Patents Examined by Scott J Walthour
  • Patent number: 11680531
    Abstract: An aspect includes a system for a gas turbine engine. The system includes one or more bleeds of the gas turbine engine and a control system configured to check one or more activation conditions of a dirt rejection mode in the gas turbine engine. A bleed control schedule of the gas turbine engine is adjusted to extend a time to hold the one or more bleeds of the gas turbine engine partially open at a power setting above a threshold based on the one or more activation conditions. One or more deactivation conditions of the dirt rejection mode in the gas turbine engine are checked. The dirt rejection mode is deactivated to fully close the one or more bleeds based on the one or more deactivation conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher J. Hanlon, James F. Krenzer, Becky E. Rose, Mark F. Zelesky
  • Patent number: 11674688
    Abstract: There is provided a gas turbine combustor which includes a burner component which is molded by 3D additive manufacturing and is optimized in material strength per part. The burner component includes a first part which is used within a first temperature range and/or a first stress range and a second part which is used within a second temperature range which is lower than the first temperature range and/or a second stress range which is lower than the first stress range, and a lamination speed at which a metal material is laminated on the first part by the 3D additive manufacturing is lower than a lamination speed at which the metal material is laminated on the second part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kumagai, Yoshihide Wadayama, Shigenobu Eguchi
  • Patent number: 11668241
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine fuel supply system can include a fuel delivery system, a thermal management system, a fuel manifold, and one or more sensors that identify one or more fuel parameters. A fuel control system adjusts parameters of the fuel based on data received from the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon W. Miller, Robert Jon McQuiston, Stefan Joseph Cafaro, Eric Richard Westervelt, Michael A. Benjamin, Joel M. Haynes, Hejie Li
  • Patent number: 11655765
    Abstract: An enhanced engine starter system controls an air turbine starter at the startup of operation of a turbine engine. The engine starter system includes an air turbine starter (ATS) that operates in accordance with more than one speed/torque curve during the startup procedure. A controller commands the starter control valve to provide a regulated pressure to the ATS in accordance with a first speed/torque curve to initiate the gas turbine engine startup without exceeding a maximum or design limiting torque. Overall duration of the startup procedure is reduced by the controller subsequently operating the ATS in accordance with a second speed/torque curve having a higher operational pressure once the ATS reaches a predetermined transition speed. The torque at the predetermined transition speed on the higher pressure second curve remains less than the design limiting torque, but provides a higher torque as compared to the first speed/torque curve to reduce the duration of the startup procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventor: Steven C. Dow
  • Patent number: 11655769
    Abstract: A controller for a gas turbine wherein the gas turbine includes the compressor arranged to operate at a rotational speed n, the combustor and the fuel supply includes the first fuel supply and the second fuel supply, wherein the compressor is arranged to provide air to the combustor at a steady state air mass flow rate mss and wherein the fuel supply is arranged to supply fuel at a fuel mass flow rate mtotal to the combustor. The controller is arranged to, responsive to the load change ?L to the load L, control the fuel supply to supply a proportion Z of the fuel mass flow rate mtotal as a fuel mass flow rate mfuel pilot via the first fuel supply based, at least in part, on a combustor mass flow rate mt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Vili Panov
  • Patent number: 11649966
    Abstract: A turbine engine having a combustion section. The combustion section can have a combustor, at least one fuel cup, and at least one ignition tube. The combustor can include a combustor liner and a dome wall, which together at least partially define a combustion chamber. The at least one fuel cup can include a swirler and a fuel injector. The at least one ignition tube can include an outlet directly fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ajoy Patra, Pradeep Naik, Perumallu Vukanti, Michael T. Bucaro, R Narasimha Chiranthan, Manampathy G. Giridharan, Michael A. Benjamin, Clayton S. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11635208
    Abstract: Provided is a combustion nozzle including a center cylinder having a cylinder shape, a middle cylinder coaxially disposed with the center cylinder and surrounding the center cylinder, an outer cylinder coaxially disposed with the middle cylinder and surrounding the middle cylinder, and a perforated plate disposed inside the center cylinder to create turbulent flow therethrough. In addition, the combustion nozzle further includes inner vanes disposed between the center cylinder and the middle cylinder and outer vanes disposed between the middle cylinder and the outer cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Inventor: Jung Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 11635003
