Patents Examined by Ehud Gartenberg
  • Patent number: 11655763
    Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for the removal of a direct drive unit (DDU) housed in an enclosure, such as a direct drive turbine (DDT) connected to a gearbox for driving a driveshaft connected to a pump for use in hydraulic fracturing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon, Joseph Foster, Nicholas Tew
  • Patent number: 11629706
    Abstract: A vacuum cathode arc-induced pulsed thruster includes a housing where a triggering room and an electric discharging room are defined and are in communication with each other, a first anode unit and a first cathode unit concentrically disposed in the triggering room, a second anode unit disposed in the electric discharging room, an insulating fuel layer concentrically located between the first anode unit and the first cathode unit, a main insulating layer concentrically surrounded by the first cathode unit, and a second cathode unit inserted from the triggering room into the electric discharging room. Thus, the vacuum cathode arc-induced pulse thruster is lightweight and has low manufacturing costs, low system complexity, and less energy consumption. Carbon deposition caused during an electric discharging process is prevented from affecting an inducing effect to thereby prolong the service life of the thruster and increase the control precision and inducing precision effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignees: National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan Space Agency
    Inventors: Yueh-Heng Li, Sheng-Wen Liu, Hou-Yi Lee, Tien-Chuan Kuo, Yao-Chung Hsu
  • Patent number: 11614235
    Abstract: A combustor includes a liner having an outlet end to pass combustion gas and a liner flange protruding outward from the outlet end; a transition piece to discharge combustion gas from the liner to a turbine, the transition piece having an inlet end for coupling to the outlet end of the liner and a transition piece flange protruding outward from the inlet end to face the liner flange; and a first elastic support installed on the liner flange to protrude toward the transition piece flange. A force applied from the transition piece elastically deforms an elastic arch of the first elastic support, which includes a movable support that is spaced apart from the liner flange if the force applied from the transition piece does not primarily deform the elastic arch. An auxiliary elastic support installed inside the first elastic support elastically deforms if the force secondarily deforms the elastic arch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Heonseop Jin
  • Patent number: 11578667
    Abstract: A system can include a gas turbine and a processing system. The gas turbine can include a compressor coupled to a turbine through a shaft. The processing system can be configured to: automatically transition an operating condition of the system through a plurality of operating states; determine an efficiency of the system at each of a plurality of the operating states; for each of the plurality of operating states: select a future operating state of the system based on the determined efficiency of the current operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventor: Alan Smith
  • Patent number: 11578660
    Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for the removal of a direct drive unit (DDU) housed in an enclosure, such as a direct drive turbine (DDT) connected to a gearbox for driving a driveshaft connected to a pump for use in hydraulic fracturing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon, Joseph Foster, Nicholas Tew
  • Patent number: 11566565
    Abstract: An embodiment of an ignition system for a gas turbine engine includes a high pressure engine case, a torch ignitor disposed at least partially within the high pressure engine case, the torch ignitor having a combustion chamber oriented about a torch axis, the combustion chamber having axially upstream and downstream ends defining a flow direction through the combustion chamber, along the axis. The ignition system also includes an access hatch configured to allow access through a high pressure engine case to the cap and to seal against the high pressure engine case when not accessing the cap. An embodiment of a method includes removing a hatch from a high pressure engine case to open a hatch opening, performing maintenance on a torch ignitor that is inside the high pressure engine case by accessing the torch ignitor through the hatch opening, replacing the hatch to close the hatch opening after completion of maintenance on the torch ignitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw, Brandon Phillip Williams
  • Patent number: 11555453
