Patents by Inventor Donald Albert BRADLEY

Donald Albert BRADLEY 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: 10113633
    Abstract: An epicyclic gearing arrangement includes a planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing that is mounted via a support pin to a carrier of the epicyclic gearing arrangement. A spring film damper is disposed between the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin and the opposing inner surface of the inner ring of the planet bearing and includes an annular gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Bugra Han Ertas, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Patent number: 10107378
    Abstract: A planet gear train for an engine casing includes a sun gear rotatable by a shaft, a ring gear, a plurality of planet gears rotatably mounted in a planet carrier and meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear, and a damping system. The damping system includes a soft mount disposed about the shaft and coupling the planet carrier the engine casing. The soft mount includes a flexible inner sleeve and a flexible outer sleeve. The flexible inner sleeve and the flexible outer sleeve are fixedly coupled together at respective central portions thereof near the shaft. The damping system further includes a plurality of damping couplers disposed about an outer flange of the planet carrier. The plurality of damping couplers is configured to flexibly couple the flexible inner sleeve to the flexible outer sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Randy M. Vondrell, Donald Albert Bradley, Bugra Han Ertas
  • Patent number: 10094335
    Abstract: Embodiments of a compliant shaft for engines are provided herein. In some embodiments, a compliant shaft for a turbine engine may include: a body having a first end configured to be coupled to a shaft of a turbine and a second end coupled to a gear of a gear box, wherein at least a portion of the body is flexible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Bugra Han Ertas, Kenneth Lee Fisher, Donald Albert Bradley
  • Publication number: 20180187773
    Abstract: A planet gear includes a pin and an annular planet gear rim. The pin has a pin radius. The pin includes a pin outer surface. The annular planet gear rim has an inner radius and an outer radius. The annular planet gear rim includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface and the pin outer surface define a clearance therebetween. The clearance is greater than 0 when a radial force is applied to the planet gear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Darren Lee Hallman, Donald Albert Bradley, Changjie Sun, Bugra Han Ertas
  • Publication number: 20180163566
    Abstract: A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine includes a tank, a circulation pump, and a heat exchanger. The circulation pump generates a flow of lubricant from the tank to, e.g., a power gear box of the gas turbine engine and the heat exchanger removes an amount of heat from such flow of lubricant provided to the power gear box. The lubrication system also includes one or more valves in the flow of lubricant for controlling a flowrate and/or temperature of the lubricant provided to, e.g., the power gear box to increase an efficiency and/or durability of the power gear box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventors: Ning Charles Fang, Donald Albert Bradley, Gert J. van der Merwe
  • Publication number: 20180080411
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan section and a core turbine engine. The fan section includes a fan and a fan shaft, with the fan including a plurality fan blades rotatable with the fan shaft. The core turbine engine includes a turbine section having a first turbine and a second turbine. The core turbine engine additionally includes a spool rotatable with the second turbine. An epicyclic power gearbox is also provided including a sun gear rotatable with the spool, a ring gear, and a total of four or less planet gears engaged between the sun gear and the ring gear. The power gearbox is configured such that a fan pressure ratio defined by the fan is greater than about 1.05 and less than about 1.50 during operation of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Donald Albert Bradley
  • Patent number: 9909453
    Abstract: A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine includes a tank, a circulation pump, and a heat exchanger. The circulation pump generates a flow of lubricant from the tank to, e.g., a power gear box of the gas turbine engine and the heat exchanger removes an amount of heat from such flow of lubricant provided to the power gear box. The lubrication system also includes one or more valves in the flow of lubricant for controlling a flowrate and/or temperature of the lubricant provided to, e.g., the power gear box to increase an efficiency and/or durability of the power gear box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ning Charles Fang, Donald Albert Bradley, Gert J. van der Merwe
  • Patent number: 9869190
