Patents by Inventor David Michael Chapin

David Michael Chapin 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: 8984714
    Abstract: A method and system for a tone generator assembly are provided. The tone generator assembly includes a resonance chamber that includes a first end and a second end and a body extending therebetween. The body surrounds a cavity therein, wherein the first end includes a resonance chamber opening in flow communication with the cavity. The tone generator assembly also includes a nozzle having a bore therethrough. The bore includes an inlet opening configured to receive a flow of relatively high pressure fluid and an outlet opening coupled in flow communication with the inlet opening and configured to discharge an underexpanded jet of fluid when the flow of relatively high pressure fluid is received at the inlet opening. The resonance chamber and the nozzle are positioned relatively and sized to facilitate emitting a tone from the tone generator assembly having a frequency less than two kilohertz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: BHA Altair, LLC
    Inventors: Ephraim Gutmark, Jeffrey Kastner, David Michael Chapin, Terry Lewis Farmer, James Knox Shelton
  • Publication number: 20140207973
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for auto-configuring installable device options in a Windows™ print queue. Software and other resources are provided to enable print drivers based on the version 4 print architecture to perform auto-configuration of installable options for printing devices which do not support the protocols and/or queries required by the native means of auto-configuration supported by the Windows™ 8 operating system. A setup module can install tasks under the task scheduler including a task which is triggered by print queue related events, along with a polling task to detect printer device changes. These tasks can invoke a printer configuration module which in turn invokes two transient child processes to supply the print driver with printer configuration data in the expected native format used by the Windows™ 8 operating system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Alan Kenneth Robertson, David Michael Chapin
  • Patent number: 8733377
    Abstract: An acoustic cleaning system includes an operating device having an interior portion. An acoustic cleaning device provides for the passage of a sound wave into the interior portion of the operating device. The acoustic cleaning device includes a horn section attached to an elongated section having a linear or non-linear shape. Sound waves are configured to pass from the elongated section to the horn section and into the interior portion of the operating device. The elongated section is removable from the horn section such that the elongated section is interchangeable with an elongated section having a different length, such that the sound waves are configured to have a frequency between 55 Hz to 75 Hz depending on a temperature of the operating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: BHA Altair, LLC
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Patent number: 8726630
    Abstract: A pulse detonation device contains a pulse detonation combustor which detonates a mixture of oxidizer and fuel. The fuel is supplied through fuel ducts and the fuel flow is controlled by fuel flow control devices. Oxidizer flow is provided through a main inlet portion and a flow control device directs the oxidizer flow to either the combustor or to a bypass duct, or both. The combustor further contains an ignition source. Each of the flow control devices, fuel flow control devices and ignition source are controlled by a control system to optimize performance at different thrust/power settings for the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pierre Francois Pinard, Kevin Michael Hinckley, Venkat Eswarlu Tangirala, Adam Rasheed, David Michael Chapin, Anthony John Dean
  • Patent number: 8651066
    Abstract: A pulse detonation cleaning system is provided and includes a common tube, which is fluidly coupled to a vessel, a first array, including a plurality of elongate detonation tubes arrayed about a common axis, each of the plurality of the detonation tubes being disposed upstream from and fluidly coupled to an interior of the common tube and a second array, including a plurality of detonators arrayed about the common axis, each of the plurality of the detonators being disposed upstream from and operably coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of the detonation tubes such that actuation of each of the plurality of the detonators leads to combustion in the corresponding one of the plurality of the detonation tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: BHA Altair, LLC
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor
  • Patent number: 8603207
    Abstract: An acoustic cleaning assembly that includes a horn assembly and a generator body that is coupled to the horn assembly. The generator body includes an inner surface that at least partially defines an outlet plenum, and an opening that extends in flow communication between the horn assembly and the outlet plenum. An end cap is coupled to the generator body and includes an inner surface that at least partially defines an inlet plenum. A diaphragm is coupled between the generator body and the end cap. The diaphragm channels air from the inlet plenum to the outlet plenum to facilitate generating sound waves within the outlet plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Publication number: 20130279710
    Abstract: A system for sensing an operational status or level of performance of an acoustic horn makes use of a vibration sensor that is operatively coupled to the driver of the acoustic horn. The sensor can be an accelerometer. The sensor outputs a vibration signal when the acoustic horn is operating. Characteristics of the vibration signal are compared to threshold values or to patterns to determine the operational status or level of performance of the acoustic horn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Publication number: 20130263893
    Abstract: The present application provides a pulse detonation combustor cleaning device. The pulse detonation combustor cleaning device may include a combustion section and one or more combustion tube sections downstream of the combustion section. The combustion tube sections may a divergent shape and a number of divergent obstacles therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor, Miles Alan Peregoy
  • Patent number: 8448611
    Abstract: A detonation device cleaning system includes a vessel having a main body including an outer surface and an inner surface that collectively define an interior chamber. A detonation combustor cleaning device is mounted to the vessel. The detonation combustor cleaning device includes at least one combustion chamber that defines a combustion flow path. The at least one combustion chamber includes a deflection member arranged along the combustion flow path. An ignition device is operatively connected to the at least one combustion chamber. The ignition device is selectively activated to ignite fuel within the at least one combustion chamber to produce a shockwave that moves in a first direction along the combustion flow path, is redirected back along the flow path within the at least one combustion chamber, and passes into the interior chamber to dislodge particles clinging to the inner surface of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anthony John Dean, David Michael Chapin, Donnell Eugene Crear
  • Publication number: 20130092028
