Patents by Inventor David William Crall
David William Crall 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: 10724435Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The gas turbine engine also includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide vanes cantilevered from the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along the axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an inner end along the radial direction and it is unconnected with an adjacent part-span inlet guide vane at the inner end.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: General Electric Co.Inventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Patent number: 10711797Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades, each of the plurality of fan blades defining a fan blade span along a radial direction. The gas turbine engine further includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide varies attached to the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along an axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an IGV span along the radial direction, the IGV span being at least about five percent of the fan blade span and up to about fifty-five percent of the fan blade span.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Publication number: 20200182062Abstract: An airfoil that includes an airfoil body having a root and a tip, and convex and concave sides that extend between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The airfoil also includes at least a first cladding element that is attached to the airfoil body. The first cladding element includes a first portion and a second portion. The second portion is configured to separate from the first portion when the first cladding element encounters a force of at least a predetermined amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Gregory Carl Gemeinhardt, Douglas Duane Ward, David William Crall, Nicholas Joseph Kray
-
Publication number: 20200157953Abstract: A blade for a propulsion apparatus. The blade includes a body formed of a composite material and the body has opposed pressure and suction sides. The body extends in span between a root and a tip and extends in chord between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The body defines a body tip surface. A protective cover extends from near the tip of the blade toward the root of the blade along the leading edge and a trailing edge of the body. The protective cover defines a protective tip surface and an abrasive material is adhered to the protective tip surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2018Publication date: May 21, 2020Inventors: Nitesh Jain, David William Crall, Nicholas Joseph Kray
-
Publication number: 20200116044Abstract: An airfoil defining a span extending between a root and a tip. The airfoil includes a frangible airfoil portion extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge and extending between the tip and a fusion line along the span. The frangible airfoil portion includes a first material defining a first modulus of elasticity and further defines an internal cavity. The airfoil includes a residual airfoil portion coupled to the frangible airfoil portion extending from the fusion line to the root along the span and including a second material defining a second modulus of elasticity greater than the first modulus of elasticity. The residual airfoil portion meets the frangible airfoil portion at the fusion line.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2018Publication date: April 16, 2020Inventors: Nitesh Jain, David William Crall, Nicholas Joseph Kray, Daniel Edward Mollmann
-
Patent number: 10508547Abstract: According to some embodiments, a tie-bolt support assembly is provided which includes a support spring for engagement with both the tie-bolt and a rotor assembly to maintain a load path between the tie-bolt and the rotor assembly while also allowing for axial movement of the tie-bolt.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2014Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Benjamin Vincent Rawe, Robert C. Von Der Esch, Jason Francis Pepi, David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20190368361Abstract: Fan blade includes airfoil with leading and trailing edges, pressure and suction sides extending outwardly from airfoil base to airfoil tip, and tip cladding with non-symmetric pressure and suction side cladding flanks bonded to airfoil tip along pressure and suction sides respectively. Pressure and suction side cladding flanks may include non-symmetric or different pressure and suction side cladding radial heights and/or different pressure and suction side cladding radial locations of pressure and suction side cladding flank portions of pressure and suction side cladding flanks in tip cladding portion of tip cladding. One cladding radial heights may be variable in tip cladding portion. Chordwise extending seam may be in pressure side cladding flank portion and/or chordwise extending slot may be in suction side cladding flank portion. Cladding flanks may be stronger, more ductile, or less brittle than composite material of composite core of airfoil.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2018Publication date: December 5, 2019Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Douglas Duane Ward, Gregory Carl Gemeinhardt, David William Crall, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin
-
Patent number: 10385870Abstract: A ribbed composite shell includes an annular grid of relatively thick crack arresting ribs embedded in a relatively thin annular shell and relatively thin panels in thin annular shell between arresting ribs wherein each of panels are completely surrounded by a set of relatively thick adjoining ones of ribs. A shell forward flange may extend radially inwardly from thin annular shell. Arresting ribs may include radially stacked layers of strips between radially stacked annular layers of shell. Annular grid may include a rectangular grid pattern, a diamond grid pattern, or a hexagonal grid pattern. A nacelle inlet may have the ribbed composite shell within one or both of radially spaced apart composite inner and outer skins of an inner barrel. Nacelle inlet may be part of attached to a fan casing and axially disposed forward of fan blades circumscribed by the casing. The inlet may be on an engine nacelle.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2014Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20190242260Abstract: A blade for the fan section of a turbine engine comprising a composite core defining a pressure side and a suction side extending axially between a core leading edge and a core trailing edge defining a chord-wise direction and extending radially between a core root and a core tip defining a span-wise direction and a leading edge strip mounted to the core leading edge.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2018Publication date: August 8, 2019Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Gregory Carl Gemeinhardt, Douglas Duane Ward, David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20190242399Abstract: A blade for a turbine engine comprising a composite core defining a pressure side and a suction side extending axially between a leading edge and a trailing edge defining a chord-wise direction and extending radially between a root and a tip defining a span-wise direction. The composite core is formed from two materials with different compositions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2018Publication date: August 8, 2019Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray, Gregory Carl Gemeinhardt, Douglas Duane Ward, David William Crall, Wendy Wen-Ling Lin
-
