Patents by Inventor Brian Denver Potter

Brian Denver Potter 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: 20240035384
    Abstract: A vibration dampening system includes a vibration dampening element for a turbine nozzle or blade. A body opening extends through the turbine nozzle or blade, e.g., through the airfoil among potentially other parts of the nozzle or blade. A vibration dampening element includes a plurality of stacked damper pins within the body opening. The damper pins include an outer body having an inner opening, a first end surface and an opposing second end surface; and an inner body nested and movable within the inner opening of the outer body. The end surfaces frictionally engage to dampen vibration. The inner body has a first central opening including a first portion configured to engage an elongated body therein and an outer surface configured to frictionally engage a portion of the inner opening of the outer body to dampen vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, Brad Wilson VanTassel, Brian Denver Potter, John McConnell Delvaux
  • Publication number: 20240035387
    Abstract: A vibration damping system includes a vibration damping element for a turbine nozzle or blade. A body opening extends through the turbine nozzle or blade between the tip end and the base end thereof, e.g., through the airfoil among potentially other parts of the nozzle or blade. A vibration damping element includes a plurality of stacked plate members within the body opening. Each plate member is in surface contact with at least one adjacent plate member to cause friction that dampens vibration of the nozzle or blade. The body opening has an inner dimension, and each plate member has an outer dimension sized to frictionally engage the inner dimension of the body opening to damp vibration. Plate members may each include a central opening therein, and a fixed elongated body or cable may extend through the central openings. The damping element may alternatively include a helical metal ribbon spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Zachary John Snider, John McConnell Delvaux, James Tyson Balkcum, III, Brian Denver Potter
  • Patent number: 11248475
    Abstract: Damper stacks, rotor blades, and turbomachines are provided. A rotor blade includes a main body including a shank and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the shank. The rotor blade further includes a platform surrounding the main body, the platform comprising a slash face. The rotor blade further includes a damper stack disposed at the slash face and extending generally along an axial direction. The damper stack includes a plurality of damper pins, each of the plurality of damper pins being in contact with a neighboring damper pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Wondrasek, Brian Denver Potter, Robert Alan Brittingham
  • Patent number: 11187089
    Abstract: Damper stacks, rotor blades, and turbomachines are provided. A rotor blade includes a main body including a shank and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the shank. The rotor blade further includes a damping passage defined in the main body, the damping passage extending radially through the main body. The rotor blade further includes a damper stack disposed within the damping passage, the damper stack including a plurality of damper pins, each of the plurality of damper pins in contact with a neighboring damper pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Wondrasek, Brian Denver Potter, Robert Alan Brittingham
  • Patent number: 11092018
    Abstract: Damping members for turbocharger assemblies, methods for providing turbocharger assemblies, and turbocharger assemblies are described herein. The damping members include bodies having shapes to fit between a recess extending into a rotor disk of a turbocharger and laterally protruding shoulders of platforms in neighboring blades of the turbocharger. The bodies dampen vibrations of the blades during rotation of the blades. The damping members may include a variety of shapes, such as a sheet, a wedge, a tapered pin, a cylindrical pin, a bent sheet, or another shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Suryarghya Chakrabarti, Yashwanth Tummala, Letian Wang, Walter John Smith, Daniel Edward Loringer, Brian Denver Potter, Matthew John Malone
  • Publication number: 20210172325
    Abstract: Damper stacks, rotor blades, and turbomachines are provided. A rotor blade includes a main body including a shank and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the shank. The rotor blade further includes a damping passage defined in the main body, the damping passage extending radially through the main body. The rotor blade further includes a damper stack disposed within the damping passage, the damper stack including a plurality of damper pins, each of the plurality of damper pins in contact with a neighboring damper pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Wondrasek, Brian Denver Potter, Robert Alan Brittingham
  • Publication number: 20210172326
