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).

  • Patent number: 10427075
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an engine static structure that provides a flow path. A metering hole is provided in the engine static structure. A strainer is arranged over the metering hole. The strainer includes multiple holes that have a total area that is greater than a metering hole area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Jennings, Christopher Whitfield, David Richard Griffin, Christopher Cosher
  • Patent number: 10408453
    Abstract: A grommet may define a dilution hole in a combustor panel. The grommet may comprise a set of upstream features such as, for example, a first inlet leading into a first plurality of passages with the first plurality of passages each having a first outlet directed towards an inner diameter of the grommet. A set of perimeter features may include a second inlet leading into a convective cooling passage having a plurality of internal cooling features. The convective cooling passage may further lead into a second plurality of passages each having a second outlet extending about the inner diameter of the grommet in a circumferential direction A set of downstream features may include a third inlet leading to a third plurality of passages each having a third outlet directed towards an outer diameter of the grommet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Propheter-Hinckley
  • Patent number: 10378363
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes pressure and suction side walls joined to one another at leading and trailing edges and extending in a radial direction. A serpentine cooling passage is provided between the pressure and suction side walls. A passageway adjoins a passage wall and is fluidly interconnected to an upstream turn that has radially spaced apart innermost and outermost contours. The innermost contour is provided at the wall. A resupply hole is configured to exit downstream from the innermost contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Mark Borja
  • Publication number: 20190203602
    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: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    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.
  • Publication number: 20190203612
    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: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    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.
  • Publication number: 20190169994
    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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, JR.
  • Publication number: 20190169995
    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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190169998
    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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190169997
    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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190169996
    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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, JR.
  • Publication number: 20190169993
    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: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Dominic J. Mongillo, JR.
  • Publication number: 20190101289
    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: October 4, 2017
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, JR., Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Phropheter-Hinckley
  • Publication number: 20190071978
    Abstract: A vane cluster for a gas turbine engine including an inner diameter platform and an outer diameter platform. A plurality of vanes span from the inner diameter platform to the outer diameter platform. An inbound region is defined between a first vane and a second vane of the plurality of vanes. A plenum is defined in the inner diameter platform at the inbound region. The plenum including a plurality of film cooling holes fluidly connecting the plenum to a primary flowpath. A feed hole connects the plenum to a core cooling cavity of one of the first vane and the second vane to the plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Shawn M. McMahon, Christopher Whitfield, Kristopher K. Anderson, Jason B. Moran, Brett Alan Bartling, Christopher Perron, Justin M. Aniello, Stephanie Tanner
  • Publication number: 20190071979
    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: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    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.
  • Publication number: 20190063239
    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: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Publication number: 20190063323
    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: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Steven D. Porter, Shawn M. McMahon, Kevin Zacchera, Noah Wadsworth, Christopher Whitfield, Sean D. Bradshaw, Dennis M. Moura
  • Patent number: 10196902
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine component includes a body with a wall surrounding an interior cavity. The wall has opposed interior and exterior surfaces. The interior surface has a plurality of coolant inlets and the exterior surface has a coolant outlet defined therein. A coolant conduit extends between the coolant inlets and the coolant outlet and is configured and adapted to induce secondary flow vortices in coolant traversing the coolant conduit and in an adherent coolant film over a portion of the exterior surface of component body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sasha M. Moore, Timothy J. Jennings, Thomas N. Slavens, Clifford J. Musto, Nicholas M. LoRicco, Carey Clum, John McBrien, Christopher Whitfield, San Quach
  • Publication number: 20190024894
    Abstract: A grommet may define a dilution hole in a combustor panel. The grommet may comprise a set of upstream features such as, for example, a first inlet leading into a first plurality of passages with the first plurality of passages each having a first outlet directed towards an inner diameter of the grommet. A set of perimeter features may include a second inlet leading into a convective cooling passage having a plurality of internal cooling features. The convective cooling passage may further lead into a second plurality of passages each having a second outlet extending about the inner diameter of the grommet in a circumferential direction A set of downstream features may include a third inlet leading to a third plurality of passages each having a third outlet directed towards an outer diameter of the grommet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Dominic Mongillo, Christopher Whitfield, Tracy Propheter-Hinckley
  • Publication number: 20180361284
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes an engine static structure that provides a flow path. A metering hole is provided in the engine static structure. A strainer is arranged over the metering hole. The strainer includes multiple holes that have a total area that is greater than a metering hole area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Timothy J. Jennings, Christopher Whitfield, David Richard Griffin, Christopher Cosher
  • Publication number: 20180291748
    Abstract: An airfoil for a gas turbine engine includes pressure and suction side walls joined to one another at leading and trailing edges and extending in a radial direction. A serpentine cooling passage is provided between the pressure and suction side walls. A passageway adjoins a passage wall and is fluidly interconnected to an upstream turn that has radially spaced apart innermost and outermost contours. The innermost contour is provided at the wall. A resupply hole is configured to exit downstream from the innermost contour.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher Whitfield, Carey Clum, Mark Borja