Patents Examined by Michael B Mantyla
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Patent number: 8402769Abstract: A section of a gas turbine engine including a radial spoke is provided. The spoke includes an aerodynamic shape with a leading side and a trailing side and, extending from the leading side to the trailing side, a first side and a second side, opposite the first side. The spoke also includes at least one flow guiding element arranged on at least the first side.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2008Date of Patent: March 26, 2013Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: John David Maltson
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Patent number: 8393156Abstract: A variable performance valve for use in a fuel nozzle is presented. The valve includes a spring, an inner spool having a port, an outer sleeve, and an orifice, which in a fuel nozzle application may be a calibration orifice. In a low flow condition, the inlet to downstream pressure is the spring force divided by the area on which the pressure acts. At low flow the orifice does not cause any appreciable pressure drop. As the flow increases, a pressure drop develops across the orifice. Since the pressure drop across the valve cannot be greater than the spring force divided by valve area, the valve is forced to open to compensate. As flow is increased, the valve will stroke completely open and the pressure drop at the port becomes negligible and the pressure drop across the orifice is nearly 100% of the pressure drop across the valve.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2009Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Woodward, Inc.Inventors: Nathan Niemeyer, Charlie Carson
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Patent number: 8359870Abstract: A flame-holding control method in a gas turbine having a combustor can and a fuel nozzle disposed in the combustor can. The method can include performing a first scheduled injection of a diluent stream into the nozzle, checking to see if a time period has exceeded a time threshold and in response to the time period being greater than that the time threshold, performing a second scheduled injection of the diluent stream into the nozzle.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2009Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Thomas Thatcher, Joel Meador Hall, Andrew Mitchell Rodwell
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Patent number: 8356466Abstract: A heating and cooling system for inlet air of a gas turbine engine in a combined cycle power plant having a steam turbine. The heating and cooling system may include a fluid coil positioned about the gas turbine engine, a heat exchanger in communication with the fluid coil, and a condenser in communication with the steam turbine and the heat exchanger such that waste heat from the steam turbine is forwarded to the fluid coil.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2008Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Abbas Motakef, Peter Feher
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Patent number: 8347635Abstract: A gas turbine engine mid turbine frame apparatus includes a an inner case supporting a bearing, an outer case to which the inner case is mounted, and an apparatus for radially positioning one relative to the other, the apparatus including a plurality of radial locators extending outwardly of the outer case and an associated locking apparatus. The locking apparatus is mounted adjacent to but independent of the locators and provides for anti-rotation of the radial locators once installed.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Pratt & Whitey Canada Corp.Inventors: Eric Durocher, John Pietrobon
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Patent number: 8347601Abstract: A device is provided for pivoting at least one pivotable element in a gas turbine engine between a first and a second position in order to influence a gas flow in an annular gas duct in at least one of the positions. The device includes a moveable annular member which is arranged externally around the gas duct and is connected to the pivotable element in order to effect the pivoting of the pivotable element. The annular member is more specifically arranged to be displaced in a substantially axial direction and arranged to pivot the pivotable element when it is displaced axially.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2006Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Volvo Aero CorporationInventor: Rustan Brogren
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Patent number: 8316647Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for protecting a catalyst within a combustor. In one embodiment, a catalytic reactor includes a protective coating that may be chemically removed or mechanically removed while the catalytic reactor is disposed in a combustor.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2009Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Cristina Colindres Kraemer
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Patent number: 8312702Abstract: An oil recovery device is disclosed. The oil recovery device includes two bearing supports mounted on an inter-turbine casing, a first bearing and a second bearing mounted on the bearing supports, a low-pressure turbine journal mounted rotating with respect to the inter-turbine casing, a fixed ferrule, and an oil passage provided in the low-pressure turbine journal making it possible to discharge the oil inside the fixed ferrule. The ferrule is preferentially widened from the end at which the oil is discharged.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2009Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: SNECMAInventors: Jacques René Bart, Serge René Morreale, Jean-Luc Soupizon
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Patent number: 8302377Abstract: An engine contains a compressor stage, a compressor plenum, an inlet valving stage, a PDC stage, a PDC exit nozzle stage, a transition stage, a high pressure turbine stage, a turbine plenum, and a low pressure turbine stage. The PDC stage contains at least one pulse detonation combustor and each of the compressor plenum, PDC exit nozzle stage and turbine plenum contain a volume used to reduce and/or widen pressure peaks generated by the operation of the PDC stage.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2009Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Adam Rasheed, Narendra Digamber Joshi, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala
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Patent number: 8281563Abstract: A gas-turbine bearing oil system with an oil supply arrangement includes at least one oil pump 5 supplying oil from an oil tank 1 to the bearing chambers 2, 3, 4 and at least one scavenge pump unit 6 returning oil from the bearing chambers 2, 3, 4 to the oil tank 1 At least one additional electric scavenge pump 7 is used to return oil from at least one bearing chamber 2, 3, 4 to the oil tank 1.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2009Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KGInventor: Arnaud Pisseloup
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Patent number: 8256224Abstract: A wall element for a combustion space, the wall element comprising a ceramic body, a support within the body, and attachment means extending from the support and protruding from the body for securing the ceramic body to a combustion space wall.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLCInventors: Ian Murray Garry, Michael Lawrence Carlisle, Daniel Clark, Carl Lee Barcock
