Patents Examined by Ehud Gartenberg
  • Patent number: 10138814
    Abstract: A heat management system of a gas turbine engine for cooling oil and heating fuel, includes an oil circuit having parallel connected first and second branches. The first branch includes a fuel/oil heat exchanger and a first fixed restrictor in series and the second branch includes an air cooled oil cooler and a second fixed restrictor. The first and second fixed restrictors limit respective oil flows through the first and second branch differently, in response to viscosity changes of the oil caused by temperature changes of the oil during engine operation to modify oil distribution between the first and second branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Adam Logan, Daniel Alecu
  • Patent number: 10113435
    Abstract: A gas turbine component subject to extreme temperatures and pressures includes a wall defined by opposite first and second surfaces. An airflow aperture through the wall is defined by an aperture wall surface which extends from a first opening in the first surface to a second opening in the second surface. The aperture wall surface is flared at a juncture with the first surface, such that the first opening has a greater cross-sectional flow area than the second opening. A high-pressure, high-temperature coating is adhered to the first surface, and adhered to at least a portion of the aperture wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Christopher M. Pater
  • Patent number: 10107497
    Abstract: A liner for a combustor of a turbine engine includes a cooling feature which projects from a backside and one or more effusion holes that communicate(s) through the liner. The effusion hole(s) surround an opening through said liner. The cooling feature may include a trip strip or a pyramid pin fin (e.g., a three-side pyramid pin fin, a conical pyramid pin fin). The effusion hole(s) may penetrate said cooling feature. The effusion hole(s) may define an angle less than or equal to ninety (90) degrees with respect to a face of said liner. The effusion hole(s) may be proximate an opening through said liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James P. Bangerter, Alexander W. Williams, Nicholas Mule, Monica Pacheco-Tougas
  • Patent number: 10094332
    Abstract: A core cowl for a turbofan engine may include a plurality of valleys formed in an outer surface of the core cowl. Each valley may include a convex portion upstream of a concave portion, and may be configured to disrupt a shock cell exiting a fan nozzle of the turbofan engine. Associated methods for reducing turbofan engine noise are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David F. Cerra, Paul Robert Tretow, Robert H. Willie, Abhishek Sahay
  • Patent number: 10094292
    Abstract: A method for controlling fuel flow to a gas turbine engine during starting includes monitoring acceleration of the gas turbine engine to determine actual acceleration value, and calculating a fuel flow rate for a setpoint acceleration using the actual acceleration value as a factor. The method further includes commanding the calculated fuel flow for the setpoint acceleration to the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Ernest Ainslie, Andre M. Ajami, Mujtaba T. Saifuddin
  • Patent number: 10087842
    Abstract: A turbojet engine nacelle includes a fixed structure, which has a fan casing of the turbojet engine and a front frame mounted downstream of the fan casing and directly or indirectly supporting cascade vanes. The front frame is able to collaborate with a thrust reverser cowling sliding between a closed position covering the flow-diverting means and an open position exposing this flow-diverting means. At least one reinforcing structure of the engine nacelle transmits load between the fan casing and the front frame. The reinforcing structure extends along the longitudinal axis of the nacelle and supports a third line of defense and/or an inhibiting device between the front frame and the thrust reverser cowling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventor: Pierre Caruel
  • Patent number: 10082043
    Abstract: A multi-lobe exhaust mixer has an annular body composed of a plurality of circumferentially adjacent lobe segments. The lobe segments may be made of a ceramic matrix composite material to reduce the weight of the mixer and ensure proper behavior when exposed to high thermal gradients. Each lobe segment may have partial lobes at circumferentially opposed ends thereof and at least one complete lobe therebetween. The partial lobes of the circumferentially adjacent lobe segments combining to conjointly form complete lobes at the junction between the circumferentially adjacent lobe segments. The partial lobes may be nested into each other to dampen vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Guy Lefebvre, Rene Paquet
  • Patent number: 10077714
    Abstract: A fuel injector for a lean direct injection fuel nozzle has a pilot air swirler which sits radially outboard of a pilot fuel swirler radially outer wall. The air swirler is bounded on its radially outer side by joined wall portions. One wall portion extends axially and another wall portion converges radially. On the radially inwardly facing surface, the wall portions meet to provide a continuing wall surface of the air swirler which transitions from axial extension to radial convergence over a smooth radius. The curvature of this surface broadly mirrors the radially outwardly facing profile of the pilot fuel swirler radially outer wall. The axially extending wall portion is extended axially to form a first part of a join interface. The radially converging portion is extended in a radial direction to provide a second part of the join interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce plc
