Patents by Inventor Frank Cunha

Frank Cunha 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).

  • Publication number: 20160040881
    Abstract: A swirler assembly for a gas turbine engine includes an outer annular injector which at least partially surrounds an inner injector and an air-assist atomizer upstream of said inner injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, Nurhak Erbas-Sen
  • Patent number: 8210812
    Abstract: A passageway is provided through which a cooling fluid flows in a first direction. The passageway has a plurality of trip strips positioned within the passageway. Adjacent one of the trip strips are oriented to converge towards each other at a first end to form an apex portion and to form a region in which turbulence is created. The apex portion is oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William Abdel-Messeh, Frank Cunha
  • Publication number: 20120152484
    Abstract: A turbine component has an airfoil portion with at least one central core element, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall. The airfoil portion also has a serpentine cooling passageway in at least one of the walls. In a preferred embodiment, the airfoil portion has a serpentine cooling passageway in both of the pressure and suction side walls. A refractory metal core for forming the serpentine cooling passageway(s) is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Publication number: 20100221098
    Abstract: A turbine component has an airfoil portion with at least one central core element, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall. The airfoil portion also has a serpentine cooling passageway in at least one of the walls. In a preferred embodiment, the airfoil portion has a serpentine cooling passageway in both of the pressure and suction side walls. A refractory metal core for forming the serpentine cooling passageway(s) is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Patent number: 7744347
    Abstract: A turbine component has an airfoil portion with at least one central core element, a pressure side wall, and a suction side wall. The airfoil portion also has a serpentine cooling passageway in at least one of the walls. In a preferred embodiment, the airfoil portion has a serpentine cooling passageway in both of the pressure and suction side walls. A refractory metal core for forming the serpentine cooling passageway(s) is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Publication number: 20100158669
    Abstract: A turbine engine component for use in a small engine application has an airfoil portion having a root portion, a tip portion, a suction side wall, and a pressure side wall. The suction side wall and the pressure side wall have the same thickness. Still further, the turbine engine component has a platform with an internal cooling circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Patent number: 7695246
    Abstract: A turbine engine component for use in a small engine application has an airfoil portion having a root portion, a tip portion, a suction side wall, and a pressure side wall. The suction side wall and the pressure side wall have the same thickness. Still further, the turbine engine component has a platform with an internal cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Publication number: 20090116956
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cooling microcircuit in a blade-outer-air-seal is provided. The method broadly comprises the steps of forming a first section of the blade-outer-air-seal having a first exposed internal wall, forming a second section of the blade-outer-air-seal having a second exposed internal wall, and forming at least one cooling microcircuit on at least one of the first and second exposed internal walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, Om Parkash Sharma, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20090104035
    Abstract: A passageway is provided through which a cooling fluid flows in a first direction. The passageway has a plurality of trip strips positioned within the passageway. Adjacent one of the trip strips are oriented to converge towards each other at a first end to form an apex portion and to form a region in which turbulence is created. The apex portion is oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William Abdel-Messeh, Frank Cunha
  • Patent number: 7513745
    Abstract: A passageway is provided through which a cooling fluid flows in a first direction. The passageway has a plurality of trip strips positioned within the passageway. Adjacent one of the trip strips are oriented to converge towards each other at a first end to form an apex portion and to form a region in which turbulence is created. The apex portion is oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: William Abdel-Messeh, Frank Cunha
  • Patent number: 7513040
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cooling microcircuit in a blade-outer-air-seal is provided. The method broadly comprises the steps of forming a first section of the blade-outer-air-seal having a first exposed internal wall, forming a second section of the blade-outer-air-seal having a second exposed internal wall, and forming at least one cooling microcircuit on at least one of the first and second exposed internal walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, Om Parkash Sharma, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7371049
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a turbine engine component comprises the steps of forming a first half of an airfoil portion of the turbine engine component and forming a plurality of microcircuits having at least one passageway on an exposed internal wall of the first half of the airfoil portion. The method further comprises forming a second half of the airfoil portion of said turbine engine component, and forming at least one additional cooling microcircuit having at least one passageway on an exposed internal wall of the second half of the airfoil portion. Thereafter, the first half is placed in an abutting relationship with the second half after the cooling microcircuits have been formed and inspected. The first half and the second half are joined together to form the airfoil portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, Om Parkash Sharma, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7364405
    Abstract: A turbine engine component has an airfoil portion with a suction side. The component includes a cooling microcircuit embedded within a wall structure forming the suction side. The cooling microcircuit has at least one cooling film hole positioned ahead of a gage point for creating a flow of cooling fluid over an exterior surface of the suction side which travels past the gage point. The cooling microcircuit is formed using refractory metal core technology. A method for forming the cooling microcircuit is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, Matthew T. Dahmer
  • Patent number: 7311497
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a turbine engine component comprises the steps of forming a first half of an airfoil portion of the turbine engine component and forming a first cooling microcircuit having at least one passageway on an exposed internal wall of the first half of the airfoil portion. The method further comprises forming a second half of the airfoil portion of said turbine engine component, forming a second cooling microcircuit having at least one passageway on an exposed internal wall of the second half of the airfoil portion, and placing the first half in an abutting relationship with the second half after the cooling microcircuits have been formed and inspected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Om Parkash Sharma, Frank Cunha, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7311498
    Abstract: A turbine engine component such as a turbine blade includes an airfoil portion formed by a suction side wall and a pressure side wall, and a cooling microcircuit incorporated in at least one of the suction side wall and the pressure side wall. The cooling microcircuit comprises a channel through which a cooling fluid flows, at least one exit hole for distributing cooling fluid over a surface of the turbine blade, and internal features within the channel for accelerating the flow of cooling fluid prior to the cooling fluid flowing through the at least one exit hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Patent number: 7303375
    Abstract: A turbine engine component has an airfoil portion with a leading edge portion. The leading edge portion includes a plurality of staggered holes for causing fluid to flow over a surface of the airfoil portion. A method for forming the leading edge portion using refractory metal core technology is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Publication number: 20070237639
    Abstract: A turbine element airfoil has a cooling passageway network with a slot extending from a trailing passageway toward the trailing edge. A number of discrete posts span the slot between pressure and suction sidewall portions. A trailing array of the posts are spaced ahead of an outlet of the slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, Matthew Dahmer
  • Publication number: 20070237638
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a turbine engine component comprises the steps of forming a first half of an airfoil portion of the turbine engine component and forming a first cooling microcircuit having at least one passageway on an exposed internal wall of the first half of the airfoil portion. The method further comprises forming a second half of the airfoil portion of said turbine engine component, forming a second cooling microcircuit having at least one passageway on an exposed internal wall of the second half of the airfoil portion, and placing the first half in an abutting relationship with the second half after the cooling microcircuits have been formed and inspected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Om Sharma, Frank Cunha, Edward Pietraszkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20070224048
    Abstract: A passageway is provided through which a cooling fluid flows in a first direction. The passageway has a plurality of trip strips positioned within the passageway. Adjacent one of the trip strips are oriented to converge towards each other at a first end to form an apex portion and to form a region in which turbulence is created. The apex portion is oriented at an angle with respect to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Inventors: William Abdel-Messeh, Frank Cunha
  • Publication number: 20070177976
    Abstract: A turbine engine component for use in a small engine application has an airfoil portion having a root portion, a tip portion, a suction side wall, and a pressure side wall. The suction side wall and the pressure side wall have the same thickness. Still further, the turbine engine component has a platform with an internal cooling circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Frank Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh