Patents by Inventor Charles Lewis Davis, III

Charles Lewis Davis, III 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: 11215072
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. The feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels that pass through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel cooling slot is connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are outputs of the plenums. Two or more cooling channels and two or more microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 10982855
    Abstract: A combustor cap assembly includes a cap plate and a cover panel. The cap plate defines an outer perimeter and fuel nozzle openings disposed through the cap plate. The cap plate has a hot side, and the cover panel has a cold side, which is attached to the hot side of the cap plate. The hot side of the cap plate and/or the cold side of the cover panel define a plurality of cooling microchannels extending in a transverse direction relative to a centerline of the combustor cap assembly. A first microchannel has a first channel outlet disposed along the outer perimeter of the cap plate, and/or a second microchannel has a second channel outlet disposed within one of the plurality of fuel nozzle openings. The cover panel may be coated with a bond coat and a thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Patent number: 10822976
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly includes a first nozzle cavity, a second nozzle cavity, a rib positioned between the nozzle cavities, a rib cap positioned on the rib, a first cavity insert, and a second cavity insert. The rib cap is wider than the rib, such that the rib cap extends outwardly into those portions of the nozzle cavities immediately adjacent the rib. The first cavity insert and the second cavity insert include a longitudinal surface offset from the rib. The offset surfaces include rib cap-interface surfaces that are joined to the rib cap. A method of modifying the nozzle assembly is achieved by installing a rib cap having a width greater than that of the rib and by installing modified cavity inserts having a surface offset from the rib, and by joining rib cap-interface surfaces of the modified cavity inserts to the rib cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Frederick James Brunner
  • Patent number: 10718224
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface and radially outward of the outer sleeve so that the feed hole inlets are located to receive input from a high pressure plenum. The feed hole inlets are coupled to cooling channels that pass through the main body. Microchannels are formed in or near the radially inner facing surface and the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. Exit holes are connected to the plurality of microchannels, and the exit holes are located radially outward of the transition piece and radially inward of the outer sleeve. The exit holes are located to exhaust into the cooling annulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 10684016
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. Each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the radially inner facing surface. A plurality of microchannels are formed near the radially inner facing surface and extend at least partially along the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. A pre-sintered preform is located on the radially inner facing surface of the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Publication number: 20200103114
    Abstract: A combustor cap assembly includes a cap plate and a cover panel. The cap plate defines an outer perimeter and fuel nozzle openings disposed through the cap plate. The cap plate has a hot side, and the cover panel has a cold side, which is attached to the hot side of the cap plate. The hot side of the cap plate and/or the cold side of the cover panel define a plurality of cooling microchannels extending in a transverse direction relative to a centerline of the combustor cap assembly. A first microchannel has a first channel outlet disposed along the outer perimeter of the cap plate, and/or a second microchannel has a second channel outlet disposed within one of the plurality of fuel nozzle openings. The cover panel may be coated with a bond coat and a thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Patent number: 10577957
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface and downstream facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface, and each feed hole inlet is coupled to a cooling channel that passes through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. Plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface. Each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in a plenum. Microchannels are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel is connected to a plenum. The cooling channels are configured as inputs and the microchannels are configured as outputs of the plenums. Two or more of the cooling channels and two or more of the microchannels are connected to one plenum. Exit channels are connected to the microchannels, and exhaust flow out of an upstream facing surface of a seal slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, David Kenton Felling
  • Patent number: 10429073
    Abstract: A combustor cap module is provided with a retention system to facilitate assembly and disassembly. The combustor cap module further includes a cap face assembly having a cooling plate; a cylindrical sleeve including a connecting surface for attaching the cap face assembly to the retention assembly; and a coupling member mounted in a downstream fuel nozzle opening in the cooling plate. The retention system includes a support plate having an inner panel that defines an upstream fuel nozzle opening. The coupling member extends through the upstream fuel nozzle opening, such that its upstream end extends upstream of the support plate. A retaining ring at least partially encircles the upstream end of the coupling member and is engaged by a spring plate that is removably secured to the support plate at multiple locations. A method for assembling a combustor cap module is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Scott Robert Simmons, David Kenton Felling
  • Publication number: 20190112936
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface and radially outward of the outer sleeve so that the feed hole inlets are located to receive input from a high pressure plenum. The feed hole inlets are coupled to cooling channels that pass through the main body. Microchannels are formed in or near the radially inner facing surface and the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. Exit holes are connected to the plurality of microchannels, and the exit holes are located radially outward of the transition piece and radially inward of the outer sleeve. The exit holes are located to exhaust into the cooling annulus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Publication number: 20190112937
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface and downstream facing surface. Feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface, and each feed hole inlet is coupled to a cooling channel that passes through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. Plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface. Each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in a plenum. Microchannels are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel is connected to a plenum. The cooling channels are configured as inputs and the microchannels are configured as outputs of the plenums. Two or more of the cooling channels and two or more of the microchannels are connected to one plenum. Exit channels are connected to the microchannels, and exhaust flow out of an upstream facing surface of a seal slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, David Kenton Felling
