Patents by Inventor Ivan Elmer Woltmann

Ivan Elmer Woltmann 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: 8011188
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine augmentor includes an annular trapped vortex cavity pilot having a cavity forward wall, a cavity radially outer wall, and a cavity aft wall, an annular cavity therebetween, and cavity fuel injector tubes operably disposed through the outer wall into the cavity. Circumferentially spaced apart radial flameholders with integral spraybars and/or radial spraybars interdigitated with the radial flameholders radially inwardly into an exhaust flowpath of the augmentor just forward and upstream of the trapped vortex cavity pilot at a radially outer portion of a combustion zone of the exhaust flowpath. An annular trapped dual vortex cavity pilot version is operable for producing trapped dual counter-rotating inner and outer vortices of fuel and air mixtures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ivan Elmer Woltmann, Sean Stacey Archer, Frank Gerald Bachman, Ralph Henry Winslow
  • Patent number: 7596950
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine augmentor radial fuel spray bar has a counterswirling spray bar heat shield. Two embodiments of the heat shield include one with a cambered airfoil cross-section and another with a twisted airfoil cross-section and may have varying or constant degree of camber or twist, respectively, along a radial length of the spray bar heat shield. The spray bar may have one or more spray bar fuel tubes within the heat shield, openings in the heat shield, and fuel holes in the tubes operable for injecting fuel through the openings. A gas turbine engine augmentor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radial flameholders may incorporate a plurality of the augmentor radial fuel spray bars with one or more of the augmentor radial fuel spray bars circumferentially disposed between one or more circumferentially adjacent pairs of the radial flameholders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ivan Elmer Woltmann, Thurmond Douglas Senter, Lawrence Paul Timko
  • Publication number: 20090056340
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine augmentor includes an annular trapped vortex cavity pilot having a cavity forward wall, a cavity radially outer wall, and a cavity aft wall, an annular cavity therebetween, and cavity fuel injector tubes operably disposed through the outer wall into the cavity. Circumferentially spaced apart radial flameholders with integral spraybars and/or radial spraybars interdigitated with the radial flameholders radially inwardly into an exhaust flowpath of the augmentor just forward and upstream of the trapped vortex cavity pilot at a radially outer portion of a combustion zone of the exhaust flowpath. An annular trapped dual vortex cavity pilot version is operable for producing trapped dual counter-rotating inner and outer vortices of fuel and air mixtures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Ivan Elmer Woltmann, Sean Stacey Archer, Frank Gerald Bachman, Ralph Henry Winslow
  • Patent number: 6883301
    Abstract: A combustion control system controls a turbine engine that includes a fuel manifold and a plurality of fuel injectors. The control system includes a fuel pulsator and a controller. The fuel pulsator is coupled in flow communication with the plurality of injectors and the fuel manifold. The controller is coupled to the fuel pulsator such that the pulsator is between the controller and the fuel manifold. The controller is variably selectable and configured to facilitate promoting stable combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ivan Elmer Woltmann
  • Publication number: 20040154300
    Abstract: A combustion control system controls a turbine engine that includes a fuel manifold and a plurality of fuel injectors. The control system includes a fuel pulsator and a controller. The fuel pulsator is coupled in flow communication with the plurality of injectors and the fuel manifold. The controller is coupled to the fuel pulsator such that the pulsator is between the controller and the fuel manifold. The controller is variably selectable and configured to facilitate promoting stable combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventor: Ivan Elmer Woltmann
  • Patent number: 6672071
    Abstract: A combustion control system controls a turbine engine that includes a fuel manifold and a plurality of fuel injectors. The control system includes a fuel pulsator and a controller. The fuel pulsator is coupled in flow communication with the plurality of injectors and the fuel manifold. The controller is coupled to the fuel pulsator such that the pulsator is between the controller and the fuel manifold. The controller is variably selectable and configured to facilitate promoting stable combustion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ivan Elmer Woltmann
  • Publication number: 20030056518
    Abstract: A combustion control system controls a turbine engine that includes a fuel manifold and a plurality of fuel injectors. The control system includes a fuel pulsator and a controller. The fuel pulsator is coupled in flow communication with the plurality of injectors and the fuel manifold. The controller is coupled to the fuel pulsator such that the pulsator is between the controller and the fuel manifold. The controller is variably selectable and configured to facilitate promoting stable combustion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventor: Ivan Elmer Woltmann