Abstract: A blade cover cooling apparatus comprises a blade cover top plate, comprising a plurality of upper ribs, a blade cover bottom plate, comprising a plurality of lower ribs. The blade cover top plate is disposed over the blade cover bottom plate. The upper ribs are disposed at a first angle and the lower ribs are disposed at a second angle with respect to the blade circumferential reference line, respectively to form a plurality of flow redirection areas. The blade cover bottom plate is disposed to pass a coolant from the turbine blade to the blade cover top plate. A fabrication method aligns the blade cover top plate and the blade cover bottom plate to form the plurality of flow redirection areas.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 6, 2002
Date of Patent:
March 22, 2005
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Ronald Scott Bunker, Frederic Joseph Klug, Shyh-Chin Huang
Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a polygonal fuel cell comprises: a cathode layer having a tubular shape; a contact layer electrically coupled to and disposed on the cathode layer to leave an uncovered cathode surface portion; an electrolyte layer disposed on the uncovered cathode surface portion; and an anode layer electrically isolated from the contact layer, disposed on the electrolyte layer such that the polygonal fuel cell has a polygonal cross section to facilitate dense packing.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 29, 2002
Date of Patent:
February 1, 2005
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Nishith Pramod Vora, Ronald Scott Bunker, Lester Russell Hale, George Charles Goodman, Debashis Dey
Abstract: Respective combustion gas streams are generated in a can combustor. The streams are channeled downstream into an annular turbine nozzle. And, dynamic interaction of circumferentially adjacent combustion gas streams is suppressed axially between the cans and the nozzle.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 26, 2002
Date of Patent:
January 11, 2005
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Fei Han, Osman Saim Dinc, Abdul-Azeez Mohammed-Fakir, Sung Jin Kim
Abstract: An electrolyte solution containing an alkylene glycol and a chloride salt is useful for electropolishing metal substrates. An electropolishing method using the electrolyte solution is effective for polishing a varied of metals, including titanium and noble metals. The method avoids the handling and disposal challenges associated with previous methods using etching solutions containing hydrofluoric acid. A method of recycling the spent electrolyte solution is also described.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 13, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 28, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Joseph Shoulian Zhu, Bang Mo Kim, Jeffery L. Schworm, Kevin C. Green, Paul Guilmette
Abstract: A method of detecting faults in a fuel cell system, the method comprising: comparing a plurality of fuel cell measurements to respective ones of a plurality of range limits to yield a plurality of range flags; differentiating the fuel cell measurements to yield a plurality of fuel cell rates; comparing the fuel cell rates to respective ones of a plurality of rate limits to yield a plurality of rate flags; and classifying the range flags and the rate flags to yield a fault detection decision.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 11, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 28, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
John Zhongzhi Hu, Nishith Pramod Vora, George Charles Goodman
Abstract: This invention provides methodology for the measurement of both low and high levels of scattered radiation produced by decorative and barrier coatings and plastics. Measurements of low levels are especially important for coatings used in automotive applications. The method is based on the illumination of the sample with radiation and collection of only the portion of the radiation scattered from the coating before, during and after the testing step and relating the optical signal from the tested portion of the sample material to the untested portion of the material and/or a standard. Through the practice of the invention, a large number of coating samples, as in an array, may be analyzed for their optical quality, principally haze, either after coating and curing, and/or after subjection of such coatings samples to elongation stresses, and/or abrasion testing, solvent exposure, hydrolytic stability testing, and temperature exposure.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 14, 2001
Date of Patent:
December 28, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Radislav Alexandrovich Potyrailo, Michael Jarlath Brennan, Daniel Robert Olson
Abstract: A parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system is provided for reconstructing images, to enable accelerated MRI with minimal artifacts. The MRI system comprises an array of magnetic resonance (MR) coils arranged in an array for detecting a plurality of MR signals, each coil having a corresponding spatial sensitivity profile and a processing means for processing the plurality of MR signals with at least one filter bank to reconstruct at least one image.
Abstract: Blends of monofunctional and multifunctional (meth)acrylate monomers, optionally in addition to oligomeric multifunctional (meth)acrylates), can be cured by ultraviolet radiation in contact with a photoinitiator to produce optical resinous articles having a glass transition temperature of at least 35° C. and having physical properties making them suitable for use as microstructure-bearing articles.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 6, 2003
Date of Patent:
December 21, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Bret Ja Chisholm, Daniel Robert Olson, Grant Hay, Chris Anthony Molaison, Tiberiu Mircea Siclovan, James Alan Resue, Dennis Joseph Coyle
Abstract: The invention provides a method for sealing arc tubes while preventing cracking of the tube. The method comprises sealing a pair of electrodes on the arc tube in a furnace. A heat shield structure is used to reduce the thermal gradient generated by the sealing process. The heat shield comprises alternating layers of thermally conducting materials and thermally non-conducting materials.
