Patents Examined by Edwin Kang
  • Systems and methods utilizing turbine compressor discharge for hydrostatic manifold purge
    Patent number: 10968837
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for air recovery are disclosed. The diverted pressurized air may be used to supply a hydrostatic purge to the unutilized portion of a turbine engine fuel manifold circuit to ensure that exhaust gases from the utilized side of the fuel manifold circuit do not enter the portion of the alternative fuel manifold circuit rack. The assembly used to remove compressor section pressurized air may include a flow control orifice, line pressure measuring instrumentation, non-return valves, isolation valves and hard stainless-steel tubing assemblies. In some embodiments, a turbine compressor section diverter system may include a small air receiver used to increase the volume of air supplying the manifold to aid in potential pressure and flow disruptions from a turbine engine compressor section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon, Joseph Foster
  • Combustion chamber arrangement and a gas turbine engine comprising a combustion chamber arrangement
    Patent number: 10968749
    Abstract: A combustion chamber arrangement includes an annular combustion chamber, a plurality of lean burn fuel injectors and a stage of turbine nozzle guide vanes. The stage of turbine nozzle guide vanes is arranged at the downstream end of the annular combustion chamber and includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes extending between and being secured to an annular inner wall and an annular outer wall. The annular inner wall has an outer surface which has a plurality of outer surface portions and each portion is positioned between a pair of circumferentially adjacent vanes and the annular outer wall has an inner surface which has a plurality of inner surface portions and each portion is positioned between a pair of circumferentially adjacent vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Shahrokh Shahpar, John Coull, Matthew Symes
  • Plate fin heat exchanger
    Patent number: 10954858
    Abstract: A plate fin heat exchanger is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of plates defining a set of hot fluid passages between adjacent plates of the plurality of plates and a set of cold fluid passages between adjacent plates of the plurality of plates. A hot fluid inlet and outlet are located at a first face of the heat exchanger. A barrier is located between adjacent plates defining the hot fluid passages. The barrier extends between the adjacent plates and extends from the first face of the heat exchanger at a location between the hot fluid inlet and the hot fluid outlet in a direction perpendicular to the first face, and defines a first pass of hot fluid passages on a first side of the barrier and a second pass of hot fluid passages on a second side of the barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald E. Army, Jr., Michael Doe, Jr., Kurt L. Stephens
  • Undulating tip shroud for use on a turbine blade
    Patent number: 10947898
    Abstract: A turbine blade includes an airfoil that includes a root end and a tip end. The tip end is radially spaced from the root end. A tip shroud extends from the tip end. The tip shroud includes a shroud plate. The shroud plate includes a plurality of undulating ridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Scott Zemitis, Richard Ryan Pilson, Melbourne James Myers, Dustin Jaime Muller
  • Inlet turbine and transmission for high-mach engines
    Patent number: 10934942
    Abstract: A high-Mach engine includes a gas turbine core, an inlet assembly, and a transmission. The inlet assembly including an inlet turbine and the transmission configured to couple the inlet turbine and a core turbine of the gas turbine core cooperate to control air moving through the high-Mach engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas D. Dierksmeier, Edward C. Rice, Steven W. Tomlinson, Bradley E. Auker, Donald Klemen
  • Engine for hypersonic aircrafts with supersonic combustor
    Patent number: 10927793
    Abstract: Described is a propulsion system (1) for hypersonic aircraft, having an air inlet (10) of a fluid (110), a containment duct (20) and an exhaust nozzle (30). The propulsion system (1) comprises a bypass duct (40) for a flow (100) of fluid (110), an air-breathing engine (22) and a rocket (23) configured for processing respective flows (22a, 23a) of fluid (110). The bypass duct (40), the air-breathing engine (22) and the rocket (23) are operatively associated with each other in such a way as to generate a thermodynamic-fluid interaction in a same portion of space (33) between the respective flows (40a, 22a, 23a) processed in an operating configuration of the propulsion system (1) and wherein the portion of space (33) is inside the containment duct (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Gabaldo, Jose Eduardo Mautone Barros
  • Conditioned low pressure compressor compartment for gas turbine engine
    Patent number: 10927763
    Abstract: A low pressure compressor for a gas turbine engine includes a low pressure compressor case extending circumferentially around a central axis of the gas turbine engine. The low pressure compressor case includes an inner radial wall surrounding a low pressure compressor rotor and an outer radial wall at least partially defining a fan bypass passage of the gas turbine engine. A low pressure compressor compartment is located between the inner radial wall and the outer radial wall and an electrical component is located in the low pressure compressor compartment. An inlet port at the outer radial wall is configured to admit a cooling airflow into the low pressure compressor compartment from the fan bypass passage to cool the electrical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Kurt J. Sobanski, William K. Ackermann
