Patents by Inventor Craig W. Higgins

Craig W. Higgins 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: 20250122849
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine defining an engine inlet to an inlet duct, a fan duct inlet to a fan duct, and a core inlet to a core duct; a primary fan driven by the turbomachine; and a secondary fan located downstream of the primary fan within the inlet duct. The gas turbine engine defines a thrust to power airflow ratio between 3.5 and 100 and a core bypass ratio between 0.1 and 10. The thrust to power airflow ratio is a ratio of airflow through a bypass passage over the turbomachine plus airflow through the fan duct to airflow through the core duct. The core bypass ratio is a ratio of airflow through the fan duct to airflow through the core duct. The fan duct includes an exhaust nozzle having a plurality of chevrons disposed at its aft end to define an exhaust outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2024
    Publication date: April 17, 2025
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon W. Miller, Randy M. Vondrell, David M. Ostdiek, Craig W. Higgins, Alexander Simpson, William Bowden
  • Patent number: 12246845
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture for mounting a gas turbine engine are described. An apparatus for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon, the gas turbine including an upstream section and a downstream section, the gas turbine defining a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, the apparatus including: a first mount to couple the upstream section of the gas turbine engine to the pylon; a second mount to couple the upstream section of the gas turbine engine to the pylon, the second mount downstream of the first mount; a thrust linkage to couple the upstream section to the pylon, wherein the downstream section is decouplable from the upstream section without decoupling the first mount, the second mount, and the thrust linkage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Safran Aircraft Engines
    Inventors: Michael Cline, Jonathan E. Coleman, Craig W. Higgins, Daniel E. Mollmann, Mark E. Linz, Guillaume Glemarec, Valerio Capasso, Jean-Baptiste Manuel Nicolas Vignes, Nicolas Maurice Hervé Aussedat, Francois Gallet
  • Patent number: 11859547
    Abstract: A turbine engine having a drive shaft rotatable about an axis, a multi-stage compressor, a turbine section, a thrust bearing, and a balance cavity. The thrust bearing being provided between the drive shaft and at least a portion of the multi-stage compressor section and rotationally supporting the drive shaft. During operation of the turbine engine, a first axial force is applied to the thrust bearing by the drive shaft and a second axial force is applied to the thrust bearing in an opposite direction of the first axial force by the balance cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Joseph G. Rose, Atanu Saha, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Craig W. Higgins, Darek Zatorski, Vaibhav Deshmukh M
  • Publication number: 20230356853
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed. An apparatus for mounting a gas turbine engine to a pylon, the gas turbine including an upstream section and a downstream section, the gas turbine defining a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, the apparatus including: a first mount to couple the upstream section of the gas turbine engine to the pylon; a second mount to couple the upstream section of the gas turbine engine to the pylon, the second mount downstream of the first mount; a thrust linkage to couple the upstream section to the pylon, wherein the downstream section is decouplable from the upstream section without decoupling the first mount, the second mount, and the thrust linkage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Michael Cline, Jonathan E. Coleman, Craig W. Higgins, Daniel E. Mollman, Mark E. Linz, Guillaume Glemarec, Valerio Capasso, Jean-Baptiste Manuel Nicolas Vignes, Nicolas Maurice Hervé Aussedat, Francois Gallet
  • Publication number: 20230272744
    Abstract: A turbine engine having a drive shaft rotatable about an axis, a multi-stage compressor, a turbine section, a thrust bearing, and a balance cavity. The thrust bearing being provided between the drive shaft and at least a portion of the multi-stage compressor section and rotationally supporting the drive shaft. During operation of the turbine engine, a first axial force is applied to the thrust bearing by the drive shaft and a second axial force is applied to the thrust bearing in an opposite direction of the first axial force by the balance cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Joseph G. Rose, Atanu Saha, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal, Craig W. Higgins, Darek Zatorski, Vaibhav Deshmukh M