Patents Represented by Attorney Jerome C. Squillaro
  • Patent number: 5402963
    Abstract: A flade exhaust nozzle for a high thrust jet engine is configured to form an acoustic shield around the core engine exhaust flowstream while supplementing engine thrust during all flight conditions, particularly during takeoff. The flade airflow is converted from an annular 360.degree. flowstream to an arcuate flowstream extending around the lower half of the core engine exhaust flowstream so as to suppress exhaust noise directed at the surrounding community.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John P. Carey, Robert Lee, Rudramuni K. Majjigi
  • Patent number: 5403148
    Abstract: An improved containment casing for use with turbomachinery, such as turbofan engines. The containment casing is provided with a ballistic barrier composed of ceramic composite tiles which promotes the ability of the containment casing to withstand an impact from a fan blade which is released within the casing. The barrier is sufficiently hard so as to resist the cutting action of the fan blade, as well as to dull the edge of the fan blade so as to minimize subsequent damage to the containment casing and engine. The barrier serves to distribute the impact of the fan blade, so as to reduce the likelihood of piercing or severing the containment casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James M. Forrester
  • Patent number: 5402638
    Abstract: A FLADE aircraft gas turbine engine having a FLADE duct circumscribing a preferably variable cycle inner gas turbine engine. A FLADE fan is disposed in the FLADE duct radially outward of and drivenly connected to a first fan disposed in a first fan duct of the engine. The inlet of the first fan duct is sized to receive essentially the full mass airflow of the engine at full power conditions with the FLADE duct inlet essentially closed off. The engine is further designed and operable to fully open the inlet of the flade duct at predetermined part power flight conditions to avoid spillage drag and essentially close it at full power conditions such as take off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5403669
    Abstract: An article coated with a thermal barrier coating system for high temperature use, has its thermal cyclic spallation life improved by the application of an aluminide to the outer portion of a bonding coating disposed on a substrate. The bond coating has a surface roughness in the range of about 200-600 microinches Ra prior to application of covering thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bhupendra K. Gupta, Jim D. Reeves, Bangalore A. Nagaraj
  • Patent number: 5400952
    Abstract: There is provided by the present invention method and apparatus for damping vibrations or other unwanted motions of a brush seal, the apparatus including a damper having a plurality of individual plates that are bonded directly to the inlet rows of bristles of the seal. Methods for producing a damped brush seal in accord with the present invention contemplate brazing damping plates to the bristles, absorbing a melting point suppressor into the surface of the damping plates and then heating the damping plates until the treated surface melts and bonds with the bristles, or sintering a braze alloy to the bristles such that the braze alloy functions as a damping plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rolf R. Hetico, Stephen M. Bishop, Larry W. Plemmons, Eugene W. Kreimer
  • Patent number: 5399066
    Abstract: Clearance control is provided by a shaped, integral environmental shield and circumferentially segmented cooling manifold. Each manifold has impingement rails located radially outside selected components of the stator casing. Cooling air is directed onto stator components and returns immediately through circuitous paths to improve uniformity of cooling. The structure incorporates the environmental shield into a two piece bonded structure to facilitate construction and assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Julie A. Ritchie, Joseph H. Schleue, Jeffrey Glover, Frederick W. Tegarden
  • Patent number: 5399313
    Abstract: There is provided by the present invention nickel-base superalloys for producing single crystal articles having improved tolerance to low angle grain boundaries and an improved balance between cyclic oxidation and hot corrosion resistance. The improved tolerance arises from the discovery that nickel-base superalloys suitable for casting as single crystal articles can be improved by the addition of small, but controlled, amounts of boron and carbon, and optionally hafnium, and is manifested principally by improved grain boundary strength. As one result of this increased grain boundary strength, grain boundary mismatches far greater than the 6.degree. limit for prior art single crystal superalloys can be tolerated in single crystal articles made from the nickel-base superalloys of this invention. This translates, for example, into lower inspection costs and higher casting yields as grain boundaries over a broader range can be accepted by visual inspection techniques without resort to expensive X-ray techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Earl W. Ross, Carl S. Wukusick, Warren T. King
