Patents Represented by Attorney William S. Andes
  • Patent number: 7963099
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine exhaust nozzle includes a fluted shell terminating in a row of chevrons. The nozzle is radially serpentine circumferentially around the shell and has a circumferentially serpentine trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Bernard James Renggli
  • Patent number: 7926285
    Abstract: An exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine includes a modular chevron. The chevron includes dual skins fixedly joined together at a base flange, and at a rim extending along the trailing edge of the chevron between the base and apex thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rudolph Morris Tisdale, Gregory Allen Uhler, Michael Robert Johnson, Christopher Joseph Nye
  • Patent number: 7926289
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and high pressure turbine operatively joined together. A first interstage bleed circuit is joined in flow communication between a first preultimate stage of the compressor and hollow blades in the turbine to provide thereto pressurized primary air. A second interstage bleed circuit is joined in flow communication between a second preultimate stage of the compressor and the turbine blades to provide thereto pressurized secondary air at a lower pressure than the primary air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Thomas Ory Moniz, Robert Joseph Orlando
  • Patent number: 7870742
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and high pressure (HP) turbine operatively joined together. An interstage cooling circuit is joined in flow communication from an intermediate stage of the compressor to a forward face of an HP disk supporting a row of turbine blades for channeling interstage bleed cooling air thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Thomas Ory Moniz, Robert Joseph Orlando
  • Patent number: 7870743
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and high pressure turbine operatively joined together. The turbine includes a nozzle followed by a row of rotor blades. A first bleed circuit is joined in flow communication between the last stage of the compressor and a forward cooling channel in vanes of the nozzle for feeding first cooling holes therein with pressurized primary air at a first pressure. A second bleed circuit is joined in flow communication between an intermediate stage of the compressor and aft cooling channels in the nozzle vanes to feed second cooling holes with pressurized secondary air at a second pressure less than the first pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Thomas Ory Moniz, Robert Joseph Orlando
  • Patent number: 7836703
    Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes first and second vanes joined to outer and inner bands. The vanes include outboard sides defining outboard flow passages containing axial splitlines, and opposite inboard sides defining an inboard flow passage without axial splitline. The two vanes include different cooling circuits for differently cooling the inboard and outboard vane sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Robert Joseph Orlando
  • Patent number: 7823389
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and turbine having a row of blades mounted inside a surrounding turbine shroud. A heat exchanger is used for cooling pressurized air bled from the compressor. A distribution network joins the heat exchanger to the turbine for selectively channeling air from the heat exchanger below the blades and above the shroud for controlling blade tip clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth Edward Seitzer, Wojciech Sak, Zhifeng Dong, Robert Paul Ziegler, Chris Charles Glynn
  • Patent number: 7824158
    Abstract: A turbine blade damper includes an outer part for damping vibration of the blade airfoil and a supporting inner part. The two parts are formed of different materials for the different performance required thereof in the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Randall Charles Bauer, D. Keith Patrick
  • Patent number: 7743613
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and high pressure turbine operatively joined together. The turbine includes a row of nozzle vanes followed by a row of rotor blades. The vanes and blades have corresponding forward and aft internal cooling channels. First, second, third, and fourth bleed circuits are joined in flow communication with different stages of the compressor for bleeding pressurized air therefrom at different pressures to provide coolant to the forward and aft channels of the turbine vanes and blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Thomas Ory Moniz, Robert Joseph Orlando
  • Patent number: 7740443
    Abstract: A row of turbine blades is surrounded by a turbine shroud. The shroud is supported by a turbine case having a pair of radially outwardly extending rails. The rails are perforate for channeling therethrough control air to control thermal radial movement of the case, and in turn radial position of the shroud supported therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kenneth Edward Seitzer, Wojciech Sak, Zhifeng Dong, Robert Paul Ziegler, William Lee Herron
  • Patent number: 7736124