    Abstract: Damper stacks, rotor blades, and turbomachines are provided. A rotor blade includes a main body including a shank and an airfoil extending radially outwardly from the shank. The rotor blade further includes a platform surrounding the main body, the platform comprising a slash face. The rotor blade further includes a damper stack disposed at the slash face and extending generally along an axial direction. The damper stack includes a plurality of damper pins, each of the plurality of damper pins being in contact with a neighboring damper pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Anthony Wondrasek, Brian Denver Potter, Robert Alan Brittingham
  • Patent number: 10577940
    Abstract: A rotor blade for a turbomachine includes an airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root, and a tip. The airfoil defines a chord extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge and a span extending from the root to the tip. A first particle-filled damper is positioned within the airfoil between fifty percent of the chord and one hundred percent of the chord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Frank Hoskin, Robert Alan Brittingham, Brian Denver Potter, Daniel Jason Erno, John McConnell Delvaux
  • Patent number: 10443408
    Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor shaft includes a first end portion that is axially aligned with and axially spaced from a second end portion and a retention pin that is coaxially aligned with and disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion. The retention pin couples the first end portion to the second end portion. The damper pin further includes a plurality of rings coaxially aligned with and disposed along the retention pin between the first end portion and the second end portion. The first end portion, the second end portion and the plurality of rings define a generally arcuate outer surface of the damper pin that is configured to contact with a groove defined between the adjacent turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Brian Denver Potter, Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala
  • Patent number: 10385701
    Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor shaft includes a first end portion that is axially spaced from a second end portion and a spring member that extends axially from an inner surface of the first end portion to an inner surface of the second end portion. The first end portion, the spring member and the second end portion define a generally arcuate top portion of the damper pin. The top portion is configured to contact with a groove defined between the adjacent turbine blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Brian Denver Potter, Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala
  • Patent number: 10267156
    Abstract: A turbine bucket assembly and turbine system are disclosed. The turbine bucket assembly includes a single-lobe joint having an integral platform, the joint having a first axial length; a segmented airfoil having a root segment extending radially outward from the platform and a tip segment coupled to the root segment, the tip segment having a second axial length, which is less than the first axial length; and a turbine wheel defining a receptacle with a geometry corresponding to the single-lobe joint and being coupled to the single-lobe joint. The tip segment includes a tip segment material, the root segment includes a root segment material, and the turbine wheel includes a turbine wheel material, the root segment material and the turbine wheel material having a lower heat resistance and a higher thermal expansion than the tip segment material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dwight Eric Davidson, Michael David McDufford, Brian Denver Potter, Stephen Joseph Balsone, Stephen Paul Wassynger
  • Publication number: 20180216469
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a rotor blade for a turbomachine. The rotor blade includes an airfoil having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root, and a tip. The airfoil defines a chord extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge and a span extending from the root to the tip. A first particle-filled damper is positioned within the airfoil between fifty percent of the chord and one hundred percent of the chord.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Frank Hoskin, Robert Alan Brittingham, Brian Denver Potter, Daniel Jason Erno, John McConnell Delvaux
  • Patent number: 9995149
    Abstract: A turbine blade having an airfoil defined by a concave shaped pressure side outer wall and a convex shaped suction side outer wall that connect along leading and trailing edges and, therebetween, form a radially extending chamber for receiving the flow of a coolant. The turbine blade may further include a rib configuration that partitions the chamber into radially extending flow passages. The rib configuration may include a camber line rib having a wavy profile. The wavy profile may include at least one back-and-forth ā€œSā€ shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Thomas Foster, Lisa Anne Wichmann, Brian Denver Potter, Aaron Ezekiel Smith
  • Patent number: 9879547
    Abstract: A turbine blade that includes an airfoil and a radially extending chamber therein for a coolant. The turbine blade may also include a rib configuration that partitions the chamber into radially extending flow passages. The rib configuration may include: a camber line rib that defines a near-wall flow chamber; and traverse ribs extending between the camber line rib and one of the outer walls so to divide the near-wall flow chamber into successively stacked flow passages that each include a segment of the camber line rib. The segment of the camber line rib of one of the flow passages may have a narrowing profile that includes a profile that narrows from opposing ends toward a neck disposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brian Denver Potter, Gregory Thomas Foster
