Patents by Inventor Byron Andrew Pritchard

Byron Andrew Pritchard 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: 20200248583
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure include a meta-stable detergent based foam generating device of a turbine cleaning system includes a manifold configured to receive a liquid detergent and an expansion gas, a gas supply source configured to store the expansion gas, and one or more aerators fluidly coupled with, and between, the gas supply source and the manifold. Each aerator of the one or more aerators comprises an orifice through which the expansion gas enters the manifold, and wherein the orifice of each aerator is sized to enable generation of a meta-stable detergent based foam having bubbles with bubble diameters within a range of 10 microns (3.9×10?4 inches inches) and 5 millimeters (0.2 inches), having a half-life within a range of 5 minutes and 180 minutes, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Michael Edward Eriksen, Stephen Wilton
  • Patent number: 10731508
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems of generating flows of detergent through a turbine engine to effectuate cleaning of components thereof. The methods include introducing a foamed, acid-including detergent with a pH range of between 2 and 7 into a gas flowpath of the turbine engine. The methods also include creating a pressure differential in an aft portion of the gas flowpath with respect to a forward portion of the gas flowpath to generate a flow of the detergent therethrough. The methods further include creating a pressure differential in a forward portion of the gas flowpath with respect to an aft portion of the gas flowpath to generate a counterflow of the detergent therethrough. The flow and counterflow of the detergent through the gas flowpath interact with components of the turbine engine having foreign material thereon to at least partially remove the foreign material therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Keith Anthony Lauria, Michael Edward Eriksen
  • Patent number: 10724437
    Abstract: A particle separator system for use with a turbomachine is provided. The particle separator system includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a main separator body extending between the first and second ends, the main separator body including at least one step configured to cause a fluid flow to turn up to 180 degrees, and at least one transversely oriented cyclone separator disposed within the main separator body and defining at least one of a swirling cylinder, a bent cylinder, and a conical volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Satoshi Atsuchi, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Corey Bourassa, Erich Alois Krammer
  • Publication number: 20200224552
    Abstract: A method of repairing a component of a gas turbine engine in situ, wherein the component includes a deposit, includes directing a flow of gas, which may be an oxygen-containing gas, to the deposit of the component; and heating the component including the deposit while the component is installed in the gas turbine engine and for a duration sufficient to substantially remove the deposit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Robert Millhaem, Andrew Crispin Graham, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., David Scott Diwinsky, Jeremy Clyde Bailey, Michael Edward Eriksen, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 10690055
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine components are provided which utilize an insert to provide cooling air along a cooled surface of an engine component. The insert provides cooling holes or apertures which face the cool side surface of the engine component and direct cooling air onto that cool side surface. The apertures may be formed in arrays and directed at an oblique or a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the insert and may be at an angle to the surface of the engine component being cooled. An engine component assembly is provided with counterflow impingement cooling, comprising an engine component cooling surface having a cooling fluid flow path on one side and a second component adjacent to the first component. The second component may have a plurality of openings forming an array wherein the openings extend through the second component at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Curtis Walton Stover, Jonathan Michael Rausch, Satoshi Atsuchi, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Robert David Briggs, Ronald Scott Bunker, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Michael Alan Meade, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Robert Proctor
  • Patent number: 10692388
    Abstract: Provided is an engine health management system and method for determining health of an engine of an aircraft, that includes a data source interface which transmits data from internal and external data sources, a control module that includes a processor and a memory and receives data via the data source interface, creates evaluation methods for evaluating the data received to determine suitable data and storing the suitable data within the memory, and creates a controlled historical airport information repository to process historical data via the processor and generate airport information reports based on the historical data. The system also includes a central computing system communicatively coupled with the control module and the data source interface, which performs data enhancement techniques including linking environmental counts and accumulations with engine data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Scott Kessie, Michael H. Fisher, Daniel Maggard, Byron Andrew Pritchard
  • Publication number: 20200193846