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has a first spool having a low pressure compressor section disposed forward of an air inlet along a direction of travel of the engine, and a low pressure turbine section disposed forward of the low pressure compressor section and drivingly engaged thereto. A second spool has a high pressure compressor section disposed forward of the low pressure compressor section, and a high pressure turbine section disposed forward of the high pressure compressor section and drivingly engaged thereto. The high pressure turbine section is disposed aft of the low pressure turbine section. An output drive shaft drivingly engages the low pressure turbine section and extends forwardly therefrom to drive a rotatable load. A method of operating a gas turbine engine is also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Keith Morgan, Robert Peluso, Ghislain Plante, Eugene Gekht, Eric Durocher, Jean Dubreuil
  • Patent number: 11549437
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes an outer liner having a first end interconnected to an opposite second end by an outer liner wall composed of a plurality of outer segments. The inner liner has a first inner end interconnected to an opposite second inner end by an inner liner wall composed of a plurality of inner segments. The outer liner wall and the inner liner wall define a combustion chamber, and each of the outer wall segments extend at an angle of at least 40 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis. The outer wall segments includes a first segment, a second segment that extends at a second angle relative to the first segment, which is less than a third angle defined between the second segment and a third segment and is substantially the same as a fourth angle defined between the third segment and a fourth segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Rodolphe Dudebout, Hamdullah Ozogul, Atul Verma, Amy Kujala, Michael Wedig, Ryan Meyer, Bradley Culbertson
  • Patent number: 11548652
    Abstract: A nacelle may comprise an inlet cowling comprising an inlet cowling aft edge having an aft edge length; a boat tail cowling comprising a boat tail cowling forward edge having a forward edge length, wherein the boat tail cowling forward edge is disposed adjacent to the inlet cowling aft edge. The forward edge length may be shorter than the aft edge length, forming a step being defined by a portion of the inlet cowling aft edge that is radially outward of the boat tail cowling forward edge. The nacelle may further comprise a transition fairing coupled to the boat tail cowling, wherein the transition fairing comprises a fairing forward edge disposed adjacent to the inlet cowling aft edge and a fairing ramp surface spanning between the inlet cowling aft edge and a boat tail cowling external surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitriy B. Sidelkovskiy, Steven H. Zysman
  • Patent number: 11536454
    Abstract: Wall assemblies for a combustor of a gas turbine engine are disclosed. A wall assembly comprises an outer shell made of a metallic material, adjacent first and second inner panels mounted to the outer shell via an insert and a damper disposed between the outer shell and at least one of the first and second inner panels. The first and second inner panels may be spaced apart from the outer shell to define a double-wall configuration with the outer shell. The first and second inner panels may be made of a composite material. The insert may be made from substantially the same or other type of composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Tin-Cheung John Hu
  • Patent number: 11536455
    Abstract: A combustor component according to at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a cylindrical body which internally includes a combustion chamber, and includes a weld part where a plurality of through holes opening to the combustion chamber are formed, and a housing which is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the cylindrical body to cover a part of the weld part, and defines an acoustic damping space communicating with the combustion chamber via at least one of the through holes. The plurality of through holes in the weld part has a formation density which is higher in a first region of the weld part covered with the housing than in a second region of the weld part positioned outside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Tokuyama, Hiroaki Kishida, Taiki Kinoshita, Hiroki Shibata, Toshinobu Ohara
  • Patent number: 11536457
    Abstract: The systems and methods described herein relate to a dome of a gas turbine assembly configured to suppress pressure pulsations. The systems and methods provide a dome having an aperture configured to surround an injector assembly of a combustor. The dome having a front panel extending radially from the aperture. The systems and methods couple a first cavity to the front panel. The first cavity includes a series of ducts. A first duct of the series of ducts is configured to receive airflow into the first cavity from a compressor and a second set of ducts of the series of ducts and a third duct of the series of ducts are configured to direct airflow to the combustor from the first cavity, wherein the third duct has a larger diameter than the second set of ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Owen Graham, Kwanwoo Kim, Nicholas Magina, Sharath Nagaraja, Fei Han
  • Patent number: 11525400
