Patents Examined by Eric Linderman
  • Patent number: 9988958
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gas turbine combustor including a combustion structure (10) having a combustor liner (14) and a flow sleeve (12). The combustor liner (14) includes inner and outer surfaces (31, 30) and defines a combustion zone (15). The gas turbine combustor further includes a plurality of hollow airfoil-shaped structures (22) affixed to the combustor liner (14) and extending radially outwardly into an airflow space (18) defined radially between the flow sleeve (12) and the combustor liner (14). Each hollow structure (22) includes at least one metering tube (26) providing acoustic communication between the combustion zone (15) and the hollow structure (22). The metering tubes (26) are detachably coupled to the combustor liner (14) for permitting interchanging of the metering tube (26) with at least one additional metering tube having at least one different dimension to effect a change in an acoustic characteristic of the hollow structure (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Danning You, Anthony L. Schiavo, John M. Crane, Bernd Prade, Werner Krebs
  • Patent number: 9988985
    Abstract: A rigid raft is provided for a gas turbine engine. The raft has an electrical system and/or a fluid system embedded in the material of the raft. The raft further has one or more first mounts for mounting the raft to the gas turbine engine, and one or more second mounts for mounting a gas turbine engine component to the raft. The raft further has one or more tethers which extend between respective first and second mounts and are embedded in the material of the raft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Ashan Amarasinghe, Michael Christopher Willmot
  • Patent number: 9989254
    Abstract: The present application provides a combustor with a radial penetration. The combustor may include a combustion chamber, a liner surrounding the combustion chamber, a flow sleeve surrounding the liner, a penetration tube extending through the liner and the flow sleeve with the radial penetration positioned within the penetration tube, a flange extending from the penetration tube about the flow sleeve, and a ferrule positioned about the flange and the radial penetration so as to limit leakage about the radial penetration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Elizabeth Angelyn Fadde, Lucas John Stoia, Christopher Paul Willis
  • Patent number: 9989009
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for sealing variable area fan nozzles of jet engines are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure includes a frame and a seal to be coupled to the frame. The seal to enclose petals of a variable area fan nozzle to substantially prevent airflow between the petals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: David Alan Bakken
  • Patent number: 9982629
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a first shaft coupled to a first turbine and a first compressor, a second shaft coupled to a second turbine and a second compressor, and a third shaft coupled to a third turbine and a fan assembly. The turbine engine includes a heat rejection heat exchanger configured to reject heat from a closed loop system with air passed from the fan assembly, and a combustor positioned to receive compressed air from the second compressor as a core stream. The closed-loop system includes the first, second, and third turbines and the first compressor and receives energy input from the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignees: Rolls-Royce Corporation, Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Armstrong, Igor Vaisman
  • Patent number: 9957890
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a manifold assembly (64) for conducting one or more fluids to a gear assembly (60) in a gas turbine engine (20) is provided. The manifold assembly (64) may comprise a first plate (66) and a second plate (68) that rotatably couple together. The manifold assembly (64) may be retained and/or held together by a channel (72) and engagement member (70) arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephanie Baker, John Otto
  • Patent number: 9950382
    Abstract: A multi-pieces gas turbine engine combustor heat shield is fabricated from sheet metal. The fabrication involves: sheet metal forming a base sheet having opposed hot and cold facing sides, providing cold side details separately from the base sheet, and mounting the cold side details to the cold facing side of the base sheet. The cold side details may be brazed to the base sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Honza Stastny, Parthasarathy Sampath
  • Patent number: 9945250
    Abstract: An aircraft gas turbine is constituted by accommodating a compressor (14), a combustor (15), and a turbine (16) in a cylindrical main unit casing (12). A thick wall part (52) is provided on an outer periphery side of rotor blades (34) in the main unit casing. A cooling passage (53), for cooling the thick wall part (52) by circulating compressed air compressed by the compressor, is provided in the thick wall part. Also provided is a discharge passage (55) for discharging compressed air having circulated in the cooling passage to a combustion gas passage A. The structural strength of the thick wall part is ensured by appropriately cooling the thick wall part of the casing, while simplifying the structure and preventing a decrease in efficiency, thereby ensuring effective containment performance and an appropriate clearance between the casing and the rotor blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AERO ENGINES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Kitamura, Shinichiro Masaki
  • Patent number: 9945242
    Abstract: In one aspect the present subject matter is directed to a system for thermally isolating a turbine shroud of a turbine shroud assembly. The system includes a shroud support having an inner surface and a turbine shroud that is connected to the shroud support. The turbine shroud includes a hot side surface that is radially spaced from a back side surface. At least a portion of the back side surface is oriented towards the inner surface of the shroud support. The system further includes a coating that is disposed along the back side surface of the turbine shroud. The coating regulates heat transfer from the turbine shroud to the shroud support or other hardware that may surround or be adjacent to the turbine shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Tura, Dylan James Fitzpatrick
  • Patent number: 9939155
    Abstract: A swirler includes a swirler body and a plurality of axial swirl vanes extending radially outward from the swirler body. At least one of the swirler body or vanes includes a spring channel defined therethrough. A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine can include an inner air swirler and/or outer air swirler as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Brett A. Pfeffer, Jason A. Ryon
  • Patent number: 9903316
