Patents by Inventor Brian David Keith

Brian David Keith 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).

  • Publication number: 20250188843
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, and an airfoil with an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side and extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a mean camber line. A first thickness is defined between the pressure side and the suction side at a first location along the mean camber line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2025
    Publication date: June 12, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas William Vandeputte, Paul Hadley Vitt, Daniel Endecott Osgood, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 12228048
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, and an airfoil with an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side and extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a mean camber line. A first thickness is defined between the pressure side and the suction side at a first location along the mean camber line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas William Vandeputte, Paul Hadley Vitt, Daniel Endecott Osgood, Brian David Keith
  • Publication number: 20240167385
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, and an airfoil with an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side and extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a mean camber line. A first thickness is defined between the pressure side and the suction side at a first location along the mean camber line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas William VANDEPUTTE, Paul Hadley VITT, Daniel Endecott OSGOOD, Brian David KEITH
  • Patent number: 11952900
    Abstract: A variable guide vane assembly is provided for a turbine defining a core air flowpath. The variable guide vane assembly includes an airfoil band defining a flowpath surface and a cavity. The variable guide vane assembly further includes an airfoil including a first end extending at least partially into the cavity of the airfoil band and an opposite second end, the airfoil extending generally along an axis between the first end and the second end and being moveable generally about the axis relative to the airfoil band. The variable guide vane assembly further includes a sealing element operable to form a seal between the first end of the airfoil and the airfoil band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alexander Martin Sener, Brian David Keith, David Alan Frey, Jamil Darnell Grant
  • Patent number: 11952912
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, and an airfoil with an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side and extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a mean camber line. A first thickness is defined between the pressure side and the suction side at a first location along the mean camber line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas William Vandeputte, Paul Hadley Vitt, Daniel Endecott Osgood, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 11939880
    Abstract: A turbine engine stage includes a plurality of airfoils extending between an inner band and an outer band. Each airfoil in the plurality of airfoils can have an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side, with the outer wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. An intervening flow passage is defined between two adjacent airfoils in the plurality of airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Hadley Vitt, Matthew Brian Surprenant, Brian David Keith, Prem Venugopal, Thomas William Vandeputte
  • Publication number: 20240068370
    Abstract: A turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section, and an airfoil with an outer wall defining a pressure side and a suction side and extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge to define a mean camber line. A first thickness is defined between the pressure side and the suction side at a first location along the mean camber line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas William Vandeputte, Paul Hadley Vitt, Daniel Endecott Osgood, Brian David Keith
  • Publication number: 20230014436
    Abstract: A variable guide vane assembly is provided for a turbine defining a core air flowpath. The variable guide vane assembly includes an airfoil band defining a flowpath surface and a cavity. The variable guide vane assembly further includes an airfoil including a first end extending at least partially into the cavity of the airfoil band and an opposite second end, the airfoil extending generally along an axis between the first end and the second end and being moveable generally about the axis relative to the airfoil band. The variable guide vane assembly further includes a sealing element operable to form a seal between the first end of the airfoil and the airfoil band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Alexander Martin Sener, Brian David Keith, David Alan Frey, Jamil Darnell Grant
  • Publication number: 20210040861
    Abstract: A variable guide vane assembly is provided for a turbine defining a core air flowpath. The variable guide vane assembly includes an airfoil band defining a flowpath surface and a cavity. The variable guide vane assembly further includes an airfoil including a first end extending at least partially into the cavity of the airfoil band and an opposite second end, the airfoil extending generally along an axis between the first end and the second end and being moveable generally about the axis relative to the airfoil band. The variable guide vane assembly further includes a sealing element operable to form a seal between the first end of the airfoil and the airfoil band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander Martin Sener, Brian David Keith, David Alan Frey, Jamil Darnell Grant
  • Patent number: 10822981
    Abstract: A variable guide vane assembly is provided for a turbine defining a core air flowpath. The variable guide vane assembly includes an airfoil band defining a flowpath surface and a cavity. The variable guide vane assembly further includes an airfoil including a first end extending at least partially into the cavity of the airfoil band and an opposite second end, the airfoil extending generally along an axis between the first end and the second end and being moveable generally about the axis relative to the airfoil band. The variable guide vane assembly further includes a sealing element operable to form a seal between the first end of the airfoil and the airfoil band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alexander Martin Sener, Brian David Keith, David Alan Frey, Jamil Darnell Grant
  • Patent number: 10760426
