Patents by Inventor Frank J. Cunha

Frank J. 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: 20130327048
    Abstract: A combustor liner includes a heat shield, a shell, a series of trip strips, and a series of projecting walls. The heat shield has a shield cold side. The shell is attached to the heat shield and includes a shell hot side facing the shield cold side, a shell cold side facing away from the shield cold side, and a row of cooling holes. The trip strips run parallel to each other and all project from the shield cold side the same distance. Each projecting wall runs parallel to, and opposite of, a corresponding trip strip and projects from the shell hot side such that the distance to which each projecting wall projects is greater for projecting walls farther from the row of cooling holes, creating successive gaps between the projecting walls and corresponding trip strips that decrease from the row of cooling holes to create a convergent channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Nurhak Erbas-Sen
  • Publication number: 20130327056
    Abstract: A shell for a combustor liner includes a cold side, a hot side, a row of cooling holes and a jet wall. The jet wall projects from the hot side for creating a wall shear jet of increased velocity cooling flow in a tangential direction away from the row of cooling holes and along an adjacent heat shield cold side wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Nurhak Erbas-Sen
  • Publication number: 20130327057
    Abstract: A heat shield for a combustor liner includes first linear film cooling slots through the heat shield and second linear film cooling slots through the heat shield. The first linear film cooling slots are run in a row and each of the first linear film cooling slots is angled from the row in a first direction. The second linear film cooling slots also run in the row and each of the second linear film cooling slots is angled from the row in a second direction opposite the first direction. The second linear film cooling slots alternate with the first linear film cooling slots in the row. The first and second linear film cooling slots are connected to form a single, multi-cornered film cooling slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Nurhak Erbas-Sen
  • Publication number: 20130025287
    Abstract: A combustor component of a gas turbine engine includes a refractory metal core (RMC) microcircuit for self-regulating a cooling flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventor: Frank J. Cunha
  • Publication number: 20130025288
    Abstract: A combustor component of a gas turbine engine includes a refractory metal core (RMC) microcircuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Timothy S. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20130019604
    Abstract: A multi-stage vortex mixer for a combustor of a gas turbine engine includes a vortex amplifier stage in communication with a first stage amplifier, the vortex amplifier stage in communication with a dilution hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Torence P. Brogan
  • Patent number: 8220522
    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: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Patent number: 8215374
    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: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Patent number: 7988418
    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: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, William Abdel-Messeh
  • Patent number: 7708528
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine components having an airfoil extending outwardly of a platform are mounted in adjacent relationship, and such that cooling air flows outwardly of a gap between mating faces of the platforms. The location of localized hot spots is identified on the platform, and the mating faces are designed to provide cooling air through the gap to address these hot spots. A suction side edge of the platform has a curved portion extending inwardly into the platform, and the pressure side has a curved portion bulging outwardly away from the airfoil. When these two portions on adjacent components mate, a gap is provided between two platforms that provides leakage cooling air to the hot spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Couch, Frank J. Cunha
  • Patent number: 7686580
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Matthew T. Dahmer
  • Publication number: 20090304516
    Abstract: Gas turbine engine components having an airfoil extending outwardly of a platform are mounted in adjacent relationship, and such that cooling air flows outwardly of a gap between mating faces of the platforms. The location of localized hot spots is identified on the platform, and the mating faces are designed to provide cooling air through the gap to address these hot spots. A suction side edge of the platform has a curved portion extending inwardly into the platform, and the pressure side has a curved portion bulging outwardly away from the airfoil. When these two portions on adjacent components mate, a gap is provided between two platforms that provides leakage cooling air to the hot spot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Eric Couch, Frank J. Cunha
  • Patent number: 7478994
