Patents Examined by Lorne Meade
  • Patent number: 9121465
    Abstract: A bleed valve having an inlet port and an outlet port. The bleed valve comprises mutually perpendicular radial, longitudinal and tangential axes arranged such that the outlet port is substantially in a plane defined by the longitudinal and tangential axes. The bleed valve also comprises at least one vane spanning the outlet port and having a first side and a second side, the first side being closer to the inlet port than the second side. The at least one vane defining a vector from its first to its second side that has non-zero radial, longitudinal and tangential components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Andrew L Wright, Paul M Kirton
  • Patent number: 9115897
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine systems and methods involving enhanced fuel dispersion are provided. In this regard, a representative method for operating a gas turbine engine includes: providing a gas path through the engine; introducing a spray of fuel along the gas path downstream of a turbine of the engine; and impinging the spray of fuel with a relatively higher velocity flow of air such that atomization of the fuel is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy S. Snyder, Steven W. Burd, Randal G. McKinney, George F. Titterton, Joey Wong
  • Patent number: 9109447
    Abstract: A combustion system including a transition piece and method of forming the transition piece using a cast nickel-based superalloy is provided. The transition piece includes a body defining a flowpath and enclosure, the body having a circular inlet section for receiving combustion product from the combustor and an outlet end for flowing the combustor products into a first stage nozzle of a gas turbine. The transition piece comprises a one-piece single casting construction of the circular inlet section, the body, and the outlet end. The transition piece is formed from a nickel-based superalloy. The transition piece has a thick-to-thin ratio of wall thickness of thick transition to wall thickness of thin transition of about 1.1 to about 2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kevin Weston McMahan, Arthur Peck, Nicholas Vlessis
  • Patent number: 9102416
    Abstract: A system for generating an inert gas. An embodiment of the system comprises a turbine engine, a compressor and a blower. Additional elements may be provided to condition the air so that it is satisfactory for use in the fuel tank. Such elements include filters, catalytic converters, air pressure regulators, and heat exchangers, as well as elements to monitor the oxygen content and temperature of the air flow. An embodiment of a method for generating an inert gas is also provided. The method comprises combusting fuel to generate engine exhaust, compressing the engine exhaust to generate compressed exhaust, and directing said compressed exhaust into the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Theron Lee Cutler
  • Patent number: 9097425
    Abstract: A fuel mixing device for an annular combustion chamber of a turbine engine, including a member for centering a turbine engine injector head, at least one air intake ring including blades allowing swirling of air, a bowl including an annular row of air intake orifices, an annular cavity communicating with the air intake orifices, and channels arranged through the blades to feed air to the annular cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Didier Hippolyte Hernandez, Romain Nicolas Lunel
  • Patent number: 9097424
    Abstract: A system for supplying a working fluid to a combustor includes a combustion chamber, a liner that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the combustion chamber, and a flow sleeve that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the liner. A tube provides fluid communication for the working fluid to flow through the flow sleeve and the liner and into the combustion chamber, and the tube spirals between the flow sleeve and the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Wei Chen, Lucas John Stoia, Richard Martin DiCintio
  • Patent number: 9080771
    Abstract: A combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine including a wall, a well secured to the wall, the well forming a recess for a spark plug leading into the combustion chamber, and a spark-plug guide mounted on the well to be transversally mobile relative to the axis of the well, the spark-plug guide including a cylindrical wall portion for guiding and supporting the spark plug and a seal ring mounted such as to engage slidably with a bearing surface of the well. In the combustion chamber the spark-plug guide includes a cooling chamber having openings for supplying cooling air to the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Jacques Marcel Arthur Bunel, Mario Cesar De Sousa, Guillaume Sevi
  • Patent number: 9016042
    Abstract: An inner fixed structure of a thrust reverser includes an inner skin, an outer skin, a cellular core disposed between the inner skin and the outer skin, and at least one crack and delamination stopper extending radially between the inner skin and the outer skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Rohr, Inc.
    Inventors: Song Chiou, Jia Yu, Claude Hubert, Michael Layland
  • Patent number: 8991185
    Abstract: A combustion device (1) for a gas turbine includes portions (12) having an inner and an outer wall (13, 14) with an interposed noise absorption plate (15) having a plurality of holes (16). The combustion device (1) further has first passages (17) connecting zones between the inner wall (13) and the plate (15) to the inside of the combustion device (1) and second passages (21) for cooling the inner wall (13). The portions (12) also have an inner layer (22) between the inner wall (13) and the plate (15) defining inner chambers (23), each connected to at least a first passage (17), and an outer layer (24) between the outer wall (14) and the plate (15) defining outer chambers (25) connected to the inner chambers (23) via the holes (16) of the plate (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Nicolas Noiray, Bruno Schuermans, Urs Benz
  • Patent number: 8984892
    Abstract: A combined cycle power plant includes a gas turbomachine, a steam turbomachine operatively coupled to the gas turbomachine, and a heat recovery steam generator operatively coupled to the gas turbomachine and the steam turbomachine. The heat recovery steam generator includes a high pressure reheat section provided with at least one high pressure superheater and at least one reheater. The combined cycle power plant further includes a controller operatively connected to the gas turbomachine, the steam turbomachine and the heat recovery steam generator. The controller is selectively activated to initiate a flow of steam through the heat recovery steam generator following shutdown of the gas turbomachine to lower a temperature of at least one of the high pressure superheater and the at least one reheater and reduce development of condensate quench effects during HRSG purge of a combined cycle power plant shutdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tailai Hu, Kelvin Rafael Estrada, Joel Donnell Holt, Diego Fernando Rancruel, Leslie Yung-Min Tong
  • Patent number: 8978382
