Patents by Inventor Jeffrey Douglas Rambo

Jeffrey Douglas Rambo 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: 20220412262
    Abstract: Provided are fluid exchange apparatuses and methods of exchanging fluids between streams. Exemplary fluid exchange apparatus includes a first interleaved pathway with a plurality of first passages, and a second interleaved pathway with a plurality of second passages, in which the plurality of first passages and the plurality of second passages interleave with one another. Exemplary methods include directing a first fluid through a first interleaved pathway of a fluid exchange apparatus and directing a second fluid through a second interleaved pathway of a fluid exchange apparatus. The first fluid may flow from an upstream portion of a first duct into the first interleaved pathway and may discharge into a downstream portion of the second duct. The second fluid may flow from an upstream portion of the second duct into the second interleaved pathway and may discharge into a downstream portion of the first duct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11525400
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a system for reducing thermal gradient at a heat engine. The heat engine includes a rotor assembly with a rotor disk and a seal assembly is provided. An interfacing structure at least partially surrounds the rotor assembly at the seal assembly. The seal assembly and the interfacing structure together form a first cavity defining a first environmental condition and a second cavity defining a second environmental condition. A fluid supply manifold is connected to the rotor assembly and is extended at least partially along a radial direction from the first cavity to an outlet opening in thermal communication with the rotor disk of the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Arvind Namadevan, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Arnab Sen
  • Patent number: 11512639
    Abstract: A heat transfer system includes a heat exchanger located at least partially within a coolant flowpath. The heat exchanger defines at least in part a first flowpath and a second flowpath, the first flowpath configured to be in fluid communication with the coolant flowpath, and the second flowpath configured to receive a flow of a motive fluid. The heat transfer system further includes a throttling device that is in fluid communication with the second flowpath of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger receives at least a portion of the flow of the motive fluid from the heat exchanger. The throttling device is also in fluid communication with the coolant flowpath at a location upstream of the heat exchanger for providing the flow of motive fluid to the coolant flowpath at the location upstream of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220364800
    Abstract: Flow paths and boundary layer restart features are provided. For example, a flow path comprises a flow path wall defining an inner flow path surface and an asymmetric notch defined in the flow path wall. The asymmetric notch comprises a first surface and a second surface and is asymmetric about a first line extending through an intersection of the first and second surfaces. Further, a flow boundary layer restart feature comprises a first surface extending inward with respect to a flow path surface of a flow path and a second surface extending inward with respect to the flow path surface. The second surface is asymmetric with respect to the first surface such that the first and second surfaces define an asymmetric notch. Additionally, a flow path wall may comprise an asymmetric notch that includes a flow expansion angle and a flow contraction angle that are unequal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Kupiszewski, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Emily Rosette Clark
  • Patent number: 11492970
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating systems are provided. For example, a system comprises a coolant flowpath having a coolant flowing therethrough, a cooling system for cooling the coolant disposed along the coolant flowpath, a fuel flowpath having a fuel flowing therethrough, a heat exchanger fluidly connected to the coolant flowpath and the fuel flowpath for heat transfer between the coolant and the fuel to cool the fuel, and a fuel tank for accumulating the cooled fuel. The fuel is in thermal communication with a first thermal load to cool the load. An exemplary method comprises flowing a heat exchange fluid along a flowpath; flowing a fuel along a fuel flowpath including a fuel tank; passing both the heat exchange fluid and fuel through a heat exchanger to cool the fuel; and controlling the fuel flow from the heat exchanger to the fuel tank for accumulation of the cooled fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11485499
    Abstract: A system for cooling aircraft components includes a compressor configured to receive air bled from a gas turbine engine and compress the received air. Additionally, the system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed air from the compressor and cool the compressed air; a turbine configured to receive the cooled air from the heat exchanger, with the cooled air expanding as the cooled air flows through the turbine. Furthermore, the system includes a defroster configured to receive the expanded air from the turbine, with the defroster further configured to capture frozen particulate matter from the expanded air. As such, at least a portion of the cooled air from the heat exchanger is routed to the defroster to melt the captured frozen particulate matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220341339
