Patents by Inventor Edward Durell Benjamin

Edward Durell Benjamin 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: 8096757
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine nozzle is described. The gas turbine engine nozzle includes at least one nozzle vane having a first end and a second end. The first end is coupled to an inner sidewall and the second end is coupled to an outer sidewall. The gas turbine engine nozzle also includes at least one stress relief pocket defined within at least one of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall proximate to the at least one nozzle vane. The at least one stress relief pocket is configured to reduce stress on the proximate nozzle vane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Daniel David Snook, Edward Durell Benjamin
  • Patent number: 8057169
    Abstract: An article of manufacture includes an object having an airfoil core shape. The airfoil core shape has a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z set forth in TABLE 1 where X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances are joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil core shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Durell Benjamin, Jr., David John Humanchuk, Daniel David Snook
  • Publication number: 20100172748
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine nozzle is described. The gas turbine engine nozzle includes at least one nozzle vane having a first end and a second end. The first end is coupled to an inner sidewall and the second end is coupled to an outer sidewall. The gas turbine engine nozzle also includes at least one stress relief pocket defined within at least one of the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall proximate to the at least one nozzle vane. The at least one stress relief pocket is configured to reduce stress on the proximate nozzle vane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Daniel David Snook, Edward Durell Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20090324415
    Abstract: An article of manufacture includes an object having an airfoil core shape. The airfoil core shape has a nominal profile substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y, and Z set forth in TABLE 1 where X and Y are distances in inches which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z in inches. The profile sections at the Z distances are joined smoothly with one another to form a complete airfoil core shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Edward Durell Benjamin, JR., David John Humanchuk, Daniel David Snook
  • Patent number: 7600972
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine are provided. A first rotor blade including an airfoil, a platform, a shank, an internal cavity, and a dovetail is provided, wherein the airfoil extends radially outward from the platform, which includes a radially outer surface and a radially inner surface, the shank extends radially inward from the platform, and the dovetail extends from the shank, such that the internal cavity is defined by the airfoil, the platform, the shank, and the dovetail. The first rotor blade is coupled to a rotor shaft such that during engine operation, cooling air is channeled from the cavity through an impingement cooling circuit for impingement cooling the first rotor blade platform radially inner surface, and a second rotor blade is coupled to the rotor shaft such that a platform gap is defined between the first and second rotor blade platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Durell Benjamin, Jeffrey John Butkiewicz, Mark Steven Honkomp, Stephen Paul Wassynger, Emilio Fernandez, Carlos Alberto Collado
  • Patent number: 7568882
    Abstract: A localized directional impingement cooling is used to reduce the metal temperatures on highly stressed regions of the tip shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Brittingham, Edward Durell Benjamin, Brian Peter Arness
  • Publication number: 20080170946
    Abstract: A localized directional impingement cooling is used to reduce the metal temperatures on highly stressed regions of the tip shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Brittingham, Edward Durell Benjamin, Brian Peter Arness
  • Patent number: 7147440
    Abstract: A method facilitates assembling a rotor assembly for gas turbine engine. The method comprises providing a first rotor blade that includes an airfoil having a leading edge and a trailing edge including a plurality of trailing edge openings, a platform, a shank, and a dovetail, wherein the platform extends between the airfoil and the dovetail and includes a radially outer surface, a radially inner surface, and a recessed area extending at least partially between the radially outer and inner surfaces. The method also comprises coupling the first rotor blade to a rotor shaft using the dovetail, and coupling a second rotor blade to the rotor shaft such that cooling air is substantially continuously channeled through the platform recessed area during engine operation to facilitate reducing stresses induced to at least a portion of the airfoil trailing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Durell Benjamin, Jeffrey John Butkiewicz, John Paul Urban
  • Patent number: 6779980
    Abstract: First stage turbine buckets have airfoil profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z values are non-dimensional values from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z values by the height of the airfoil in inches. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down airfoil section for the bucket. The nominal airfoil given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelop of ±0.040 inches in directions normal to the surface of the airfoil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Brittingham, Edward Durell Benjamin, Jacob Charles Perry, II, Craig Allen Bielek
  • Patent number: 6722851
    Abstract: First stage turbine buckets have internal core profiles substantially in accordance with Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth Table I wherein X and Y values are in inches and the Z values are non-dimensional values from 0 to 1 convertible to Z distances in inches by multiplying the Z values by the height of the bucket in inches. The X and Y values are distances which, when connected by smooth continuing arcs, define internal core profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z are joined smoothly to one another to form a complete internal core profile. The X, Y and Z distances may be scalable as a function of the same constant or number to provide a scaled up or scaled down internal core profile. The nominal internal core profile given by the X, Y and Z distances lies within an envelope of ±0.039 inches in directions normal to any internal core surface location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Alan Brittingham, Edward Durell Benjamin, Jacob C. Perry, II