    Abstract: An emission reduction system for a combined cycle power plant including a gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) can comprise a stationary emission converter in fluid communication with and disposed upstream of the HRSG, and a diversion system operably coupled to an exhaust passage of the gas turbine, the exhaust passage defining an exhaust path for exhaust gas of the gas turbine through the heat recovery steam generator, the diversion system operable to define a primary exhaust path excluding the stationary emission converter and a start-up exhaust path including the stationary emission converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: David McDeed, Maria Kacer, Eric J. Albrecht, David Hunt
  • Patent number: 11629858
    Abstract: A turbo-expanding cracking assembly includes a plurality of stages each including a rotating blade coupled to an output shaft and a fixed stator, at least one heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to an ammonia containing fuel flow, and a catalyst that is configured to decompose an ammonia containing fuel flow into a flow containing hydrogen (H2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Malcolm MacDonald, Sean C. Emerson, Brian M. Holley, Lance L. Smith, Peter Cocks
  • Patent number: 11629670
    Abstract: An injection device for injecting an oxidizer for a liquid rocket includes a housing, a plate disposed inside the housing and having an injection hole to eject an oxidizer, a duct disposed above the plate to guide the oxidizer, and a manifold with one end connected to the injection hole of the plate and the other end connected to the duct, wherein the oxidizer may be distributed to the injection hole at an equal flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: KOREA AEROSPACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Keum Oh Lee, Byoung Jik Lim, Kee Joo Lee
  • Patent number: 11629642
    Abstract: A power generation system includes a combustion system, a liquid supply system, and a vapor supply system. The combustion system is configured to generate power by combusting an alternative fuel. The liquid supply system is configured to channel a liquid alternative fuel to the combustion system. The vapor supply system is configured to channel a vapor alternative fuel to the combustion system. The combustion system is ignited by combusting the liquid alternative fuel from the liquid supply system and is operated by combusting the vapor alternative fuel from the vapor supply system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: William James Lawson, Keegan Saunders O'Donnell, Geoffrey D. Myers, Paul Burchell Glaser
  • Patent number: 11619456
    Abstract: A duct for a bleed system of an aircraft, wherein the duct extends from an inlet section to an outlet section along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the duct comprises a continuous piece arranged on and protruding from the internal wall of the duct. The duct is subject to temperature gradients in order to reduce the temperature of the warmest airflow closer to the inner wall rather than rapidly mix the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS S.L.U.
    Inventor: Brice Lenoir
  • Patent number: 11619171
    Abstract: A fuel conditioning and control system provides dynamic control and steady state operations of a gas turbine provided fueled by supercritical liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The fuel conditioning and control system comprises a storage for LPG fuel; a fuel delivery sub-system connecting the storage to turbomachinery; and a control system. The gas turbine includes a gas turbine core control that provides at least one operational data of the gas turbine to the control system. The fuel delivery sub-system includes at least one sensor for sensing at least one property of the LPG fuel in the fuel delivery sub-system, where the at least one sensor providing data on the at least one property of the LPG fuel to the control system. The control system analyzes the data on the at least one property of the LPG fuel and at least one operational data of the gas turbine for dynamic control of LPG fuel to the gas turbine under dynamic and steady state conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jesus Daniel Castillo Campos, Joe F. Schornick, Jose Carlos Sanchez Herrera, Horacio Solis Godinez
  • Patent number: 11614034
