Abstract: A plurality of brush seal segments are disposed in a groove of a component fixed against rotation and project into sealing relation with a rotating component. The brush seal segments are each comprised of a pair of plates having a plurality of brush bristles therebetween, the plates and bristles being secured along the outer arcuate face of the segments by a weld bead. The opposite ends of the bristles form the seal with the rotary component. Each brush seal segments is disposed in a groove with generous clearance between a hook on the segment and a flange on the fixed component. A spring between the fixed component and arcuate outer face of the brush seal segment biases the segment in a radial direction. The end of the spring has a pair of tabs spaced axially from one another for reception in a pair of axially spaced recesses to retain the spring against circumferential movement while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the weld joint without loss of securement of the bristles.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 25, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 18, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Frederick G. Baily, Lawrence E. Rentz, Klaus M. Retzlaff, Norman A. Turnquist
Abstract: A method of depositing a thin membrane so that it conforms to an irregular shaped surface of a scintillator includes the steps of aligning the membrane in a desired position with respect to the irregular surface so that the membrane is in contact with at least some protruding portions of the scintillator, and drawing the membrane down over the irregular surface so that the membrane is conformingly disposed around substantially all protrusions without deforming or bending the needle-like protrusions. The membrane is drawn down by applying a substantially uniform differential pressure across the thin membrane so as to urge the membrane into conformal contact with irregular surface. An imager array fabricated with this process includes a scintillator having an irregular surface and a monolithic reflective layer disposed thereover in conformal contact with the irregular surface.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 28, 1994
Date of Patent:
December 11, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Reinhold Franz Wirth, Stanley Joseph Lubowski
Abstract: A method for removing products of hot corrosion and oxidation from selective portions of surfaces of a gas turbine engine, such as coatings and substrates, following exposure of the surfaces to hot oxidative gases of the turbine exhaust. The method involves a high temperature chemical reaction and has no detrimental effect on adjacent coatings and substrates that have not been attacked by the hot exhaust gases.
Abstract: A flow restrictor includes a body which permits the flow restrictor to be self-retained within a bleed port. Bleed ports are located over various portions of a gas turbine engine and extend through an engine casing. The flow restrictor body includes a bore extends between a flow restrictor body first and second ends. A slot extends between the first and second ends of the flow restrictor body. The slot further extends from an outer surface of the flow restrictor body to the bore. During assembly, the slot permits the flow restrictor to expand and conforms against the bleed port.
Abstract: A water-resistant busway with a water drainage duct of the present invention (10) comprises a joint assembly (12) arranged between the ends of first and second busway housings (14, 16). Joint assembly (12) includes a water-resistant cover (30) releasably attached to first and second housings (14, 16) by cover fastening devices (32, 34). Water-resistant cover (30) includes an access hole (36) disposed therein, with access hole (36) receiving a complementary access hole plug (38). Housing spacers (22, 24, 26, 28) each include a water drainage duct (118) disposed therein to drain water from above the water barrier (104) and web (46) of upper piece (42) of housing (14) to below the water barrier and web (46) of the lower piece (44) of housing (14).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 27, 1999
Date of Patent:
December 11, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Andre J. M'Sadoques, William H. Calder, Joseph G. Nagy, David A. Reid, Steven E. Richard, Adil Ibrahim, Jeffrey L. Cox
Abstract: Automatic control of the temperature of the inlet air being supplied to the engine (12) of a locomotive (10) in order to optimize the performance of the engine (12) under a variety of ambient air temperatures and pressures. One or more valves (38) is utilized to control the flow of warm air from the engine compartment (14) into the air inlet path (20). The position of valve (38) is controlled by controller (42) in response to at least one of an ambient air temperature signal TA, an ambient atmospheric pressure signal PA, and an inlet air temperature signal TI. The temperature of the air flowing through the warm air flow path 28 may be controlled by selecting from among a plurality of possible inlets (30, 32, 50). By varying the volume and temperature of the air flowing through the warm air flow path (28), the temperature and density of the air supplied at the engine inlet (18) may be moderated across a broad range of ambient air temperatures and pressures.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 29, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 11, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Gong Chen, Gregory A. Marsh, Ronald H. Till, Peter L. Valentine
Abstract: An icemaker dose dispenser includes a housing with a septum therein defining opposite chambers having corresponding water ports. Water is routed alternately through the ports for dispensing water from the chambers in sequence for accurately filling an ice tray.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 18, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 11, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Andrew Philip Shapiro, Jerome Johnson Tiemann
Abstract: A generator stator including a magnetic core having a plurality of axially extending radial slots arranged about the periphery thereof with windings in each radial slot; at least one adjustable assembly axially inboard of an outermost end assembly in each radial slot, arranged to restrain the windings in the radial slot the adjustable assembly comprising mating wedge and slide components which interface along stepped matching surfaces, the wedge component having an elongated slot therein providing access to the slide component. A tool is provided and includes a tool head pivotally secured to a handle. The tool head is formed with a stub adapted to seat in a hole in the slide component via the slot.
Abstract: A communication system which utilizes the building metal frame as a communication medium is described. More particularly, and in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a wire coil is located near to one of the frame pieces so that the coil lays flat in the plane of the building face. A time varying current in the coil creates a time varying magnetic dipole field. This field changes the flux within a “flux window” which is defined as one of the rectangular sections formed by the frame steel members. This changing flux creates a time varying potential around the window, which creates a time varying current that acts in opposition to the induced flux. This current also excites a time varying flux in the neighboring flux windows, which induces time varying fluxes in their neighbors and so on.