    Abstract: A device and method for cleaning baghouse filters using a shock wave vortex is disclosed. In one embodiment, high pressure fluid enters the housing of the device through an inlet tube in axial alignment with a resonance chamber within the housing. The high pressure fluid enters and exits a resonance chamber causing a collision with the fluid from the inlet tube to generate a shock wave. The shock wave is directed downward by the housing through the lower opening of the housing and towards a baghouse filter as a ring-shaped shock wave vortex. The ring-shaped shock wave vortex concentrates cleaning energy along the side material of the baghouse filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Publication number: 20130081650
    Abstract: A method and system for a tone generator assembly are provided. The tone generator assembly includes a resonance chamber that includes a first end and a second end and a body extending therebetween. The body surrounds a cavity therein, wherein the first end includes a resonance chamber opening in flow communication with the cavity. The tone generator assembly also includes a nozzle having a bore therethrough. The bore includes an inlet opening configured to receive a flow of relatively high pressure fluid and an outlet opening coupled in flow communication with the inlet opening and configured to discharge an underexpanded jet of fluid when the flow of relatively high pressure fluid is received at the inlet opening. The resonance chamber and the nozzle are positioned relatively and sized to facilitate emitting a tone from the tone generator assembly having a frequency less than two kilohertz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Ephraim Gutmark, Jeffrey Kastner, David Michael Chapin, Terry Lewis Farmer
  • Publication number: 20130056034
    Abstract: A pulse detonation device can provide one or more shock waves to an operating device. The pulse detonation device includes a pulse detonation chamber providing one or more shock waves, at least one pulse detonation outlet extending into the operating device and in operative association with the pulse detonation chamber, and a rotary union. The rotary union rotatably attaches the pulse detonation chamber to the at least one pulse detonation outlet, wherein the at least one pulse detonation outlet can move with respect to the pulse detonation chamber. The at least one pulse detonation outlet is rotatable within the operating device and can deliver the one or more shock waves to a plurality of locations within the operating device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: BHA GROUP, Inc.
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Patent number: 8356588
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a combustion-based system having a combustion chamber. The system also includes an ignition control system. The ignition control system includes an ignition device coupled to the combustion chamber, control circuitry having an energy storage device configured to supply energy to the ignition device to produce an ignition event having a desired energy level, and a controller configured to obtain a target voltage across the energy storage device and to discharge an ignition energy from the energy storage device after obtaining the target voltage, wherein the ignition control system is configured to supply the ignition energy to the ignition device to produce the ignition event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Fulton Johnston, Michael McCall Mahler, David Michael Chapin
  • Patent number: 8309045
    Abstract: A system includes an emissions control system. The emissions control system includes a chemical injection conduit. The emissions control system also includes a chemical injector coupled to the chemical injection conduit, wherein the chemical injector is configured to output an emissions control chemical into the chemical injection conduit. The emissions control system further includes a wave generator coupled to the chemical injection conduit, wherein the wave generator is configured to output multiple waves that propagate through the chemical injection conduit into a flow path of combustion products to drive improved mixing of the emissions control chemical with the combustion products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor, David Kelly Moyeda, Peter Martin Maly
  • Publication number: 20120279128
    Abstract: A pulse detonation device is provided for delivering a shock wave into a gasification device to promote a localized coal gasification reaction in the gasification device. The pulse detonation device includes a fuel inlet for receiving fuel, an air inlet for receiving air, a pulse detonation chamber wherein the fuel and air are configured to mix, and an ignition device for igniting the mixture of fuel and air. The ignition of the mixture of fuel and air creates a shock wave in the pulse detonation chamber. Further, the pulse detonation chamber is attached to a gasification chamber and is configured to extend into a coal feed tube that extends into the gasification chamber, with the shock wave configured to exit the pulse detonation chamber and interact with coal in the coal feed tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: BHA Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor
  • Publication number: 20120266586
    Abstract: An acoustic cleaning assembly that includes a horn assembly and a generator body that is coupled to the horn assembly. The generator body includes an inner surface that at least partially defines an outlet plenum, and an opening that extends in flow communication between the horn assembly and the outlet plenum. An end cap is coupled to the generator body and includes an inner surface that at least partially defines an inlet plenum. A diaphragm is coupled between the generator body and the end cap. The diaphragm channels air from the inlet plenum to the outlet plenum to facilitate generating sound waves within the outlet plenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Patent number: 8246751
    Abstract: The present application provides a pulsed detonation cleaning system for cleaning an enclosed structure. The pulsed detonation cleaning system may include a pulsed detonation combustor cleaner and an external fuel-air flow. The pulsed detonation combustor cleaner delivers the external fuel-air flow into the enclosed structure and ignites the external fuel-air flow to clean the enclosed structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin
  • Publication number: 20120207657
    Abstract: A system includes an emissions control system. The emissions control system includes a chemical injection conduit. The emissions control system also includes a chemical injector coupled to the chemical injection conduit, wherein the chemical injector is configured to output an emissions control chemical into the chemical injection conduit. The emissions control system further includes a wave generator coupled to the chemical injection conduit, wherein the wave generator is configured to output multiple waves that propagate through the chemical injection conduit into a flow path of combustion products to drive improved mixing of the emissions control chemical with the combustion products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor, David Kelly Moyeda, Peter Martin Maly
  • Publication number: 20120204814
    Abstract: The present application provides a pulse detonation combustor heat exchanger. The pulse detonation combustor heat exchanger may include one or more pulse detonation combustors creating combustion gases therein, one or more inner pathways positioned about the pulse detonation combustors, and a working medium flowing in the inner pathways so as to exchange heat with the combustion gases in the pulse detonation combustors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor
  • Publication number: 20120180738
    Abstract: A pulse detonation device includes a body member having an outer wall and an inner wall that defines a pulse detonation zone and a plurality of obstacles extend along the pulse detonation zone. At least a portion of the plurality of obstacles include a combustion catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Tian Xuan Zhang, David Michael Chapin, Robert Warren Taylor