    Abstract: Methods and systems for low emission power generation in hydrocarbon recovery processes are provided. One system includes a gas turbine system configured to stoichiometrically combust a compressed oxidant derived from enriched air and a fuel in the presence of a compressed recycle exhaust gas and expand the discharge in an expander to generate a recycle exhaust stream and drive a main compressor. A boost compressor receives and increases the pressure of the recycle exhaust stream and prior to being compressed in a compressor configured to generate the compressed recycle exhaust gas. To promote the stoichiometric combustion of the fuel and increase the CO2 content in the recycle exhaust gas, the enriched air can have an increased oxygen concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Himanshu Gupta, Richard Huntington, Moses K. Minta, Franklin F. Mittricker, Loren K. Starcher
  • Patent number: 9903588
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a turbine combustor having a combustor liner disposed about a combustion chamber, a head end upstream of the combustion chamber relative to a downstream direction of a flow of combustion gases through the combustion chamber, a flow sleeve disposed at an offset about the combustor liner to define a passage, and a barrier within the passage. The head end is configured to direct an oxidant flow and a first fuel flow toward the combustion chamber. The passage is configured to direct a gas flow toward the head end and to direct a portion of the oxidant flow toward a turbine end of the turbine combustor. The gas flow includes a substantially inert gas. The barrier is configured to block the portion of the oxidant flow toward the turbine end and to block the gas flow toward the head end within the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignees: General Electric Company, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Karl Dean Minto
  • Patent number: 9903271
    Abstract: Methods and systems for low emission power generation in combined cycle power plants are provided. One system includes a gas turbine system that stoichiometrically combusts a fuel and an oxidant in the presence of a compressed recycle stream to provide mechanical power and a gaseous exhaust. The compressed recycle stream acts as a diluent to moderate the temperature of the combustion process. A boost compressor can boost the pressure of the gaseous exhaust before being compressed into the compressed recycle stream. A purge stream is tapped off from the compressed recycle stream and directed to a C02 separator which discharges C02 and a nitrogen-rich gas which can be expanded in a gas expander to generate additional mechanical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
    Inventors: Russell H. Oelfke, Moses Minta
  • Patent number: 9885283
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a shaft having a first air compressor coupled thereto, a combustor positioned to receive compressed air from the first compressor, and a power source coupled to the shaft, the power source powered by a working fluid other than the compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Corporation
    Inventors: Igor Vaisman, Thomas E. Bastnagel
  • Patent number: 9879608
    Abstract: A fan drive gear system includes at least one intermediate gear that includes an axial gear passage for receiving and conveying a fluid suitable for cooling and/or lubricating. At least a first axial end of the intermediate gear includes a first fluid storage trap for capturing fluid entering and/or exiting the gear passage and storing the fluid therein during powered operation of the fan drive gear system. The fluid is capable of being passively supplied to the intermediate gear passage during an interrupted power event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: William G. Sheridan
  • Patent number: 9879636
    Abstract: Systems and methods for influencing thrust of a gas turbine engine are disclosed. A system includes a plurality of pipes positioned at an exhaust nozzle of the gas turbine engine. Each one of the plurality of pipes includes: an inlet inside the exhaust nozzle; an outlet inside the exhaust nozzle; and an intermediate portion outside the exhaust nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: KING ABDULAZIZ CITY FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Omair M. Alhatim
  • Patent number: 9869279
    Abstract: A system includes a turbine combustor, which includes a first wall disposed about a combustion chamber, a second wall disposed about the first wall, and a third wall disposed about the second wall. The third wall is configured to combine an exhaust gas with an oxidant and the combustion chamber is configured to combust a mixture of a fuel, the oxidant, and the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignees: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, EXXONMOBIL UPSTREAM RESEARCH COMPANY
    Inventors: Lucas John Stoia, Richard Martin DiCintio, Patrick Benedict Melton, Bryan Wesley Romig, Ilya Aleksandrovich Slobodyanskiy
  • Patent number: 9863638
    Abstract: An air shroud for a nozzle includes an air shroud body defining an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with one another to allow an outer airflow to issue therefrom, the air shroud body defining a downstream surface. A plurality of air wipe channels are defined within the air shroud body, wherein each of the plurality of air wipe channels is in fluid communication with at least one of a plurality of air wipe outlets and air wipe inlets. Each air wipe outlet is defined in the downstream surface of the air shroud body such that air can flow through each air wipe outlet and wipe the downstream surface of the air shroud body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew R. Donovan
  • Patent number: 9814101
    Abstract: A rigid electrical raft has electrical conductors embedded in a rigid material. The electrical conductors transmit electrical signals through the rigid electrical raft, which may form part of an electrical system of a gas turbine engine. The rigid electrical raft also has electrical heating elements embedded therein. The electrical heating elements provide heat which may be used, for example, to prevent condensation and/or ice build-up and/or to raise the temperature of electrical components to be within a desired range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Paul Broughton, Michael Christopher Willmot, Justin Sean Dalton
  • Patent number: 9810434
    Abstract: A transition duct system (10) for delivering hot-temperature gases from a plurality of combustors in a combustion turbine engine is provided. The system includes an exit piece (16) for each combustor. The exit piece may include an arcuate connecting segment (36). An arcuate ceramic liner (60) may be inwardly disposed onto a metal outer shell (38) along the arcuate connecting segment of the exit piece. Structural arrangements are provided to securely attach the ceramic liner in the presence of substantial flow path pressurization. Cost-effective serviceability of the transition duct systems is realizable since the liner can be readily removed and replaced as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventor: David J. Wiebe