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly for a gas turbine engine and methods for assembling a nozzle assembly are provided. In one example aspect, the nozzle assembly includes an outer wall and an inner wall radially spaced from the outer wall. The outer wall defines a plurality of mounting openings spaced circumferentially from one another. The inner wall defines a plurality of mounting openings spaced circumferentially from one another. The mounting openings defined by the inner wall are positioned circumferentially between adjacent mounting openings defined by the outer wall. The nozzle assembly includes vanes that are inserted through the mounting openings of the outer wall in a radially inward direction and vanes that are inserted through the mounting openings of the inner wall in a radially outward direction in an alternating manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: David Alan Frey, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Alexander Martin Sener, Kirk Douglas Gallier
  • Publication number: 20220316813
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a heat exchanger includes a monolithic body that includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a third substrate, and a plurality of partial height fins. The second substrate is arranged parallel to and spaced from the first substrate, thereby defining a first fluid flow path. The third substrate is arranged parallel to and spaced from the second substrate opposite the first substrate, thereby defining a second fluid flow path. The plurality of partial height fins extend from one of the second substrate and the third substrate toward the other of the second substrate or the third substrate, wherein a terminal edge of each partial height fin is at least partially spaced from the other of the second substrate or the third substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220316815
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a heat exchanger is provided. The method includes forming a first substrate by additively manufacturing a body defining a first outer surface and a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface, a first partial fluid flow channel formed within the first outer surface, a second partial fluid flow channel formed within the second outer surface, and at least one internal fluid flow channel completely formed within the body, and coupling the first substrate to a second substrate including a partial fluid flow channel formed within a surface of the second substrate such that the first partial fluid flow channel of the first substrate and the partial fluid flow channel of the second substrate combine to form a combined fluid flow channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11454463
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides fluid eductors, systems that utilize fluid eductors, and methods of entraining a suction fluid flow using a fluid eductor. Exemplary fluid eductors include a concentric eductor space or a plurality of annular eductor spaces. Exemplary methods include ejecting a volume of motive fluid out of a concentric eductor space of a fluid eductor, accelerating a peripheral region of the suction fluid flow with the motive fluid ejecting out of the first annular eductor space, and accelerating a core region of the suction fluid flow with the motive fluid ejecting out of the second annular eductor space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: General Electric Company, GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY POLSKA SP. Z O.O.
    Inventors: Pradeep Hemant Sangli, Vinod S. Chaudhari, Santosh Kumar Potnuru, Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Michal Starzynski
  • Patent number: 11448131
    Abstract: Provided are fluid exchange apparatuses and methods of exchanging fluids between streams. Exemplary fluid exchange apparatus includes a first interleaved pathway with a plurality of first passages, and a second interleaved pathway with a plurality of second passages, in which the plurality of first passages and the plurality of second passages interleave with one another. Exemplary methods include directing a first fluid through a first interleaved pathway of a fluid exchange apparatus and directing a second fluid through a second interleaved pathway of a fluid exchange apparatus. The first fluid may flow from an upstream portion of a first duct into the first interleaved pathway and may discharge into a downstream portion of the second duct. The second fluid may flow from an upstream portion of the second duct into the second interleaved pathway and may discharge into a downstream portion of the first duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Patent number: 11434824
    Abstract: A system for energy conversion is provided including a propulsion system, a fuel circuit, a combustion device and turbine separate from the propulsion system, and a load device. A fuel flow control device separates a flow of fuel from the fuel tank into a first portion of fuel and a second portion of fuel. A fuel circuit is configured to provide the first portion of fuel to a heat addition system at the propulsion system. A combustion device receives a flow of oxidizer from a compressor section of the propulsion system via a fluid circuit. The fuel circuit provides the second portion of fuel to the combustion device. The fluid circuit flows combustion gases to the turbine and the propulsion system. The load device is operably coupled to the turbine to receive an output torque via expansion of the combustion gases through the turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Gregory Michael Petrasko
  • Publication number: 20220275757
    Abstract: A method is provided of controlling a cooled cooling air system for an aeronautical gas turbine engine. The method includes: receiving data indicative of an ambient condition of the aeronautical gas turbine engine, data indicative of a deterioration parameter of the aeronautical gas turbine engine, data indicative of an operating condition of the aeronautical gas turbine engine, or a combination thereof; and modifying a cooling capacity of the cooled cooling air system in response to the received data indicative of the ambient condition of the aeronautical gas turbine engine, data indicative of the deterioration parameter of the aeronautical gas turbine engine, data indicative of an operating condition of the aeronautical gas turbine engine, or the combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Brandon Wayne Miller, Kevin Robert Feldmann, Patrick Michael Marrinan, Robert Jon McQuiston
