Patents by Inventor Donald A. Porter

Donald A. Porter 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: 9909436
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling structure for a stationary blade, which can include: an endwall coupled to a radial end of an airfoil, relative to a rotor axis of a turbomachine; and a substantially crescent-shaped chamber positioned within the endwall and radially displaced from a trailing edge of the airfoil, the substantially crescent-shaped chamber receiving a cooling fluid from a cooling circuit, wherein the substantially crescent-shaped chamber extends from a fore section positioned proximal to one of a pressure side surface and a suction side surface of the airfoil to an aft section positioned proximal to the trailing edge of the airfoil and the other of the pressure side surface and the suction side surface of the airfoil, wherein the aft section of the substantially crescent-shaped chamber is in fluid communication with the fore section of the substantially crescent-shaped chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Golden, Dustin Michael Earnhardt, Michelle Jessica Iduate, Bryan David Lewis, Christopher Donald Porter, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20170334188
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosure include a turbomachine component. and methods of forming such a component. Some embodiments include a turbomachine component including: a first portion including at least one of a stainless steel or an alloy steel; and a second portion joined with the first portion, the second portion including a nickel alloy including an arced cooling feature extending therethrough, the second portion having a thermal expansion coefficient substantially similar to a thermal expansion coefficient of the first portion, wherein the arced cooling feature is located within the second portion to direct a portion of a coolant to a leakage area of the turbomachine component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Christopher Donald Porter, David Edward Schick
  • Patent number: 9822653
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling structure for a stationary blade. The cooling structure can include: an airfoil having a cooling circuit therein; an endwall coupled to a radial end of the airfoil; a chamber positioned within the endwall for receiving a cooling fluid from the cooling circuit, wherein the cooling fluid absorbs heat from the endwall, and a temperature of the cooling fluid in an upstream region is lower than a temperature of the cooling fluid in a downstream region; a first passage within the endwall fluidly connecting the upstream region of the chamber to a wheel space positioned between the endwall and the turbine wheel; and a second passage within the endwall fluidly connecting the downstream region of the chamber to the wheel space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Christopher Lee Golden
  • Patent number: 9757936
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosure include a turbomachine component. and methods of forming such a component. Some embodiments include a turbomachine component including: a first portion including at least one of a stainless steel or an alloy steel; and a second portion joined with the first portion, the second portion including a nickel alloy including an arced cooling feature extending therethrough, the second portion having a thermal expansion coefficient substantially similar to a thermal expansion coefficient of the first portion, wherein the arced cooling feature is located within the second portion to direct a portion of a coolant to a leakage area of the turbomachine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Christopher Donald Porter, David Edward Schick
  • Publication number: 20170226878
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention include turbine nozzles and systems employing such nozzles. Various particular embodiments include a turbine nozzle having: an airfoil having: a suction side; a pressure side opposing the suction side; a leading edge spanning between the pressure side and the suction side; and a trailing edge opposing the leading edge and spanning between the pressure side and the suction side; and at least one endwall connected with the airfoil along the suction side, pressure side, trailing edge and the leading edge, the at least one endwall including a non-axisymmetric contour proximate a junction between the endwall and the leading edge of the airfoil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Lee Larned Brozyna, Christopher Lee Golden, Christopher Donald Porter
  • Patent number: 9581036
    Abstract: Systems and devices configured to seal interfaces/gaps between stationary components of turbines and manipulate a flow of coolant about portions of the turbine during turbine operation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a seal element includes: a first surface shaped to be oriented toward a pressurized cavity of the turbine; a second surface oriented substantially opposite the first surface and shaped to sealingly engage a contact surface of the static components; and a first set of angular features disposed in the second surface, the first set of angular features fluidly connecting the pressurized cavity and the flowpath of the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dipankar Pal, Robert Walter Coign, Gary Michael Itzel, Kevin Thomas McGovern, Christopher Donald Porter
  • Publication number: 20170016348