Patent number: 10374477Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electric machine defining a longitudinal direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, and an axial centerline defined along the longitudinal direction. The electric machine includes a rotor assembly that includes a plurality of carriers arranged along the circumferential direction. Each pair of carriers defines a carrier gap therebetween along the circumferential direction, and each carrier includes a rotor magnet. The rotor assembly further includes an outer ring radially outward of and surrounding the plurality of carriers along the circumferential direction, the outer ring defining a unitary structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2017Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20190153952Abstract: A combustion engine includes a combustion section; a fuel delivery system for providing a fuel flow to the combustion section, the fuel delivery system including an oxygen reduction unit for reducing an oxygen content of the fuel flow; a thermal management system including a heat sink heat exchanger, the heat sink heat exchanger in thermal communication with the fuel delivery system at a location downstream of the oxygen reduction unit; and a control system including a sensor operable with the fuel delivery system for sensing data indicative of an operability of the oxygen reduction unit and a controller operable with the sensor, the controller configured to initiate a corrective action based on the data sensed by the sensor indicative of the operability of the oxygen reduction unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2017Publication date: May 23, 2019Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Sridhar Adibhatla, Brandon Wayne Miller, David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20190136698Abstract: An airfoil defining a chordwise dimension, a spanwise dimension, a leading edge, a trailing edge, a root, and a tip, is generally provided. The airfoil includes a first material substrate defining a pressure side and a suction side. The first material substrate defines a plurality of discrete volumes extended from at least one of the pressure side or the suction side into the first material substrate. The plurality of discrete volumes is arranged at least partially along the chordwise dimension and a second material substrate different from the first material substrate is defined at least partially within the volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2017Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventor: David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20180363678Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades, each of the plurality of fan blades defining a fan blade span along a radial direction. The gas turbine engine further includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide varies attached to the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along an axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an IGV span along the radial direction, the IGV span being at least about five percent of the fan blade span and up to about fifty-five percent of the fan blade span.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2017Publication date: December 20, 2018Inventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Publication number: 20180363677Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachine and a fan rotatable by the turbomachine. The fan includes a plurality of fan blades. The gas turbine engine also includes an outer nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and a plurality of part-span inlet guide vanes cantilevered from the outer nacelle at a location forward of the plurality of fan blades along the axial direction. Each of the plurality of inlet guide vanes defines an inner end along the radial direction and it is unconnected with an adjacent part-span inlet guide vane at the inner end.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2017Publication date: December 20, 2018Inventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Publication number: 20180363554Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor section and a turbine section. The turbine section includes a drive turbine and is located downstream of the compressor section. The gas turbine engine also includes a fan mechanically coupled to and rotatable with the drive turbine such that the fan is rotatable by the drive turbine at the same rotational speed as the drive turbine, the fan defining a fan pressure ratio and including a plurality of fan blades, each fan blade defining a fan tip speed. During operation of the gas turbine engine at a rated speed, the fan pressure ratio of the fan is less than 1.5 and the fan tip speed of each of the fan blades is greater than 1,250 feet per second.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2017Publication date: December 20, 2018Inventors: Christopher James Kroger, Brandon Wayne Miller, Trevor Wayne Goerig, David William Crall, Tsuguji Nakano, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Bhaskar Nanda Mondal
-
Publication number: 20180269737Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electric machine defining a longitudinal direction, a radial direction, and a circumferential direction, and an axial centerline defined along the longitudinal direction. The electric machine includes a rotor assembly that includes a plurality of carriers arranged along the circumferential direction. Each pair of carriers defines a carrier gap therebetween along the circumferential direction, and each carrier includes a rotor magnet. The rotor assembly further includes an outer ring radially outward of and surrounding the plurality of carriers along the circumferential direction, the outer ring defining a unitary structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2017Publication date: September 20, 2018Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Darek Tomasz Zatorski, David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20180237120Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an aircraft including a fuselage to which a pair or more of wings attaches. The aircraft defines a transverse direction, a longitudinal direction, and a latitudinal direction. The aircraft includes a wing extended from the fuselage along the transverse direction in which the wing defines a leading edge, and a gas turbine engine coupled to the wing. The engine defines an axial centerline therethrough along the longitudinal direction. The engine includes a nacelle including an outer wall extended around the axial centerline. The nacelle defines a radial reference plane extended perpendicular from the axial centerline. The outer wall defines an outer wall point closest to the fuselage. The radial reference plane extends through a reference line defined along the latitudinal direction from the outer wall point to the leading edge of the wing.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2017Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Richard Byron Stewart, Jeffrey Donald Clements, Richard David Cedar, David William Crall
-
Publication number: 20180195408Abstract: A method and icing effects mitigation system are provided. The icing effects mitigation system includes a fluid duct configured to channel a first flow of fluid through the fluid duct from a duct opening to a rotatable member at least partially positioned within the fluid duct. The rotatable member includes a radially inner rotatable portion and a radially outer rotatable portion. The icing effects mitigation system also includes a duct member extending through the fluid duct in a direction approximately orthogonal to a direction of the first flow of fluid. The duct member is configured to channel a second flow of a second fluid therethrough that causes ice accreted on the duct member to shed on a trajectory that impacts the rotatable member at the radially inner portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2017Publication date: July 12, 2018Inventors: David William Crall, Charles Daniel Califf, Craig William Higgins, Erich Alois Krammer
-
Publication number: 20180100434Abstract: The disclosure is towards an inlet cowl for a turbine engine including a surface defining an inlet with a flow path and a method towards controlling the airflow in the flow path. The inlet cowl further includes an inlet lip and inner and outer barrels. The inlet lip confronts the inner barrel at a junction defining a gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2016Publication date: April 12, 2018Inventors: Mustafa Dindar, Joseph Donofrio, Richard David Cedar, David William Crall