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for reducing thermal gradient at a heat engine. The heat engine includes a rotor assembly with a rotor disk and a seal assembly is provided. An interfacing structure at least partially surrounds the rotor assembly at the seal assembly. The seal assembly and the interfacing structure together form a first cavity defining a first environmental condition and a second cavity defining a second environmental condition. A fluid supply manifold is connected to the rotor assembly and is extended at least partially along a radial direction from the first cavity to an outlet opening in thermal communication with the rotor disk of the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arvind Namadevan, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Arnab Sen
  • Patent number: 11519334
    Abstract: An igniter for a combustor of a turbomachine includes a fuel inlet in fluid communication with a mixing plenum. The mixing plenum is positioned upstream of a mixing channel. An air inlet is in fluid communication with the mixing plenum and an ignition source is in operative communication with the mixing channel. The igniter may include a mounting flange configured for coupling the igniter to the combustor. The ignition source may be positioned proximate to a downstream end of the mixing channel and upstream of the mounting flange. The mixing channel may define a venturi shape. The venturi shape includes a converging section between an upstream end of the mixing channel and a venturi throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Yimin Huang, Abdul Khan, Thomas Edward Johnson, Heath M. Ostebee, Jayaprakash Natarajan
  • Patent number: 11512642
    Abstract: Described herein are embodiments of systems and methods for the removal of a direct drive unit (DDU) housed in an enclosure, such as a direct drive turbine (DDT) connected to a gearbox for driving a driveshaft connected to a pump for use in hydraulic fracturing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BJ Energy Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Tony Yeung, Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon, Joseph Foster, Nicholas Tew
  • Patent number: 11506383
    Abstract: The gas turbine combustor liner can delimit a combustion chamber, and have at least one monolithic ceramic block having a first face exposed to the combustion chamber and a second face opposite the first face, and a 3D fabric of ceramic fibers partially embedded inside the monolithic ceramic block, and partially extending outside the second face of the monolithic ceramic block, away from the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP
    Inventor: Larry Lebel
  • Patent number: 11506120
    Abstract: Provided is a method for enabling high-density air to be efficiently manufactured without unnecessarily increasing the pressure and temperature. A method for manufacturing high-density air according to the present invention includes: mixing raw air A with fine water particles W to generate water-containing air A1 having a lower pressure than the raw air A; supplementing the water-containing air A1 with a differential pressure between the pressure of the raw air A and the pressure of the water-containing air A1; and consequently promoting vaporization of the fine water particles W in the water-containing air A1 and reducing the volume of the water-containing air A1 to manufacture high-density air A2. The density of air can be efficiently increased with this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Inventor: Takaitsu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11499485
    Abstract: An engine control device may comprise a processor and a memory. The engine control device may be configured to modify a fuel flow based on a density of the fuel proximate a fuel nozzle. The engine control device may include a densimeter embedded in, or disposed proximate, the engine control device. The engine control device may include a temperature sensor embedded in, or disposed proximate, the engine control device. The engine control device may be electrically coupled to a fuel valve and/or configured to modulate the fuel valve based on a density of the fuel at the fuel valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Donald E. Grove, James K. Berry
  • Patent number: 11492971
    Abstract: An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a primary duct, a bleed duct, a plurality of secondary ducts, a heat exchanger and a flow regulator. The bleed duct extends from a bleed duct inlet to a bleed duct outlet. The bleed duct inlet is fluidly coupled with the primary duct. The secondary ducts are arranged in parallel between the bleed duct outlet and the primary duct. The secondary ducts include a first duct and a second duct. The heat exchanger is configured with the second duct. The flow regulator is configured to direct at least a majority of fluid flowing through the bleed duct outlet to: (A) the first duct during a first mode of operation; and (B) the second duct during a second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph J. Sodaro, Thomas G. Phillips, Stephanie M. Polly
  • Patent number: 11486371
    Abstract: A Hall thruster includes an annular discharge region and an annular cathode concentric to the annular discharge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: AEROJET ROCKETDYNE, INC.
    Inventor: Justin Pucci