Patents Examined by Rene Ford
  • Patent number: 9297532
    Abstract: A can annular combustion arrangement (12) for a gas turbine engine (10), including: a combustor can (14) having an inlet (46) at a head end (62); an annular chamber (30) surrounding the combustor can (14) for delivering a flow of compressed air from a plenum (18) to the inlet (46); a fuel injector (49) configured to inject a flow of fuel into the flow of compressed air; and a flow tripping device (60) surrounding the combustor can (14) and disposed in the annular chamber (30) downstream of the fuel injector (49).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Samer P. Wasif, Juergen Meisl, Bertram Janus, Andreas Koch
  • Patent number: 9297536
    Abstract: A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a static structure and an annular combustor extending around a central axis and located radially inwards of the static structure. The annular combustor includes an annular outer shell and an annular inner shell that define an annular combustion chamber there between. The annular combustor is free of any rigid attachments directly between the static structure and the annular outer shell. The annular outer shell includes a radially-outwardly extending flange. A stop member is rigidly connected with the static structure and is located adjacent the radially-outwardly extending flange such that axial-forward movement of the annular combustor is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Jeffery Eastwood, Kevin Joseph Low
  • Patent number: 9291103
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a gas turbine generally includes a main body having an upstream end axially separated from a downstream end. The main body at least partially defines a fuel supply passage that extends through the upstream end and at least partially through the main body. A fuel distribution manifold is disposed at the downstream end of the main body. The fuel distribution manifold includes a plurality of axially extending passages that extend through the fuel distribution manifold. A plurality of fuel injection ports defines a flow path between the fuel supply passage and each of the plurality of axially extending passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Keith Cletus Belsom, Kevin Weston McMahan, Larry Lou Thomas
  • Patent number: 9284888
    Abstract: A system for supplying fuel 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 a working fluid to flow through the flow sleeve and the liner and into the combustion chamber, and the tube includes a tube wall. A plurality of fuel ports through the tube wall provide fluid communication for fuel to flow through the tube wall and into the tube, and the fuel ports are non-circular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Bryan Wesley Romig, Lucas John Stoia
  • Patent number: 9261022
    Abstract: A system for controlling a flow rate of a compressed cooling medium between a compressor section and a turbine section of a gas turbine includes a flow path that is defined between the compressor section and the turbine section of the gas turbine and a thermally actuated variable flow valve disposed within the flow path. The variable flow valve defines an opening that changes in size based on a temperature of the compressed cooling medium flowing therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Rajarshi Saha, Santhosh Donkada, Indrajit Mazumder, Bhaskar Pemmi
  • Patent number: 9261279
    Abstract: A gas/liquid fuel nozzle assembly includes a premixing tube bundle having an array of mixing tubes, a fuel plenum delivering fuel to the mixing tubes, a cartridge tube disposed within the fuel plenum, and a liquid fuel cartridge disposed in the cartridge tube. The liquid fuel cartridge is spaced from the cartridge tube to define an annulus. The cartridge tube and the fuel plenum are constructed in fluid communication such that gas fuel in the plenum is injected into the annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: James Harold Westmoreland, Gregory Allen Boardman, Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Patent number: 9249732
    Abstract: A support hanger is provided for a turbine engine. The support hanger includes a pin with a pin head, a retainer and a flexible seal. The retainer is pivotally connected to the pin head. The retainer includes a seal bearing surface facing towards the pin head. The seal includes a retainer bearing surface sealingly engaging the seal bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. McAlice, Carlos G. Figueroa
  • Patent number: 9243803
    Abstract: A system includes a multi-tube fuel nozzle including a fuel nozzle head that includes an outer wall surrounding a chamber. The outer wall includes a downstream wall portion configured to face a combustion region. The multi-tube fuel nozzle also includes multiple tubes extending through the chamber to the downstream wall portion. Each tube of the multiple tubes includes an upstream portion, a downstream portion, and at least one fuel inlet disposed at the upstream portion, and is configured to receive air and mix the air with fuel from the at least one fuel inlet. The multi-tube fuel nozzle includes a fuel conduit extending through the chamber crosswise to and around the multiple tubes. The fuel conduit includes multiple impingement cooling orifices. A fuel flow path extends through the fuel conduit, through the impingement cooling orifices, through the chamber, and into the at least one fuel inlet of each tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Jonathan Dwight Berry
  • Patent number: 9243567
    Abstract: A system and method control a gas turbine subject to fuel composition variation. The method includes operating a first effector to control the gas turbine based on fuel composition. The method also includes operating a second effector to maintain operation of the first effector within a first boundary limit, the second effector operation being initiated when the operating the first effector reaches a second boundary limit within the first boundary limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Timothy Andrew Healy
  • Patent number: 9228499
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a turbine combustor having a primary fuel injection system, a first wall portion disposed about a primary combustion zone downstream from the primary fuel injection system, and a second wall portion disposed downstream from the first wall portion. The turbine combustor also has a secondary fuel injection system disposed between the first wall portion and the second wall portion, where the secondary fuel injection system is removable form the first and second wall portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Sergey Aleksandrovich Stryapunin
  • Patent number: 9222409