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Patent number: 8220270Abstract: Disclosed is a cross flow apparatus including a surface and at least one outlet located at the surface. The cross flow apparatus further includes at least one guide at the surface configured to direct an intersecting flow flowing across the surface and increase a velocity of a cross flow being expelled from the at least one outlet downstream from the at least one outlet.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2008Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mahesh Bathina, Ramanand Singh
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Patent number: 8220276Abstract: A gas-turbine compressor has a casing (1) in which a rotor hub (2) is rotatably borne, and a compressor duct (9) being disposed between the casing (1) and the rotor hub (2), in which at least one rotor (4), which is rotatable about a machine axis (5), and one stator (5) are arranged. Recesses (12) of a bleed-air tapping device (6) are provided in the casing (1), which—in at least one circumferential area (11)—are arranged circumferentially to each other recess (12) and include a circumferential leading edge (16) in the circumferential direction and a circumferential trailing edge (17), each of which includes an identical angle ?E with the surface (18) of the casing (1).Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2009Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KGInventors: Carsten Clemen, Henner Schrapp
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Patent number: 8209950Abstract: A turbofan engine deicing system includes a core nacelle (12) housing a turbine. A turbofan (20) is arranged upstream from the core nacelle. A controller (50) manipulates the turbofan in response to detecting an icing condition for avoiding undesired ice buildup on the turbofan engine (10) and nacelle parts. In one example, a variable area nozzle (40) is actuated to generate pressure pulses or a surge condition to break up any ice buildup. The icing condition can be determined by at least one sensor (52) and/or predicted based upon icing conditions schedules.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2006Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Ashok K. Jain, Michael Winter
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Patent number: 8209986Abstract: A protection system for a pre-mixing apparatus for a turbine engine, includes: a main body having an inlet portion, an outlet portion and an exterior wall that collectively establish a fuel delivery plenum; and a plurality of fuel mixing tubes that extend through at least a portion of the fuel delivery plenum, each of the plurality of fuel mixing tubes including at least one fuel feed opening fluidly connected to the fuel delivery plenum; at least one thermal fuse disposed on an exterior surface of at least one tube, the at least one thermal fuse including a material that will melt upon ignition of fuel within the at least one tube and cause a diversion of fuel from the fuel feed opening to at least one bypass opening. A method and a turbine engine in accordance with the protection system are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2008Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Thomas Edward Johnson, William David York
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Patent number: 8205428Abstract: A standard 4-pole electric motor stator with capacitive plates in-line with the magnetic poles, but electrically 90° out of phase, produces two Lorentz force geometries 90° out of phase with each other (i.e., vertical, horizontal). An alternating source electrically rotates this pair of Lorentz geometries producing a propagating electromagnetic wave at the source frequency within the vacant internal cavity. Any charged particle within the cavity and along its axis will be accelerated or decelerated from an initial velocity via the Lorentz force. The rotating geometry provides for the coupling of the Lorentz force through a current loop and diamagnetism, providing acceleration and deceleration of non-charged particles. The force coupling is dependent upon the material's electromagnetic properties, the frequencies generated by the capacitive stator, and the velocity of the particles within the capacitive stator's influence.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2009Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Lockheed Martin CorporationInventor: Dale W. Boren
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Patent number: 8186165Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a turbine engine fuel nozzle having an air path, a fuel path, and a surface along the air path. The fuel path may be directed toward the surface. The turbine engine fuel nozzle also may include a heating element configured to heat the surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2009Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Constantin Dinu
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Patent number: 8181443Abstract: A cooling system of a gas turbine engine, includes a heat exchanger having a common wall shared by a first air passage for directing a portion of a compressor air flow to be used as cooling air, and a second air passage for directing a portion of a bypass air flow, the portion of the compressor air flow being thereby cooled by the portion of the bypass air flow through the common wall.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2008Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.Inventor: Guiseppe Rago
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Patent number: 8132415Abstract: Disclosed herein are a fuel nozzle of a gas turbine combustor for dimethyl ether (DME, CH3OCH3) and a design method thereof. The fuel nozzle includes a pilot fuel injection hole formed at the center of the nozzle and a plurality of fuel injection ports formed at equiangular positions around the pilot fuel injection hole to inject DME. Each of the fuel injection ports includes a pair of upper and lower DME injection orifices communicating with a fuel-air mixture injection swirler. The upper DME injection orifice becomes gradually wider, whereas the lower DME injection orifice becomes gradually narrower. Thus, DME can be optimally combusted in the gas turbine combustor, thereby achieving cost reduction of power plants, enhancement in reliability of the power plants, and diversification of usable fuel.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2008Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: Korea Electric Power CorporationInventors: Min Chul Lee, Dal Hong Ahn, Yong Jin Joo, Seok Bin Seo, Jae Hwa Chung, Won Shik Park, Hae Kyung Seo
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Patent number: 8113003Abstract: A transition duct for routing a gas flow from a combustor to the first stage of a turbine section in a combustion turbine engine is disclosed. The transition duct may have an internal passage extending between an inlet to an outlet. An axis of the transition duct body may be generally linear such that gases expelled from the transition duct body flow in a proper direction into the downstream turbine blades.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2008Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.Inventors: Richard Charron, Matthew Montgomery, Gary Snyder