    Inventors: Randall D. Siders, Peter J. Schnoebelen, Brandon P. Williams, Neal Thomson, Philip E. O. Buelow, David H. Bretz
  • Patent number: 10047672
    Abstract: A gas turbine wet compression system using electrohydrodynamic (EHD) atomization is disclosed. In one embodiment, the wet compression system includes: a gas turbine system including an air inlet duct, and a plurality of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) nozzles coupled to a water supply, the plurality of EHD nozzles configured to provide a water-spray for reducing a temperature of inlet air drawn into the air inlet duct. In another embodiment, a wet compression system for a gas turbine system includes: a plurality of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) nozzles, and a water supply in fluid communication with the plurality of EHD nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Valery Ivanovich Ponyavin, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Hua Zhang, Jianmin Zhang
  • Patent number: 10041679
    Abstract: A combustor for a gas turbine engine includes an inner combustor wall and an outer combustor wall radially outboard of the inner combustor wall. The inner and outer combustor walls define a combustion space therebetween with an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet. A combustor dome connects between inner and outer combustor walls at the upstream inlet of the combustion space. The combustor dome includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart nozzles and a plurality of tiles mounted to the combustor dome to fluidly separate a downstream side of the combustor dome from an upstream side of the combustor dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: DELAVAN INC
    Inventor: Lev A. Prociw
  • Patent number: 9988983
    Abstract: A power generation system including a gasifier for receiving and converting coal-water slurry to a fuel stream, and a quench device for cooling the fuel stream to generate a cooled down fuel stream. The quench device includes a water quench ring, which is able to spray water to cool the fuel stream passing therethrough. The system further includes a separating device, which includes a separator and a high temperature filter for removing rough and fine particles from the cooled down fuel stream respectively, an expander for receiving and utilizing energy in the fuel stream with solids removed to generate power, during which temperature and pressure of the fuel stream drop and an expanded fuel stream is generated, an acid gas removal unit for removing acid gases from the expanded fuel stream, and a gas turbine combine cycle for generating power from the fuel stream with acid gases removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ping Yu, Lishun Hu
  • Patent number: 9964069
    Abstract: An exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a duct having a first surface and a second surface extending about a duct axis to define an exhaust flow path, and at least one effector positioned along the first surface. The at least one effector is pivotable about an effector axis to vary a throat area of the exhaust flow path. The at least one effector tapers along the effector axis. A method of exhaust control for a gas turbine engine is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 9951692
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a support structure (16) for a gas turbine engine (1). The support structure (16) has an axial extension in an axial direction (A) and a circumferential extension in a circumferential direction (C). Moreover, the support structure (16) comprises a plurality of tubular members (18, 20) of a first material type arranged in sequence in the circumferential direction (C). Each tubular member (18, 20) at least partially delimits a flow guiding passage extending at least partially in the axial direction (A). The support structure (16) comprises a leading portion (22) and a trailing portion (24) in the axial direction (A). Furthermore, the support structure (16) comprises a leading edge member (26) of a second material type, the leading edge member (26) being located at the leading portion (22). At least two of the tubular members (18, 20) are fixedly attached to a leading edge member (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: GKN Aerospace Sweden AB
    Inventors: Egon Aronsson, Per Widstrom, Elinor Magnusson, Johan Tholérus, Christian Lundh
  • Patent number: 9945257
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a retention assembly for a stationary gas turbine component. A first stationary gas turbine wall defines a first wall cavity and a second stationary gas turbine wall constructed from a ceramic matrix composite defines a second wall cavity. A pin shaft constructed from a first material includes a first shaft end and a second shaft end. A pin head constructed from the ceramic matrix composite includes a first pin head end and a second pin head end. The pin head defines a pin head cavity extending inward from the first pin head end. The first shaft end is positioned in the first wall cavity, and the second shaft end is positioned in the pin head cavity. The second pin head end is positioned in the second wall cavity. The first material is different from the ceramic matrix composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dylan James Fitzpatrick, Christopher Paul Tura