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine has: a casing; a combustor liner delimiting a combustion chamber; a fuel nozzle in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; and an igniter having a base, a glow plug heater rod extending from the base along an axis and terminating in a rod end, and a sleeve extending around the glow plug heater rod, the sleeve radially spaced apart from the glow plug heater rod by an annular gap, the sleeve defines fins circumferentially distributed around the axis, each two circumferentially adjacent fins of the fins spaced apart from one another by a spacing communicating with the annular gap, the fins extending in a direction having an axial component from roots to tips, the roots axially closer to the base than the tips, the rod end extending axially beyond the tips of the fins such that the rod end is located outside the annular gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Richard Freer, Kian McCaldon, Tin-Cheung John Hu, Michel Bousquet, André Fortin
  • Patent number: 11598225
    Abstract: An emissions control system for a gas turbine system includes a reducing agent supply, at least one sensor, at least one valve, and a controller. The reducing agent supply has one or more conduits configured to couple to one or more fluid pathways of the gas turbine system, which are fluidly coupled to a flow path of an exhaust gas from a combustor through a turbine of the gas turbine system. The at least one sensor is configured to obtain a feedback of one or more parameters of the gas turbine system, which are indicative of a visibility of emissions of the exhaust gas. The at least one valve is coupled to the reducing agent supply. The controller is communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one valve, such that, in response to the feedback, the controller adjusts the at least one valve to adjust a flow of the reducing agent to reduce the visibility of the emissions of the exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Parag Prakash Kulkarni, Szymon Pawel Modelski, Craig A. Matis, Naresh Kumar Amineni
  • Patent number: 11591102
    Abstract: A thermal energy system for use with an aircraft includes a cooling loop and a cooler. The cooling loop includes a fluid conduit and a pump configured to move fluid through the fluid conduit to transfer heat from a heat source to the fluid in the fluid conduit to cool the heat source. The cooler includes an air-stream heat exchanger located in a duct and is in thermal communication with the fluid conduit to transfer heat between the fluid in the cooling loop and the air passing through the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas J. Snyder
  • Patent number: 11585282
    Abstract: A method of identifying a fuel contained in a fuel tank of an aircraft and arranged to power a gas turbine engine of the aircraft is performed by processing circuitry of the aircraft and includes: obtaining at least one fuel characteristic of any fuel already present in the fuel tank prior to refuelling; determining at least one fuel characteristic of a fuel added to the fuel tank on refuelling; and calculating at least one fuel characteristic of the resultant fuel in the fuel tank after refuelling. The method may further controlling the propulsion system of the aircraft based on the calculated at least one fuel characteristic of the resultant fuel in the fuel tank after refuelling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventors: Peter Swann, Craig W Bemment, Alastair G Hobday, Benjamin J Keeler, Christopher P Madden
  • Patent number: 11549399
    Abstract: A disclosed lubrication system for a turbofan engine includes a pump for driving lubricant through a lubrication circuit, at least one sensor generating a signal indicative of an engine operating condition and at least one valve for controlling a flow of lubricant through the lubrication circuit. A controller controls operation of the valve to vary the flow of lubricant based on the engine operating condition to maintain lubricant flow within predefined operating limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Paul H. Dolman, Michael E. McCune
  • Patent number: 11549441
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a fuel nozzle configured to issue a spray of fuel from a fuel outlet in a downstream direction along an injection axis. The fuel nozzle defines a main flow passage therethrough. An injection fuel line is in fluid communication with the fuel nozzle to supply fuel to the fuel nozzle. A torch ignitor has a flame outlet opening into the main flow passage of the fuel nozzle for issuing flame into the main flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Collins Engine Nozzles, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Ryon, Lev A. Prociw, Brandon Phillip Williams
  • Patent number: 11542871
    Abstract: An injection nozzle installed in a combustor of a gas turbine to inject fuel and compressed air into a combustion chamber is provided. The injection nozzle includes an inlet portion into which fuel and compressed air are introduced, an outlet portion disposed downstream of the inlet portion in a flow direction of fluid and configured to discharge the fuel and compressed air to the combustion chamber, and an intermediate portion disposed between the inlet portion and the outlet portion and connected obliquely to each of the inlet portion and outlet portion, wherein each of the inlet portion, the outlet portion, and the intermediate portion has a prismatic shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: DOSAN ENERBILITY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Young Gun Go, Hyun Soo An