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).

  • Patent number: 9840932
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Brett Darrick Klingler
  • Patent number: 9828880
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Ozgur Bozkurt, Kenneth Damon Black, Radu Ioan Danescu
  • Patent number: 9719372
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
  • Publication number: 20160305281
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
  • Patent number: 9441501
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20160097296
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Brett Darrick Klingler
  • Publication number: 20140271111
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Ozgur Bozkurt, Kenneth Damon Black, Radu Ioan Danescu
  • Patent number: 8651809
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Ian David Wilson, Martel Alexander McCallum, Stephen Christopher Chieco, Kenneth Damon Black, Christopher Paul Cox
  • Publication number: 20140037445
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Patent number: 8616839
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130294883
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Kenneth Damon Black, John David Memmer
  • Patent number: 8292571
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Bradley James Miller, Kenneth Damon Black
  • Publication number: 20120243976
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Patent number: 8231338
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Fred Thomas Willett, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20120093639
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Ian David Wilson, Martel Alexander McCallum, Stephen Christopher Chieco, Kenneth Damon Black, Christopher Paul Cox
  • Patent number: 8047765
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ian David Wilson, Bradley James Miller, Henry Grady Ballard, Jr., Eric Scicchitano
  • Publication number: 20110000222
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kenneth Damon Black, Ian David Wilson, Bradley James Miller, Henry Grady Ballard, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100284792
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Fred Thomas Willett, JR.
  • Publication number: 20100054912
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ian David Wilson, Bradley James Miller, Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Eric Scicchitano
  • Publication number: 20090162139
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Bradley James Miller, Kenneth D. Black, Henry Grady Ballard, JR., Rakesh Adoor, Ajay D. Yeole