Patents by Inventor Donald Mark Bailey

Donald Mark Bailey 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: 8978384
    Abstract: A swirler assembly in a gas turbine combustor includes a hub, a shroud, and a plurality of vanes connected between the hub and the shroud. The vanes include a high pressure side on which air and fuel impinge the vanes and a low pressure side. An air circuit is provided in each of the plurality of vanes receiving discharge air from a compressor. Each of the air circuits includes an air entry passage into the vanes and an air exit passage on the low pressure side of the vanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Abdul Rafey Khan, Mohan Krishna Bobba
  • Patent number: 8938978
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor is provided and includes an array of fuel nozzles, a combustion casing assembly disposed about the array of fuel nozzles and an end cap assembly disposed within the combustion casing assembly to define with the combustion casing assembly an axis-symmetric annulus through which fluid travels into each of the fuel nozzles, at least one of the combustion casing assembly and the end cap assembly being formed with lobed, three-dimensional contouring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Luis Manuel Flamand, Kwanwoo Kim, Patrick Benedict Melton, Robert Joseph Rohrssen, John Drake Vanselow
  • Patent number: 8850821
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a hub, a shroud disposed about the hub, an airflow path between the hub and the shroud, multiple first fuel outlets disposed on the hub, and multiple swirl vanes disposed in the airflow path downstream from the multiple first fuel outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Bradley Donald Crawley, Donald Mark Bailey, Ajay Pratap Singh
  • Patent number: 8820086
    Abstract: An endcover assembly for a turbine combustor adapted to support one or more combustor nozzles includes a substantially flat plate having one side which in use, faces a combustion chamber and an opposite side which, in use, faces away from the combustion chamber. At least one fuel passage extends through the substantially flat plate. A fuel manifold porting block is secured to the opposite side of the flat plate with at least one port aligned with the at least one passage. A fuel restrictor insert formed with multiple flow orifices is located between the flat plate and the fuel manifold porting block in alignment with the at least one fuel passage and the at least one port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Donald Timothy Lemon, Kwanwoo Kim, Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Patent number: 8794544
    Abstract: A combustor nozzle includes a downstream surface having an axial centerline. A plurality of passages extend through the downstream surface and provide fluid communication through the downstream surface. A plurality of slits are included in the downstream surface, and each slit connects to at least two passages. A method for modifying a combustor nozzle includes machining a plurality of slits in a downstream side of a body. The method further includes connecting each slit to at least two passages that pass through the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Benedict Melton, Scott Robert Simmons, Russell DeForest, Donald Mark Bailey
  • Patent number: 8752389
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle configured to channel fluid toward a combustion chamber within a gas turbine engine and a method for assembling the same are provided. The fuel nozzle includes a first hollow tube fabricated from a first material that has a first coefficient of thermal expansion and a second tube fabricated from a second material that has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The second tube is coupled within the first tube such that the first tube substantially circumscribes the second tube, and the second tube thermally expands approximately at a same rate as the first tube during fuel nozzle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Geoffrey D. Myers, Scott Simmons, Stephen R. Thomas, Donald Mark Bailey
  • Patent number: 8528839
    Abstract: A combustor nozzle includes a single-piece swirler. The single-piece swirler includes a center body extending axially along the single-piece swirler, a first fuel passage inside the center body, and a plurality of vanes extending radially from the center body. A method for fabricating a combustor nozzle includes casting a single-piece swirler having a center body and a plurality of vanes extending radially from the center body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, William Lawrence Byrne, Patrick Benedict Melton
  • Publication number: 20130205799
    Abstract: An interface between an inlet flow conditioner and a compressor discharge air passage in a gas turbine includes a cap back plate including a curved exterior surface, and an inlet flow conditioner (IFC) cooperable with the cap back plate. An end of the IFC includes a curved exterior surface that is continued from the curved exterior surface of the cap back plate. The interface provides for more uniform and higher pressure air as well as more air supply, resulting in more uniform combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Abdul Rafey Khan, Robert Joseph Rohrssen, Mohan Krishna Bobba
  • Patent number: 8505304
    Abstract: A fuel nozzle for use with a combustion chamber defined within a gas turbine engine and a method for assembling the same are provided. The fuel nozzle includes a swirler assembly and a burner tube that is coupled to a support flange in a detachable manner such that an inner surface of the burner tube circumscribes an outer surface of the swirler assembly during fuel nozzle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Geoffrey D. Myers, Scott Simmons, Stephen R. Thomas, Donald Mark Bailey, David Martin Johnson
  • Patent number: 8484978
    Abstract: A method of assembling a fuel nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine having a natural operating frequency includes providing a flange and providing a premix tube. The flange is fabricated from a first alloy such that the flange is configured to exhibit a first frequency that is different than the natural operating frequency of the gas turbine engine. The premix tube is fabricated from a second alloy such that the premix tube is configured to exhibit a second frequency that is different from the natural operating frequency of the gas turbine engine. The premix tube is coupled to the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Scott Robert Simmons, Marcus Byron Huffman