  • Patent number: 5399911
    Abstract: A pulse detection circuit detects one different pulse within a string of similar pulses for a once per revolution index. The pulse detection circuit comprises a DC averaging means for generating a first threshold voltage from a raw signal. An average comparator receives the first threshold voltage and generates a first output voltage indicative of signal amplitude of the raw signal, as compared to the first threshold voltage. A zero comparator receives the raw signal, compares it to zero, and generates a second output voltage indicative of a pulse. The first and second output voltages are input to a logic sequence to generate a logic output when the one different pulse within the string of similar pulses is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark P. Tarricone, John M. Gambale, Roger A. Martin
  • Patent number: 5397181
    Abstract: A compressor discharge temperature sensing system senses compressor discharge temperature for a compressor located within a housing. A sensor mounted external to the flow path receives high pressure air discharged from the compressor. The high pressure air flows past at least one thermocouple in the housing and through a purge line. The thermocouple measures the high pressure air temperature and the high pressure air is then returned to the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Michael McNulty
  • Patent number: 5396761
    Abstract: A cooled ignition flameholder assembly includes a first heat shield having first and second spaced apart chambers. A fuel spraybar is disposed inside the first chamber, and a hollow baffle is disposed inside the second chamber. A second heat shield is joined to the first heat shield for closing the second chamber with the baffle therein. The baffle includes an inlet for receiving cooling air which is discharged through a plurality of outlet holes for impingement cooling the first and second heat shields. An ignition bulb is disposed adjacent to the second chamber and receives an igniter tip and a fuel injector tip for initiating combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ivan E. Woltmann, Jeffrey C. Mayer, John A. Manteiga
  • Patent number: 5396763
    Abstract: A cooled flameholder assembly includes a first heat shield having first and second spaced apart chambers. A fuel spraybar is disposed inside the first chamber, and a hollow baffle is disposed inside the second chamber. A second heat shield is joined to the first heat shield for closing the second chamber with the baffle therein. The baffle includes an inlet for receiving cooling air which is discharged through a plurality of outlet holes for impingement cooling the first and second heat shields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Mayer, John A. Manteiga
  • Patent number: 5396791
    Abstract: A flexible adaptor mounts an aircraft gas turbine engine to a test stand. The adaptor includes an upper frame configured for mounting on the test stand, and a lower frame spaced from the upper frame and configured for supporting the engine. A spring flexibly joins the lower frame to the upper frame to simulate the flexibility of an aircraft wing which supports the engine during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel E. Mollmann, Pamela M. Boehm, Eugene F. Gaffney, Michael P. Swift, Mark E. Stegemiller, Kenneth O. Johnson, Stephen L. Carmichael
  • Patent number: 5396760
    Abstract: A bypass flow system for a gas-side air recuperator of a gas turbine engine. Pressurized air from the compressor section of the gas turbine is caused to pass through a pair of heat exchangers arranged in parallel spaced relationship and located in the hot gas stream between the exhaust gas box and the exhaust stack of the gas turbine engine. The space between the heat exchangers comprises a bypass duct for the exhaust gases and is openable and closeable by a butterfly valve. The longitudinal edges of the bypass duct are each provided with a flow divider device extending upstream of the exhaust gas flow by a distance at least equal to the width of the bypass duct. The flow divider devices are mirror images of each other and the forwardmost longitudinal edges thereof are blunt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William R. Hines
  • Patent number: 5397217
    Abstract: A pulse-cooled gas turbine engine assembly includes a hollow airfoil and a fluidic oscillator joined thereto. The fluidic oscillator discharges pressurized cooling air inside the airfoil at a predetermined pulsation frequency for cooling the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas E. DeMarche, Mario E. Abreu
  • Patent number: 5397077
