Patents by Inventor Andrew Grady Godfrey

Andrew Grady Godfrey has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11940152
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a forward end wall and an aft end wall. The fuel injector further includes side walls that extend between the forward end wall and the aft end wall. The forward end wall, the aft end wall, and the side walls collectively define an opening for passage of air. At least one fuel injection member is disposed within the opening and extends between the end walls. A fuel circuit is defined within the fuel injector. The fuel circuit includes an inlet plenum defined within the forward end wall of the fuel injector. The fuel circuit further includes a fuel passage that extends from, and is in fluid communication with, the inlet plenum. The fuel passage is defined within the at least one fuel injection member. The fuel passage has a cross-sectional area that varies along a length of the fuel injection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Marissa Singley Garcia, Jun Cai
  • Publication number: 20230051253
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a forward end wall and an aft end wall. The fuel injector further includes side walls that extend between the forward end wall and the aft end wall. The forward end wall, the aft end wall, and the side walls collectively define an opening for passage of air. At least one fuel injection member is disposed within the opening and extends between the end walls. A fuel circuit is defined within the fuel injector. The fuel circuit includes an inlet plenum defined within the forward end wall of the fuel injector. The fuel circuit further includes a fuel passage that extends from, and is in fluid communication with, the inlet plenum. The fuel passage is defined within the at least one fuel injection member. The fuel passage has a cross-sectional area that varies along a length of the fuel injection member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Marissa Singley Garcia, Jun Cai
  • Patent number: 11512853
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a forward end wall and an aft end wall. The fuel injector further includes side walls that extend between the forward end wall and the aft end wall. The forward end wall, the aft end wall, and the side walls collectively define an opening for passage of air. At least one fuel injection member is disposed within the opening and extends between the end walls. A fuel circuit is defined within the fuel injector. The fuel circuit includes an inlet plenum defined within the forward end wall of the fuel injector. The fuel circuit further includes a fuel passage that extends from, and is in fluid communication with, the inlet plenum. The fuel passage is defined within the at least one fuel injection member. The fuel passage has a cross-sectional area that varies along a length of the fuel injection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Marissa Singley Garcia, Jun Cai
  • Publication number: 20210404660
    Abstract: A fuel injector includes a forward end wall and an aft end wall. The fuel injector further includes side walls that extend between the forward end wall and the aft end wall. The forward end wall, the aft end wall, and the side walls collectively define an opening for passage of air. At least one fuel injection member is disposed within the opening and extends between the end walls. A fuel circuit is defined within the fuel injector. The fuel circuit includes an inlet plenum defined within the forward end wall of the fuel injector. The fuel circuit further includes a fuel passage that extends from, and is in fluid communication with, the inlet plenum. The fuel passage is defined within the at least one fuel injection member. The fuel passage has a cross-sectional area that varies along a length of the fuel injection member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Marissa Singley Garcia, Jun Cai
  • Patent number: 10851999
    Abstract: A fuel injector is provided for the radial introduction of a fuel/air mixture to a combustor. The fuel injector includes a frame having interior sides defining an opening for passage of a first fluid; at least one fuel injection body; and a conduit fitting. The at least one fuel injection body is coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, thereby defining flow paths for the first fluid. The at least one fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum, and a set of fuel injection holes are defined through an outer surface of the at least one fuel injection body. The conduit fitting is coupled to the frame and conveys fuel from a fuel supply line to the fuel plenum. Fuel and the first fluid mix in the flow paths and are delivered through the outlet to the combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jun Cai, Andrew Grady Godfrey, Richard Martin DiCintio, Seth Reynolds Hoffman, Ronnie Ray Pentecost, Jayaprakash Natarajan, Wei Zhao
  • Patent number: 10344978
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a combustor having an annularly shaped liner that at least partially defines a hot gas path of the combustor. A flow sleeve circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the liner. The flow sleeve is radially spaced from the liner to form a cooling flow annulus therebetween. A bluff body extends radially between the flow sleeve and the liner through the cooling flow annulus. A guide vane is disposed within the cooling flow annulus and extends between the flow sleeve and the liner proximate to the bluff body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Christopher Paul Willis, David William Cihlar, David Philip Porzio