  • Patent number: 9933313
    Abstract: A method for positioning sensors about a sensor ring includes the steps of assigning each sensor in a plurality of sensors a sensor number selected from a set of sensor numbers, where the set of sensor numbers is a whole number in the range of 0 to N, and where N is the total number of sensors in said plurality of sensors minus one, disposing a first sensor at a circumferential angular position zero on the sensor ring, and disposing each sensor in the plurality of sensors at a circumferential angular position about the sensor ring, wherein the circumferential angular position is defined by an offset from a circumferential angular position zero and the offset is equal to a base arc length between sensors multiplied by the sensor number of the sensor plus a base offset arc length multiplied by the sensor number of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Rajendra K. Agrawal
  • Patent number: 9932902
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor portion, a combustor fluidly connected to the compressor portion via a primary flowpath, and a turbine portion fluidly connected to the combustor via the primary flowpath. The turbine section includes a first turbine portion and a second turbine portion. The second turbine portion is at a low pressure relative to the first turbine portion. A first turbine shaft is supported relative to a second turbine shaft by a first bearing, the first bearing having an inner diameter and an outer diameter, with the inner diameter of the first bearing being connected to one of the first shaft and the second shaft and the outer diameter of the first bearing being connected to the other of the first shaft and the second shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Gary D. Roberge
  • Patent number: 9933161
    Abstract: A combustor dome heat shield has a heat shield panel adapted to be mounted to a combustor dome with a back face of the heat shield panel in spaced-apart facing relationship with an inner surface of the combustor dome to define an air gap between the heat shield panel and the combustor dome. Rails extend from the back face of the heat shield panel across the air gap. An anti-rotation notch is defined in at least one of the rails for receiving an anti-rotation tab of an adjacent element, such as a fuel nozzle floating collar. The rails include notch cavity rails extending on either side of the anti-rotation notch. The notch cavity rails define a notch cavity for capturing coolant air leaking through the anti-rotation notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventor: Michael Papple
  • Patent number: 9915149
    Abstract: A turbofan engine has a fan portion in fluid communication with a core stream and a bypass stream of air separated by splitters disposed both upstream and downstream of the fan portion. A fluid passage is defined between the splitters. The turbofan engine has a plurality of high pressure fluid jets originating from the low pressure side of the fan blades, the jets restricting the migration of the core stream into the bypass stream through the fluid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Edward C. Rice
  • Patent number: 9909507
    Abstract: A control system for a combustor system including a plurality of can combustors, each can combustor accommodating combustion of a plurality of combustion fluids in a combustion chamber thereof is provided. The control system may include a calculator calculating: a) a pressure drop for each respective can combustor of the plurality of can combustors between a selected combustion fluid upstream of the combustion chamber and a combustion flow within the combustion chamber of the respective can combustor, and b) a differential between the respective pressure drop for each of the plurality of can combustors and an average pressure drop across all of the plurality of can combustors. The differentials identify can-to-can variation. A controller can modify a combustion parameter of at least one can combustor to reduce the differential for the at least one can combustor. The system can work iteratively to reduce can-to-can variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Andrew Childers, Sanji Ekanayake, Brett Matthew Thompson
  • Patent number: 9882454
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a system having: at least one computing device configured to tune a set of gas turbines (GTs) by performing actions including: commanding each GT in the set of GTs to a base load level, based upon a measured ambient condition for each GT; commanding each GT in the set of GTs to adjust a respective power output to match a scaled power output value equal to a fraction of a difference between the respective power output and a nominal power output value, and measuring an actual emissions value for each GT during the adjusting of the respective power output; and adjusting an operating condition of each GT in the set of GTs based upon a difference between the respective measured actual emissions value, a nominal emissions value at the ambient condition and a nominal emissions value at the ambient condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Scott Arthur Day, Harold Lamar Jordan, Jr., Rex Allen Morgan