Patents Examined by Steven Sutherland
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Patent number: 9869473Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor conical-flat heat shield includes an annular conical section extending upstream from and being integral with a flat section with a flat downstream facing surface which may be generally perpendicular to or canted with respect to a centerline. The flat section includes radially outer and inner edges at least one of which is circular and circumscribed about a centerline and circumferentially spaced apart clockwise and counter-clockwise radial edges having an origin on the centerline. A gas turbine engine combustor includes conical-flat heat shields in one or more circular rows arranged in a non-symmetrical or asymmetrical pattern. Two or more groups (A, B, C) of the conical-flat heat shields in the circular rows may be mounted on a domeplate and one or more of the conical-flat heat shields is different in one or more of the groups (A, B, C).Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2015Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ahmed Mostafa Elkady, Allen Michael Danis, Eric Matthew Roberson, Mark Anthony Mueller, George Moertle, Shui-chi Li
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Patent number: 9863319Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core engine that has a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. A thermal management system is configured to receive a cooling stream. The thermal management system includes a metering device that is located near an outer diameter of the core engine. The metering device is configured to divide the cooling stream into multiple segregated passages. The metering device can be configured to divide the cooling stream between a first passage and a second passage that is concentric with the first passage.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Jorge I. Farah, Kalpendu J. Parekh
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Patent number: 9850815Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide power generation using predominantly CO2 as a working fluid. In particular, the present disclosure provides for the use of a portion of the heat of compression from a CO2 compressor as the additive heating necessary to increase the overall efficiency of a power production system and method.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: 8 Rivers Capital, LLCInventors: Rodney John Allam, Brock Alan Forrest, Jeremy Eron Fetvedt
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Patent number: 9851105Abstract: A self-cooled orifice structure that may be for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, and may further be a dilution hole structure, includes a hot side panel, a cold side panel spaced from the hot side panel, and a continuous inner wall extending between the hot and cold side panels and defining an orifice having a centerline and communicating axially through the hot and cold side panels. A plurality of end walls of the structure are in a cooling cavity that is defined in-part by the hot and cold side panels and the inner wall. Each end wall extends between and are engaged to the hot and cold side panels and are circumferentially spaced from the next adjacent end wall. A plurality of inlet apertures extend through the cold side panel and are in fluid communication with the cavity, and each one of the plurality of inlet apertures are proximate to a first side of a respective one of the plurality of end walls.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Tracy A. Propheter-Hinckley, Dominic J. Mongillo, Joel H. Wagner, Mark F. Zelesky, Stanislav Kostka, Timothy S. Snyder
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Patent number: 9851106Abstract: A fuel injector for injecting fuel in a burner of a gas turbine where the fuel injector has a body with an inner hole and a valve element which is slideably arranged inside the inner hole. The body has a fuel inlet which is formed into the body for injecting fuel into the inner hole, wherein the fuel inlet is coupleable to a fuel supply line. The body further has a first outlet channel connected to the inner hole, wherein the first outlet channel is further coupleable to a burner. The valve element has a first passage which is formed such that in a first position of the valve element inside the inner hole, the first passage connects the fuel inlet with the first outlet channel and in a second position of the valve element inside the inner hole.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Annika Lindholm, Joachim Nordin
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Patent number: 9850849Abstract: A nacelle may include a tertiary lock for a thrust reverser. The tertiary lock may comprise a locking face which prevents the thrust reverser from accidentally deploying. An actuator may be coupled to a track beam. The actuator may contact a left tertiary lock and a right tertiary lock to disengage the locks. The locks may rotate and allow the thrust reverser to deploy. A spring may bias the locks to engage when the thrust reverser returns to the stowed position.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: ROHR, INC.Inventor: Stuart Byrne
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Patent number: 9845726Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2014Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Frederick M. Schwarz, William K. Ackermann, Daniel Bernard Kupratis
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Patent number: 9835052Abstract: A gas turbine engine according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a fan, a compressor section, and a turbine section including a fan drive turbine and a second turbine. The fan drive turbine has a first exit area at a first exit point and is rotatable at a first speed. A mid-turbine frame is positioned intermediate the fan drive turbine and the second turbine, and can include a bearing support. The second turbine has a second exit area at a second exit point and is rotatable at a second speed. A first performance quantity is defined as the product of the first speed squared and the first area. A second performance quantity is defined as the product of the second speed squared and the second area.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2017Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu, William K. Ackermann, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Michael E. McCune
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Patent number: 9828943Abstract: A variable area fan nozzle comprises an actuator flap and a follower flap. The actuator flap has a portion in contact with a portion of the follower flap. A bias member biases the follower flap outwardly. An actuator actuates the actuator flap inwardly and outwardly to, in turn, move the follower flap against the bias member and to vary an area of an exhaust nozzle. The flap actuator is operable to drive the actuator flap out of contact with the follower flap into a thrust reverser position.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventor: Richard Alan Weiner
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Patent number: 9828944Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2017Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: David P. Houston, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, Frederick M. Schwarz