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine system includes a fan section, a low pressure compressor section downstream of the fan section, a first engine core downstream from the low pressure compressor section, a second engine core downstream from the low pressure compressor section, and a flowpath control mechanism configured to selectively restrict fluid flow through the second engine core. The first engine core includes a first engine core compressor section, a first engine core combustor downstream of the first engine core compressor section, and a first engine core turbine section downstream of the first engine core combustor. The second engine core includes a second engine core compressor section, a second engine core combustor downstream of the second engine core compressor section, and a second engine core turbine section downstream of the second engine core combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Joseph B. Staubach
  • Patent number: 9217390
    Abstract: A thrust reverser system for a gas turbine engine includes a duct including a cowling movable between an open position and a closed position in a direction transverse to a centerline of the gas turbine engine. The thrust reverser is supported within the cowling and movable between an axial closed position, an axial intermediate position and an axial open position. A controller is actuateable to command movement of the thrust reverser from the axial closed position to the axial intermediate position such that the cowling is free to move to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: James L. Lucas, Michael Charron
  • Patent number: 9212609
    Abstract: When starting a dual fuel turbine engine on liquid fuel, a flow of air assist into a combined pilot gaseous fuel and air assist tube is supplied. The velocity of the flow of air assist is increased as it is expelled through an outlet of the tube. The flow of air assist is directed into a first end of a pilot injector barrel. Additional air is drawn into the first end of the pilot injector barrel from an enclosure containing both the first end of the pilot injector barrel and the tube outlet. Liquid pilot fuel is supplied at a second end of the pilot injector barrel, and this fuel is atomized by the flow of the air assist and additional air. The atomized pilot liquid fuel may then be combusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incoporated
    Inventors: Christopher Zdzislaw Twardochleb, Robert Anthony Corr, II
  • Patent number: 9200540
    Abstract: A power plant includes a gas turbine unit adapted to feed flue gases into a diverter where they are divided into a recirculated flow that is fed into a mixer together with fresh air to form a mixture that is fed to a gas turbine unit compressor inlet, and a discharged flow, that is fed into a CO2 capture unit. A monitoring system for the mixture oxygen content at the compressor inlet is provided. The monitoring system includes a recirculated flow mass flow rate sensor, a recirculated flow oxygen concentration sensor, mixture mass flow rate sensors, a control unit arranged to process information detected by the recirculated flow mass flow rate sensor, recirculated flow oxygen concentration sensor and mixture mass flow rate sensor, to determine an oxygen concentration upstream of the compressor inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Stefan Rofka, Frank Sander, Eribert Benz
  • Patent number: 9182122
    Abstract: A device for supplying flow across a combustor includes an axial fluid injector configured to circumferentially surround at least a portion of the combustor. An inner annular passage extends through the axial fluid injector and provides fluid communication through the axial fluid injector and into a first annular passage that surrounds the combustor. An outer annular passage extends through the axial fluid injector radially outward from the inner annular passage and provides axial flow into the first annular passage. A method for supplying flow to a combustor includes flowing a first portion of a working fluid through a first axial flow path and flowing a second portion of the working fluid through a second axial flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: John M. Matthews, Keith C. Belsom, Ronald James Chila
  • Patent number: 9169805
    Abstract: A thrust inverter for a turbojet engine nacelle includes an outer movable cowl and a front frame. The outer movable cowl translates between a closed position and a thrust inversion position and also moves to a supporting position in which the outer movable cowl is hinged and guided by a guiding member located on a pylon. In particular, the front frame holding cascade vanes is mounted downstream from an air blower housing, and part of the front frame is detachably connected to the air blower housing. The front frame is translatable along the guiding member once the front frame is detached from the air blower housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: AIRCELLE
    Inventors: Guy Bernard Vauchel, Pierre Caruel, Andre Baillard, Peter Sagat
  • Patent number: 9157333
    Abstract: The present application provides an inlet bleed heat system for supplying a flow of bleed air to a flow of incoming air into a compressor of a gas turbine engine. The inlet bleed heat system may include an air knife and a silencer panel. The air knife may include a compressor bleed air port in communication with the flow of bleed air and a discharge gap to discharge the flow of bleed air into the flow of incoming air. The air knife may and the silencer panel may form an integrated air knife/silencer panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yongjiang Hao, Douglas Scott Byrd, Hua Zhang, Bradly Aaron Kippel, Jianmin Zhang
  • Patent number: 9157371
    Abstract: A fuel control module for a gas turbine engine and method of installation. The fuel control module includes a first frame unit, a second frame unit, a fuel path, and a fuel controller components. The first frame unit and the second frame unit include features for installation in multiple installations and/or multiple configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Darren Matthew Stratton, Gregory Lee Landrum
  • Patent number: 9151228
    Abstract: A split fuel control module for a gas turbine engine and method of installation. The split fuel control module includes a first frame unit, a second frame unit, a segmented fuel path, and a distributed fuel controller. The first frame unit and the second frame unit are joined together at a frame unit interface. The segmented fuel path includes an upstream fuel interface fixed to the first frame unit and a downstream fuel interface fixed to the second frame unit and detachably coupled to the upstream fuel interface at the frame unit interface. A first portion of the distributed fuel controller is fixed to the first frame unit, and a second portion of the distributed fuel controller is fixed to the second frame unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Darren Matthew Stratton, Gregory Lee Landrum
  • Patent number: 9151503
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present application can provide systems and methods for a coaxial fuel supply for a micromixer. According to one embodiment, the micromixer may include an elongated base nozzle structure, a number of mixing tubes in communication with the elongated base nozzle structure, and an air inlet configured to supply the plurality of mixing tubes with air. The elongated base nozzle structure may be configured to supply a fuel to the mixing tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Benedict Melton, James Harold Westmoreland