  • Publication number: 20190113230
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece has a main body with an upstream facing surface, a downstream facing surface, a radially outer facing surface and a radially inner facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. Each of the feed hole inlets are coupled to one of a plurality of cooling channels passing through the main body towards the radially inner facing surface. A plurality of microchannels are formed near the radially inner facing surface and extend at least partially along the downstream facing surface. The cooling channels are connected to and terminate in the microchannels. A pre-sintered preform is located on the radially inner facing surface of the main body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Robert Simmons, Ronald James Chila, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Charles Lewis Davis, III
  • Publication number: 20190112943
    Abstract: An aft frame assembly for a gas turbine transition piece includes a main body having an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface. A plurality of feed hole inlets are located on the upstream facing surface. The feed hole inlets are coupled to a plurality of cooling channels that pass through the main body towards the downstream facing surface. A plurality of plenums are located in or near the downstream facing surface, and each cooling channel is connected to and terminates in one of the plenums. The cooling channels are inputs to the plenums. A plurality of microchannel cooling slots are formed in or near the downstream facing surface, and each microchannel cooling slot is connected to one of the plenums. The microchannel cooling slots are outputs of the plenums. Two or more cooling channels and two or more microchannel cooling slots are connected to one of the plenums.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Kevin Weston McMahan, Wei Chen, Scott Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 9696037
    Abstract: The present application provides a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a liner and a flow sleeve surrounding the liner with the liner and the flow sleeve defining a flow path therebetween. A liner retaining feature extends into the flow path to retain the liner within the flow sleeve. The liner retaining feature may include a bolt therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Kyle Lee Kidder, Charles Lewis Davis, III, Steven Bataille
  • Publication number: 20170176016
    Abstract: A combustor cap module is provided with a retention system to facilitate assembly and disassembly. The combustor cap module further includes a cap face assembly having a cooling plate; a cylindrical sleeve including a connecting surface for attaching the cap face assembly to the retention assembly; and a coupling member mounted in a downstream fuel nozzle opening in the cooling plate. The retention system includes a support plate having an inner panel that defines an upstream fuel nozzle opening. The coupling member extends through the upstream fuel nozzle opening, such that its upstream end extends upstream of the support plate. A retaining ring at least partially encircles the upstream end of the coupling member and is engaged by a spring plate that is removably secured to the support plate at multiple locations. A method for assembling a combustor cap module is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Scott Robert Simmons, David Kenton Felling
  • Publication number: 20160312630
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly includes a first nozzle cavity, a second nozzle cavity, a rib positioned between the nozzle cavities, a rib cap positioned on the rib, a first cavity insert, and a second cavity insert. The rib cap is wider than the rib, such that the rib cap extends outwardly into those portions of the nozzle cavities immediately adjacent the rib. The first cavity insert and the second cavity insert include a longitudinal surface offset from the rib. The offset surfaces include rib cap-interface surfaces that are joined to the rib cap. A method of modifying the nozzle assembly is achieved by installing a rib cap having a width greater than that of the rib and by installing modified cavity inserts having a surface offset from the rib, and by joining rib cap-interface surfaces of the modified cavity inserts to the rib cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Frederick James Brunner
  • Patent number: 9458731
    Abstract: The present application provides a turbine shroud cooling system for a gas turbine engine. The turbine shroud cooling system may include a number of variable area cooling shrouds with tuning pins and a number of fixed area cooling shrouds with anti-rotation pins. The variable area cooling shrouds may include modulated cooling shrouds. The fixed area shrouds may include non-modulated shrouds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Terry Howard Strout, Pawel Piotr Kolniak
  • Publication number: 20160109135
    Abstract: The present application provides a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a liner and a flow sleeve surrounding the liner with the liner and the flow sleeve defining a flow path therebetween. A liner retaining feature extends into the flow path to retain the liner within the flow sleeve. The liner retaining feature may include a bolt therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Kyle Lee Kidder, Charles Lewis Davis, III, Steven Bataille
  • Patent number: 9127557
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly includes a nozzle having a trailing edge of an outer band and an anti-rotation pin slot. Also included is a retaining ring extending circumferentially about the outer surface of the outer band, wherein the retaining ring includes an anti-rotation pin and an anti-rotation pin hole, wherein the anti-rotation pin is configured to fittingly reside in an axial orientation within the anti-rotation pin slot and the anti-rotation pin hole. Further included is a seal plate seated on the outer surface of the outer band and configured to retain the anti-rotation pin. Yet further included is a washer disposed within a bored portion of the seal plate, wherein the bored portion is aligned with an aperture within the retaining ring, wherein a mechanical fastener extends into the retaining ring through the bored portion to operably couple the seal plate to the retaining ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Ibrahim Sezer
  • Publication number: 20140356155
    Abstract: The present application provides a nozzle assembly for use in a turbine engine. The nozzle assembly may include a first nozzle cavity, a second nozzle cavity, a rib positioned between the first nozzle cavity and the second nozzle cavity, a first cavity insert with a first cavity insert configuration, a second cavity insert with a second cavity insert configuration, and a rib cap positioned on the rib. The rib cap may include a rib cap configuration such that only the first cavity insert with the first cavity insert configuration fits within the first nozzle cavity and only the second cavity insert with the second cavity insert configuration fits within the second nozzle cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Frederick James Brunner
  • Publication number: 20140271104
    Abstract: The present application provides a turbine shroud cooling system for a gas turbine engine. The turbine shroud cooling system may include a number of variable area cooling shrouds with tuning pins and a number of fixed area cooling shrouds with anti-rotation pins. The variable area cooling shrouds may include modulated cooling shrouds. The fixed area shrouds may include non-modulated shrouds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Charles Lewis Davis, III, Terry Howard Strout, Pawel Piotr Kolniak