Patents by Inventor Geoffrey David Myers
Geoffrey David Myers 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).
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Publication number: 20120036862Abstract: A system for operating a gas turbine includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The combustor and turbine define a hot gas path. A sensor disposed outside the hot gas path measures internal thermal emissions from the combustor or turbine and generates a first signal reflective of the internal thermal emissions. The internal thermal emissions are infrared or ultraviolet emissions. A controller connected to the sensor receives the first signal and adjusts the compressor, combustor, or turbine in response to the first signal from the sensor. A method for operating a gas turbine includes measuring internal thermal emissions from inside a combustor or turbine using a sensor disposed outside the hot gas path. The method further includes generating a first signal reflective of the internal thermal emissions and adjusting the operation of the compressor, combustor, or turbine in response to the first signal from the sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2010Publication date: February 16, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Shahryar Rabiei, Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Geoffrey David Myers
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Patent number: 8112216Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided and includes a combustor having a first interior in which a first fuel is combustible, a turbine into which products of at least the combustion of the first fuel are receivable, a transition zone, including a second interior in which a second fuel and the products of the combustion of the first fuel are combustible, a plurality of fuel injectors which are configured to supply the second fuel to the second interior in any one of a single axial stage, multiple axial stages, a single axial circumferential stage and multiple axial circumferential stages, a compressor, by which air is supplied to the first and second interiors for the combustion therein, and a control system configured to control relative amounts of the air to the first and second interiors and relative amounts of the first and second fuels supplied to the first and second interiors.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2009Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Krishna Kumar Venkataraman, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Geoffrey David Myers
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Patent number: 8104291Abstract: An improved floating collar assembly for gas turbine combustion units consists of a sheet metal collar with a flat flange and an E seal that is pre-compressed within a block of epoxy. The collar fits over a corresponding fuel nozzle burner tube and is retained on a cap assembly by a flat plate. During assembly, the collar is loose so that it floats, which makes cap assembly easy. During operation, the epoxy used to pre-compress the E seal heats up and burns off, whereupon the E seal opens up and produces a seating load between the collar and plate that is high enough to keep the collar from rotating and thereby reduce collar wear.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2008Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Xiaoguang Yu
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Patent number: 8099941Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling a combustor for a gas turbine engine are provided. According to one example embodiment, a system includes an air control assembly associated with at least one air path of a combustor for a gas turbine engine. Additionally, the system also includes at least one sensor for sensing at least one operating parameter of the gas turbine engine. Further, the system also includes a controller operable to receive at least one operating parameter sensed by the at least one sensor, and further operable to selectively control an air control assembly based at least in part on the at least one operating parameter sensed by the at least one sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2008Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Timothy Andrew Healy, Jospeh Citeno
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Publication number: 20110314825Abstract: In certain exemplary embodiments, a system includes an annular duct having an inner annular wall and an outer annular wall. The system also includes a plurality of injector vanes configured to mix air and fuel to produce an air-fuel mixture, and configured to inject the air-fuel mixture into a central chamber between the inner and outer annular walls.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2010Publication date: December 29, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Sergey Aleksandrovich Stryapunin, Kevin Weston McMahan, Geoffrey David Myers
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Patent number: 8019523Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided and includes a combustor having a first interior in which a first fuel is combustible, a turbine into which products of at least the combustion of the first fuel are receivable, a transition zone, including a second interior in which a second fuel and the products of the combustion of the first fuel are combustible, a plurality of fuel injectors which are configured to supply the second fuel to the second interior in any one of a single axial stage, multiple axial stages, a single axial circumferential stage and multiple axial circumferential stages, a compressor, by which air is supplied to the first and second interiors for the combustion therein, and a control system configured to control relative amounts of the air to the first and second interiors and relative amounts of the first and second fuels supplied to the first and second interiors.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2009Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Krishna Kumar Venkataraman, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Geoffrey David Myers