    Abstract: A pitch control mechanism includes: a rotor structure configured for rotation about a longitudinal axis; a row of blades carried by the rotor structure, each blade having an airfoil and a trunnion mounted for pivoting movement relative to the rotor structure, about a trunnion axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; a unison ring interconnecting the blades; an actuator connected to the unison ring and the rotor structure, operable to move the unison ring relative to the rotor structure; at least one moveable counterweight carried by the rotor structure, remote from the blades; and an interconnection between the blades and the counterweight, such that movement of the counterweight causes a change in the pitch angle of the blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Donald Albert Bradley
  • Publication number: 20170219079
    Abstract: An epicyclic gearing arrangement includes a planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing that is mounted via a support pin to a carrier of the epicyclic gearing arrangement. A spring film damper is disposed between the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin and the opposing inner surface of the inner ring of the planet bearing and includes an annular gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Bugra Han Ertas, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Publication number: 20170219080
    Abstract: An epicyclic gearing arrangement includes a planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing that is mounted via a support pin to a carrier of the epicyclic gearing arrangement. A spring film damper is disposed between the outer surface of the bearing's outer ring and the opposing inner surface of the planet gear and includes an annular gap. The support pin and/or outer ring include oil feed holes that open into the respective annular gap(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Bugra Han Ertas, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Publication number: 20170191548
    Abstract: A planet gear includes an annular planet gear ring including an annular planet gear rim. The annular planet gear rim has an inner radius and an outer radius. The inner radius and the outer radius define a rim thickness therebetween. The annular planet gear rim further has a bending stress neutral axis. The bending stress neutral axis radius and the rim thickness define a ratio including values in a range from and including about 3 to and including about 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Kenneth Lee Fisher, Darren Lee Hallman, Bugra Han Ertas, Donald Albert Bradley, Haris Ligata, William Howard Hasting, Ning Fang, Gert Johannes van der Merwe, Mark Alan Rhoads
  • Patent number: 9677659
    Abstract: An epicyclic gearing arrangement includes a planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing that is mounted via a support pin to a carrier of the epicyclic gearing arrangement. An attenuation spring is disposed between the outer surface of the bearing's outer ring and the opposing inner surface of the planet gear and includes an annular gap. A spring film damper is disposed between the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin and the opposing inner surface of the inner ring of the planet bearing and includes an annular gap. The support pin (96) and/or outer ring include oil feed holes that open into the respective annular gap(s). A gas turbine engine includes an epicyclic gearing arrangement having such a planet bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel Alan Niergarth, Brandon Wayne Miller, Bugra Han Ertas, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Publication number: 20170159608
    Abstract: Embodiments of a compliant shaft for engines are provided herein. In some embodiments, a compliant shaft for a turbine engine may include: a body having a first end configured to be coupled to a shaft of a turbine and a second end coupled to a gear of a gear box, wherein at least a portion of the body is flexible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Bugra Han Ertas, Kenneth Lee Fisher, Donald Albert Bradley
  • Publication number: 20170152760
    Abstract: A casing for use in a turbofan engine is provided. The casing includes an inner hub, an intermediate casing positioned radially outward from the inner hub, an outer casing positioned radially outward from the intermediate casing, and a plurality of struts spaced circumferentially about the inner hub and extending between the inner hub and the outer casing. At least one strut of the plurality of struts includes a flow channel extending therethrough. The casing also includes a fluid scoop defined within the inner hub, and a collector that couples the fluid scoop in flow communication with the flow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Michael TOMPKINS, Brandon Wayne MILLER, Donald Albert BRADLEY, Michele GRAVINA, Daniel Alan NIERGARTH, Lorenzo CIPOLLA
  • Publication number: 20170122426
    Abstract: A planet gear train for an engine casing includes a sun gear rotatable by a shaft, a ring gear, a plurality of planet gears rotatably mounted in a planet carrier and meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear, and a damping system. The damping system includes a soft mount disposed about the shaft and coupling the planet carrier the engine casing. The soft mount includes a flexible inner sleeve and a flexible outer sleeve. The flexible inner sleeve and the flexible outer sleeve are fixedly coupled together at respective central portions thereof near the shaft. The damping system further includes a plurality of damping couplers disposed about an outer flange of the planet carrier. The plurality of damping couplers is configured to flexibly couple the flexible inner sleeve to the flexible outer sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Randy M. Vondrell, Donald Albert Bradley, Bugra Han Ertas
