elements within the frame. The pair of passage forming elements has at least one plurality of hole forming elements extending chordwisely therefrom and supported in part by at least one of the pair of passage forming elements to increase the durability of the core. In one embodiment, the core includes a trailing edge region framed by spanwisely and chordwisely extending elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis J. Green, Edward R. Szela, George J. Yamarik, David R. Martin
  • Patent number: 5332359
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump 10 having a centrifugal impeller 12 and a volute housing 56 for collecting flow discharged from the impeller is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which decrease stresses in the components and improve the efficiency of the construction. In one particular embodiment, the volute housing is formed inwardly of the pressure vessel 32 and has at least one sidewall 64 having a pressure region 58 bounded by the sidewall on the interior side of the pressure region and bounded by the outer pressure vessel on the exterior side of the pressure region to exert a pressure force on the sidewall under operative conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alfred M. Palgon, Jerry H. Moore
  • Patent number: 5317861
    Abstract: A fuel supply system 32 for a rotary machine 10 is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which enable operation of a plurality of fuel injectors 28 in the machine at a low pressure drop with a wide range of fuel and water fuel rates. In one embodiment, an auxiliary water supply system supplies water at a location in close proximity to the fuel injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore G. Fox, Martin J. Walsh, Bethuel M. Barnum, Jan B. Peyrot
  • Patent number: 5313700
    Abstract: A flow directing element for the turbine section of a rotary machine includes various construction details which are developed which increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the flow directing element. In one embodiment, the flow directing element is a rotor blade having a roughened surface which approximates the critical roughness characteristic of the airfoil. In one particular embodiment, the roughness average of the surface lies between 120 to 200 AA microinches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas E. Dorman
  • Patent number: 5281089
    Abstract: A rotary machine which includes a stator assembly 36 having a seal assembly 38 is disclosed. Various structural, details are developed which improve the structural integrity of the seal assembly during fabrication. In one detailed embodiment, the seal assembly includes a substrate 42 having angled surfaces 44, 46 facing a flowpath 24 for working medium gases which intersect at an obtuse angle region I and an axially continuous metal structure 48 which is attached to both surfaces and extends across the obtuse angle region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Allen W. Brown, Raymond A. Wolf
  • Patent number: 5228195
    Abstract: A rotary machine which includes a stator assembly 36 having a seal assembly 38 is disclosed. Various structural, details are developed which improve the structural integrity of the seal assembly during fabrication. In one detailed embodiment, the seal assembly includes a substrate 42 having angled surfaces 44, 46 facing a flowpath 24 for working medium gases which intersect at an obtuse angle region I and an axially continuous metal structure 48 which is attached to both surfaces and extends across the obtuse angle region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Allen W. Brown, Raymond A. Wolf
  • Patent number: 5216879
    Abstract: A propulsion system assembly for a vehicle such as an aircraft having a nacelle and shroud is disclosed. Various construction details are developed which permit the flow of cooling air into the full circumference of the shroud despite the blockage of the shroud by upstream structure such as a pylon on an aircraft engine. In one embodiment, the nozzle is disposed downstream of an engine in the nacelle and inwardly of the shroud. A passage 44 extends rearwardly in the pylon and underneath the shroud to duct cooling air into regions of the shroud blocked by the upstream structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Steven H. Zysmaan