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Patent number: 7966822Abstract: A gas turbine combustion system for burning air and fuel into exhaust gases. The gas turbine combustion system may include a combustor, a turbine nozzle integral with the combustor for providing the air to the combustor, and a fuel injector for providing the fuel to the combustor. The turbine nozzle and the fuel injector are positioned within the combustor such that a mixture of the air and the fuel flows in a first direction and the exhaust gases flow in a second direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Thomas Edward Johnson, Stefan Maier, Stanley Kevin Widener
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Patent number: 7891192Abstract: A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor endcover having at least one fuel circuit and mounted thereto a plurality of pre-mixers and at least one control valve. The at least one control valve is fluidly connected to the at least one fuel circuit and operatively connected to a controller. The controller selectively operates the at least one control valve to deliver fuel through the at least one fuel circuit to the plurality of pre-mixers in order to achieve an enhanced level of operational flexibility by providing individual combustion chamber control.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2007Date of Patent: February 22, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Lewis Berkley Davis, Jr., Joseph Citeno
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Publication number: 20110023494Abstract: A gas turbine includes a compressor and at least one combustor downstream from the compressor. The combustor includes a burner having an inner shroud extending axially along at least a portion of the burner, an outer shroud radially separated from the inner shroud and extending axially along at least a portion of the burner, and a plurality of stator vanes extending radially between the inner shroud and the outer shroud. The stator vanes have an inner end proximate the inner shroud and an outer end proximate the outer shroud. The burner further includes a vortex tip at one of either the inner end or the outer end of the stator vanes. The vortex tip provides a gap between the inner end and the inner shroud or the outer end and the outer shroud, and the vortex tip includes a plurality of fuel ports. The gas turbine further includes a turbine downstream from the combustor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2009Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: JESSE BLAIR BUTLER, DAVID LEACH, KEVIN WESTON MCMAHAN, MARK ALLAN HADLEY, GEOFFREY DAVID MYERS
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Publication number: 20110016878Abstract: A gas turbine system comprising, a diffuser operative to diffuse an airstream output from a compressor, a fuel nozzle operative to receive fuel and emit the fuel in a combustor, and at least one bleed duct operative to direct bleed air from down stream of the combustor to the fuel nozzle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2009Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Jonathan Dwight Berry, Geoffrey David Myers
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Publication number: 20100275404Abstract: A method for removing hot gas deposits from a system via pressure pulses is provided. The method includes regulating a flow of a mixture of detonation fluid and oxidizer into an expansion chamber; and generating a detonation within the expansion chamber by igniting the mixture of detonation fluid and oxidizer in the expansion chamber producing a high-pressure wave, the high-pressure wave propagating along a fluid path of the system in a supersonic rate removing hot gas deposits in the fluid path while the system is in fired operation, the expansion chamber directing the high-pressure wave towards the fluid path of the system.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2009Publication date: November 4, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Michael John Hughes, Atul Kumar Vij
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Publication number: 20100251723Abstract: A method for cooling a combustor assembly having a cooling passage. The method includes providing at least one thimble including an inner surface that defines a first opening, a second opening that is downstream from the first opening, and a flow channel that extends between the first opening and the second opening. The flow channel has a converging portion and a recovery portion that is downstream from the converging portion. The method also includes inserting the at least one thimble into at least one inlet that is defined in at least one sleeve such that cooling air is discharged from the flow channel into the cooling passage.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2007Publication date: October 7, 2010Inventors: Wei Chen, Stephen Robert Thomas, Geoffrey David Myers, Vijay Kumar Turaga
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Publication number: 20100175384Abstract: Optical flame holding and flashback detection systems and methods are provided. Exemplary embodiments include a combustor including a combustor housing defining a combustion chamber having combustion zones, flame detectors disposed on the combustor housing and in optical communication with the combustion chamber, wherein each of the flame detectors is configured to detect an optical property related to one or more of the combustion zones.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 15, 2009Publication date: July 15, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMAPNYInventors: Gilbert Otto Kraemer, Jonathan Dwight Berry, Lewis Berkley Davis, JR., Garth Curtis Frederick, Anthony Wayne Krull, Geoffrey David Myers
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Publication number: 20100174466Abstract: A gas turbine engine is provided and includes a combustor having a first interior in which a first fuel is combustible, a turbine into which products of at least the combustion of the first fuel are receivable, a transition zone, including a second interior in which a second fuel and the products of the combustion of the first fuel are combustible, a plurality of fuel injectors which are configured to supply the second fuel to the second interior in any one of a single axial stage, multiple axial stages, a single axial circumferential stage and multiple axial circumferential stages, a compressor, by which air is supplied to the first and second interiors for the combustion therein, and a control system configured to control relative amounts of the air to the first and second interiors and relative amounts of the first and second fuels supplied to the first and second interiors.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2009Publication date: July 8, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Lewis Berkley Davis, JR., Krishna Kumar Venkataraman, Willy Steve Ziminsky, Geoffrey David Myers
