Patents Assigned to General Electric
  • Combustor liner for a turbine engine with venturi and air deflector
    Patent number: 8646277
    Abstract: A combustor liner for a combustor of a turbine engine includes a single-walled generally cylindrical liner that extends from a head end to an aft end. A venturi is formed on the combustor liner at a location between the head and aft ends. The venturi is formed by first and second straight portions of the combustor liner that angle inward to form a reduced diameter portion. The combustor liner may also include an air deflector to deflect air down onto the exterior of the reduced diameter portion of the single-walled combustor liner. The combustor liner may also include dilution holes, and turbulator rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ronald James Chila, Donald Timothy Lemon
  • Methods, systems, and apparatus for detecting arc flash events using current and voltage
    Patent number: 8649139
    Abstract: A power circuit protection system includes a current sensor configured to measure a first current level through a conductor of the circuit, a voltage sensor configured to measure a first voltage level across a plurality of conductors of the circuit, and a controller communicatively coupled to the current sensor and to the voltage sensor. The controller is configured to receive a first signal from the current sensor, wherein the first signal is representative of the first current level, and receive a second signal from the voltage sensor, wherein the second signal is representative of the first voltage level. Based on the first signal and the second signal, the controller is configured to determine whether to activate a first circuit protection device or a second circuit protection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: George William Roscoe, Robert Caggiano, Henry Hall Mason, Jr., Craig Benjamin Williams
  • Switchable affinity binders
    Patent number: 8647829
    Abstract: Methods and kits for binding and releasing biological targets, comprising, a binder comprising an environmentally reactive molecular switch that can switch between a high affinity state, to bind the target, to a low affinity state, to release the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Aaron Dulgar-Tulloch, Ernest William Kovacs, Evelina Roxana Loghin, Anup Sood
  • Fixture for locating wind turbine equipment on foundation prior to tower installation
    Patent number: 8646219
    Abstract: A fixture is provided for locating wind turbine equipment on a foundation within an inner envelope for a wind turbine tower, prior to erecting the wind turbine tower. The fixture includes a mounting section, adapted to mate with guidepoints at predesignated locations on the wind turbine foundation; and a locating section, extending inward from the mounting section, adapted to locate the position for wind turbine equipment on the foundation for the wind turbine tower and within the inner envelope of the wind turbine tower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas E. Lyness
  • System and method for breast imaging using X-ray computed tomography
    Patent number: 8649479
    Abstract: A system and method for breast imaging using x-ray computed tomography (CT) are provided. One system includes a rotating gantry, an x-ray source coupled to the gantry for generating an x-ray beam and an x-ray detector coupled to the gantry for detecting x-rays of the x-ray beam. The system further includes an adjustable collimator coupled to the x-ray source and configured to adjust a focus of the x-ray beam generated by the x-ray source. The x system also includes a controller configured to control the collimator to adjust the focus on a region of interest (ROI) and to control a beam intensity for the x-ray beam generated by the x-ray source during a scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bruno Kristiann Bernard De Man, Serge Louis Wilfrid Muller
  • Banked platform turbine blade
    Patent number: 8647067
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil and integral platform at the root thereof. The platform is contoured in elevation from a bank adjacent the pressure side of the airfoil to a trough commencing behind the airfoil leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric company
    Inventors: Vidhu Shekhar Pandey, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Ching-Pang Lee
  • Flow adjustment orifice systems for fuel nozzles
    Patent number: 8646703
    Abstract: Flow adjustment orifice systems for fuel nozzles include a metering plate that connects to an air/fuel inlet end of a fuel nozzle and a plurality of metering orifices disposed about the metering plate that align with a plurality of air/fuel inlet orifices on the air/fuel inlet end of the fuel nozzle, wherein at least one of the plurality of metering orifices reduces an open cross-sectional area for at least one of the air/fuel inlet orifices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bryan Eugene Hodgson, Rachel Christner Howard
  • Material compositions for sensors for determination of chemical species at trace concentrations
    Patent number: 8647883
    Abstract: A method of quantitatively measuring the concentration of a chemical species in a sample solution with a sensor film. A hydrogel sensor film is prepared having a chemical composition comprising an indicator that changes its optical property in the ultra-violet, visible or near-infrared spectral range upon being exposed to the chemical species in the sample solution. The film is exposed to a fixed amount of the sample solution. The concentration of the chemical species in the sample solution is quantified using the average absorbance measured from the sensor film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Radislav A. Potyrailo, Timothy M. Sivavec, Caibin Xiao, Theodore J. Cecconie, Lamyaa Hassib, Andrew M. Leach, David B. Engel
  • Methods and apparatus for client-side context managers
    Patent number: 8650308
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for client-side context managers are disclosed. An example context manager implemented on a client machine includes a file system watcher to monitor a location of a file system implemented on the client machine for creation of a new item, wherein a virtual application implemented on a server is provided access to the file system; and a connection establisher to establish a connection between the context manager and the virtual application in response to the creation of the new item in the location of the file system by the virtual application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Sten Herlitz
  • Methods and systems for automated emergency lighting
    Patent number: 8648705
