Patents by Inventor Charalambos Polyzopoulos

Charalambos Polyzopoulos 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: 20180030841
    Abstract: A static wear seal for an interface between two components is provided. The static wear seal includes a body portion including a receptacle configured to receive an insert portion. The insert portion is disposed within the receptacle. The receptacle is formed within the body portion at a surface of the body portion known to wear due to contact with a turbine component and includes a locking means such that the insert portion is retained within the receptacle. The insert portion is configured to receive wear due to contact with the turbine component. A transition seal assembly for a gas turbine engine including at least two seals wherein one of the two seals is a static wear seal is provided as well as a method to protect a wear surface of a static wear seal sealing an interface between the turbine components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Matthew H. Lang, James M. Hurney, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Patent number: 9829106
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement for sealing between adjacent first and second exit frames each associated with a transition piece of a turbine. The arrangement includes a transition side seal having bristles that extend from a rail wherein the rail is bendable in a plurality of directions to accommodate bowing of an associated exit frame. The first exit frame includes a rail slot for receiving the rail. The second exit frame includes a bristle slot for receiving the bristles to form a seal between the first and second exit frames, wherein the bristle slot includes a bottom section. The bristles are separated from the bottom section by a bristle gap that is sized to accommodate movement of at least one transition piece to maintain a seal between the first and second exit frames or avoid damage to the bristles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, James M. Hurney
  • Patent number: 9784451
    Abstract: A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. A double-wall exit cone is mounted to the output end of the basket liner, where the exit cone includes an inner wall and an outer wall defining an exit cone channel therebetween. A splash plate is mounted to the outer wall to define a splash plate channel between the splash plate and the basket liner. A series of pairs of cooling feed holes are provided through the basket liner, where one of the feed holes in each pair provides cooling air to the cone channel and the other feed hole provides cooling air to the splash plate channel. The outer surface of the outer wall and the inner surface of the inner wall are coated with a thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Patent number: 9739160
    Abstract: An adjustable blade root spring device for turbine blade fixation in turbomachinery. The device is designed to be placed in a space in a rotor disk cavity adjacent to a tip of a blade root fir tree, where the device applies a radial outward force on the turbine blade to fix the blade position in the rotor disk. The device includes an accordion-shaped spring which is compressed by a bolt and a coil spring. When the accordion spring is compressed in length, it increases in height and makes contact with the rotor disk and the turbine blade. The force of the accordion spring on the turbine blade can be adjusted via the bolt, and the coil spring provides an increased compliance range. The device can be inserted into the space without scraping against the blade root or the rotor disk, and expanded once it is in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Kain, Mohit Gupta, Leonard J. Meyer, Ryan S. Yamane, James A. Chonody, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Publication number: 20170227228
    Abstract: A cross-flame duct (100) for connecting adjacent combustors (1, 2) together in a gas turbine to guard against flameout conditions within the combustors (1, 2), whereby the cross-flame duct (100) may include first and second ducts (102, 106) forming a slip joint to prevent stress from developing within the cross-flame duct (100) is disclosed. The cross-flame duct (100) remains flexible during turbine operation due to the slip joint, thereby preventing damaging thermal and mechanical stresses from developing within the cross-flame duct (100) and enhancing the useful life of the cross-flame duct (100) and associated components. The first and second ducts (102, 106) may also include cooling chambers (138, 156, 174) positioned between outer sleeves (122, 140) and inner housings (128, 146) and maintained with one or more standoffs (134, 152, 170) to reduce thermal stress and gradients or prevent material loss due to overheating or burning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Daniel W. Garan, Richard L. Thackway, David P. Holzapfel, Stephen A. Ramier, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Kevin J. Spence, Joseph Scott Markovitz
  • Publication number: 20170211810
    Abstract: A multi-functional fuel nozzle (10) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. A nozzle cap (50) may be disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. A heat shield (60) is mounted onto the nozzle cap. A plurality of cooling channels (62) is arranged between a forward face of the nozzle cap and a corresponding back side of the heat shield. The plurality of cooling channels may be arranged to discharge cooling air over a forward face of an atomizer assembly in the multi-functional fuel nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Stephen A. Ramier, Vinayak V. Barve, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Publication number: 20170211805