    Abstract: Provided is an engine health management system and method for determining health of an engine of an aircraft, that includes a data source interface which transmits data from internal and external data sources, a control module that includes a processor and a memory and receives data via the data source interface, creates evaluation methods for evaluating the data received to determine suitable data and storing the suitable data within the memory, and creates a controlled historical airport information repository to process historical data via the processor and generate airport information reports based on the historical data. The system also includes a central computing system communicatively coupled with the control module and the data source interface, which performs data enhancement techniques including linking environmental counts and accumulations with engine data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Scott Kessie, Michael H. Fisher, Daniel Maggard, Byron Andrew Pritchard
  • Publication number: 20200141325
    Abstract: A vapor-based system and method for treating one or more components of a gas turbine engine. The system includes a treatment compound contained in a storage vessel. The storage vessel being operably coupled to a delivery module. The delivery module delivering the treatment compound at one or more locations of the gas turbine engine such that the treatment compound is a vapor when exposed to an engine air-path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Liangde Xie, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Matthew Charles Sabo
  • Patent number: 10612465
    Abstract: A particle separator for a turbomachine includes a first portion including a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The turbomachine includes a first wall and a second wall defining a primary fluid passage. The first wall further defines an auxiliary fluid passage. The first end is coupled to the first wall. The second end extends from the first wall into the at least one primary fluid passage and extends in a direction defined by the fluid flow through the primary fluid passage. The second end and the first wall define a fluid diversion passage coupled in flow communication with the primary fluid passage and the auxiliary fluid passage. The fluid diversion passage is configured to divert fluid from the primary fluid passage to the auxiliary fluid passage in a direction at least partially opposed to the fluid flow through the primary fluid passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Satoshi Atsuchi, Erich Alois Krammer, Corey Bourassa, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Mehmet Dede
  • Patent number: 10569309
    Abstract: A cleaning system and method uses a tank holding a fluid detergent and an equipment assembly formed from a plurality of discrete components joined together. One or more ultrasound transducers remove one or more deposits on the equipment assembly by generating and propagating high frequency ultrasound waves into the fluid detergent while the equipment assembly is in contact with the fluid detergent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Nicole Tibbetts, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Sean Robert Keith, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Brian Kalb, Evan Jarrett Dolley, Andrew James Jenkins, Alistair Searing, Stephen Francis Rutkowski
  • Publication number: 20200009620
    Abstract: A cleaning system and method uses a tank holding a fluid detergent and an equipment assembly formed from a plurality of discrete components joined together. One or more ultrasound transducers remove one or more deposits on the equipment assembly by generating and propagating high frequency ultrasound waves into the fluid detergent while the equipment assembly is in contact with the fluid detergent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Nicole Tibbetts, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Sean Robert Keith, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Brian Kalb, Evan Jarrett Dolley, Andrew James Jenkins, Alistair Searing, Stephen Francis Rutkowski
  • Publication number: 20190367190
    Abstract: A control system includes one or more processors configured to determine when to extend a life span of an engine by applying an additional restorative coating to the engine based on one or more monitored parameters of the engine. The monitored parameters include a condition of a previously applied restorative coating. The one or more processors are configured to determine the condition of the previously applied restorative coating based on an optical response of the previously applied restorative coating. The one or more processors also are configured to direct application of the additional restorative coating based on the one or more monitored parameters of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Shankar Sivaramakrishnan, Larry Steven Rosenzweig, Mehmet M. Dede, Hrishikesh Keshavan, Ambarish J. Kulkarni, Margeaux Wallace
  • Patent number: 10428683
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for in-situ cleaning one or more components of a gas turbine engine using an abrasive gel detergent. More specifically, the gel detergent includes a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in a gel composition. Further, the abrasive particles include organic material. Moreover, the gel composition is formed of a mixture of detergent particles dissolved in a gel reactant. Thus, the method includes injecting the gel detergent into at least a portion of the gas turbine engine at a predetermined pressure. In addition, the method includes allowing the gel detergent to flow across or within one or more of the components of the gas turbine engine so as to clean one or more of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Edward Eriksen, David E. Caldwell, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10364701