  • Publication number: 20170114887
    Abstract: A static lubricant supply system within a gearbox that delivers lubricant to rotating gears. The lubricant supply system includes a stationary sleeve assembly for delivering the lubricant to a rotating receiver member, shaft, or flange. The sleeve assembly includes bearings, seals, jets, and plenums. The jets are skewed to deliver lubricant in the tangential direction of rotational motion of the receiver member, shaft, or flange. In the radial gap transfer configuration, the sleeve assembly circumscribes the receiver member or shaft. A race in the receiver member or shaft receives the lubricant. Channels within the receiver member, shaft, and gears deliver lubricant to the gears. In the axial gap transfer configuration, the sleeve assembly transfers lubricant to a flange attached to a receiver member. The flange has a race that receives the lubricant from the jets. Channels within the flange, receiver member, and gears deliver lubricant to the gears.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne Miller, Gert Johannes van der Merwe, Donald Albert Bradley, Michael Anthony Barnell, Christopher James Kroger
  • Publication number: 20170108113
    Abstract: A planet gear rotatable on a planet bearing with cylindrical rollers is mounted to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement. Either the cylindrical outer surface of the support pin or the opposing cylindrical inner surface of the inner ring of the planet bearing includes a network of interconnected grooves. The support pin includes oil feed holes intersecting the grooves. Passages through the planet bearing's inner ring also connect to the grooves. A gas turbine engine includes a fan and LP shaft, which couples a compressor to a turbine. An epicyclic gearing arrangement has a single input from the LP shaft coupled to a sun gear, a single output coupled to the fan's shaft, and a planet bearing with a network of interconnected grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: William Howard Hasting, Kenneth Lee Fisher, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Publication number: 20170089219
    Abstract: A planet gearbox is provided for connection to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement with a single input and single output and including a sun gear, a ring gear and at least one double helix planet gear rotatable on a cylindrical roller bearing with a cage having a cross-web thickness of 15% to 25% of the diameter of the cylindrical rollers and an L/D ratio exceeding 1.0. A gas turbine engine includes a fan and LP shaft, which couples a compressor to a turbine. An epicyclic gearing arrangement has a single input from the LP shaft coupled to a sun gear, a single output coupled to the fan's shaft, and a planet bearing cage having a cross-web thickness measuring 15% to 25% of the roller's diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: William Howard Hasting, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Publication number: 20170089218
    Abstract: A planet gearbox is provided for connection to a carrier of an epicyclic gearing arrangement with a single input and single output and including a sun gear, a ring gear and at least one double helix planet gear rotatable on a cylindrical roller bearing wherein the ratio of each cylindrical roller's length to each cylindrical roller's diameter exceeds 1.0. A gas turbine engine includes a shaft coupling a compressor of a compressor section to a turbine of a turbine section. An epicyclic gearing arrangement has a single input from the shaft coupled to a sun gear, a single output from the carrier that is coupled to the shaft of a fan and includes a planet gearbox with cylindrical rollers having a length-to-diameter ratio exceeding 1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: William Howard Hasting, Kenneth Lee Fisher, Donald Albert Bradley, Joseph Robert Dickman
  • Publication number: 20170082031
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine including a fan, a core including at least one rotatable shaft, and a gearbox mechanically coupling at least one rotatable shaft of the core to the fan is provided. The gas turbine engine also includes a coupling system for mounting the gearbox within the gas turbine engine. The coupling system includes a flexible coupling connected to at least one of a fan frame or a core frame, as well as a torque frame connected to the flexible coupling and the gearbox. Moreover, a deflection limiter is provided, loosely attaching the flexible coupling to the gearbox to provide a predetermined axial range of motion, radial range of motion, and circumferential range of motion between the gearbox and the frame to which the flexible coupling is attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Brandon Wayne MILLER, Donald Albert BRADLEY