  • Spline ring for a fan drive gear flexible support
    Patent number: 10927768
    Abstract: A gear assembly support for a gas turbine engine includes a spline ring configured to fit into a case of the gas turbine engine and a flex support. The flex support includes splines for engaging the spline ring and an inner portion attachable to a portion the gear assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Brian P. Cigal, John R. Otto
  • Fuel lance cooling for a gas turbine with sequential combustion
    Patent number: 10920985
    Abstract: A fuel lance is disclosed for injecting a gaseous and/or liquid fuel mixed with air into an axial hot gas flow flowing through a sequential combustor of a gas turbine, the fuel lance having at least one finger extending in a longitudinal direction into the axial hot gas flow of the gas turbine essentially perpendicular to the hot gas flow. The finger is configured as a streamlined body which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile. The body has two lateral surfaces essentially parallel to the axial hot gas flow. The body includes an enclosing outer wall having a longitudinally extending air plenum for the distributed introduction of air into the at least one finger. The air plenum is provided with a plurality of distributed impingement cooling holes, such that air exiting through the impingement cooling holes impinges on the inner side of the leading edge region of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Xianfeng Gao, Urs Benz, Andre Theuer, Michael Düsing
  • Counter-swirl doublet combustor with plunged holes
    Patent number: 10920983
    Abstract: An improved system, apparatus and method may comprise an inner liner and an outer liner extending circumferentially around an engine centerline axis thereby forming a combustion chamber therebetween. The system, apparatus, and method may include a front end extending between the inner and outer liners and having a plurality of fuel nozzle ports configured to each receive a fuel nozzle. First and second outer plunged inlet holes may be formed in the outer liner and extending in a first radial direction toward the engine centerline axis and into at least a portion of the combustion chamber. First and second inner plunged inlet holes may be formed in the inner liner and extending in a second radial direction away from the engine centerline axis and into at least a portion of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Charles B. Graves, Mindi D. Moore, Afework Woubshet, Randall E. Yount
  • Gas turbine with extraction-air conditioner
    Patent number: 10920673
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gas turbine including a primary compressor, a combustion section disposed downstream from the primary compressor and a turbine disposed downstream from the combustion section. A pipe assembly defines an extraction-air circuit between an extraction port of the primary compressor and an inlet port of the turbine. The gas turbine further includes an extraction-air conditioning system. The extraction-air conditioning system includes a secondary compressor having an inlet and an outlet. Both the inlet and the outlet are fluidly coupled to the extraction-air circuit at respective locations defined along the pipe assembly between the extraction port of the primary compressor and the inlet port of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Stanley Kevin Widener
  • Piping layout for water steam cycle system of combined cycle power plant
    Patent number: 10914199
    Abstract: A piping layout for a water steam cycle (WSC) system of a combined cycle power plant is disclosed. The piping layout includes a first steam flow pipe delivering steam from a steam source to a high pressure (HP) segment of the ST system. The first flow pipe includes a first vertically oriented thermal expansion portion. The WSC system may also include a second steam flow pipe delivering steam from the steam source to an intermediate pressure (IP) segment of the ST system. It may also include a third steam flow pipe delivering steam from HP segment of the ST system to a steam source. The vertically oriented thermal expansion portion(s) may be positioned immediately upstream of the admission valve of the respective segment and/or immediately downstream from an outlet of the steam source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Borislav Dokic, Prashant Agrawal
  • Translating lock for pivot door thrust reverser
    Patent number: 10907577
    Abstract: A lock mechanism for releasably securing a pivot door of a thrust reverser includes a frame, a blade housing connected to the frame, a blade member slidably disposed within the blade housing and configured to engage a lock fitting of the pivot door, an actuator configured to translate the blade member in a first direction with respect to the frame; a spring element configured to translate the blade member in a second direction with respect to the frame, and a loose-joint coupling configured to connect the actuator to the blade member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: Imad D. Ghandour, Ken V. Huynh
  • Two stage oxygen removal for gas turbine engine fuel system
    Patent number: 10883423
    Abstract: A fuel supply system has a fuel tank, a first fuel pump, and a first oxygen removal unit. The first fuel pump delivers fuel from the fuel tank into the first oxygen removal unit. A valve downstream of the first oxygen removal unit is operable to selectively deliver fuel back to the fuel tank in a bypass position or downstream to a use in a use position. A controller programmed to control the valve and the first fuel pump maintains the valve in the bypass position when an associated gas turbine engine is not operating. The controller moves the valve to the use position when the associated gas turbine engine is operating. A gas turbine engine and a method of operating a fuel supply system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Rhoden, Peter J. Padykula