  • Publication number: 20220252011
    Abstract: A method for energy conversion for a vehicle is provided. The method including extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system; flowing the flow of compressed fluid to a turbine operably coupled to a driveshaft, in which the driveshaft is operably coupled to a load device; expanding the flow of compressed fluid through the turbine to generate an output torque at the driveshaft to operate the load device; and flowing the expanded flow of compressed fluid from the turbine to thermal communication with a thermal load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Brandon Wayne Miller, David Marion Ostdiek
  • Publication number: 20220242582
    Abstract: A vehicle including a propulsion system is provided. The propulsion system includes a compressor section, a heat addition system, and an expansion section in serial flow arrangement. A fuel system is configured to provide a flow of gaseous fuel to the heat addition system to generate combustion gases. A thermal management system configured to receive a flow of air from the propulsion system. A lubricant system is configured to provide a flow of lubricant to the propulsion system. A hydraulic system is configured to provide a flow of hydraulic fluid to the propulsion system. The thermal management system provides the flow of air in thermal communication with the lubricant system and the hydraulic system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220243667
    Abstract: An aircraft propulsion system and computing system are provided. The propulsion system includes a low pressure (LP) spool and a core engine having a high pressure (HP) spool. A frame is positioned in serial flow arrangement between an HP turbine and an LP turbine. The frame includes an inter-turbine burner including a strut forming an outlet opening into a core flowpath of the propulsion system. A first fuel system is configured to flow a liquid fuel to a combustion section for generating first combustion gases. A second fuel system is configured to flow a gaseous fuel to the core flowpath via the inter-turbine burner for generating second combustion gases. The propulsion system forms a rated power output ratio of the core engine and the inter-turbine burner with the LP spool between 1.5 and 5.7.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220243660
    Abstract: A system for energy conversion is provided including a propulsion system, a fuel circuit, a combustion device and turbine separate from the propulsion system, and a load device. A fuel flow control device separates a flow of fuel from the fuel tank into a first portion of fuel and a second portion of fuel. A fuel circuit is configured to provide the first portion of fuel to a heat addition system at the propulsion system. A combustion device receives a flow of oxidizer from a compressor section of the propulsion system via a fluid circuit. The fuel circuit provides the second portion of fuel to the combustion device. The fluid circuit flows combustion gases to the turbine and the propulsion system. The load device is operably coupled to the turbine to receive an output torque via expansion of the combustion gases through the turbine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Gregory Michael Petrasko
  • Publication number: 20220242587
    Abstract: A method and structure for thermal management for a vehicle is provided. The method includes extracting a flow of compressed fluid from a compressor section of a propulsion system in which the flow of compressed fluid includes a pressure parameter, and generating an output torque via expanding at least a portion of the flow of compressed fluid across a turbine operably connected to a driveshaft. The turbine is positioned downstream of the compressor section and upstream of a cooling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo, Scott Gregory Edens
  • Publication number: 20220235671
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine defines a working air flowpath and includes an electrical system having an electric machine coupled to the rotary component at least partially inward of the working air flowpath along the radial direction and an electric bus electrically coupled to the electric machine. The electric bus includes an electric line extending through the working air flowpath within or downstream of a turbine section. The engine further includes a cooling system including a cooling fluid supply line and a cooling fluid return line, wherein a portion of the electric line extending though the working air flowpath is substantially embedded within the cooling fluid supply line, and wherein a portion of the cooling fluid supply line extending though the working air flowpath is substantially embedded within the cooling fluid return line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo
  • Publication number: 20220235715
    Abstract: A turbomachine for a vehicle is provided. The turbomachine includes a manifold configured to channel a flow of fluid therethrough; a first pressure measurement device in communication with the manifold and configured to determine a first pressure difference; a second pressure measurement device in communication with the manifold and configured to determine a second pressure difference; a data selector device in communication with the first pressure measurement device and the second pressure measurement device, wherein the data selector device receives the first and second pressure difference and uses a logic circuit to generate a single pressure signal; and an engine controller operably coupled to the data selector device such that the engine controller receives the single pressure signal indicating a pressure differential of the manifold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey Douglas Rambo