Patents by Inventor Christian Thomas Wakelam

Christian Thomas Wakelam 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: 11685120
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Jens Stammberger
  • Publication number: 20220168766
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed within the chamber, and an upper gas inlet configured to supply an upper gas flow in a first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet disposed in the chamber and configured to supply a lower gas flow in a second direction toward a bottom wall of the chamber, and a flow directing system configured to receive the lower gas flow and redirect the lower gas flow in the first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes one or more gas delivery devices fluidly coupled to the upper and lower gas inlets and configured to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows and a gas outlet configured to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle
  • Patent number: 11298716
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed within the chamber, and an upper gas inlet configured to supply an upper gas flow in a first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet disposed in the chamber and configured to supply a lower gas flow in a second direction toward a bottom wall of the chamber, and a flow directing system configured to receive the lower gas flow and redirect the lower gas flow in the first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes one or more gas delivery devices fluidly coupled to the upper and lower gas inlets and configured to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows and a gas outlet configured to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle
  • Publication number: 20220072574
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Jens Stammberger
  • Patent number: 11242770
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a turbine center frame for a turbine engine through which a flow path extends. The turbine center frame can include an inner wall radially spaced from an outer wall, with the inner and outer walls extending between an inlet and an outlet, and with the outlet downstream of the inlet with respect to the flow path. A set of circumferentially-spaced airfoils can extend between the inner wall and the outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Ong, Christian Thomas Wakelam, Andreas Peters
  • Patent number: 11203027
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Jens Stammberger
  • Publication number: 20210310376
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure generally relate to a turbine center frame for a turbine engine through which a flow path extends. The turbine center frame can include an inner wall radially spaced from an outer wall, with the inner and outer walls extending between an inlet and an outlet, and with the outlet downstream of the inlet with respect to the flow path. A set of circumferentially-spaced airfoils can extend between the inner wall and the outer wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Jonathan Ong, Christian Thomas Wakelam, Andreas Peters
  • Publication number: 20200061655
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed within the chamber, and an upper gas inlet configured to supply an upper gas flow in a first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet disposed in the chamber and configured to supply a lower gas flow in a second direction toward a bottom wall of the chamber, and a flow directing system configured to receive the lower gas flow and redirect the lower gas flow in the first direction parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes one or more gas delivery devices fluidly coupled to the upper and lower gas inlets and configured to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows and a gas outlet configured to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle
  • Publication number: 20200061653
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Christian Thomas Wakelam, Rene du Cauze de Nazelle, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Jens Stammberger