  • Operation method for improving partial load efficiency in a gas turbine and gas turbine with improved partial load efficiency
    Patent number: 10871109
    Abstract: A method for improving partial load efficiency in a gas turbine engine including a compressor, burners, a high pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine; including the step of operating the gas turbine engine by regulating at least: air mass flow rate and flame temperature; regulation is carried out by controlling at least: the air mass flow rate supplied to the combustion chamber from the compressor, and the number of operating burners, and the change in enthalpy drop between the high and low pressure turbine to control the air mass flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: NUOVO PIGNONE TECNOLOGIE SRL
    Inventors: Antonio Asti, Luciano Mei, Riccardo Carta
  • Thrust reverser with blocker door system
    Patent number: 10837404
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. This assembly includes a fixed structure, a translating structure, a blocker door and a rigid linkage. The translating structure is configured to translate relative to the fixed structure. The blocker door extends between a blocker door first end and a blocker door second end. The translating structure is pivotally attached to the blocker door at the blocker door first end. The rigid linkage includes a first pivot attachment, a second pivot attachment and a third pivot attachment. The first pivot attachment is coupled to the fixed structure. The second pivot attachment is coupled to the translating structure. The third pivot attachment is coupled to the blocker door at the blocker door second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter W. Aziz, Pablo T. Sanz Martinez
  • Air-collecting structure for enhancing cooling performance for transition piece and gas turbine combustor having same
    Patent number: 10837296
    Abstract: An air-collecting structure effectively cools a transition piece of a duct assembly in a gas turbine combustor. The structure includes a flow sleeve having a plurality of cooling holes and surrounding the transition piece, the cooling holes formed in a lateral side of the flow sleeve to receive a compressed cooling air and arranged in rows running parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the flow sleeve, the rows progressing up the lateral side from a lower row to a higher row; and a plurality of scoops arranged in correspondence with predetermined cooling holes among the plurality of cooling holes and configured to collect an amount of air according to row. Each scoop includes an inlet having a predetermined radius for collecting the compressed cooling air. The radius is constant for the scoops of any one row and increases from the lower row to the higher row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Sung Wan Park
  • Jet engine, flying object, and method of operating a jet engine
    Patent number: 10830439
    Abstract: A jet engine includes an inlet and a combustor. the inlet takes in air. The combustor combusts fuel with the air. The combustor (12) includes an injector (20) having a plurality of openings (31a, 31b) from which the fuel is injected. The plurality of openings (31a, 31b) are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a flow path of the air in the combustor (12). The plurality of openings (31a, 31b) include two types of openings different in area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Ueno, Shojiro Furuya
  • Thermally coupled CMC combustor liner
    Patent number: 10801729
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine is provided, which includes: a CMC liner having a forward end and an aft end; an annular dome comprising a metal and defining an annular slot within its end defined between an outer arm and an inner arm; a feather seal extending from an annularly exterior surface of the annular dome to an annularly exterior surface of the liner; and a plurality of pin members. The forward end of the liner defines a plurality of fingers and a plurality of axial slots, and is fitted between the outer arm and the inner arm within the annular slot. Each pin member extending through an aperture in the feather seal, through an aperture in the outer arm of the annular dome, through an opening defined by the liner, and through an aperture in the inner arm of the annular dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nicholas John Bloom
  • Scramjets and associated aircraft and methods
    Patent number: 10794331
    Abstract: A scramjet includes a converging inlet, a combustor configured to introduce a fuel stream into an air stream in a combustion chamber and to combust the fuel air mixture stream to create an exhaust stream, and a diverging exit nozzle configured to accelerate the exhaust stream. The combustor includes a fuel injection system including at least one arcjet. A method of creating thrust for an aircraft includes compressing a supersonic incoming air stream in a converging inlet, injecting a fuel stream into the air stream in a combustion chamber to create a fuel air mixture stream, igniting the fuel air mixture stream to create an exhaust stream, and exhausting the exhaust stream from a diverging exit nozzle. The injecting the fuel stream into the air stream includes injecting the fuel stream at a fuel speed sufficient to create shear between the fuel stream and the air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John R. Hull, James A. Grossnickle, Dejan Nikic, Kevin G. Bowcutt