  • Publication number: 20130167954
    Abstract: A fuel distribution manifold comprises an outer shell having an inner surface. The outer shell defines an inlet for receiving fuel from a parent supply line, a base opposite the inlet, a central manifold axis that intersects the inlet, and a plurality of outlets for delivering fuel to offspring fuel lines, each outlet defining a respective outlet axis. In one exemplary embodiment, a fuel distribution manifold also comprises a center-body having an outer surface and being positioned within the outer shell wherein the outer surface of the center-body and the inner surface of the outer shell define a flow-path through which fluid flows from the inlet to the plurality of outlets. In another exemplary embodiment, at least one of the outlets is positioned adjacent to the base and oriented so that its respective outlet axis is rotated relatively to a radial direction that intersects the central manifold axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Gregory Allen Boardman, William Thomas Ross
  • Publication number: 20130125553
    Abstract: A swirler assembly in a gas turbine combustor includes a hub, a shroud, and a plurality of vanes connected between the hub and the shroud. The vanes include a high pressure side on which air and fuel impinge the vanes and a low pressure side. An air circuit is provided in each of the plurality of vanes receiving discharge air from a compressor. Each of the air circuits includes an air entry passage into the vanes and an air exit passage on the low pressure side of the vanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Abdul Rafey Khan, Mohan Krishna Bobba
  • Publication number: 20130125549
    Abstract: An endcover for a turbine combustor adapted to support one or more combustor nozzles, includes a plate having one side which in use, faces a combustion chamber and an opposite side which, in use, faces away from the combustion chamber. At least one fuel cavity is formed in the plate; and a fuel restrictor insert is formed with at least one flow orifice located within the fuel cavity for supplying fuel to at least one combustor nozzle. The fuel restrictor insert is adjustable along a length dimension of the fuel cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark BAILEY, Abdul Rafey KHAN
  • Publication number: 20130086910
    Abstract: A system includes a fuel nozzle. The fuel nozzle includes a hub, a shroud disposed about the hub, an airflow path between the hub and the shroud, multiple first fuel outlets disposed on the hub, and multiple swirl vanes disposed in the airflow path downstream from the multiple first fuel outlets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Abdul Rafey Khan, Bradley Donald Crawley, Donald Mark Bailey, Ajay Pratap Singh
  • Patent number: 8347631
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a system includes an end cover and a liquid cartridge. The liquid cartridge is configured to mount in a fuel nozzle of a turbine engine, wherein the liquid cartridge comprises a one piece flange configured to couple to the end cover, wherein the flange comprises a water inlet, an air inlet, and a fuel inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Scott R Simmons, Gregory Allen Boardman, Xiomara Irizarry-Rosado
  • Publication number: 20120308948
    Abstract: A combustor nozzle includes a downstream surface having an axial centerline. A plurality of passages extend through the downstream surface and provide fluid communication through the downstream surface. A plurality of slits are included in the downstream surface, and each slit connects to at least two passages. A method for modifying a combustor nozzle includes machining a plurality of slits in a downstream side of a body. The method further includes connecting each slit to at least two passages that pass through the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Patrick Benedict Melton, Scott Robert Simmons, Russell DeForest, Donald Mark Bailey
  • Publication number: 20120279224
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine combustor is provided and includes an array of fuel nozzles, a combustion casing assembly disposed about the array of fuel nozzles and an end cap assembly disposed within the combustion casing assembly to define with the combustion casing assembly an axis-symmetric annulus through which fluid travels into each of the fuel nozzles, at least one of the combustion casing assembly and the end cap assembly being formed with lobed, three-dimensional contouring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Luis Manuel Flamand, Kwanwoo Kim, Patrick Benedict Melton, Robert Joseph Rohrssen, John Drake Vanselow
  • Publication number: 20120274005
    Abstract: A process for preparing for casting is provided and includes forming a cast component defining an interior having a complex and/or irregular shape, introducing a non-solid material into the cast component interior and solidifying the non-solid material to form an inner shell, forming an outer shell about the cast component and removing the cast component from between the inner and outer shells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Kwanwoo Kim, Patrick Benedict Melton, Michael John Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8261554
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a fuel nozzle tip retainer that includes a structural member having a geometry that blocks a tip insert from moving axially downstream of a fuel nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, Scott R. Simmons
  • Publication number: 20120181354
    Abstract: A combustor nozzle includes a single-piece swirler. The single-piece swirler includes a center body extending axially along the single-piece swirler, a first fuel passage inside the center body, and a plurality of vanes extending radially from the center body. A method for fabricating a combustor nozzle includes casting a single-piece swirler having a center body and a plurality of vanes extending radially from the center body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald Mark Bailey, William Lawrence Byrne, Patrick Benedict Melton