Patents by Inventor Curtis Walton Stover
Curtis Walton Stover 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).
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Publication number: 20220170383Abstract: An engine component assembly with a first substrate having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface, with the cooling surface being different than the hot surface, a second substrate having a first surface in fluid communication with a cooling fluid supply and a second surface, different from the first surface, facing and spaced from the cooling surface to define at least one interior cavity. At least one cavity is provided within the first substrate defining a cavity surface where at least a portion of the cavity surface is directly opposite the second surface. At least one cooling aperture extending through the second substrate from the first surface to the second surface, and defining a streamline along which a cooling fluid passes from the cooling fluid supply to the at least one interior cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2022Publication date: June 2, 2022Inventors: Robert Frederick Bergholz, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Kevin Robert Feldmann, Curtis Walton Stover, Zachary Daniel Webster, Fernando Reiter
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Patent number: 11280215Abstract: An engine component assembly includes a first engine component having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface with at least one cavity. A second engine component is spaced from the cooling surface, and includes at least one cooling aperture. The cooling aperture is arranged such that cooling fluid impinges on the cooling surface at an angle.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2015Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Frederick Bergholz, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Kevin Robert Feldmann, Curtis Walton Stover, Zachary Daniel Webster, Fernando Reiter
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Patent number: 11092013Abstract: A flow transfer apparatus for transferring cooling flow from a primary gas flowpath to a turbine rotor. The apparatus includes a first supply plenum communicating with the primary gas flowpath and first inducers, the first inducers configured to accelerate a first fluid flow from the first supply plenum and discharge it toward the rotor with a tangential velocity; a second supply plenum communicating with the primary gas flowpath and second inducers, the second inducers configured to accelerate a second fluid flow from the second supply plenum towards the rotor with a tangential velocity; and a cooling modulation valve operable to selectively permit or block the second fluid flow from the primary gas flowpath to the second supply plenum. The valve includes a flow control structure disposed in the primary gas flowpath and an actuation structure extending to a location radially outside of a casing defining the primary gas flowpath.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Joseph Rahaim, Daniel John Fusinato, Scott David Hunter, Joel Francis Kirk, Michael Robert Melzak, Curtis Walton Stover
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Patent number: 10975731Abstract: A centrifugal separator for removing particles from a fluid stream includes an angular velocity increaser configured to increase the angular velocity of a fluid stream, a flow splitter configured to split the fluid stream to form a concentrated-particle stream and a reduced-particle stream, and an exit conduit configured to receive the reduced-particle stream. An inducer assembly for a turbine engine includes an inducer with a flow passage having an inducer inlet and an inducer outlet in fluid communication with a turbine section of the engine, and a particle separator, which includes a particle concentrator that receives a compressed stream from a compressor section of the engine and a flow splitter. A turbine engine includes a cooling air flow circuit which supplies a fluid stream to a turbine section of the engine for cooling, a particle separator located within the cooling air flow circuit, and an inducer forming a portion of the cooling air flow circuit in fluid communication with the particle separator.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2015Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Francis Manning, Timothy Deryck Stone, Jared Peter Buhler, Victor Hugo Silva Correia, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Robert Carl Murray, Jonathan Russell Ratzlaff, Robert Proctor, John Howard Starkweather, Curtis Walton Stover
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Patent number: 10690055Abstract: Gas turbine engine components are provided which utilize an insert to provide cooling air along a cooled surface of an engine component. The insert provides cooling holes or apertures which face the cool side surface of the engine component and direct cooling air onto that cool side surface. The apertures may be formed in arrays and directed at an oblique or a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the insert and may be at an angle to the surface of the engine component being cooled. An engine component assembly is provided with counterflow impingement cooling, comprising an engine component cooling surface having a cooling fluid flow path on one side and a second component adjacent to the first component. The second component may have a plurality of openings forming an array wherein the openings extend through the second component at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the second component.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2015Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Curtis Walton Stover, Jonathan Michael Rausch, Satoshi Atsuchi, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Robert David Briggs, Ronald Scott Bunker, Ambarish Jayant Kulkarni, Michael Alan Meade, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Robert Proctor
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Patent number: 10494949Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes an outer engine case. The heat exchanger assembly includes at least one cooling channel, the at least one cooling channel is configured to receive a flow of fluid to be cooled. At least one first coolant flow duct that is configured to receive a flow of a first coolant, wherein the at least one cooling channel is disposed between a first inlet and a first outlet. The heat exchanger assembly further include at least one second coolant flow duct that is configured to receive a flow of a second coolant, wherein the at least one cooling channel is disposed between a second inlet and a second outlet.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2016Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Andrew Martin, Curtis Walton Stover, Jared Matthew Wolfe, Mohammed El Hacin Sennoun