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling structure for a stationary blade, which can include: an endwall coupled to a radial end of an airfoil, relative to a rotor axis of a turbomachine; and a substantially crescent-shaped chamber positioned within the endwall and radially displaced from a trailing edge of the airfoil, the substantially crescent-shaped chamber receiving a cooling fluid from a cooling circuit, wherein the substantially crescent-shaped chamber extends from a fore section positioned proximal to one of a pressure side surface and a suction side surface of the airfoil to an aft section positioned proximal to the trailing edge of the airfoil and the other of the pressure side surface and the suction side surface of the airfoil, wherein the aft section of the substantially crescent-shaped chamber is in fluid communication with the fore section of the substantially crescent-shaped chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher Lee Golden, Dustin Michael Earnhardt, Michelle Jessica Iduate, Bryan David Lewis, Christopher Donald Porter, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20170016338
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cooling structure for a stationary blade. The cooling structure can include: an airfoil having a cooling circuit therein; an endwall coupled to a radial end of the airfoil; a chamber positioned within the endwall for receiving a cooling fluid from the cooling circuit, wherein the cooling fluid absorbs heat from the endwall, and a temperature of the cooling fluid in an upstream region is lower than a temperature of the cooling fluid in a downstream region; a first passage within the endwall fluidly connecting the upstream region of the chamber to a wheel space positioned between the endwall and the turbine wheel; and a second passage within the endwall fluidly connecting the downstream region of the chamber to the wheel space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Christopher Lee Golden
  • Patent number: 9416675
    Abstract: Sealing device for providing seals between adjacent components, and turbomachines utilizing such sealing devices, are provided. A sealing device includes a seal plate insertable between the adjacent components, the seal plate comprising a first face and an opposing second face. The sealing device further includes a plurality of pins extending from one of the first face or the second face, the plurality of pins configured to space the one of the first face or the second face from contact surfaces of the adjacent components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Christopher Donald Porter, David Edward Schick, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20160196426
    Abstract: The disclosed architecture facilitates the sandboxing of applications by taking core operating system components that normally run in the operating system kernel or otherwise outside the application process and on which a sandboxed application depends on to run, and converting these core operating components to run within the application process. The architecture takes the abstractions already provided by the host operating system and converts these abstractions for use by the sandbox environment. More specifically, new operating system APIs (application program interfaces) are created that include only the basic computation services, thus, separating the basic services from rich application APIs. The code providing the rich application APIs is copied out of the operating system and into the application environment—the application process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Galen C. HUNT, Donald PORTER
  • Publication number: 20160186575
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosure include a turbomachine component. and methods of forming such a component. Some embodiments include a turbomachine component including: a first portion including at least one of a stainless steel or an alloy steel; and a second portion joined with the first portion, the second portion including a nickel alloy including an arced cooling feature extending therethrough, the second portion having a thermal expansion coefficient substantially similar to a thermal expansion coefficient of the first portion, wherein the arced cooling feature is located within the second portion to direct a portion of a coolant to a leakage area of the turbomachine component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Christopher Donald Porter, David Edward Schick
  • Patent number: 9323921
    Abstract: The disclosed architecture facilitates the sandboxing of applications by taking core operating system components that normally run in the operating system kernel or otherwise outside the application process and on which a sandboxed application depends on to run, and converting these core operating components to run within the application process. The architecture takes the abstractions already provided by the host operating system and converts these abstractions for use by the sandbox environment. More specifically, new operating system APIs (application program interfaces) are created that include only the basic computation services, thus, separating the basic services from rich application APIs. The code providing the rich application APIs is copied out of the operating system and into the application environment—the application process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Galen C. Hunt, Donald Porter
  • Patent number: 9194237
