Patents by Inventor Christopher Whitfield

Christopher Whitfield 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: 20240344701
    Abstract: A grommet may define a dilution hole in a combustor panel. The grommet may comprise a ridge having a stepped geometry formed about an inner diameter of the grommet, the ridge comprising a passage. The passage may comprise an outlet. The ridge may further comprise a fillet about the inner diameter of the grommet, wherein the outlet is configured to direct a cooling flow circumferentially along the fillet and fill the ridge with the cooling flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2024
    Publication date: October 17, 2024
    Applicant: RTX Corporation
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, JR., Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 12050011
    Abstract: A grommet may define a dilution hole in a combustor panel. The grommet may comprise a ridge having a stepped geometry formed about an inner diameter of the grommet, the ridge comprising a passage. The passage may comprise an outlet. The ridge may further comprise a fillet about the inner diameter of the grommet, wherein the outlet is configured to direct a cooling flow circumferentially along the fillet and fill the ridge with the cooling flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, Jr., Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Phropheter-Hinckley
  • Publication number: 20210396388
    Abstract: A grommet may define a dilution hole in a combustor panel. The grommet may comprise a ridge having a stepped geometry formed about an inner diameter of the grommet, the ridge comprising a passage. The passage may comprise an outlet. The ridge may further comprise a fillet about the inner diameter of the grommet, wherein the outlet is configured to direct a cooling flow circumferentially along the fillet and fill the ridge with the cooling flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, JR., Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Phropheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 11137140
    Abstract: A grommet may define a dilution hole in a combustor panel. The grommet may comprise a ridge having a stepped geometry formed about an inner diameter of the grommet, the ridge comprising a passage. The passage may comprise an outlet. The ridge may further comprise a fillet about the inner diameter of the grommet, wherein the outlet is configured to direct a cooling flow circumferentially along the fillet and fill the ridge with the cooling flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, Jr., Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Phropheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 11041391
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A plurality of vane cooling passages extending through a forward flange of the first vane stage to the radial inner surface for communicating cooling airflow into the core flow path forward of the leading edge. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the forward flange of the vane stage. The seal includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots and a plurality of seal cooling passages that extend from the radially outer surface to the radially inner surface at each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura, David Bitzko, Alex J. Schneider
  • Patent number: 11015464
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the first vane stage. The seal assembly includes a first plurality of openings and the first vane stage includes a second plurality of openings communicating cooling airflow into a gap between an aft end of the combustor and the first vane stage. A first vane stage assembly and a method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 10982552
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes a wall that provides an exterior surface and an interior flow path surface. The wall has a wall thickness. A protrusion is arranged on the wall that extends a height beyond the wall thickness and provides a portion of the interior flow path surface. A film cooling hole that has an inlet is provided on the protrusion and extends to an exit on the exterior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sasha M. Moore, Clifford J. Musto, Timothy J. Jennings, Thomas N. Slavens, San Quach, Nicholas M LoRicco, John McBrien, Carey Clum, Christopher Whitfield
  • Publication number: 20200386106
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A plurality of vane cooling passages extending through a forward flange of the first vane stage to the radial inner surface for communicating cooling airflow into the core flow path forward of the leading edge. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the forward flange of the vane stage. The seal includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots and a plurality of seal cooling passages that extend from the radially outer surface to the radially inner surface at each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced apart slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura, David Bitzko, Alex J. Schneider
  • Patent number: 10808548
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core and skin passages. A centerline of the resupply hole is arranged at an acute angle relative to the direction of fluid flow in the core passage and is configured to provide a low turbulence flow region in the skin passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10781697
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall at an outer surface and a cold side wall at an inner surface. The skin passage extends a height in the radial direction, a width in a width direction, and a thickness in a thickness direction. The thickness is less than the width. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage at a core passage surface. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core and skin passages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20200277867
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the first vane stage. The seal assembly includes a first plurality of openings and the first vane stage includes a second plurality of openings communicating cooling airflow into a gap between an aft end of the combustor and the first vane stage. A first vane stage assembly and a method are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 10738701
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the first vane stage. The seal assembly includes a plurality of openings communicating cooling airflow into a gap between an aft end of the combustor and the first vane stage. A combustor assembly and method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 10648363
    Abstract: A vane includes a pair of airfoils having a plurality of film cooling holes that extend through an exterior surface of the airfoils, the plurality of film cooling holes including at least a first subset of film cooling holes, wherein the first subset of film cooling holes break through the exterior surface at geometric coordinates set forth herein. Each of the geometric coordinates is measured from a reference point on a leading edge rail of a platform of the vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn M. McMahon, Christopher Whitfield, Nicholas M. LoRicco, Steven Bruce Gautschi, Vincent E. Simms, Justin M. Aniello, Thomas Allwood, Richard M. Salzillo, Jeffery Scott Hembree, Sr.
