Patents Represented by Attorney William S. Andes
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Patent number: 7007488Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor powered by a turbine. The turbine includes a nozzle having vanes extending between outer and inner bands. Each vane includes an internal cooling plenum and a bypass tube extending through the bands. First and second manifolds surround the outer band and are disposed in flow communication with the plenums and bypass tubes, respectively. A bleed circuit joins the compressor to the manifolds for providing pressurized air thereto. A control valve modulates airflow to the first manifold and in turn through the cooling plenums of the vanes.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2004Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Joseph Orlando, Thomas Ory Moniz, John Christopher Brauer, Ian Francis Prentice, Erich Alois Krammer, James Patrick Dolan, Robert Alan Frederick
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Patent number: 7007481Abstract: A combustor liner includes panels joined together at a cooling nugget including a bridge and a lip extending therefrom. The lip defines a slot terminating in an outlet. Thermal barrier coating covers inboard surfaces of the panels and lip with a nominal thickness. The lip has a distal end at the slot outlet which is spaced from the coating aft of the slot less than about the coating nominal thickness.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2003Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Marie Ann McMasters
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Patent number: 6997676Abstract: A turbine rear frame includes a row of outlet guide vanes extending between outer and inner bands. Each of the vanes is bifurcated into a forward prow integrally joined to an aft stern by a septum therebetween. The prow and stern collectively define the aerodynamic profile of each vane which is locally interrupted at the septum.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2004Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: John Michael Koshoffer
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Patent number: 6981841Abstract: A turbofan engine includes in serial flow communication a first fan, second fan, multistage compressor, combustor, first turbine, second turbine, and third turbine. The first turbine is joined to the compressor by a first shaft. The second turbine is joined to the second fan by a second shaft. And, the third turbine is joined to the first fan by a third shaft. First, second, and third cooling circuits are joined to different stages of the compressor for cooling the forward and aft sides and center bore of the first turbine with different pressure air.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2003Date of Patent: January 3, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Erich Alois Krammer, Richard Clay Haubert, Ching-Pang Lee, Harvey Michael Maclin
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Patent number: 6981840Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes pressure and suction sidewalls extending in chord between leading and trailing edges and in span between a root and a tip. A septum is spaced between the sidewalls to define two cooling circuits on opposite sides of the septum which converge between the leading and trailing edges. An array of pins extends inwardly from the pressure sidewall at a discharge end of the circuits, and the pins decrease in length to conform with the converging circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2003Date of Patent: January 3, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Ronald Scott Bunker, Chander Prakash
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Patent number: 6968699Abstract: A combustor includes outer and inner liners joined together by a dome to define a combustion chamber. A row of air swirlers is mounted in the dome and includes corresponding main fuel injectors for producing corresponding fuel and air mixtures. Pilot fuel injectors fewer in number than the main injectors are mounted in the dome between corresponding ones of the swirlers. Staged fuel injection from the pilot and main injectors is used for starting the combustor during operation.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2003Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Stephen John Howell, John Carl Jacobson, Timothy Patrick McCaffrey, Barry Francis Barnes
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Patent number: 6969230Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes sidewalls extending between leading and trailing edges, with an internal cooling circuit therein. A row of venturi slots commences inside the airfoil at the cooling circuit and terminates near the trailing edge. Each of the venturi slots includes an inlet, converging portion, throat, diverging portion, and outlet in serial flow communication from the cooling circuit. The converging portion is comparable in chordal length with the throat.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2002Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Baolan Shi, Robert Francis Manning, Randall Brent Rydbeck
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Patent number: 6960060Abstract: A turbine blade includes a hollow airfoil joined to a dovetail and platform. The airfoil includes leading and trailing edge cooling circuits disposed between the opposite pressure and suction sidewalls of the airfoil along the leading and trailing edges thereof. The leading edge cooling circuit includes a radial inlet commencing in the base of the dovetail, and the trailing edge cooling circuit includes an axial inlet commencing in the aft face of the dovetail for receiving coolant having different pressure and temperature.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2003Date of Patent: November 1, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Ching-Pang Lee
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Patent number: 6952927Abstract: A combustor baffle includes an annular splashplate having a center mounting tube therein for receiving a carbureted stream. A semi-ferrule is offset both laterally and transversely from the tube, and is open laterally outwardly therefrom. The semi-ferrule cooperates with an adjoining semi-ferrule for defining a port in which a pilot injector or igniter may be mounted.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2003Date of Patent: October 11, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Stephen John Howell, John Carl Jacobson, Timothy Patrick McCaffrey, Barry Francis Barnes, Thet Don Kwan
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Patent number: 6929446Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes hollow vanes extending between outer and inner bands. The vanes include a pattern of outlet holes distributed over the pressure and suction sides thereof for discharging cooling air collectively at a reference flowrate. The pattern of holes includes multiple rows of showerhead holes bridging the leading edge, and two rows of gill holes spaced aft therefrom along the suction side. A row of auxiliary holes is spaced aft from the showerhead holes through the pressure side, and the gill holes are sized to counterbalance the added discharge air through the auxiliary holes for maintaining the reference flowrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2003Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Wenfeng Lu, Russel Michael Castle