    Abstract: A gas turbine nozzle section of a gas turbine may include an inner endwall with a leading edge. A serpentine passage may be configured substantially within the leading edge. The serpentine passage may have an inlet and an outlet. Air may be received at the inlet and exhausted at the outlet, cooling the leading edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Jackson Dillard, Christopher Donald Porter
  • Patent number: 9175565
    Abstract: A seal in a turbine of a combustion turbine engine is described. The seal is formed within a trench cavity defined between a rotor blade and a stator blade. The stator blade includes a sidewall projection and the rotor blade includes an angel wing projection extending toward the stator blade. The side wall projection overhangs the angel wing projection. The seal include: a port disposed on an inboard surface of the stator projection; and deflecting structure disposed on the angel wing projection. The deflecting structure may be configured to receive the fluid expelled from the port and deflect the fluid toward an inlet of the trench cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Gary Michael Itzel
  • Publication number: 20150211377
    Abstract: Sealing device for providing seals between adjacent components, and turbomachines utilizing such sealing devices, are provided. A sealing device includes a seal plate insertable between the adjacent components, the seal plate comprising a first face and an opposing second face. The sealing device further includes a plurality of pins extending from one of the first face or the second face, the plurality of pins configured to space the one of the first face or the second face from contact surfaces of the adjacent components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Paul Lacy, Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam, Christopher Donald Porter, David Edward Schick, David Wayne Weber
  • Publication number: 20150013345
    Abstract: A shroud segment for a casing of gas turbine includes a body configured for attachment to the casing proximate a localized critical process location within the casing. The body has a leading edge, a trailing edge, and two side edges. The critical process location is located between the leading edge and the trailing edge when the body is attached to the casing. A cooling passage is defined in the body along one of the side edges with one of an inlet or an outlet proximate the critical process location. The cooling passage is configured large enough to cool the one side edge adjacent the cooling passage to a desired level during operation of the gas turbine. The critical process locations may be related to temperatures, pressures or other measurable features of the gas turbine environment when in use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Gregory Thomas Foster, Aaron Ezekiel Smith, David Wayne Weber, Michelle J. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20140341720
    Abstract: Systems and devices configured to seal interfaces/gaps between stationary components of turbines and manipulate a flow of coolant about portions of the turbine during turbine operation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a seal element includes: a first surface shaped to be oriented toward a pressurized cavity of the turbine; a second surface oriented substantially opposite the first surface and shaped to sealingly engage a contact surface of the static components; and a first set of angular features disposed in the second surface, the first set of angular features fluidly connecting the pressurized cavity and the flowpath of the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dipankar Pal, Robert Walter Coign, Gary Michael Itzel, Kevin Thomas McGovern, Christopher Donald Porter
  • Publication number: 20140072400
    Abstract: A gas turbine nozzle section of a gas turbine may include an inner endwall with a leading edge. A serpentine passage may be configured substantially within the leading edge. The serpentine passage may have an inlet and an outlet. Air may be received at the inlet and exhausted at the outlet, cooling the leading edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel Jackson Dillard, Christopher Donald Porter
  • Publication number: 20140064942
    Abstract: A cooling arrangement in a platform in a rotor blade or a sidewall in a stator blade in a turbine of a combustion turbine engine is described. The cooling arrangement may include: a cooling chamber configured to pass coolant from an inlet to an outlet; and a rib positioned within the cooling chamber. The rib may partially divide the cooling chamber so to form a switchback. The rib may be canted with respect to the cooling chamber such that the switchback has an ever narrowing channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Gary Michael Itzel
  • Publication number: 20140037435
    Abstract: A seal in a turbine of a combustion turbine engine is described. The seal is formed within a trench cavity defined between a rotor blade and a stator blade. The stator blade includes a sidewall projection and the rotor blade includes an angel wing projection extending toward the stator blade. The side wall projection overhangs the angel wing projection. The seal include: a port disposed on an inboard surface of the stator projection; and deflecting structure disposed on the angel wing projection. The deflecting structure may be configured to receive the fluid expelled from the port and deflect the fluid toward an inlet of the trench cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Christopher Donald Porter, Gary Michael Itzel