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: 20080141650
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventor: James Edward Johnson
  • Publication number: 20080141655
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: James Edward Johnson, Ronald B. Steinmetz
  • Patent number: 7246484
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rollin George Giffin, III, James Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 7216475
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 7188467
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 7140174
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: James Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 7134271
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Lewis Baughman, James Edward Johnson
  • Patent number: 6666018
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lawrence Butler, James Edward Johnson, Lawrence Wayne Dunbar
  • Publication number: 20030131584
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Publication date: July 17, 2003
    Inventors: Lawrence Butler, James Edward Johnson, Lawrence Wayne Dunbar
  • Patent number: 6432173
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Donaldson Company, Inc.
    Inventors: James Edward Johnson, James Michael Browning, Timothy Camiel Buyck, Michael Joseph Thies
  • Patent number: 5694768
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Edward Johnson, Elmore Verne Sprunger, John Robert Simmons
  • Patent number: 4064692
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: James Edward Johnson, Tom Foster, Roy Duncan Allan