    Abstract: A turbine rotor blade includes a hollow airfoil joined to a platform and dovetail. A main flow channel extends longitudinally in span through the blade and is bound chordally by opposite partitions transversely bridging opposite sidewalls of the airfoil. A damper rib and transversely opposite damper pad are arranged together in a plurality of pairs spaced longitudinally apart in the airfoil and chordally positioned intermediate to the partitions to provide unobstructed forward and aft portions of the flow channel for channeling a coolant therethrough. The damper ribs and pads are configured to receive a wire damper through the channel to locally dampen vibration while minimizing obstruction of the coolant flow therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Randall Charles Bauer, Gregory Terrence Garay, Matthew Mark Weaver, James Robert Bailey, Bruce Clark Busbey
  • Patent number: 7695243
    Abstract: A hollow turbine airfoil includes a tip cap bounding an internal cooling circuit between opposite pressure and suction sidewalls. The tip cap includes an internal dome surrounding a dust hole, and the dome is inclined inwardly toward the airfoil root both transversely between the opposite sidewalls and chordally between opposite leading and trailing edges of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Tingfan Pang, Brian Alan Norton, Jan Christopher Schilling, Aspi Rustom Wadia
  • Patent number: 7686578
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil tip with first and second tip ribs extending from a tip floor. The ribs extend along the opposite pressure and suction sides of the blade and are joined together at opposite leading and trailing edges. A tip baffle is nested transversely between the ribs, and conforms with the second rib to bifurcate the airfoil tip into first and second tip pockets extending along the corresponding pressure and suction sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Samuel Klasing, Ching-Pang Lee, Paul Hadley Vitt, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 7674093
    Abstract: A casting core for a turbine blade includes a plurality of rods extending above a shank. The rods define internal cooling channels in the airfoil of the blade, and the shank defines an inlet channel in the dovetail of the blade. A plurality of stubs are clustered together at a bulb joined to the shank and radiate outwardly to integrally join different ones of the rods for increasing strength of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Steven Robert Brassfield
  • Patent number: 7624581
    Abstract: A Turbofan engine includes a fan mounted to a fan frame inside a fan nacelle. A booster compressor is joined to the fan inboard a flow splitter. A booster bleed system is disposed inside the splitter, and includes an inlet at the compressor outlet, and an outlet joined to the bypass duct following the fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas Ory Moniz
  • Patent number: 7614210
    Abstract: A variable cycle turbofan engine includes first and second fans independently joined to respective turbines. A first bypass duct surrounds a core engine disposed in flow communication with the second fan. A second bypass duct surrounds the first bypass duct in flow communication with the first fan. A first exhaust nozzle is joined to both the core engine and first bypass duct. And, a second exhaust nozzle is joined to the second bypass duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Flowers Powell, John Jared Decker
  • Patent number: 7607893
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil having first and second tip ribs extending along the opposite pressure and suction sides thereof. The tip ribs are spaced apart between the leading and trailing edges of the airfoil to include a tip baffle. The baffle extends chordally in counter profile with the first rib to define a first pocket, and in counter profile with the second rib to define a second pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Kevin Samuel Klasing, Paul Hadley Vitt, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 7607308
    Abstract: A bleed duct is configured for bleeding fan air from the fan bypass duct in a turbofan aircraft engine. The bleed duct includes a tubular conduit having an inlet and outlet at opposite ends. The conduit is configured in flow area for recovering pressure from speeding fan air bled therethrough. A shroud extends forwardly from the duct inlet for suppressing dynamic pressure oscillations inside the conduit without degrading the pressure recovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Eugene Kraft, Nelson Dirk Gibbens, Rolf Robert Hetico, William Charles Groll, William Andrew Bailey, James Edward Stoker
  • Patent number: 7594388
    Abstract: A turbofan engine includes a fan, compressor, combustor, high pressure turbine, and low pressure turbine joined in serial flow communication. The high pressure turbine includes two stages of rotor blades to effect corresponding exit swirl in the combustion gases discharged therefrom. A transition duct includes fairings extending between platforms for channeling the combustion gases to the low pressure turbine with corresponding swirl. First stage rotor blades in the low pressure turbine are oriented oppositely to the rotor blades in the high pressure turbine for counterrotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Glenn Cherry, Robert John Beacock, William Larson Clifford, Robert Joseph Orlando, Thomas Ory Moniz, Ching-Pang Lee
  • Patent number: 7581398
    Abstract: A fuel shield is configured for use in the afterburner of a turbofan aircraft engine. The shield includes wings obliquely joined together at a nose to conform with the leading edge region of a flameholder vane. A hood is joined to the wings and extends obliquely therefrom to conform with a supporting outer shell of the flameholder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Carl Mayer, Brian Benscoter Roberts