Abstract: Silicone-containing copolycarbonates possessing relatively long siloxane chains and yet having low haze values and hence transparency are prepared by reacting a siloxane bischloroformate with a hydroxy-terminated polycarbonate oligomer to afford a silicone-containing polycarbonate intermediate which is then reacted with a bisphenol, phosgene and a chainstopper under interfacial reaction conditions to afford a product silicone-containing copolycarbonate. The product silicone-containing copolycarbonates have lower haze values than similarly constituted copolycarbonates prepared by other methods.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 16, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 21, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
James Manio Silva, David Michel Dardaris, Gary Charles Davis
Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing a bis(hydroxy-aromatic) compound which comprises the steps of: contacting at least one halo-substituted hydroxy-aromatic compound in a solvent mixture comprising water and at least one organic solvent in the presence of at least one base, at least one catalyst comprising palladium and hydrogen gas at a pressure in a range of between atmospheric pressure and 350 Kilopascals.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 7, 2003
Date of Patent:
December 21, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Ben Purushotam Patel, Eric James Pressman, Ryan Christopher Mills
Abstract: A method for removing volatile components from wet, polymer powders using a vacuum vented extruder is described. Polymer powders containing substantial amounts of water, 1-20% by weight, are rapidly converted to polymer compositions containing less than about 0.5% by weight water at high throughput rates while avoiding complications resulting from excessive steam backflow through the extruder feed throat. The method provides a screw design comprising a powder seal section upstream of kneading and melting sections of the extruder. Steam generated as the polymer is heated flows downstream to one or more vacuum vents for removal. The partially devolatilized polymer melt is then subjected to additional melt kneading and vacuum venting. The method converts wet polycarbonate powder containing residual methylene chloride to essentially dry polycarbonate powder containing less than about 1 ppm methylene chloride.
Abstract: A method for selectively removing one or more coatings from the surface of a substrate is described. The coating is treated with an aqueous composition which includes an acid of the formula HxAF6, or precursors to such an acid. In that formula, A is Si, Ge, Ti, Zr, Al, and Ga; and x is 1-6. The acid is often H2SiF6. The composition may sometimes include at least one additional acid, such as phosphoric acid. The coating being removed is often an aluminide coating or an MCrAl(X)-type material. The substrate is usually a polymer or a metal, such as a superalloy.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 9, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 21, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Lawrence Bernard Kool, John Robert LaGraff, James Anthony Ruud
Abstract: Resinous compositions are disclosed which comprise at least one ionomeric polyester and at least one organoclay. Also a method is disclosed for improving the modulus properties of a resinous composition comprising at least one organoclay, the method comprising the steps of combining the resinous composition with at least one ionomeric polyester, and intimately mixing the composition.
Abstract: A system for modulating a carrier frequency to support nondestructive bitwise arbitration of a communication medium. The system comprises a first sensor module coupled to a power supply line via a first power line coupling circuit. The first sensor module comprises a first micro-controller and a first transceiver. The first transceiver includes a first transmitter for converting a digital signal received from the first micro-controller into a first analog signal for transmission over the power supply line. The first transmitter includes a first oscillator operating within an allowable frequency deviation to provide a first predetermined onset phase. The system further comprises a second sensor module coupled to the power supply line via a second power line coupling circuit. The second sensor module comprises a second micro-controller and a second transceiver.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 19, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 14, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
David Davenport, Ralph Hoctor, Kuna Kishore, Mukesh Soni
Abstract: A system and method for automatically predicting timing and costs of future service events in a life cycle of a product. A database contains a plurality of service information and performance information for the product. A statistical analyzer automatically analyzes the plurality of processed service information to determine a plurality of compartment failure information. A performance deterioration rate analyzer automatically analyzes the performance deterioration rate of the product from the plurality of service information and performance information. A simulator, automatically simulates a distribution of future service events in the life cycle of the product and predicts the costs of the service events according to the plurality of compartment failure information and the performance deterioration rate analysis.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 30, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 14, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
James Kenneth Aragones, Jeffrey William Stein, Amy Victoria Aragones, William Talbert Tucker
Abstract: Direct bromination of hydroxy aromatic compounds by electrolysis of mixtures comprising the hydroxy aromatic compound, a source of bromide ion, and an organic solvent provides product brominated hydroxy aromatic compounds at synthetically useful rates with high para-selectivity. The process does not require the use or handling of molecular bromine or bromine complexes and allows the full use of the bromide source without generating hydrogen bromide as a by-product of the reaction. The simple electrochemical equipment required by the present process, for example an undivided electrochemical cell, makes the process less capital intensive than analogous electrochemical processes carried out in divided cells. The use of hydrobromic acid as the source of bromide ion provides clean reaction with nearly exclusive formation of the target brominated product.
Abstract: A turbine engine component includes a substrate and a wear coating on the substrate. The wear coating includes wear-resistant particles in a matrix phase, the wear-resistant particles being formed of chrome carbide or a cobalt alloy. Methods for forming a turbine engine component are also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 25, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 7, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Wayne Charles Hasz, David Edwin Budinger
Abstract: Poly(1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate)s, especially poly(1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate), are prepared from at least one relatively non-volatile diol, such as 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and cyclohexane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid by an esterification process in the presence of a catalyst, at a maximum temperature of about 260°. In one embodiment the procedure employs a two-step process, the second of which may be performed in the melt or in the solid state. A volatile diol such as ethylene glycol may also be present.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 10, 2002
Date of Patent:
December 7, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Daniel Joseph Brunelle, Corrado Berti, Annamaria Celli, Martino Colonna, Maurizio Fiorini, Elisabetta Marianucci, Massimo Messori, Francesco Pilati, Laura Sisti, Paola Marchese
Abstract: Adaptive model-based control systems and methods are described so that performance and/or operability of a gas turbine in an aircraft engine, power plant, marine propulsion, or industrial application can be optimized under normal, deteriorated, faulted, failed and/or damaged operation. First, a model of each relevant system or component is created, and the model is adapted to the engine. Then, if/when deterioration, a fault, a failure or some kind of damage to an engine component or system is detected, that information is input to the model-based control as changes to the model, constraints, objective function, or other control parameters. With all the information about the engine condition, and state and directives on the control goals in terms of an objective function and constraints, the control then solves an optimization so the optimal control action can be determined and taken.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 13, 2002
Date of Patent:
November 30, 2004
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Brent Jerome Brunell, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Aditya Kumar