Patents by Inventor Donald J. Cramb

Donald J. Cramb 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: 11680709
    Abstract: A fuel injector is disclosed for reducing flashback. In an embodiment, the fuel injector may comprise an injector head with purge holes on a radial wall along a radial axis between an assembly axis of the fuel injector and a plurality of vanes arranged circumferentially around the assembly axis. In addition, the plurality of vanes may comprise fuel outlets connecting interior fuel passages to spaces between the vanes. The introduction of these purge holes near the bases of the vanes and the configuration and positioning of the fuel outlets in the vanes and elsewhere in the fuel injector may alter the stoichiometry (e.g., fuel-air ratio) within the premix passage of the fuel injector to reduce flashback. A plurality of such fuel injectors may be used in the combustor of a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Ramotowski, Paul Economo, Christian Di Norscia, Donald J. Cramb, Nathan J. Kirksey
  • Publication number: 20220128237
    Abstract: A fuel injector is disclosed for reducing flashback. In an embodiment, the fuel injector may comprise an injector head with purge holes on a radial wall along a radial axis between an assembly axis of the fuel injector and a plurality of vanes arranged circumferentially around the assembly axis. In addition, the plurality of vanes may comprise fuel outlets connecting interior fuel passages to spaces between the vanes. The introduction of these purge holes near the bases of the vanes and the configuration and positioning of the fuel outlets in the vanes and elsewhere in the fuel injector may alter the stoichiometry (e.g., fuel-air ratio) within the premix passage of the fuel injector to reduce flashback. A plurality of such fuel injectors may be used in the combustor of a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael J. Ramotowski, Paul Economo, Christian Di Norscia, Donald J. Cramb, Nathan J. Kirksey
  • Patent number: 8522561
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a turbine engine has a central body member with a pilot, a surrounding barrel housing, a mixing duct and an air inlet duct. The fuel nozzle additionally has a main fuel injection device located between the air inlet duct and the mixing duct. The main fuel injection device is configured to introduce a flow of fuel into the barrel member to create a fuel/air mixture which is then premixed with a swirler. The fuel/air mixture then further mixes in the mixing duct and exits the nozzle into a combustor for combustion. The geometry of the fuel nozzle ensures that pressure waves from the combustor do not create a time varying fuel to air equivalence ratio in the flow through the nozzle that achieves a resonance with the pressure waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. C. Rogers, Christopher Z. Twardochleb, James W. Blust, Mario E. Abreu, Donald J. Cramb
  • Patent number: 8186162
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for a turbine engine has a central body member with a pilot, a surrounding barrel housing, a mixing duct and an air inlet duct. The fuel nozzle additionally has a main fuel injection device located between the air inlet duct and the mixing duct. The main fuel injection device is configured to introduce a flow of fuel into the barrel member to create a fuel/air mixture which is then premixed with a swirler. The fuel/air mixture then further mixes in the mixing duct and exits the nozzle into a combustor for combustion. The geometry of the fuel nozzle ensures that pressure waves from the combustor do not create a time varying fuel to air equivalence ratio in the flow through the nozzle that achieves a resonance with the pressure waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. C. Rogers, Christopher Z. Twardochleb, James W. Blust, Mario E. Abreu, Donald J. Cramb