    Abstract: A nozzle cap (82) is disposed at a downstream end of the nozzle. The nozzle cap includes a bore arranged to accommodate a downstream portion of a fluid-injecting lance that extends along a longitudinal axis (18) of the nozzle. The downstream portion of the fluid-injecting lance includes a centrally-located atomizer (80) to form a first atomized ejection cone. An array of atomizers (84) is disposed in the nozzle cap. The array of atomizers is circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis of the lance. The array of atomizers may be positioned radially outwardly relative to the centrally-located atomizer to form an array of respective second atomized ejection cones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stephen A. Ramier, Vinayak V. Barve, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Khalil Farid Abou-Jaoude
  • Publication number: 20170204785
    Abstract: A multi-functional fuel nozzle (10) for a combustion turbine engine is provided. An annular fuel-injecting lance (12) may include a first fluid circuit (14) and a second fluid circuit (16). One of the first and second fluid circuits during a liquid fuel operating mode of the combustion turbine engine may convey a liquid fuel. The other of the first and second fluid circuits may convey a selectable non-fuel fluid. An atomizer (30) is disposed at the downstream end of the lance. The atomizer may have a first ejection orifice (32) responsive to the first fluid circuit to form a first atomized ejection cone (34), and a second ejection orifice (36) responsive to the second fluid circuit to form a second atomized ejection cone (38). The first and second ejection cones (34, 38) formed with the atomizer may be concentric cones that intersect with one another over a predefined angular range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Applicant: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Stephen A. Ramier, Vinayak V. Barve, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Khalil Farid Abou-Jaoude
  • Publication number: 20170198912
    Abstract: Can-annular burners for gas turbine engines with flow conditioners having locally varying, asymmetrical patterns of circumferential perforations, to promote uniform fuel-air mixture among all premixers in the burner basket. Any one or more of the perforation pattern, pattern density, perforation profiles and perforation cross sectional area is locally varied to alter circumferential airflow into the burner basket, which in turn mitigates non-uniform thru-flow variations across the burner's air inlet plane. In some embodiments, the flow conditioner asymmetric perforation patterns are tailored for individual burner locations within the engine's combustor section annular ring, which mitigates non-uniform thru-flow variation among different respective burners in the combustor section annular ring. Thru-flow uniformity within each burner and among all the combustor section burners promotes uniform engine combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, James M. Hurney
  • Publication number: 20170167729
    Abstract: A hot gas path cooling system (10) for a combustor of a gas turbine engine, whereby the cooling system (10) is positioned within a combustor basket (18) is disclosed. The cooling system (10) may include a platefin cooling system (24) formed from a platefin member (26) positioned radially inward from an outer wall (28) forming a combustor basket (18). At least first and second cooling circuits (34, 36) may be formed between the platefin member (26) and the combustor basket (18) and may be separated from each other by a first rib section (38). The second cooling circuit (36), thus, may be positioned downstream from the first cooling circuit (34) and may receive fresh cooling fluid through one or more inlets (52), not from the first cooling circuit (34). As such, the downstream second cooling circuit (36) may be cooled similarly to the first cooling circuit (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Publication number: 20170030267
    Abstract: A sealing arrangement for sealing between adjacent first and second exit frames each associated with a transition piece of a turbine. The arrangement includes a transition side seal having bristles that extend from a rail wherein the rail is bendable in a plurality of directions to accommodate bowing of an associated exit frame. The first exit frame includes a rail slot for receiving the rail. The second exit frame includes a bristle slot for receiving the bristles to form a seal between the first and second exit frames, wherein the bristle slot includes a bottom section. The bristles are separated from the bottom section by a bristle gap that is sized to accommodate movement of at least one transition piece to maintain a seal between the first and second exit frames or avoid damage to the bristles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, James M. Hurney
  • Publication number: 20160356496
    Abstract: A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. An integrated exit cone and splash plate member is affixed to the output end of the basket liner and includes a base portion, an exit cone portion and a splash plate portion. The base portion includes an annular cooling channel that receives a cooling air flow and the exit cone portion and the splash plate portion each include an array of cooling feed holes in fluid communication with the cooling channel. The spacing between the feed holes and the size of the feed holes can be optimized to provide more cooling for hotter regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos, JR., James M. Hurney