    Abstract: A control circuit for activating at least one emergency light when a vehicle's brakes are applied is described. The control circuit includes a pressure switch configured to selectively couple a power source and an electrically-operated actuator to facilitate selectively energizing the electrically-operated actuator. The electrically-operated actuator includes at least one contact set configured to couple the power source to the at least one emergency light when the electrically-operated actuator is not energized. The control circuit also includes a manual reset circuit coupled to the pressure switch and to the electrically-operated actuator. The manual reset circuit configured to facilitate energizing the electrically-operated actuator upon receipt of an operator input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Henry Gross, Ronald David Bauerle
  • Dishwasher rack assembly with adjustable tines
    Patent number: 8646620
    Abstract: A dishwasher rack assembly includes a bottom wall formed of a first set of spaced apart rods crossed by a second set of spaced apart rods to define an open lattice structure. At least one channel member is attached to respective one the rods. A plurality of tines are received within the channel member and are variably positional along the channel member so as to adjust spacing between the tines without adjusting the channel member relative to the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Murray Klump, Stephen Froelicher, Rebecca Lynne Hannon
  • Amalgam temperature maintaining device for dimmable fluorescent lamps
    Patent number: 8648530
    Abstract: A fluorescent lighting device includes a ballast and a tube. An amalgam is located within the tube. A resistive heater is operatively coupled with the ballast, to receive electrical power from the ballast while the fluorescent lighting device is in an OFF state. The resistive heater is mounted near the amalgam to transfer heat to the amalgam while the fluorescent lighting device is in the OFF state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gabor Schmidt, Peter Lucz, Jacint Gergely, Zsolt Bagoly, Tamas Daranyi
  • Bucket assembly cooling apparatus and method for forming the bucket assembly
    Patent number: 8647064
    Abstract: A bucket assembly and a method for forming the bucket assembly are disclosed. The bucket assembly includes a platform, an airfoil, and a lower body portion. The platform defines a platform cooling circuit configured to flow cooling medium therethrough. The airfoil extends radially outward from the platform. The lower body portion extends radially inward from the platform. The lower body portion defines a root and a cooling passage extending from the root. The cooling passage is configured to flow cooling medium therethrough. The platform and lower body portion further include a ligament between the cooling passage and the platform cooling circuit. The ligament defines a bore hole extending through the ligament between the cooling passage and the platform cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Bradley Taylor Boyer
  • Combustor assembly for a turbine engine with enhanced cooling
    Patent number: 8646276
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a turbine engine includes a combustor liner and a flow sleeve which surrounds the combustor liner. Compressed air flows through an annular space located between an outer surface of the combustor liner and an inner surface of the flow sleeve. A plurality of cooling holes are formed through the flow sleeve to allow compressed air to flow from a position outside the flow sleeve, through the cooling holes, and into the annular space. The height of the annular space may vary along the length of the combustor assembly. Thus, the flow sleeve may have reduced diameter portions which result in the height of the annular space being smaller in certain locations than at other locations along the length of the combustor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Ronald James Chila
  • Sodium-metal-halide energy storage device with sodium level control mechanism
    Patent number: 8647767
    Abstract: An energy storage device includes a housing having an interior surface defining a volume and a plurality of solid electrolyte elements disposed in the volume. Each solid electrolyte element has a first surface that defines at least a portion of a first, cathodic chamber, and a second surface that defines a second, anodic chamber. A plurality of individual anode chambers are thus provided, a majority of which are in ionic communication with the cathode chamber through a majority of the solid electrolyte elements and which are also provided with a sodium level control mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Reza Sarrafi-Nour, Andrew Shapiro, Chandra Sekher Yerramalli, Badri Narayan Ramamurthi
  • Elastic conformal transducer apparatus
    Patent number: 8649185
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a transducer apparatus comprises an elastomeric substrate and another elastomeric substrate. A plurality of transducer modules are mounted on the elastomeric substrate. A plurality of additional transducer modules are mounted on the other elastomeric substrate. Each transducer module of the plurality of transducer modules and the plurality of additional transducer modules comprises a transducer array having multiple transducer elements and an electronic circuitry coupled to the transducer array. The plurality of transducer modules and the plurality of additional transducer modules are mounted relative to each other whereby the plurality of additional transducer modules substantially cover any dead zones of the plurality of transducer modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Gideon Wodnicki, Kaustubh Ravindra Nagarkar, William Hullinger Huber
  • Condition measurement apparatus and method
    Patent number: 8646278
    Abstract: A condition measurement apparatus is provided and includes a gas turbine engine combustor having an end cover, a liner defining a liner interior and a fuel nozzle communicative with the liner interior, the end cover being formed to separate a cold side thereof, which is a relatively low temperature environment, from a hot side thereof, which is a relatively high temperature environment in which the liner and the fuel nozzle are disposed, the combustor being formed to define a fuel flow path extending through piping disposed at the cold side of the end cover by which fuel is deliverable to the fuel nozzle, and a condition sensing device operably mounted on the piping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kwanwoo Kim, Geoffrey David Myers, Venkateswarlu Narra, Shiva Kumar Srinivasan
  • Imaging system pivot arm
    Patent number: D699352
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Matthew Simmons, Samuel Lee Alder, David Ellis Barker, Jan David Bruening
  • Imaging system pivot arm
    Patent number: D699353
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Matthew Simmons, Samuel Lee Adler, David Ellis Barker, Jan David Bruening
  • Intensive care unit ventilator machine
    Patent number: D699356
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Mahendra Madhukar Patil