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Patent number: 9828916Abstract: A fuel system includes a fuel pump formed of a constant-volume pump for changing a discharge flow rate in conjunction with a variation in a speed of revolution of a drive shaft, a boost pump disposed upstream from the fuel pump and formed of a constant-volume pump of which a discharge flow rate per unit of revolution of a drive shaft is greater than that of the fuel pump, a single electric motor rotationally driving the drive shaft of the fuel pump and the drive shaft of the boost pump in a state in which the speeds of revolution thereof are equal to each other, a return flow channel connecting an upstream side and a downstream side of the boost pump, and a relief valve disposed in the return flow channel and opened when an internal pressure of the return flow channel is greater than a reference pressure.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: IHI CorporationInventor: Seiei Masuda
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Patent number: 9822981Abstract: The invention relates to a mixing arrangement for mixing a fuel with a stream of oxygen containing gas flowing along an axis in an axial channel, especially in the second combustor of a gas turbine with sequential combustion. The mixing is improved and the mixing length reduced by said mixing arrangement comprising an injector with at least one injector ring, which is passed by said stream of gas inside and outside.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2014Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Andrea Ciani, Hanspeter Knoepfel
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Patent number: 9816438Abstract: A flow guiding system for a rotary combustion engine, in particular an aircraft jet engine. The flow guiding system comprises a bypass region positioned radially around a core region, a flow scoop device for guiding a first airflow from the bypass region, at least one flow guiding device for decoupling the flow regime in a region containing a flammable fluid from a flow regime in a region with tip clearance control by at least partially guiding at least one airflow divided from the first airflow, a second airflow directed into the region containing flammable fluid, and/or a third airflow directed into a region away from the region containing flammable fluid.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2015Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KGInventors: Luis Daniel Teia Dos Santos Medes Gomes, Carlos Hannover Galindo-Lopez
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Patent number: 9816437Abstract: This is a system that stores energy by compressing atmospheric air and confining it in tanks or caverns, combining the thermodynamic cycle followed by the atmospheric air (Brayton cycle) with another thermodynamic cycle followed by an auxiliary fluid, that is confined in the same cavern within a membrane, following two sections of a Rankine cycle, one during the air compression and entry into the cavern process and the other during the air outlet and turbining process, using heat from the exhaust gases from the turbine as a heat source for an additional Rankine cycle, and being able to use the tanks or caverns for making an extra constant volume heating of compressed air and/or of the auxiliary fluid.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2013Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Prextor Systems, S.L.Inventor: Fernando Ruiz del Omo
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Patent number: 9816442Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a very high speed low pressure turbine such that a quantity defined by the exit area of the low pressure turbine multiplied by the square of the low pressure turbine rotational speed compared to the same parameters for the high pressure turbine is at a ratio between about 0.5 and about 1.5.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2014Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: United Technologies CorporationInventors: Frederick M. Schwarz, Gabriel L. Suciu, Daniel Bernard Kupratis, William K. Ackermann
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Patent number: 9810152Abstract: The invention concerns a gas turbine combustion system, including a gas turbine. The gas turbine includes at least one compressor, at least one combustion chamber for generating working gas, wherein the combustion chamber connected to receive compressed air from the compressor, at least one turbine connected to receive working gas from the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber consists of an individual can-combustor or comprising a number of can-combustors arranged in an annular can-architecture, wherein the can-combustor having at least one premixed burner. The ignition of the mixture starts at the premixed burner outlet and the flame is stabilized in the region of the premixed burner outlet by means of a backflow zone. The can-combustor comprising a number of premixed burners arranged uniformly or divided at least in two groups within the can-combustor.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2013Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: ANSALDO ENERGIA SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Franklin Marie Genin, Naresh Aluri, Jan Cerny, Adnan Eroglu, Ennio Pasqualotto
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Patent number: 9810434Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 21, 2016Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.Inventor: David J. Wiebe
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Patent number: 9814101Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 9, 2013Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Paul Broughton, Michael Christopher Willmot, Justin Sean Dalton
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Patent number: 9810178Abstract: A turbofan exhaust nozzle includes: a conical inner shell disposed coaxially inside a surrounding outer shell to define an annular flow duct therebetween terminating in an outlet at a trailing edge of the outer shell and the inner shell terminates in a trailing edge aft of the outlet; and a pylon interrupting circumferentially the duct, wherein at least a portion of the trailing edge of the outer shell is vertically non-coplanar.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2015Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Mustafa Dindar, Scott Andrew Burton, Keith Edward James Blodgett, Richard David Cedar
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Patent number: 9810156Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling mode transfers of a turbine combustor are provided. According to one embodiment, a system may include a controller to control a combustor, and a processor communicatively coupled to the controller. The processor may be configured to receive current operating conditions, target operating limits, and combustor transfer functions. The combustor transfer functions may be evaluated to estimate operating limits associated with one or more combustion modes under the current operating conditions. The estimated operating limits associated with the one or more combustor modes may be compared to the target operating limits, and, based on the comparison, at least one of the combustion modes may be selected. The combustor may then be selectively transferred to the selected combustion mode.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2012Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jason Charles Terry, Timothy Andrew Healy