Patents by Inventor James Edward Johnson
James Edward Johnson 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: 20080141650Abstract: A gas turbine engine assembly is provided. The gas turbine engine assembly includes a core engine. The gas turbine engine assembly further includes a first rotor spool including a first fan assembly, an intermediate-pressure turbine, and a first shaft. The first fan assembly includes a single stage fan assembly coupled upstream from the core engine. The intermediate-pressure turbine includes a single stage turbine coupled downstream from the core engine. The first shaft extends between the first fan assembly and the intermediate-pressure turbine. The gas turbine engine assembly further includes a second rotor spool including a second fan assembly, a low-pressure turbine, and a second shaft. The second fan assembly includes a single stage fan assembly coupled upstream from the first fan assembly. The low-pressure turbine includes a single stage turbine coupled downstream from the intermediate-pressure turbine. The second shaft extends between the second fan assembly and the low-pressure turbine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2006Publication date: June 19, 2008Inventor: James Edward Johnson
-
Publication number: 20080141655Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachinery core operable to generating a first flow of pressurized combustion gases, the core having an exit plane; a fan disposed upstream of the core adapted to extract energy from the core and generate a first flow of pressurized air; a bypass duct surrounding the core which receives a portion of the flow of pressurized air from the fan; a duct burner disposed in the bypass duct, upstream of the exit plane, for receiving the first flow of pressurized air and generating a second flow of pressurized combustion gases; and an exhaust duct disposed downstream of the core and operable to receive and the first and second flows of pressurized combustion gases and to discharge the combined flows downstream.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2006Publication date: June 19, 2008Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: James Edward Johnson, Ronald B. Steinmetz
-
Patent number: 7246484Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of a FLADE counter-rotating fan aircraft gas turbine engine includes at least one row of FLADE fan blades disposed radially outwardly of and drivingly connected to one of axially spaced-apart first and second counter-rotatable fans. A core engine located downstream and axially aft of the first and second counter-rotatable fans is circumscribed by a fan bypass duct downstream and axially aft of the first and second counter-rotatable fans. The row of FLADE fan blades radially extend across a FLADE duct circumscribed about the first and second counter-rotatable fans and the fan bypass duct. A second low pressure turbine is drivingly connected to the first counter-rotatable fan and a first low pressure turbine is drivingly connected to the second counter-rotatable fan.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2003Date of Patent: July 24, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Rollin George Giffin, III, James Edward Johnson
-
Patent number: 7216475Abstract: An aft FLADE gas turbine engine includes a fan section drivenly connected to a low pressure turbine section, a core engine located between the fan section and the low pressure turbine section, a fan bypass duct circumscribing the core engine and in fluid communication with the fan section, and a mixer downstream of the low pressure turbine section and in fluid communication with the fan bypass duct, and an aft FLADE turbine downstream of the mixer. At least one row of aft FLADE fan blades disposed radially outwardly of and connected to the aft FLADE turbine and radially extending across a FLADE duct circumscribing the fan bypass duct. The aft FLADE turbine may be a free turbine or connected to and rotatable with the low pressure turbine section. A power extraction apparatus may be disposed within the engine and drivenly connected to the aft FLADE turbine.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2003Date of Patent: May 15, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: James Edward Johnson
-
Patent number: 7188467Abstract: A method for assembling a gas turbine engine includes providing a core engine, and providing a flade system including a flade stream augmentor positioned within a flade duct. The method also includes channeling airflow through the core engine to produce engine thrust, channeling airflow through the flade duct to produce engine thrust, and igniting a portion of the airflow channeled through the flade duct using the flade stream augmentor to increase the amount of thrust produced by the flade system.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: James Edward Johnson
-
Patent number: 7140174Abstract: A method for assembling a gas turbine engine includes providing a core engine, an inner fan assembly, and a fladed fan assembly, coupling a plurality of airflow ducts to the engine including an inner fan duct for channeling airflow through the inner fan assembly, a core engine duct for channeling airflow through the core engine, a bypass fan duct for channeling the airflow around the core engine duct, a flade duct for channeling airflow through the fladed fan assembly, and a ram duct surrounding an upstream portion of the flade duct, and coupling a plurality of control valves to the engine to control an amount of airflow channeled through each of the ducts using the plurality of control valves.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: November 28, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: James Edward Johnson