  • Publication number: 20170130587
    Abstract: A system includes a turbine airfoil configured to be disposed in a turbine. The airfoil includes a suction side, a pressure side, and a first protrusion disposed on the suction side, a second protrusion disposed on the pressure side, or both. The suction side extends between a leading edge of the turbine airfoil and a trailing edge of the turbine airfoil in an axial direction and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the turbine airfoil, and extends a height of the turbine airfoil in a radial direction along the longitudinal axis. The pressure side is disposed opposite the suction side and extends between the leading edge of the turbine airfoil and the trailing edge of the turbine airfoil in the axial direction, and extends the height of the airfoil in the radial direction. The first protrusion is disposed on the suction side of the turbine airfoil and protrudes relative to the other portion of the suction side in a first direction transverse to both the radial and axial directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventors: Soumyik Kumar Bhaumik, Brian Denver Potter, Rohit Chouhan, Georgia Fleming Brunt
  • Publication number: 20170067348
    Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor shaft includes a first end portion that is axially spaced from a second end portion and a spring member that extends axially from an inner surface of the first end portion to an inner surface of the second end portion. The first end portion, the spring member and the second end portion define a generally arcuate top portion of the damper pin. The top portion is configured to contact with a groove defined between the adjacent turbine blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Brian Denver Potter, Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala
  • Publication number: 20170067350
    Abstract: A damper pin for damping adjacent turbine blades coupled to a rotor shaft includes a first end portion that is axially aligned with and axially spaced from a second end portion and a retention pin that is coaxially aligned with and disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion. The retention pin couples the first end portion to the second end portion. The damper pin further includes a plurality of rings coaxially aligned with and disposed along the retention pin between the first end portion and the second end portion. The first end portion, the second end portion and the plurality of rings define a generally arcuate outer surface of the damper pin that is configured to contact with a groove defined between the adjacent turbine blades.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Spencer A. Kareff, Brian Denver Potter, Ariel Caesar Prepena Jacala
  • Publication number: 20170037734
    Abstract: Damping members for turbocharger assemblies, methods for providing turbocharger assemblies, and turbocharger assemblies are described herein. The damping members include bodies having shapes to fit between a recess extending into a rotor disk of a turbocharger and laterally protruding shoulders of platforms in neighboring blades of the turbocharger. The bodies dampen vibrations of the blades during rotation of the blades. The damping members may include a variety of shapes, such as a sheet, a wedge, a tapered pin, a cylindrical pin, a bent sheet, or another shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Suryarghya Chakrabarti, Yashwanth Tummala, Letian Wang, Walter John Smith, Daniel Edward Loringer, Brian Denver Potter, Matthew John Malone
  • Patent number: 9540940
    Abstract: A system includes a multi-stage turbine. The multi-stage turbine has an interstage seal extending axially between a first turbine stage and a second turbine stage. The interstage seal has an upper body that extends from an upstream seating arm to a downstream seating arm. The upstream and downstream seating arms are designed to constrain movement of the interstage seal along a radial direction of the multi-stage turbine. The interstage seal also has a lower body that extends from a seating end to a hook end. The seating end is designed to constrain movement of the interstage seal along the radial direction. The hook end has a protrusion that extends crosswise relative to a base of the lower body. The hook end is designed to constrain movement of the interstage seal along the radial direction and an axial direction of the multi-stage turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gary Charles Liotta, Brian Denver Potter
  • Patent number: 9528376
    Abstract: A compressor fairing segment includes a body having an upstream surface, a downstream surface, and opposing side surfaces between the upstream and downstream surfaces. A first detent on the upstream surface is shaped to conform to a first complementary fitting inside a compressor. A second detent on the downstream surface shaped to conform to a second complementary fitting inside the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nathan Stafford Race, Brian Denver Potter