  • Patent number: 10203114
    Abstract: A sleeve assembly for a combustion system is provided. The sleeve assembly includes a liner defining a combustion chamber having a flow axis and a primary combustion zone. The liner has a forward end and an aft end such that the liner circumscribes the flow axis. The sleeve assembly also includes a shell circumscribing the liner such that a cooling duct is defined between the liner and the shell. The shell includes a unisleeve having a forward end and an aft end. The aft end of the unisleeve is positioned axially upstream of the aft end of the liner, defining a gap between the aft end of the liner and the aft end of the unisleeve. The unisleeve is mounted to the liner at circumferentially spaced locations along an axial plane between the forward end and the aft end of the unisleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David William Cihlar, Jonathan Hale Kegley, Andrew Grady Godfrey, Christopher Paul Willis
  • Publication number: 20180187894
    Abstract: A fuel injector is provided for the radial introduction of a fuel/air mixture to a combustor. The fuel injector includes a frame having interior sides defining an opening for passage of a first fluid; at least one fuel injection body; and a conduit fitting. The at least one fuel injection body is coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, thereby defining flow paths for the first fluid. The at least one fuel injection body defines a fuel plenum, and a set of fuel injection holes are defined through an outer surface of the at least one fuel injection body. The conduit fitting is coupled to the frame and conveys fuel from a fuel supply line to the fuel plenum. Fuel and the first fluid mix in the flow paths and are delivered through the outlet to the combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Jun Cai, Andrew Grady Godfrey, Richard Martin DiCintio, Seth Reynolds Hoffman, Ronnie Ray Pentecost, Jayaprakash Natarajan, Wei Zhao
  • Publication number: 20170268776
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed a combustor. The combustor includes an annularly shaped liner having a downstream end that is rigidly connected to an aft frame. A flow sleeve circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the liner and is radially spaced from the liner to form a cooling flow annulus therebetween. A plurality of fuel injector assemblies is circumferentially spaced about the flow sleeve. Each fuel injector assembly extends radially through the flow sleeve and the liner. Each fuel injector assembly is rigidly connected to the flow sleeve and to the liner. An aft portion of the flow sleeve terminates axially short of the aft frame to form an axial gap between the aft end and the aft frame to allow for unrestrained axial expansion and contraction of the aft end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Willis, David William Cihlar, Jonathan Hale Kegley, Andrew Grady Godfrey, David Philip Porzio
  • Publication number: 20170268779
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a combustor having an annularly shaped liner that at least partially defines a hot gas path of the combustor. A flow sleeve circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the liner. The flow sleeve is radially spaced from the liner to form a cooling flow annulus therebetween. A bluff body extends radially between the flow sleeve and the liner through the cooling flow annulus. A guide vane is disposed within the cooling flow annulus and extends between the flow sleeve and the liner proximate to the bluff body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Grady Godfrey, Christopher Paul Willis, David William Cihlar, David Philip Porzio
  • Publication number: 20170254537
    Abstract: A sleeve assembly for a combustion system is provided. The sleeve assembly includes a liner defining a combustion chamber having a flow axis and a primary combustion zone. The liner has a forward end and an aft end such that the liner circumscribes the flow axis. The sleeve assembly also includes a shell circumscribing the liner such that a cooling duct is defined between the liner and the shell. The shell includes a unisleeve having a forward end and an aft end. The aft end of the unisleeve is positioned axially upstream of the aft end of the liner, defining a gap between the aft end of the liner and the aft end of the unisleeve. The unisleeve is mounted to the liner at circumferentially spaced locations along an axial plane between the forward end and the aft end of the unisleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: David William Cihlar, Jonathan Hale Kegley, Andrew Grady Godfrey, Christopher Paul Willis
  • Publication number: 20130074505
    Abstract: A system includes a gas turbine combustor. The gas turbine combustor includes a combustion liner disposed about a combustion region and a sleeve disposed about the combustion liner. The combustion liner and the sleeve define an airflow passage circumferentially about the liner. The gas turbine combustor also includes multiple axial injectors configured to direct an airflow into the airflow passage in an axial direction facilitating a momentum exchange between an injection flow and a crossflow from an upstream portion of the combustor. The multiple axial injectors are asymmetrically configured to provide an uniform injection of the airflow circumferentially about an axis of the gas turbine combustor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Kaylor Toronto, Carolyn Ashley Antoniono, Andrew Grady Godfrey