Abstract: A method of forming a shaped hole in a substrate, including substrates protected by coatings, as is the case where an air-cooled component has a thermal barrier coating for protection from a hostile thermal environment, such as the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections of a gas turbine engine. In particular, cooling holes are formed in an air-cooled component after a ceramic layer has been deposited on the surface of the component without damaging or spalling the ceramic layer. Processing steps generally include forming a hole through the ceramic layer and a substrate protected by the ceramic layer, thereby defining an opening at the surface of the ceramic layer. The diameter of the hole is less than the final size required for the cooling hole.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 23, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 11, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Jeffrey Arnold Fehrenbach, John Howard Starkweather, Michael Beverley
Abstract: A motor including a plurality of temperature monitoring sensors is described. The temperature monitoring sensors are attached to stator coils and stator winding phases of the motor. The temperature monitoring sensors include a face side and a lead side which are positioned along the stator winding phases to properly monitor the motor temperature prior to insertion of the winding phases into a stator iron.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring an AC machine between non volts per hertz drive and a power supply such as supply mains, or a generator. In a transfer procedure, the motor drive is placed in a quasi-voltage mode prior to transfer to permit the output of the motor drive to be synchronized to the output of the power supply. In capture procedure, the output of the drive is preconditioned based on detected states of the AC machine to synchronize the voltage at the terminals of the AC machine with the output of the drive. During the capture procedure, opening of a contactor is detected by comparing the frequency and/or voltage at the terminals of the AC machine with that of the power supply.
Abstract: A field coil for an electromagnetic rotor comprising multiple windings, each substantially entirely coated with a powder resin having a dielectric strength of at least in the range of 1000-1500 v/mil. A method of manufacturing a field coil for an electromagnetic rotor includes the steps of a) providing a field coil comprising multiple layers of copper bars; b) coating the multiple layers of the field coil with a powder resin having a dielectric strength of at least about 1000-1500 v/mi.; and c) curing the powder resin.
Type:
Application
Filed:
July 23, 2001
Publication date:
December 6, 2001
Applicant:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Patricia Chapman Irwin, Peter John Foley, Ronald Irving Longwell
Abstract: In an X-ray imaging system comprising an X-ray source, a digital X-ray detector and a display device, an arrangement is provided for setting or establishing the dynamic range of the image at the display device. The detector is operated to provide a set of count values representing X-ray image data acquired by the detector from an object of imaging, and a set of standardized values, such as optical density values, is derived from the count values. The optical density values collectively define a range of optical density values, and the dynamic range of the display device is mapped thereto. The display device is enabled to present an image of the object which appears similar to or substantially the same as an image of the object presented by, for example, a specified analog X-ray film.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 29, 2000
Publication date:
December 6, 2001
Applicant:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Renuka Uppaluri, John R. Lamberty, Ping Xue, Kenneth S. Kump, Lloyd W. Ison
Abstract: An open cooling circuit for a gas turbine bucket wherein the bucket has an airfoil portion, and a tip shroud, the cooling circuit including a plurality of radial cooling holes extending through the airfoil portion and communicating with an enlarged internal area within the tip shroud before exiting the tip shroud such that a cooling medium used to cool the airfoil portion is subsequently used to cool the tip shroud.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 11, 2001
Publication date:
December 6, 2001
Applicant:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Fred Thomas Willett, Gary Michael Itzel, Dimitrios Stathopoulos, Larry Wayne Plemmons, Doyle C. Lewis
Abstract: An electric discharge machine includes a machine base configured to support a work piece, a y-axis alignment assembly having a first direction of travel and mounted to the machine base, and an electrode alignment assembly mounted to the machine base and configured to hold an electrode during a machining process. The electrode alignment assembly has a second, a third, and a fourth direction of travel, and an attached rotary indexer has a fifth direction of travel. Movements in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth directions of travel are automatically controlled by a processor.
Abstract: A system and method for controlling fuel injection timing in an engine operable in a selected one of a plurality of engine notch positions are provided. The system includes a module for determining whether a fuel value indicative of a fuel quantity to be delivered to the engine is within a predetermined fuel value range for the selected one of the plurality of notches. The system further includes a module for setting a predetermined fuel injection timing value that uniquely corresponds to the selected one of the plurality of notches upon verification that the fuel value is within the predetermined fuel value range.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 24, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 4, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Michael Shawn Gallagher, Eric Dillen, Vince Dunsworth
Abstract: A device is provided for operating a circuit breaker handle. The device includes a body having a receiving area to receive and engage a portion of the circuit breaker handle. The body is fixedly secured to a shaft for movement between a first position and a second position. The body is caused to move by a forces from a first coil and a second coil. The first coil generates a first force in a first direction, and the second coil generates a second force in a second direction, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction. The first and second forces are transferred to the shaft for effectuating movement between the first and second positions.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 15, 2000
Date of Patent:
December 4, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Javier I. Larranaga, Joseph Criniti, Farshid Attarian, Alberto Figueroa, Kevin Fuhr, Joseph B. Kelaita
Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring one or more gas components in a fluid wherein either
a) a sample gas obtained from the fluid is enriched in at least one target gas which is to be subjected to analysis;
b) at least one target gas which is to be subjected to analysis is separated from a sample gas obtained from the fluid; or
c) both.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 15, 1999
Date of Patent:
December 4, 2001
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Inventors:
Jean-Pierre Gibeault, Bernard Noirhomme, Renyan Qin