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Patent number: 10364684Abstract: A structure for disrupting the flow of a fluid comprises and a second lateral wall spaced apart from one another, yet joined, by a floor and a ceiling; and, (b) a vorticor pin extending in a direction parallel to an X-axis, the vorticor pin concurrently rising above and extending away from the floor to a height, in a direction parallel to a Y-axis, the vorticor pin comprising: (i) a front surface extending incompletely between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the front surface extending above the floor and having an arcuate portion that is transverse with respect to a Z-axis, which is perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis, and (ii) a rear surface extending between the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the rear surface extending between the front surface and the floor, the rear surface having an inclining section that tapers in height, taken parallel to the Y-axis, in a direction parallel to the Z-axis.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2015Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Curtis Walton Stover
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Publication number: 20190136714Abstract: A flow transfer apparatus for transferring cooling flow from a primary gas flowpath to a turbine rotor. The apparatus includes a first supply plenum communicating with the primary gas flowpath and first inducers, the first inducers configured to accelerate a first fluid flow from the first supply plenum and discharge it toward the rotor with a tangential velocity; a second supply plenum communicating with the primary gas flowpath and second inducers, the second inducers configured to accelerate a second fluid flow from the second supply plenum towards the rotor with a tangential velocity; and a cooling modulation valve operable to selectively permit or block the second fluid flow from the primary gas flowpath to the second supply plenum. The valve includes a flow control structure disposed in the primary gas flowpath and an actuation structure extending to a location radially outside of a casing defining the primary gas flowpath.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventors: John Joseph RAHAIM, Daniel John FUSINATO, Scott David HUNTER, Joel Francis KIRK, Michael Robert MELZAK, Curtis Walton STOVER
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Patent number: 10280785Abstract: A shroud assembly for a turbine section of a turbine engine includes a shroud plate in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a baffle overlying the shroud plate to define a region. One or more shaped cooling features are located along the region such that a cooling fluid flow passing through the region encounters the shaped cooling features to increase the turbulence of the cooling fluid flow.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2015Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert David Briggs, Gulcharan Singh Brainch, Curtis Walton Stover
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Patent number: 10202867Abstract: A flow transfer apparatus for transferring cooling flow from a primary gas flowpath to a turbine rotor. The apparatus includes a first supply plenum communicating with the primary gas flowpath and first inducers, the first inducers configured to accelerate a first fluid flow from the first supply plenum and discharge it toward the rotor with a tangential velocity; a second supply plenum communicating with the primary gas flowpath and second inducers, the second inducers configured to accelerate a second fluid flow from the second supply plenum towards the rotor with a tangential velocity; and a cooling modulation valve operable to selectively permit or block the second fluid flow from the primary gas flowpath to the second supply plenum. The valve includes a flow control structure disposed in the primary gas flowpath and an actuation structure extending to a location radially outside of a casing defining the primary gas flowpath.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2014Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Joseph Rahaim, Daniel John Fusinato, Scott David Hunter, Joel Francis Kirk, Michael Robert Melzak, Curtis Walton Stover
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Patent number: 9988936Abstract: A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a shroud, hanger, and a hanger support mounted adjacent to a plurality of blades. The hanger can have an interior chamber defining a cooling circuit with a particle separator located within the interior chamber. The particle separator can have an inlet for accepting a flow of cooling fluid, such that a the flow of cooling fluid separates into a major flow and a minor flow carrying particles or particulate matter along the minor flow into a particle collector comprising at least a portion of the particle separator. Particles become constrained to the minor flow and pass into the particle collector, while the major flow is separated into the remaining area of the interior chamber to remove the particles from the flow of cooling fluid passing into the interior chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2015Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Hojjat Nasr, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Curtis Walton Stover, William Collins Vining
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Patent number: 9915176Abstract: A shroud assembly for a turbine engine includes a shroud having a front side confronting the blades of a turbine and a back side opposite the front side, a hanger configured to couple the shroud to with casing of the turbine, a cooling conduit extending through the hanger to supply a cooling fluid stream to the back side of the shroud, and a particle separator having a through passage forming part of the cooling conduit and a scavenge conduit branching from the through passage.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert Carl Murray, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Corey Bourassa, Byron Andrew Pritchard, Jr., Curtis Walton Stover
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Publication number: 20180038243Abstract: A heat exchanger assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes an outer engine case. The heat exchanger assembly includes at least one cooling channel, the at least one cooling channel is configured to receive a flow of fluid to be cooled. At least one first coolant flow duct that is configured to receive a flow of a first coolant, wherein the at least one cooling channel is disposed between a first inlet and a first outlet. The heat exchanger assembly further include at least one second coolant flow duct that is configured to receive a flow of a second coolant, wherein the at least one cooling channel is disposed between a second inlet and a second outlet.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2016Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Andrew Martin, Curtis Walton Stover, Jared Matthew Wolfe, Mohammed El Hacin Sennoun