    Abstract: An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has film cooling holes formed at a leading edge. A supplemental film cooling channel is positioned near the leading edge, but spaced toward the trailing edge from the leading edge. The supplemental film cooling channel directs film cooling air onto a suction wall. The supplemental film cooling channel air is generally directed to a location on the suction wall that has raised some challenges in the past. In a disclosed embodiment, the airfoil is provided with a thermal barrier coating, and the supplemental film cooling air protects this thermal barrier coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz, David M. Kontrovitz, Jeffrey R. Levine, Young Chon, Dominic Mongillo, Bret Teller
  • Patent number: 7438527
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes a span wise extending cavity formed from a ceramic mold and a slot extending from the cooling air cavity to a trailing edge being formed by a refractory metal core. The refractory metal core facilitates the reduction in the size of the slot and also in the reduction in the size of pedestals which pass transversely through the slot to interconnect the pressure side to the suction side of the airfoil. The blade has a cutback feature to expose a back surface on the inner side of the suction side wall with dimples being formed on the back surface so as to enhance heat transfer characteristics thereof. Provision is made for fabricating the dimples by way of a photo etching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Jason E. Albert, Frank J. Cunha
  • Patent number: 7255536
    Abstract: An airfoil assembly includes an airfoil extending away from a platform. One or more cooling circuits are formed through the platform in order to provide cooling of the platform. The cooling circuit may include a downwardly directed inlet receiving cooling air from below the platform. The cooling air is then directed in a direction generally parallel to the outer surface of the platform and through exits formed through the outer surface of the platform. The cooling circuit may optionally include a plurality of pedestals extending from an outer wall to an inner wall of the cooling circuit to increase the rigidity and the cooling function of the cooling circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Eric Couch, Keith A. Santeler, Scott W. Gayman, Eric A. Hudson, Christopher Joe, Eric Letizia
  • Patent number: 7220103
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade has a relatively large fillet to improve the characteristics of the air flow thereover. The fillet has a thin wall which, together with an impingement rib, defines a fillet cavity therebetween, and cooling air is provided to flow through impingement holes in the impingement rib and impinge on the rear surface of the fillet. The impingement holes are elongated in cross sectional shape with their elongations being orient in a direction generally transverse to a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Jason E. Albert, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7217094
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine blade has a relatively large fillet to improve the characteristics of the air flow thereover. The fillet has a thin wall which partially defines a fillet cavity therebehind, and cooling air is provided to the fillet cavity and is then routed to the outer surface by way film cooling holes. Various design features are provided to enhance the effectiveness of the cooling air being provided to both the fillet cavity and other cavities within the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Jason E. Albert
  • Patent number: 7131818
    Abstract: An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has a serpentine cooling path. To best account for the Coriolis effect, the paths of the serpentine cooling channel have trapezoidal cross-sections. An area of the rotor blade between a smaller side of the trapezoidal-shaped paths, and a facing wall of the rotor blade has high thermal and mechanical stresses, and is a challenge to adequately cool. A microcircuit, which is a very thin cooling circuit having crossing pedestals, is embedded into the blade in this area. The microcircuit provides additional cooling, and addresses the challenges with regard to cooling these areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Bret Teller, Young Chon, Dominic Mongillo, Edward F. Pietraszkiewicz
  • Patent number: 7097425
    Abstract: A turbine airfoil includes a plurality of cooling circuits embedded within the pressure and suction sidewalls and a first and a second flow passage. The first flow passage feeds the coolant fluid to the cooling circuits that are embedded only within the pressure sidewall and the second flow passage feeds the coolant fluid to the cooling circuits that are embedded only within the suction sidewall. A method embodiment of the present comprises placing the inlets of the cooling circuits embedded within the first sidewall in flow communication with only one of the flow passages and placing the inlets of the cooling circuits embedded within the second sidewall in flow communication with at least one of the other flow passages to minimize the difference in sink pressures of the suction and pressure sidewalls to ensure ingestion of the coolant fluid into the inlets of the respective cooling circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Keith Santeler, Scott W. Gayman, Eric Couch
  • Patent number: 7014424
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Frank J. Cunha, Matthew T. Dahmer