Patents by Inventor Edward F. Dreger

Edward F. Dreger 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: 11441444
    Abstract: In combination a wear indicator and a component of a gas turbine engine. The wear indicator is secured to a surface of the component of the gas turbine engine. The wear indicator including: a first component including: a post; and a ribbon wire having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is operably connected to the post and the ribbon wire is wrapped around the post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Corey A. Benoit, Ian F. Agoos, Edward F. Dreger, III
  • Publication number: 20210108535
    Abstract: In combination a wear indicator and a component of a gas turbine engine. The wear indicator is secured to a surface of the component of the gas turbine engine. The wear indicator including: a first component including: a post; and a ribbon wire having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is operably connected to the post and the ribbon wire is wrapped around the post.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Corey A. Benoit, Ian F. Agoos, Edward F. Dreger, III
  • Patent number: 10760445
    Abstract: In combination a wear indicator and a component of a gas turbine engine is provided. The wear indicator is secured to a surface of the component of the gas turbine engine. The wear indicator comprising: a first component including: a first plate; a second plate opposite the first plate; a plurality of wires extending from first plate to the second plate, wherein the first plate is electrically connected to the second plate through the plurality of wires; and a potting material configured to partially fill the first component and fill voids between the plurality of wires, such that the plurality of wires are electrically insulated from each other by the potting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Corey A. Benoit, Ian F. Agoos, Edward F. Dreger, III
  • Patent number: 10731506
    Abstract: A wear indicator for detecting blade clearance in a gas turbine engine includes a capacitor connected to a first conductor and a second conductor. The capacitor includes a multiple of layers arranged transverse to a rub direction, each layer separated by an insulator and including a first plate, a second plate, and a dielectric between the first plate and the second plate. A method of detecting blade clearance in a gas turbine engine, includes determining a change in capacitance between the first and second capacitance and determining an amount of material removed from the wear indicator by the blade corresponding to the change in capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Ian F. Agoos, Edward F. Dreger, Corey A. Benoit
  • Patent number: 10641596
    Abstract: A BTC probe may comprise a housing having a body, a neck extending radially from the body coupled to a hard lead comprising a hard shield, a driven guard, and a lead wire, and a cap coupled at a top surface of the body enclosing an interior volume of the housing. A sensor element may be disposed within the housing an coupled to the lead wire. The sensor element may comprise a sensor head having a first vertex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Edward F. Dreger
  • Publication number: 20190383594
    Abstract: A BTC probe may comprise a housing having a body, a neck extending radially from the body coupled to a hard lead comprising a hard shield, a driven guard, and a lead wire, and a cap coupled at a top surface of the body enclosing an interior volume of the housing. A sensor element may be disposed within the housing an coupled to the lead wire. The sensor element may comprise a sensor head having a first vertex.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Edward F. Dreger
  • Patent number: 10436612
    Abstract: A capacitance probe monitors the distance between a blade tip and a fan, compressor or turbine case. The capacitance probe may be attached to a liner, and may travel with the liner as it radially expands due to thermal changes. The capacitance probe may include a circuit board sensor with a metallic plate, and one or more capacitors. The metallic plate may be encapsulated within an insulating material. A plurality of soft leads may be in electrical communication with the circuit board sensor, allowing a lower lead weight, reduced size and increased flexibility. The soft leads may also be embedded in the liner. In this way, the capacitance probe can record more accurate distance measurements and promote a gas turbine engine's continued and efficient operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Ford, Eli Warren, Corey A. Benoit, Edward F Dreger, Erik D. Rice, Mark W. Costa
  • Patent number: 10330455
    Abstract: A method is provided that involves a wall configured to circumscribe and be radially adjacent a rotor. During this method, a tri-axial capacitance probe is provided that includes a tri-axial conduit with an outer conductor member. The tri-axial capacitance probe is configured to output data indicative of a characteristic of the rotor. The tri-axial capacitance probe is configured within a wall aperture in the wall. The outer conductor member is electrically coupled with the wall. The wall is configured as a housing for the tri-axial capacitance probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Erik D. Rice, Corey A. Benoit, Marc Samit, Edward F. Dreger, III, Eli C. Warren, Kevin Ford, Michael G. Conigliaro, Timothy Jarvis
  • Publication number: 20190186285
    Abstract: A wear indicator for detecting blade clearance in a gas turbine engine includes a capacitor connected to a first conductor and a second conductor. The capacitor includes a multiple of layers arranged transverse to a rub direction, each layer separated by an insulator and including a first plate, a second plate, and a dielectric between the first plate and the second plate. A method of detecting blade clearance in a gas turbine engine, includes determining a change in capacitance between the first and second capacitance and determining an amount of material removed from the wear indicator by the blade corresponding to the change in capacitance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Ian F. Agoos, Edward F. Dreger, Corey A. Benoit
  • Publication number: 20190040759
    Abstract: In combination a wear indicator and a component of a gas turbine engine is provided. The wear indicator is secured to a surface of the component of the gas turbine engine. The wear indicator comprising: a first component including: a first plate; a second plate opposite the first plate; a plurality of wires extending from first plate to the second plate, wherein the first plate is electrically connected to the second plate through the plurality of wires; and a potting material configured to partially fill the first component and fill voids between the plurality of wires, such that the plurality of wires are electrically insulated from each other by the potting material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Eli Cole Warren, Corey A. Benoit, Ian F. Agoos, Edward F. Dreger, III
  • Publication number: 20180080753
    Abstract: A method is provided that involves a wall configured to circumscribe and be radially adjacent a rotor. During this method, a tri-axial capacitance probe is provided that includes a tri-axial conduit with an outer conductor member. The tri-axial capacitance probe is configured to output data indicative of a characteristic of the rotor. The tri-axial capacitance probe is configured within a wall aperture in the wall. The outer conductor member is electrically coupled with the wall. The wall is configured as a housing for the tri-axial capacitance probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Erik D. Rice, Corey A. Benoit, Marc Samit, Edward F. Dreger, III, Eli C. Warren, Kevin Ford, Michael G. Conigliaro, Timothy Jarvis
  • Publication number: 20160195411
    Abstract: A capacitance probe monitors the distance between a blade tip and a fan, compressor or turbine case. The capacitance probe may be attached to a liner, and may travel with the liner as it radially expands due to thermal changes. The capacitance probe may include a circuit board sensor with a metallic plate, and one or more capacitors. The metallic plate may be encapsulated within an insulating material. A plurality of soft leads may be in electrical communication with the circuit board sensor, allowing a lower lead weight, reduced size and increased flexibility. The soft leads may also be embedded in the liner. In this way, the capacitance probe can record more accurate distance measurements and promote a gas turbine engine's continued and efficient operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Kevin Ford, Eli Warren, Corey A. Benoit, Edward F. Dreger, Erik D. Rice, Mark W. Costa
  • Patent number: 7984656
    Abstract: A method includes rotating a rotor, measuring a rotor rotational time for the rotor to complete a revolution, determining a blade interval by dividing the rotor rotational time by a number of blades carried on the rotor, establishing an active hold-off time interval as a percentage of the blade interval time, directing a beam of light at the blades of the rotor using a laser, sensing light reflected from the blades, generating an output signal as a function of the sensed light, establishing a signal amplitude threshold, analyzing an amplitude of the output signal to trigger the active hold-off time interval when the amplitude reaches the signal amplitude threshold, and generating a blade arrival signal as a function of triggered active hold-off time intervals. The output signal is not analyzed within each active hold-off time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Allison Clark Nicklous, Edward F. Dreger, William F. Caswell
  • Publication number: 20100018316
    Abstract: A system includes a liquid cooling medium, a cooling plate having opposite first and second sides and at least one internal passage in which the liquid cooling medium flows, first and second lasers located adjacent to one another and positioned relative to the first side of the cooling plate, and a first Peltier device operably connected between the first side of the cooling plate and the first and second lasers for transferring thermal energy to the liquid cooling medium in the cooling plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Allison Clark Nicklous, Edward F. Dreger, William F. Caswell
  • Publication number: 20100018321
    Abstract: A method includes rotating a rotor, measuring a rotor rotational time for the rotor to complete a revolution, determining a blade interval by dividing the rotor rotational time by a number of blades carried on the rotor, establishing an active hold-off time interval as a percentage of the blade interval time, directing a beam of light at the blades of the rotor using a laser, sensing light reflected from the blades, generating an output signal as a function of the sensed light, establishing a signal amplitude threshold, analyzing an amplitude of the output signal to trigger the active hold-off time interval when the amplitude reaches the signal amplitude threshold, and generating a blade arrival signal as a function of triggered active hold-off time intervals. The output signal is not analyzed within each active hold-off time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Allison Clark Nicklous, Edward F. Dreger, William F. Casewell