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Publication number: 20170335716Abstract: An engine component assembly includes a first engine component having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface with at least one cavity. A second engine component is spaced from the cooling surface, and includes at least one cooling aperture. The cooling aperture is arranged such that cooling fluid impinges on the cooling surface at an angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2015Publication date: November 23, 2017Inventors: Robert Frederick BERGHOLZ, Jason Randolph ALLEN, Robert David BRIGGS, Kevin Robert FELDMANN, Curtis Walton STOVER, Zachary Daniel WEBSTER, Fernando REITER
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Publication number: 20170191417Abstract: An engine component assembly includes a first engine component having a hot surface in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a cooling surface, and a second engine component having a first surface in fluid communication with a cooling fluid flow and a second surface spaced from the cooling surface to define a space. A cooling aperture extends through the second engine component. A cooling feature extends from the cooling surface of the first engine component, and is oriented relative to the cooling aperture such that the cooling fluid flow is orthogonal and non-orthogonal to different portions of the cooling feature.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2016Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Ronald Scott Bunker, Robert Frederick Bergholz, Jason Randolph Allen, Robert David Briggs, Byron Andrew Pritchard, JR., Kevin Robert Feldmann, Curtis Walton Stover, Zachary Daniel Webster, Fernando Reiter, Michael Alan Meade
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Publication number: 20170107852Abstract: A shroud assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a shroud, hanger, and a hanger support mounted adjacent to a plurality of blades. The hanger can have an interior chamber defining a cooling circuit with a particle separator located within the interior chamber. The particle separator can have an inlet for accepting a flow of cooling fluid, such that a the flow of cooling fluid separates into a major flow and a minor flow carrying particles or particulate matter along the minor flow into a particle collector comprising at least a portion of the particle separator. Particles become constrained to the minor flow and pass into the particle collector, while the major flow is separated into the remaining area of the interior chamber to remove the particles from the flow of cooling fluid passing into the interior chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2015Publication date: April 20, 2017Inventors: Hojjat Nasr, Gregory Michael Laskowski, Curtis Walton Stover, William Collins Vining
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Publication number: 20170101932Abstract: Gas turbine engine components are provided which utilize an insert to provide cooling air along a cooled surface of an engine component. The insert provides cooling holes or apertures which face the cool side surface of the engine component and direct cooling air onto that cool side surface. The apertures may be formed in arrays and directed at an oblique or a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the insert and may be at an angle to the surface of the engine component being cooled. An engine component assembly is provided with counterflow impingement cooling, comprising an engine component cooling surface having a cooling fluid flow path on one side and a second component adjacent to the first component. The second component may have a plurality of openings forming an array wherein the openings extend through the second component at a non-orthogonal angle to the surface of the second component.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2015Publication date: April 13, 2017Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Curtis Walton STOVER, Jonathan Michael RAUSCH, Satoshi ATSUCHI, Gulcharan Singh BRAINCH, Robert David BRIGGS, Ronald Scott BUNKER, Ambarish Jayant KULKARNI, Michael Alan MEADE, Byron Andrew PRITCHARD, Robert PROCTOR
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Publication number: 20170101896Abstract: A centrifugal separator for removing particles from a fluid stream includes an angular velocity increaser configured to increase the angular velocity of a fluid stream, a flow splitter configured to split the fluid stream to form a concentrated-particle stream and a reduced-particle stream, and an exit conduit configured to receive the reduced-particle stream. An inducer assembly for a turbine engine includes an inducer with a flow passage having an inducer inlet and an inducer outlet in fluid communication with a turbine section of the engine, and a particle separator, which includes a particle concentrator that receives a compressed stream from a compressor section of the engine and a flow splitter. A turbine engine includes a cooling air flow circuit which supplies a fluid stream to a turbine section of the engine for cooling, a particle separator located within the cooling air flow circuit, and an inducer forming a portion of the cooling air flow circuit in fluid communication with the particle separator.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2015Publication date: April 13, 2017Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Robert Francis MANNING, Timothy Deryck STONE, Jared Peter BUHLER, Victor Hugo Silva CORREIA, Gregory Michael LASKOWSKI, Robert Carl MURRAY, Jonathan Russell RATZLAFF, Robert PROCTOR, John Howard STARKWEATHER, Curtis Walton STOVER
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Publication number: 20160186605Abstract: A shroud assembly for a turbine section of a turbine engine includes a shroud plate in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a baffle overlying the shroud plate to define a region. One or more shaped cooling features are located along the region such that a cooling fluid flow passing through the region encounters the shaped cooling features to increase the turbulence of the cooling fluid flow.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Robert David BRIGGS, Gulcharan Singh BRAINCH, Curtis Walton STOVER
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Publication number: 20160123186Abstract: A shroud assembly for a turbine engine includes a shroud in thermal communication with a hot combustion gas flow and a baffle overlying the shroud to define a space. At least one separator is provided in the space such that a cooling fluid flow passing through the baffle is separated along two different flow paths.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2015Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Curtis Walton STOVER, Michael Alan MEADE