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Publication number: 20100162724Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling a combustor for a gas turbine engine are provided. According to one example embodiment, a system includes an air control assembly associated with at least one air path of a combustor for a gas turbine engine. Additionally, the system also includes at least one sensor for sensing at least one operating parameter of the gas turbine engine. Further, the system also includes a controller operable to receive at least one operating parameter sensed by the at least one sensor, and further operable to selectively control an air control assembly based at least in part on the at least one operating parameter sensed by the at least one sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2008Publication date: July 1, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Lewis Berkley Davis, JR., Timothy Andrew Healy, Joseph Citeno
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Publication number: 20100043387Abstract: Methods and systems for delivering fuel in a gas turbine engine are provided. The system includes a plurality of can annular combustors that includes at least a first set of combustors of the plurality of can annular combustors and at least a second set of combustors of the plurality of can annular combustors wherein each set of combustors is supplied by a separately controllable respective fuel delivery system. The method includes supplying fuel at a first fuel schedule to the first set of combustors and supplying fuel at a second fuel schedule to the second set of combustors during a first mode of operation wherein the second fuel schedule is different than the first fuel schedule, and supplying fuel at the second fuel schedule to the first and second sets of combustors during a second mode of operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2007Publication date: February 25, 2010Inventors: Geoffrey David Myers, David August Snider, Eric Motter, Daniel R. Tegel, James Harper, Stephen R. Watts, Joseph Citeno
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Publication number: 20090283611Abstract: An atomizer, comprising a pre-filming region comprising a surface configured to reduce a mean drop size of a liquid to be atomized, wherein the surface has an effective contact angle, with reference to the liquid, of less than about 30 degrees; and a lip portion disposed at an end of the pre-filming region and configured to create hydrodynamic instabilities in a liquid film, wherein the lip portion comprises an alternating pattern of wetting and non-wetting surfaces, wherein the non-wetting surface comprises a contact angle, with reference to the liquid, of greater than 90 degrees, and the wetting surface comprises a contact angle, with reference to the liquid, of less than 90 degrees.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2008Publication date: November 19, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kripa Kiran Varanasi, Nitin Bhate, Jeffrey Scott Goldmeer, Geoffrey David Myers
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Publication number: 20090255266Abstract: A method of preventing thermal hydrocarbon degradation deposits on a surface of a gas turbine component, the method includes providing the turbine component comprising the surface configured for contacting a hydrocarbon fluid, wherein the substrate comprises a material having a nominal liquid wettability sufficient to generate, with reference to an oil, a nominal contact angle, disposing a plurality of features on the substrate to form an anti-deposition surface texture, wherein the plurality of features have a size, shape, and orientation selected such that the surface has an effective wettability sufficient to generate, with reference to an oil, an effective contact angle of greater than the nominal contact angle, and the features comprise a width dimension (a), and a spacing dimension (b), wherein the features prevent the hydrocarbon fluid from penetrating into the surface texture and thereby reduce the adhesion of the thermal hydrocarbon deposits to the surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2008Publication date: October 15, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kripa Kiran Varanasi, Nitin NMN Bhate, Jeffrey Scott Goldmeer, Geoffrey David Myers
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Publication number: 20090243230Abstract: An improved floating collar assembly for gas turbine combustion units consists of a sheet metal collar with a flat flange and an E seal that is pre-compressed within a block of epoxy. The collar fits over a corresponding fuel nozzle burner tube and is retained on a cap assembly by a flat plate. During assembly, the collar is loose so that it floats, which makes cap assembly easy. During operation, the epoxy used to pre-compress the E seal heats up and burns off, whereupon the E seal opens up and produces a seating load between the collar and plate that is high enough to keep the collar from rotating and thereby reduce collar wear.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2008Publication date: October 1, 2009Inventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Xiaoguang Yu
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Publication number: 20090056335Abstract: A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a combustor endcover having at least one fuel circuit and mounted thereto a plurality of pre-mixers and at least one control valve. The at least one control valve is fluidly connected to the at least one fuel circuit and operatively connected to a controller. The controller selectively operates the at least one control valve to deliver fuel through the at least one fuel circuit to the plurality of pre-mixers in order to achieve an enhanced level of operational flexibility by providing individual combustion chamber control.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2007Publication date: March 5, 2009Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Geoffrey David Myers, Lewis Berkley Davis, JR., Joseph Citeno