    Abstract: A coated component, along with methods of its formation, restoration, and use, is provided. The coated component may include a substrate defining a surface; a thermal barrier coating on the surface of the substrate; a layer of environmental contaminant compositions (e.g., CMAS) on the thermal barrier coating; and a chemical barrier coating on the layer of environmental contaminant compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hrishikesh Keshavan, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Shankar Sivaramakrishnan, Julie Marie Chapman, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Mehmet M. Dede, Larry Steven Rosenzweig
  • Publication number: 20190211696
    Abstract: A coated component including a slotted ceramic coating with a reactive phase coating disposed thereon for improved resistance to environmental contaminant compositions, along with methods of its formation, is provided. The coated component may include a substrate defining a surface, a ceramic coating disposed on the surface of the substrate, and a reactive phase coating disposed on the layer of environmental contaminant compositions. The ceramic coating includes a plurality of slots disposed in the ceramic coating forming segments of ceramic coating material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Hrishikesh Keshavan, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Cathleen Ann Hoel, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Michael Solomon Idelchik, Bernard Patrick Bewlay
  • Publication number: 20190203610
    Abstract: A turbine system includes a foam generating assembly having an in situ foam generating device at least partially positioned within the fluid passageway of the turbine engine, such that the in situ foam generating device is configured to generate foam within the fluid passageway of the turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventors: Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Michael Edward Eriksen, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts
  • Patent number: 10323539
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for in-situ (e.g. on-wing) cleaning of gas turbine engine components. The method includes injecting a dry cleaning medium into the gas turbine engine at one or more locations. The dry cleaning medium includes a plurality of abrasive microparticles. Thus, the method also includes circulating the dry cleaning medium through at least a portion of the gas turbine engine such that the abrasive microparticles abrade a surface of the one or more components so as to clean the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Brian Alan Kalb, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190153890
    Abstract: A wash system for a gas turbine engine includes a foam generating device configured for receiving and aerating a flow of wash fluid to generate a flow of foamed wash fluid having particular foam characteristics. The flow of foamed wash fluid passes through a distribution manifold where it is selectively directed through a plurality of wash lines to desired portions of the gas turbine engine. The wash system further includes a controller configured for manipulating the foam characteristics of the flow of foamed wash fluid and using the distribution manifold to selectively direct the flow of foamed wash fluid to desired portions of the gas turbine engine for optimal cleaning and improved engine efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Edward Eriksen, Keith Anthony Lauria, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., David Geoffrey Dauenhauer, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts
  • Publication number: 20190107005
    Abstract: A turbine engine cleaning system includes a foaming nozzle. The foaming nozzle includes a wall having a thickness between an outer surface of the wall and an inner surface of the wall. The outer surface of the wall is configured to contact a detergent in which the foaming nozzle is configured to be disposed. The inner surface of the wall surrounds an inner plenum of the foaming nozzle, and the inner plenum is configured to receive an aerating gas. The foaming nozzle also includes a first row of first through holes fluidly coupled to, and extending between, a first row of first through hole inlets at the inner surface of the wall and a first row of first through hole outlets at the outer surface of the wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Keith Anthony Lauria, Michael Edward Eriksen, Nicole Jessica Tibbetts, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Shantanu M. Sane
  • Publication number: 20190078515
    Abstract: A particle separator includes a separator body in a primary fluid passageway of a machine. The primary fluid passageway includes one or more bleed holes through which a diverted portion of the fluid flowing in the primary fluid passageway toward a volume of the machine is diverted into an auxiliary flow passageway that bypasses the volume and directs the diverted portion of the fluid toward one or more other components of the machine. The separator body is coupled with the inner wall and/or outer wall of the primary fluid passageway. The separator body includes an upstream edge positioned to separate at least some particles carried by the fluid from the fluid as the diverted portion of the fluid bends around and flows over the at least one upstream edge of the separator body and into the auxiliary flow passageway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Satoshi Atsuchi, Corey Bourassa, James R. Noel, Erich Alois Krammer, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Mehmet Dede