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Patent number: 6929445Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes a hollow vane having opposite pressure and suction sides extending in span between outer and inner bands. The vane includes a forward flow channel behind the leading edge, an aft flow channel in front of the trailing edge, and a middle flow channel disposed therebetween. The three flow channels are disposed in flow communication with an outer plenum outside the outer band for receiving cooling air therefrom. The forward and middle channels are also disposed in flow communication with an inner plenum below the inner band for discharging the air. The aft channel discharges air through the inner band outside the inner plenum in split flow at different pressures.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2003Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Humphrey Martin Wills
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Patent number: 6905302Abstract: A turbine wall includes a metal substrate having front and back surfaces. A thermal barrier coating is bonded atop the front surface. A network of flow channels is laminated between the substrate and the coating for carrying an air coolant therebetween for cooling the thermal barrier coating.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2003Date of Patent: June 14, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Ramgopal Darolia
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Patent number: 6899526Abstract: A compressor airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides joined together at leading and trailing edges and extending in span between a root and tip. The airfoil includes stagger increasing above the root and decreasing above a midspan pitch section thereof.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2003Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Bryan Keith Doloresco, Peter John Wood
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Patent number: 6890153Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes pressure and suction sidewalls joined together at opposite leading and trailing edges, and at a forward bridge spaced behind the leading edge to define a flow channel. The bridge includes a row of impingement holes. The flow channel includes a row of fins behind the leading edge, a row of first turbulators behind the pressure sidewall, and row of second turbulators behind the suction sidewall. The fins and turbulators have different configurations for increasing internal surface area and heat transfer for back side cooling the leading edge by the cooling air.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2003Date of Patent: May 10, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Edward Demers, Mohammad Esmaail Taslim
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Patent number: 6884036Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes outer and inner bands integrally joined to a vane having a three-pass serpentine flow circuit between opposite pressure and suction sidewalls. The outer band includes an inlet for channeling cooling air into a first channel of the circuit located behind a leading edge of the vane. A first outlet is disposed in the inner band at the bottom of the first channel where it joins the second channel of the circuit. A second outlet is also disposed in the inner band at the bottom of a third channel of the circuit which is disposed in flow communication with the second channel. The first channel behind the leading edge is smooth except for corresponding rows of first and second turbulators spaced laterally apart. The first turbulators bridge the pressure and suction sidewalls directly behind the leading edge, and the second turbulators are disposed behind the suction sidewall.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2003Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Baolan Shi, Robert Francis Manning, Randall Brent Rydbeck, Nigel Brian Thomas Langley
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Patent number: 6834505Abstract: A swirler includes a tubular body having a row of secondary radial swirl vanes. A tubular ferrule adjoins the body at the secondary vanes, and includes a row of primary swirl vanes. The primary vanes are disposed axially obliquely to the secondary vanes, with a common annular inlet facing radially outwardly for swirling air radially inwardly therefrom with axial momentum into the tubular body.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2002Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Marwan Al-Roub, Stanford P. Seto, John Robert Staker, Ting-Yu Tu
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Patent number: 6832889Abstract: A turbine blade includes a hollow airfoil integrally joined to a dovetail. The airfoil includes a perforate first bridge defining a flow channel behind the airfoil leading edge. A second bridge is spaced behind the first bridge and extends from a pressure sidewall of the airfoil short of the airfoil trailing edge. A third bridge has opposite ends joined to the pressure sidewall and the second bridge to define with the first bridge a supply channel for the leading edge channel, and defines with the second bridge a louver channel extending aft along the second bridge to its distal end at the pressure sidewall.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2003Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ching-Pang Lee, Richard Clay Haubert, Harvey Michael Maclin
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Patent number: 6790005Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade includes pressure and suction sidewalls extending between leading and trailing edges and from root to tip. The pressure sidewall includes an inclined tip rib offset therein by a ramp defining a tip notch having compound inclinations.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ching-Pang Lee, David Glenn Cherry, Chander Prakash, Aspi Rustom Wadia
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Patent number: 6786696Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil and dovetail. The dovetail includes a pair of supporting tangs. A rectangular root block bridges the tangs over a majority of the root end thereof. The block terminates short of one endface of the dovetail to form a root notch thereat for preferentially reducing weight.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2002Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: William Charles Herman, Brian Alan Norton, Brian David Keith
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Patent number: 6769865Abstract: A turbine nozzle includes hollow nozzle vanes mounted between outer and inner bands. The inner band includes an integral skirt around the perimeter thereof. A backing sheet of a honeycomb seal is mounted to the skirt to define a cavity therein. The inner band includes supply apertures for providing cooling air into the cavity, and the skirt includes forward and aft purge holes for discharging the cooling air therefrom. During operation, the air channeled through the cavity cools the backside of the inner band and is then discharged through the purge holes.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2002Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jeffrey Allen Kress, Robert Alan Frederick