  • Publication number: 20160348911
    Abstract: An improved combustion section for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. A fuel nozzle includes new features which provide improved injection patterns of oil fuel and cooling water, resulting in better control of combustion gas temperature and NOx emissions, and eliminated impingement of cooling water on walls of the combustor. A new combustor includes a plate-fin design which provides improved cooling, while the combustor also makes more efficient use of available cooling air and has an improved component life. A new transition component has a smoother shape which reduces stagnation of combustion gas flow and impingement of combustion gas on transition component walls, improved materials and localized thickness increases for better durability, and improved cooling features for more efficient usage of cooling air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Richard L. Thackway, Stephen A. Ramier, Vinayak V. Barve, Khalil Farid Abou-Jaoude, Daniel W. Garan, David P. Holzapfel, Kevin J. Spence, Joseph Scott Markovitz, Blake R. Cotten, Urmi B. Dave, Vaidyanathan Krishnan, Michael C. Escandon
  • Patent number: 9453424
    Abstract: Effusion cooling holes formed through a transition component provided in a combustion section of a gas turbine engine. The transition component directs a hot working gas from a combustion basket to a first row of vanes in a turbine section of the engine. The effusion cooling holes are formed through an outer wall of the transition component in a direction so that the flow of air through the effusion holes is in a direction substantially opposite to the bulk flow direction of the working gas through the transition component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Blake R. Cotten, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Publication number: 20160116167
    Abstract: A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. A double-wall exit cone is mounted to the output end of the basket liner, where the exit cone includes an inner wall and an outer wall defining an exit cone channel therebetween. A splash plate is mounted to the outer wall to define a splash plate channel between the splash plate and the basket liner. A series of pairs of cooling feed holes are provided through the basket liner, where one of the feed holes in each pair provides cooling air to the cone channel and the other feed hole provides cooling air to the splash plate channel. The outer surface of the outer wall and the inner surface of the inner wall are coated with a thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Publication number: 20150330235
    Abstract: An adjustable blade root spring device for turbine blade fixation in turbomachinery. The device is designed to be placed in a space in a rotor disk cavity adjacent to a tip of a blade root, where the device applies a radial outward force on the turbine blade to fix the blade position in the rotor disk. The device includes a wave spring with integral end blocks which is compressed by a bolt and a coil spring. When the wave spring is compressed in length, it increases in height and makes contact with the rotor disk and the turbine blade. The force of the wave spring on the turbine blade can be adjusted via the bolt, and the coil spring provides an increased compliance range. The body of the device has an oblong cross-sectional shape, thereby preventing rotation of the device in the space between the blade and the disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Charalambos Polyzopoulos, Mohit Gupta, Robert Hudson, Erica Holden, David Myers
  • Publication number: 20150110635
    Abstract: An adjustable blade root spring device for turbine blade fixation in turbomachinery. The device is designed to be placed in a space in a rotor disk cavity adjacent to a tip of a blade root fir tree, where the device applies a radial outward force on the turbine blade to fix the blade position in the rotor disk. The device includes an accordion-shaped spring which is compressed by a bolt and a coil spring. When the accordion spring is compressed in length, it increases in height and makes contact with the rotor disk and the turbine blade. The force of the accordion spring on the turbine blade can be adjusted via the bolt, and the coil spring provides an increased compliance range. The device can be inserted into the space without scraping against the blade root or the rotor disk, and expanded once it is in position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Kain, Mohit Gupta, Leonard J. Meyer, Ryan S. Yamane, James A. Chonody, Charalambos Polyzopoulos
  • Publication number: 20150107267
    Abstract: Effusion cooling holes formed through a transition component provided in a combustion section of a gas turbine engine. The transition component directs a hot working gas from a combustion basket to a first row of vanes in a turbine section of the engine. The effusion cooling holes are formed through an outer wall of the transition component in a direction so that the flow of air through the effusion holes is in a direction substantially opposite to the bulk flow direction of the working gas through the transition component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Blake R. Cotten, Richard L. Thackway, Charalambos Polyzopoulos