  • Patent number: 10648345
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core and skin passages. The resupply hole has a single inlet that is fluidly connected to multiple discrete outlet apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10641102
    Abstract: A vane cluster for a gas turbine engine includes an outer diameter platform and an inner diameter platform. A plurality of vanes span from the outer diameter platform to the inner diameter platform. At least one inbound region is defined between a first vane of the plurality of vanes and a second vane of the plurality of vanes. The first vane includes a suction side facing the inbound region. Each of the vanes includes a leading edge core passage and a trailing edge core passage. A plurality of electrical discharge machined (EDM) holes are disposed within at least 0.500 inches (12.7 mm) of a leading edge of the first vane. Each of the EDM holes connect a leading edge core passage of the vane to an exterior surface of the vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn M. McMahon, Christopher Whitfield, Kristopher K. Anderson, Jason B. Moran, Brett Alan Bartling, Christopher Perron, Justin M. Aniello, Stephanie Tanner, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10626735
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A slot extends longitudinally in the skin passage. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core passage and the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10590779
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A resupply hole fluidly interconnects the core and skin passages. A centerline of the resupply hole is arranged at an acute angle relative to the direction of fluid flow in the core passage and is configured to provide a low turbulence flow region in the skin passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10584601
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a combustor. A turbine section is in fluid communication with the combustor. The turbine section includes a first vane stage aft of the combustor. A seal assembly is disposed between the combustor and the first vane stage. The seal assembly includes a first plurality of openings and the first vane stage includes a second plurality of openings communicating cooling airflow into a gap between an aft end of the combustor and the first vane stage. A first vane stage assembly and a method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 10533425
    Abstract: A vane assembly for a gas turbine engine includes an inner diameter platform, an outer diameter platform, and an airfoil shaped vane spanning from the inner diameter platform to the outer diameter platform. The airfoil shaped vane includes an internal cooling passage having a first inlet at the inner diameter platform and a second inlet at the outer diameter platform. An outer diameter platform cover is disposed radially outward of the outer diameter platform, relative to a radius of an arc defined by an arc of the outer diameter platform. The outer diameter platform includes at least one coolant cover inlet hole, the at least one coolant cover inlet hole being aligned with a corresponding second inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn M. McMahon, Christopher Whitfield, Nicholas M. LoRicco, Steven Bruce Gautschi, Vincent E. Simms, Justin M. Aniello, Thomas Allwood, Richard M. Salzillo, Jeffery Scott Hembree, Sr.
  • Patent number: 10508555
    Abstract: An airfoil includes pressure and suction side walls that extend in a chord-wise direction between leading and trailing edges. The pressure and suction side walls extend in a radial direction to provide an exterior airfoil surface. A core cooling passage is arranged between the pressure and suction walls in a thickness direction and extends radially toward a tip. A skin passage is arranged in one of the pressure and suction side walls to form a hot side wall and a cold side wall. The hot side wall defines a portion of the exterior airfoil surface and the cold side wall defines a portion of the core passage. The core passage and the skin passage are configured to have a same direction of fluid flow. A resupply hole cluster includes first and second resupply holes that each fluidly interconnect the core and skin passages. The first and second resupply holes intersect one another and terminate in an exit at the skin passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.