    Abstract: An inlet bleed system for a supersonic aircraft engine having a longitudinally downstream extending inlet bounded by a boundary wall that in part defines a supersonic flowpath through the inlet, a transversely extending boundary layer scoop extends into a boundary layer region of the flowpath and has an upstream facing bleed aperture, and a shock generating means for generating a shockwave in a supersonic flow in the flowpath such that the shockwave passes through the bleed aperture. One embodiment provides a scoop which extends a height above the wall such that it is operable to scoop off no more than a sufficient amount of a boundary layer flow that would exist in the boundary region and be momentum deficient relative to predetermined conditions that would exist downstream of the scoop under supersonic operating conditions. Another embodiment provides for the scoop to be disposed a throat section of the inlet wherein the aperture located is just upstream of the normal shock location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul H. Kutschenreuter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5394689
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine digital electronic control is disclosed which is capable of maintaining safe, efficient engine thrust levels in the event of loss of communication with an aircraft flight computer. Specifically, a limited number of engine sensor inputs are used in combination with an engine performance schedule to derive total inlet pressure. A compressible flow calculation yields flight Mach number which is used in a power management module to control engine power settings, such as corrected fan speed in a turbofan engine. Various correction factors and scalars are provided to configure the control for a variety of installation configurations, as well as improve system accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Joseph D'Onofrio
  • Patent number: 5396333
    Abstract: A device for observation and analysis of a cross-sectional portion of a stream of material, which may be either a particle or a fluid stream, includes a laser light source for generating a beam of light. A focusing lens is disposed in an optical path between the laser source and the stream and a plano-cylindrical lens of a selected focal length is disposed in the optical path between the focusing lens and the stream. The focusing lens and the plano-cylindrical lens convert the beam of light from the laser light source to a plane of light which may be projected through the stream to illuminate a selected cross-section of the stream for observation and analysis thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Stephen Aleshin, Vanon D. Pratt
  • Patent number: 5393488
    Abstract: A duplex strengthened structural steel that is particularly suitable for demanding applications which require both high yield strength and fatigue properties is provided. The preferred steel alloys of this invention are characterized by both the presence of intermetallic strengthening precipitates like maraging steels, as well as alloy carbide strengtheners as is common with secondary hardening steels. Titanium is substantially absent from the preferred steel alloys of this invention. Thus the formation of nonmetallic inclusions, such as titanium carbonitrides, are alleviated which correspondingly enhances the fatigue properties of the preferred alloys. To compensate for the lack of titanium strengthening precipitates within the alloy, additions of aluminum are provided such that the aluminum forms intermetallic strengthening precipitates with nickel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark A. Rhoads, Edward L. Raymond, Warren M. Garrison, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5392614
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine cooling system. Hotter engine compressor air is cooled by a heat exchanger using a colder engine fluid (such as fuel or lower pressure (colder) engine compressor air. The cooled air passes through the compressor section of an auxiliary turbocompressor and is used to cool the engine high pressure turbine. Some of the cooled air (or uncooled discharge air from the engine high pressure compressor) is used to drive the turbine section of the turbocompressor. The spent air exiting the turbine section of the turbocompressor is used to help cool the engine low pressure turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: George A. Coffinberry
  • Patent number: 5392812
    Abstract: An offset hinge flapper valve has a single valve plate rotatably mounted in the flow channel of a cast housing. The valve plate is freely rotatable about a pivot pin welded to the housing. The valve plate has first and second co-planar parts extending on respective sides of its axis of rotation, which is offset from the center axis of the flow channel. These co-planar parts have peripheral edges configured so that the valve plate has the same shape as the shape of the flow channel taken along an oblique section of the cast housing. A brace having an abutment surface is mounted on the valve plate. When the valve plate rotates to a predetermined inclined angle relative to the flow, the brace contacts the housing, thereby blocking further rotation and preventing flutter or instability of the valve plate in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William L. Herron