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a flow of fluid through a nozzle assembly including a set of nozzles. The nozzles can have a set of airfoils defining a throat between the airfoils. One or more exhaust holes can be provided in the airfoils downstream of the throat. A fluid supply line can be fluidly coupled to the exhaust holes for selectively supplying a flow of fluid through the exhaust holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul Hadley Vitt, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 10344602
    Abstract: A transition duct includes fairings with transition duct flow passage and hollow fairing airfoils extending between outer and inner walls of fairings and means for smoothing pressure gradients along inner wall. One means is a contracting duct flow area of flow passage from leading edge of fairing airfoil to about 30% of fairing chord. Leading edges of fairing airfoil intersect outer walls aft of regions of high curvature of outer walls. Leading edges may curve axially aftwardly and radially into fairing airfoils and transition duct flow passage between radially outer and inner walls from radially outer and inner intersection points. Transition duct downstream second area/upstream first area may be greater than about 1.35. Turbine center frame may include outer ring coupled to central hub with struts extending through hollow airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Harjit Hura, Paul Hadley Vitt, Brian David Keith, Jonathan Ong
  • Patent number: 10329922
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling a tip of an airfoil for a gas turbine engine, includes a rib circumscribing the tip to define a tip plenum. A tip baffle partially divides the tip plenum, being spaced from the rib by a baffle slot. The rib includes a tip slot in fluid communication with the baffle slot to provide a flow of cooling fluid along the tip of the airfoil for exhausting out the tip slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Peter Frank Martinello, Stephen Mark Molter, Brian David Keith
  • Publication number: 20190128131
    Abstract: A variable guide vane assembly is provided for a turbine defining a core air flowpath. The variable guide vane assembly includes an airfoil band defining a flowpath surface and a cavity. The variable guide vane assembly further includes an airfoil including a first end extending at least partially into the cavity of the airfoil band and an opposite second end, the airfoil extending generally along an axis between the first end and the second end and being moveable generally about the axis relative to the airfoil band. The variable guide vane assembly further includes a sealing element operable to form a seal between the first end of the airfoil and the airfoil band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Alexander Martin Sener, Brian David Keith, David Alan Frey, Jamil Darnell Grant
  • Publication number: 20180355738
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a flow of fluid through a nozzle assembly including a set of nozzles. The nozzles can have a set of airfoils defining a throat between the airfoils. One or more exhaust holes can be provided in the airfoils downstream of the throat. A fluid supply line can be fluidly coupled to the exhaust holes for selectively supplying a flow of fluid through the exhaust holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Paul Hadley Vitt, Brian David Keith
  • Publication number: 20170298747
    Abstract: A transition duct includes fairings with transition duct flow passage and hollow fairing airfoils extending between outer and inner walls of fairings and means for smoothing pressure gradients along inner wall. One means is a contracting duct flow area of flow passage from leading edge of fairing airfoil to about 50% of fairing chord. Leading edges of fairing airfoil intersect outer walls aft of regions of high curvature of outer walls. Leading edges may curve axially aftwardly and radially into fairing airfoils and transition duct flow passage between radially outer and inner walls from radially outer and inner intersection points. Transition duct downstream second area/upstream first area may be greater than about 1.35. Turbine center frame may include outer ring coupled to central hub with struts extending through hollow airfoils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Harjit Hura, Paul Hadley Vitt, Brian David Keith, Jonathan Ong
  • Publication number: 20170226868
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of cooling a tip of an airfoil for a gas turbine engine, includes a rib circumscribing the tip to define a tip plenum. A tip baffle partially divides the tip plenum, being spaced from the rib by a baffle slot. The rib includes a tip slot in fluid communication with the baffle slot to provide a flow of cooling fluid along the tip of the airfoil for exhausting out the tip slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Peter Frank Martinello, Stephen Mark Molter, Brian David Keith
  • Patent number: 9222437
    Abstract: A transition duct for use in a turbine engine is provided. The transition duct includes a radially inner wall and a radially outer wall positioned about the radially inner wall defining a flow passage therebetween. The radially outer wall extends and is contoured from an upstream end to a downstream end of the transition duct. As such, the slope of the radially outer wall increases from the upstream end to a predetermined axial location and decreases from the predetermined axial location to the downstream end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph Machnaim, Brian David Keith, Scott Michael Carson
  • Patent number: 9103213
    Abstract: A turbine stage includes a row of airfoils joined to corresponding platforms to define flow passages therebetween. Each airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides and extends in chord between opposite leading and trailing edges. Each platform has a scalloped flow surface including a purge trough commencing tangentially in a blend area of the platform. The purge trough extending axially toward the suction side of the airfoil, aft of the leading edge, to channel a purge flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Chandler Barr, Brian David Keith, Gregory John Kajfasz, Prem Venugopal
  • Patent number: 9085985
    Abstract: A turbine stage includes a row of airfoils joined to corresponding platforms to define flow passages therebetween. Each airfoil includes opposite pressure and suction sides and extends in chord between opposite leading and trailing edges. At least some of the platforms have a scalloped flow surface including a bulge adjoining the pressure side and a bowl adjoining the suction side, aft of the leading edge, of the respective airfoils. The bulge is configured having a maximum height located within its respective flow passage, and wherein the bulge decreases in height in a forward and aft direction and decreases in height laterally toward the pressure side of the airfoil and toward the bowl adjoining the suction side of a next adjacent airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Chandler Barr, Brian David Keith, Gregory John Kajfasz