-
Patent number: 7134271Abstract: An aft FLADE gas turbine engine including a fan section drivenly connected to a low pressure turbine section followed by an aft FLADE turbine having at least one row of aft FLADE fan blades radially extending across a FLADE duct circumscribing the aft FLADE turbine, and at least one thrust vectoring nozzle in pressurized fluid flow receiving communication with the FLADE duct. One embodiment of the engine includes spaced apart right and left hand FLADE exhaust nozzles in pressurized fluid flow receiving communication with the FLADE duct and offset from a main engine exhaust nozzle located downstream of the aft FLADE turbine. Right and left hand valves disposed in right and left hand ducts extending between a FLADE airflow manifold in pressurized fluid flow receiving communication with the FLADE duct may be used to vector thrust. The right and left hand FLADE exhaust nozzle may be fixed or thrust vectoring nozzles.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2004Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: John Lewis Baughman, James Edward Johnson
-
Patent number: 6666018Abstract: A pulse detonation system for a turbofan engine including a fan assembly and a turbine sub-system, which includes at least one turbine, is configured to create a temperature rise and a pressure rise within the turbofan engine and to generate thrust for the turbofan engine. The pulse detonation system includes a pulse detonation core assembly comprising at least one detonation chamber configured to detonate a fuel mixture. The pulse detonation core assembly is positioned between the fan assembly and the turbine sub-system.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2002Date of Patent: December 23, 2003Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Lawrence Butler, James Edward Johnson, Lawrence Wayne Dunbar
-
Publication number: 20030131584Abstract: A pulse detonation system for a turbofan engine including a fan assembly and a turbine sub-system, which includes at least one turbine, is configured to create a temperature rise and a pressure rise within the turbofan engine and to generate thrust for the turbofan engine. The pulse detonation system includes a pulse detonation core replacement assembly comprising at least one detonation chamber configured to detonate a fuel mixture. The pulse detonation core replacement assembly is positioned between the fan assembly and the turbine sub-system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2002Publication date: July 17, 2003Inventors: Lawrence Butler, James Edward Johnson, Lawrence Wayne Dunbar
-
Patent number: 6432173Abstract: Methods and systems for recovering paint include utilizing a plurality of centrifugal separator modules downstream of a paint booth. Each of the centrifugal separator modules includes a plurality of centrifugal separators. Each of the centrifugal separators separates at least a portion of the paint particles from an air stream.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2000Date of Patent: August 13, 2002Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.Inventors: James Edward Johnson, James Michael Browning, Timothy Camiel Buyck, Michael Joseph Thies
-
Patent number: 5694768Abstract: An improved variable cycle turbofan-ramjet engine is disclosed. The engine includes a split fan assembly, a bypass channel surrounding a core engine and a mode selector valve for selectively bypassing air around an aft fan and the core engine. In a first, single bypass mode of operation, the mode selector valve allows air to flow through both a forward fan and the aft fan, and a portion of which bypasses the core engine. In a second, double bypass mode of operation, the mode selector valve allows air from the forward fan to bypass the aft fan and a portion of the air from the forward fan to bypass the core engine. In a third, ramjet mode of operation, the mode selector vane bypasses air around the aft fan and the core engine and the core engine is shut down for ramjet operation. In the preferred embodiment, the forward fan is allowed to windmill and powers a fuel pump connected thereto for providing fuel to a ram burner of the engine for ramjet operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 1990Date of Patent: December 9, 1997Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: James Edward Johnson, Elmore Verne Sprunger, John Robert Simmons
-
Patent number: 4064692Abstract: A design technique, method, and apparatus for varying the bypass ratio and modulating the flow of a gas turbine engine of the bypass type in order to achieve improved mixed mission performance. The disclosed preferred embodiments each include a gas flow control system for management of core and bypass stream pressure comprising diverter valve means downstream of the core engine to selectively mix or separate the core and bypass exhaust streams. The flow control system may also include variable geometry means for maintaining the engine inlet airflow at a matched design level at all flight velocities. Each preferred embodiment thus may be converted from a high specific thrust mixed flow cycle at supersonic velocities to a lower specific thrust separated flow turbofan system at subsonic velocities with a high degree of flow variability in each mode of operation, wherein the engine inlet airflow may be maintained at a matched design level at all engine velocities.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 1975Date of Patent: December 27, 1977Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInventors: James Edward Johnson, Tom Foster, Roy Duncan Allan