    Abstract: A combustion device for a gas turbine includes an interior portion, an inner wall having a plurality of first passages and an outer wall having a plurality of second passages configured to cool the inner wall, each of the plurality of second passages having an outlet opening into a third passage. An intermediate layer is disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall and defines a plurality of chambers, each chamber forming a Helmholtz damper and being connected to the interior portion by at least one of the plurality of first passages and being connected to at least one of the plurality of second passages by at least one of the plurality of third passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Nicolas Noiray, Urs Benz, Felix Reinert, Diane Lauffer
  • Patent number: 8978387
    Abstract: The flow through the core of a hybrid pulse detonation combustion system is passed through a compressor and then separated into a primary flow, that passes directly to the combustor, and a bypass flow, which is routed to a portion of the system to be used to cool components of the system. The bypass flow is routed to a nozzle of the pulse detonation combustor. The flow is then passed back into the primary flow through the core downstream of where it was extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Adam Rasheed, Brian Gene Brzek, Douglas Carl Hofer, Thomas Michael Lavertu, Fuhua Ma
  • Patent number: 8966903
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a combustor resonator having a non-uniform annulus between a combustor assembly and a resonator shell. The combustor resonator may further include resonator necks or passages having non-uniform lengths and geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mohan Krishna Bobba, Kwanwoo Kim, Patrick Benedict Melton, Carolyn Ashley Antoniono
  • Patent number: 8950189
    Abstract: A fuel injection array for a gas turbine engine includes a plurality of bluff body injectors and a plurality of swirler injectors. A control operates the plurality of bluff body injectors and swirler injectors such that bluff body injectors are utilized without all of the swirler injectors at least at low power operation. The swirler injectors are utilized at higher power operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Timothy S. Snyder
  • Patent number: 8950170
    Abstract: A cooling system includes a housing having an aperture intersecting a passage that includes first and second passage portions. A plug is arranged in the aperture in an interference fit in a first position at a first temperature condition to block the passage and fluidly separate the first and second passage portions. A biasing element is arranged in the housing and is configured to move the plug from the first position to a second position at a second temperature condition to fluidly connect the first and second passage portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce Paradise
  • Patent number: 8943794
    Abstract: The invention relates to a linear telescopic actuator for moving a first (10b) and a second (10a) element relative to a stationary element (102). Said actuator comprises a base (101) that is to be connected to the stationary element (102) and is used as a cavity for a first rotationally locked rod (106) which can be translated by a drive shaft (104) that is to be connected to rotational driving means (107). One end (108) of said first rod is to be connected to the first element that is to be moved. The actuator is characterized in that the first rod (106) supports a second rod (117) which is aligned therewith and one end (118) of which is to be connected to the second element that is to be moved. Said second rod (117) can be rotationally locked and can be translated by a second drive shaft (112, 115) which extends through the base and is connected to rotational driving means (113, 111).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Aircelle
    Inventors: Pierre Moradell-Casellas, Pierre Andre Marcel Baudu, Guy Bernard Vauchel
  • Patent number: 8931253
    Abstract: A thrust reverser for a turbojet engine includes a telescopic linear actuator for a moving cowl and a nozzle-forming end part. The telescopic linear actuator has a base attached to a fixed frame, acting as a housing for a first rod prevented from rotating but able to be translationally driven by a first drive shaft connected to a rotational-driver. The first rod is attached by one end to the moving cowl and supports a second rod, which is attached by one end to the nozzle-forming end part that is to be moved. The second rod is prevented from rotating and translationally driven by a second drive shaft passing through the base and connected to a rotational-driver. In particular, the rotational-driver of the rods includes a motor to drive an input shaft of a differential having two output shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Aircelle
    Inventors: Pierre Andre Marcel Baudu, Guy Bernard Vauchel
  • Patent number: 8925325
    Abstract: Combustion systems and the related methods operate to supply a stream of combustion products to a turbine in a gas turbine engine by forming an outer recirculation zone of recirculating combustion products within a combustor and by forming an inner recirculation zone inboard of the outer recirculation zone. The inner and outer recirculation zones are formed by imparting swirl to compressor discharge air passing through an outer air swirler and an inner air swirler radially inboard of the outer air swirler. Fuel is injected from an outer fuel injector into the outer recirculation zone, and fuel is also injected from an inner fuel injector into the inner recirculation zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Delavan Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas R. Overman, John Earl Short
  • Patent number: 8925294
    Abstract: At least one electrode assembly is configured to enable like charged ions to convert potential energy of the like charged ions into kinetic energy based on the Coulomb forces therebetween via linear alignment thereof, or enable a first portion of like charged ions to convert potential energy of the first portion of like charged ions to kinetic energy based on interaction with the Coulomb forces of a second portion of like charged ions, or enable a first portion of like charged ions to convert potential energy of a second portion of like charged ions to kinetic energy based on similar interaction. Various electrode assemblies are described and corresponding methods of converting potential energy of like charged ions to kinetic energy. The like charged ions are configured to form a passive electric field voltage source that may have one or more electric field monopoles to enable motion of a mobile assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Inventor: Anthony N. Fresco
  • Patent number: 8904802
    Abstract: A turbomachine combustor assembly includes a combustor body, and a combustor liner arranged within the combustor body and defining a combustion chamber. The combustor liner includes a venturi portion arranged within the combustion chamber. A fluid passage is defined between the combustor body and the combustor liner, and at least one turbulator is arranged in the fluid passage. The at least one turbulator is configured and disposed to create vortices in the fluid passage. A vortex modification system is arranged at the fluid passage and is configured and disposed to disrupt the vortices in the fluid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sridhar Venkat Kodukulla, Ronald James Chila, Sarah Lori Crothers, Shreekrishna Jayakumar Rao, Shivakumar Srinivasan