Patents by Inventor Henry Grady Ballard, Jr.
Henry Grady Ballard, Jr. 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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Patent number: 9840932Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine rotor having a shaft and turbomachine blades coupled to the shaft. The system also includes a turbomachine stator having a shroud surrounding the turbomachine blades of the turbomachine rotor. Further, the system includes a cooling channel having at least a first portion of the cooling channel extending upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the system, where the cooling channel is configured to receive cooled compressed air from the compressor and direct the cooled compressed air adjacent to the turbomachine rotor to reduce thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the turbomachine rotor.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2014Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Brett Darrick Klingler
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Patent number: 9828880Abstract: A gas turbine engine system having a combustion section and a turbine section is provided. The turbine section includes at least one turbine stage having a plurality of turbine blades coupled to a rotor and an inner casing circumferentially disposed about the plurality of turbine blades. The turbine section includes an outer casing circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the inner casing. The inner casing and the outer casing define a cavity comprising a volume configured to facilitate the distribution of air within the cavity to cool an outer surface of the inner casing and an inner surface of the outer casing. The outer casing comprises at least one air inlet and the inner casing comprises at least one air outlet. At least one flange is provided within the cavity, and the at least one flange flanks the air inlet and at least one flow guide.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Ozgur Bozkurt, Kenneth Damon Black, Radu Ioan Danescu
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Patent number: 9719372Abstract: A gas turbomachine includes a casing assembly surrounding a portion of the gas turbomachine and a counter-flow cooling system arranged within the casing. The counter-flow cooling system is configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2012Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
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Publication number: 20160305281Abstract: A gas turbomachine includes a casing assembly surrounding a portion of the gas turbomachine. The casing assembly includes an inner casing portion defining a casing volume VC and a counter-flow cooling system arranged within the inner casing portion. The counter-flow cooling system includes a plurality of ducts that collectively define a channel volume Vch. The plurality of ducts is configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction. The casing volume and the channel volume define a volume ratio of about 0.0002<VCh/VC<0.9.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2016Publication date: October 20, 2016Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
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Patent number: 9441501Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2013Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
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Publication number: 20160097296Abstract: A system includes a turbomachine rotor having a shaft and turbomachine blades coupled to the shaft. The system also includes a turbomachine stator having a shroud surrounding the turbomachine blades of the turbomachine rotor. Further, the system includes a cooling channel having at least a first portion of the cooling channel extending upstream of a final stage of a compressor of the system, where the cooling channel is configured to receive cooled compressed air from the compressor and direct the cooled compressed air adjacent to the turbomachine rotor to reduce thermal expansion and/or axial displacement of the turbomachine rotor.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2014Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Brett Darrick Klingler
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Publication number: 20140271111Abstract: A gas turbine engine system having a combustion section and a turbine section is provided. The turbine section includes at least one turbine stage having a plurality of turbine blades coupled to a rotor and an inner casing circumferentially disposed about the plurality of turbine blades. The turbine section includes an outer casing circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the inner casing. The inner casing and the outer casing define a cavity comprising a volume configured to facilitate the distribution of air within the cavity to cool an outer surface of the inner casing and an inner surface of the outer casing. The outer casing comprises at least one air inlet and the inner casing comprises at least one air outlet. At least one flange is provided within the cavity, and the at least one flange flanks the air inlet and at least one flow guide.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Ozgur Bozkurt, Kenneth Damon Black, Radu Ioan Danescu
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Patent number: 8651809Abstract: A casing includes an inner shell and an outer shell that surrounds the inner shell and comprises a plurality of inflection points. An annular flange is between the inner shell and the outer shell, and a plurality of joints attach the inner shell to the annular flange. A connector is between the annular flange and the outer shell at each of the plurality of inflection points. A method for assembling a casing includes joining a plurality of curved sections to one another to generally define an arcuate inner shell and surrounding the arcuate inner shell with an outer shell. The method further includes attaching the arcuate inner shell to an annular flange at first attachment points and connecting the annular flange to the outer shell at second attachment points spaced approximately equidistantly from the first attachment points.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2010Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Ian David Wilson, Martel Alexander McCallum, Stephen Christopher Chieco, Kenneth Damon Black, Christopher Paul Cox
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Publication number: 20140037445Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
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Patent number: 8616839Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2012Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
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Publication number: 20130294883Abstract: A gas turbomachine includes a casing assembly surrounding a portion of the gas turbomachine and a counter-flow cooling system arranged within the casing. The counter-flow cooling system is configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2012Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
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Patent number: 8292571Abstract: An inner shell for a rotating machine including at least one segment; and at least one complementary segment in operable communication with the at least one segment, the segments forming a support structure for a shroud ring; wherein the at least one segment and the at least one complementary segment are individually moved to change a set of dimensions defined by the at least one segment and the at least one complementary segment. A method for controlling a dimension of the shroud ring in a rotating machine is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2007Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Bradley James Miller, Kenneth Damon Black
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Publication number: 20120243976Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
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Patent number: 8231338Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
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Publication number: 20120093639Abstract: A casing includes an inner shell and an outer shell that surrounds the inner shell and comprises a plurality of inflection points. An annular flange is between the inner shell and the outer shell, and a plurality of joints attach the inner shell to the annular flange. A connector is between the annular flange and the outer shell at each of the plurality of inflection points. A method for assembling a casing includes joining a plurality of curved sections to one another to generally define an arcuate inner shell and surrounding the arcuate inner shell with an outer shell. The method further includes attaching the arcuate inner shell to an annular flange at first attachment points and connecting the annular flange to the outer shell at second attachment points spaced approximately equidistantly from the first attachment points.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2010Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Ian David Wilson, Martel Alexander McCallum, Stephen Christopher Chieco, Kenneth Damon Black, Christopher Paul Cox
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Patent number: 8047765Abstract: An actuating device includes: at least one first elongated member having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE); and at least one second elongated member having a second CTE different from the first CTE, the second elongated member being nested within the first elongated member, the device being configured to displace a portion of the device a selected distance along a major axis of the device based on a relationship between the first CTE and the second CTE in response to a change in temperature.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2008Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ian David Wilson, Bradley James Miller, Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Eric Scicchitano
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Publication number: 20110000222Abstract: A system to support a rotor and a stator of a rotating machine disposed upon a support base, the system including at least one support leg in operable communication with a bearing of the rotor and with the support base; and at least one strut in operable communication with the at least one support leg and with the stator.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2007Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kenneth Damon Black, Ian David Wilson, Bradley James Miller, Henry Grady Ballard, JR.
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Publication number: 20100284792Abstract: A turbine is provided and includes a turbine shell including shrouds at multiple stages thereof, and constraining elements, disposed at least at first through fourth substantially regularly spaced perimetrical locations around the turbine shell, which are configured to concentrically constrain the shrouds of the turbine shell.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2009Publication date: November 11, 2010Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
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Publication number: 20100054912Abstract: An actuating device includes: at least one first elongated member having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE); and at least one second elongated member having a second CTE different from the first CTE, the second elongated member being nested within the first elongated member, the device being configured to displace a portion of the device a selected distance along a major axis of the device based on a relationship between the first CTE and the second CTE in response to a change in temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2008Publication date: March 4, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Ian David Wilson, Bradley James Miller, Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Eric Scicchitano
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Publication number: 20090162139Abstract: A turbine/compressor stator joint that may include a flange, an aperture extending through the flange, and a bolt extending through the aperture. The bolt may include a shank and a layer of insulation surrounding the shank.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2007Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Bradley James Miller, Kenneth D. Black, Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Rakesh Adoor, Ajay D. Yeole